Plot: Wong Yu plays Hsiao Chien, a young man who works alongside his teacher Chi as a phoney spiritual boxer. The idea is that they invoke the Gods to provide them with invincible powers while performing kung fu. In fact neither has any powers, but seem pretty successful at duping people into giving them money for displays of their supernatural abilities. When Chi drunkenly misses one such display, Chien takes over and soon finds that life as con-man is a lot more profitable on his own.
Wong Yu was a talented martial artist best known for films like Dirty Ho and 36th Chamber of Shaolin – both also directed by Lau Kar-Leung – but The Spiritual Boxer also reveals him to be a skilled physical comedian. Chein's favourite act is as the 'Monkey God' – he gurns, giggles and scratches himself, leaping around before inevitably demanding that those watching reward Chein or face the Monkey God's wrath. Chien has various tricks to help trick his victims – a fake knife that he will strike himself with, a lotion which allows him to pick up hot coals without being harmed – and pretty soon he has the whole town paying him terrified respect. Much of this is pretty funny, and although it seems crazy that anyone would be fooled by such a blatant con, it's an indication of just how much power superstition held over these simple townsfolk. Luckily Chien is also shit-hot at kung fu, enabling him to defeat anyone (including the great Ti Lung) who challenges his divine abilities.