Shaolin Temple

Wang Shichong proclaims himself Emperor of the East Capital as rebellion swirls across the land. He strengthens riverfront defenses to keep rival warlords at bay. He enlists prisoners and rebels to bolster the slave workforce.

A captured old kung fu master and his son Jue Yuan are forced into the slave labor. They toil alongside others at the riverfront, hauling stones and constructing barriers. The master’s skill does not go unnoticed by the Emperor.

During a moment of defense for another prisoner, the master draws the Emperor’s eye and is personally killed. The act brutalizes the prisoners and tests their endurance. Jue Yuan witnesses the murder and vows to resist the Emperor’s tyranny.

Wounded but alive, Jue Yuan escapes the riverfront and seeks refuge at the Shaolin Temple. Monks tend to his injuries and shield him from pursuit. His flight marks the beginning of his martial journey.

Bai Wu Xia, the Sifu’s daughter, helps with water duties and aids his recovery. Nine years earlier, she and Jue Yuan fled from the Emperor’s soldiers, forging a bond across the temple walls. Their alliance deepens as they train and plan.

Jue Yuan asks to study Northern Shaolin, desiring power to confront the Emperor. The Sifu insists Shaolin is for defense, not killing, and notes that Jue Yuan is not a monk. Nonetheless, his head is shaved and the Abbot ordains him as a junior monk.

After months of training, Jue Yuan’s skill grows, but a vision of the Emperor taints his discipline. During a sparring session he nearly kills his partner, and is ordered to face a wall for days. He then deserts the Temple, attempting to assassinate the Emperor, but fails and returns in shame.

More than a year later, Li Shimin seeks refuge in the Temple as the Emperor hunts him down. The monks pretend to help the Emperor hunt him while secretly aiding Li Shimin’s escape. Jue Yuan and Bai Wu Xia assist in the ruse, helping Li Shimin retreat but sustaining injuries during the ordeal.

Bai Wu Xia and Li Shimin flee on a raft down the river, with Jue Yuan sacrificing himself to shield them. The Sifu and other monks save Jue Yuan, but the Abbot banishes him from the Temple.

The Emperor learns of the monks’ actions and launches a full assault on the Temple. The Abbot pleads for mercy and takes the blame, ultimately being sacrificed on a pyre.

The Emperor's army breaches outer defenses and kills many monks while the inner walls hold. Inside, the Abbot dies and the Sifu is wounded, urging Jue Yuan to protect the Temple and uphold justice.

News arrives that Li Shimin is approaching; the Emperor withdraws. Jue Yuan and the temple monks join Li Shimin’s army to confront the Emperor in the ravaged East Capital. They duel on the river shore, and Jue Yuan finally kills the Emperor.

Back at the temple, a new Abbot asks Jue Yuan to refrain from murder. Jue Yuan vows to uphold righteousness and to honor the vow, even as duty and justice challenge him.

Jue Yuan encounters Bai Wu Xia in the sanctum; she has secretly slipped into a wing of the sanctum. He vows to remain celibate, and she leaves to pursue her own path.

Jue Yuan is ordained as a true monk and becomes the Shaolin Temple’s kung fu Sifu, leading the monks in training. He carries his vow of justice into his teaching and practice.