Through puppets and animation, a traveler tells his story of walking through Settsu, coming to the town of Ikuta. He asks if someone can show him the Seeker's Mound. Late that day, a solitary maiden says she will lead him there.

Anchin, a young monk on a pilgrimage with his master, asks the widow Kiyohime to stay the night. The widow falls in love with him but he rejects her, lying that he will return.

Two brothers, who are both hunters and live with their mother, go to the mountains to set traps for deer. Suddenly, a demon grabs the younger brother. The older brother shoots an arrow, severing the demon's arm, which they plan to take home. But they make a grisly discovery on the journey home.

纪昌是我国古代传说中的人物，在《列子》等古籍中均有记载，日本人中岛敦根据有关传说写成小说《名人传》，该片改编自该小说。
春秋战国时期，赵国首府邯郸有个自小梦想成为天下第一神射手的青年名叫纪昌，他先拜当地的名射手飞卫为师，在飞卫特殊手法的训练下，他在几年后成为技艺与飞卫相当的名射手，但他并不满意，一心想做天下独一无二的神射手，为此甚至想取飞卫的性命，但在又与飞卫较量时，他惭愧地发现师父依旧胜自己一筹。摆脱了危机的飞卫介绍峨眉山上的甘绳老师傅，说自己的箭术和他的相比，完全不值一提，这严重挫伤了纪昌的自尊心。为在箭术上登峰造极，纪昌来到峨眉山，并在甘蝇的教导下，晓得箭术的最高境界是“不射之射”，他做人的理念也自此改变。