The Golden Monk

Hangzhou city, Southern Song dynasty, 12th century AD. The capital faces an invasion by evil spirits, leading to a sudden rise in the number of professional demon-hunters. One wealthy couple have hired a taoist monk, Murong Zhengying, who is scornful of another demon-hunter, Jingjing, who has offered her services for free. While Murong Zhengying struggles, another ghost-hunter turns up: young Buddhist monk Butong from Xuanguang monastery. When a huge toad monster appears, Butong and Jingjing separately manage to kill it, and Jingjing takes the monster’s spine as payment.