Shaolin Temple

In a tense era of Qing encroachment, the Shaolin leadership realizes they must train more warriors to stand against the invaders. The monk Hai Hsien opposes this expansion, secretly working for the court. Outside the temple, hopeful recruits endure days of tests to prove their mettle, including Ma Chao-hsing and Fang Shih Yu. When they are finally admitted for training, Ma Chao-hsing quickly embraces the five animal styles, while Fang Shih Yu grows frustrated with the temple’s often enigmatic teaching methods.

Nearby, escaped Ming soldiers Tsai Te-cheng, Hu Te-ti, Yen Yung-chun, and Ma Fu Yi reach Shaolin seeking refuge and are welcomed. The temple’s doors remain open to others, with Lin Guang Yao, Huang Sung Han and Hu Hui Gan joining the training. Tsai Te-cheng focuses on wing chun under the guidance of a secretive female monk, while Hu Te-ti masters the iron whip, expanding Shaolin’s martial repertoire.

As friendships form and the students grow more skilled, Fang Shih Yu’s impatience becomes evident. A mysterious night mentor begins teaching him the tiger-crane style, and a spar with Ma Fu Yi ends with Fang taking the advantage. This turn of events catches Hai Hsien’s attention, and he ponders how such talents could be turned toward treachery, leading him to forge contacts with the court to exploit the situation and recruit traitors who could help raid Shaolin.

The Qing threat deepens as a conspiracy unfolds within the temple. Hai Hsien returns to Shaolin with a plan to recruit traitors who might facilitate a large-scale raid. When the attack finally comes, the temple is overwhelmed by thousands of Qing soldiers, and a brutal siege erupts around the sacred halls. In the end, only eight Shaolin devotees manage to escape the massacre, their loyalty tested and their fates left uncertain as they carry the memory of the brutal assault.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:42