Li Zheng, Gu Long.
Here.
Your Majesty.
The traitors are about to charge into the palace
My treasured sword & the imperial jade seal,
...are under your care now.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Hereafter you must be very careful...
to ensure the safety of my two sons.
Yes, Your Majesty.
My queen!
Go now.
Yes, Your Majesty.
It's not that simple.
We're here under the Lord 9th's order.
Trying to confuse us?
Leave the Princes here, and your lives will be spared.
How dare you! Forget it, you traitor!
Kill!
Don't move!
Your Majesty!
The arrows.
Your Majesty, we swear we will ensure the safety...
of our both princes. Don't worry
Hurry!
Let's move.
The Fire General!
Well, at least you know who I am!
He's good with fire attacks! Be careful!
Leave the Crown Prince, the jade seal and the sword,
...and your lives will be spared.
Charge!
Not wasting any more time...
we must leave immediately for the Princes' sake.
Yes.
Go!
What a waste to kill you!
The Water General!
Get over there!
Come on!
Let's go!
Let's see where you can run to!
I think we've traveled far enough from the capital
Guess we should be alright here.
I wonder if Gu Long & the younger prince are okay
Will you spare no one, Lord 9th?
Li Zheng, the baby you're protecting,
is that the crown prince or the younger prince?
And that must be the jade seal on your waist.
You two go first, I'll take care of this.
Alright.
Li Zheng, I'm quite impressed with your skills.
If you'll hand over the Crown Prince and the jade seal
...and tell me the whereabouts of Gu Long,
then I'll give you wealth and rank.
Thank you for the promotion, Lord 9th.
Those who suit their actions to the time are wise.
Come on, go after him.
Go!
Hurry!
Yes.
Prime Minister.
Be careful.
This is our young Prince.
Where's the Crown Prince?
Under siege. The situation doesn't look promising.
"Disciplinary Hall"
Help.
Sure.
Help.
What's this all about?
I'm Li Zheng. I was a secular student of Shaolin Temple
Please help me.
Just go. We're under punishment, and we're banned
...from making contacts with anyone; So go away.
Masters, this baby is...
We've been confined here for three years,
we've never had so many visitors.
What a day!
You three are...
Wu Zhi (to know)
Wu Ming (to understand)
Wu Li (to care)
So you are "Shaolin's 3 dumb Masters"!
Don't mind us, we are here for the excitement.
We've no idea what grudge you all bear.
And I don't care,
that's why I don't want to know.
Li Zheng, you think that...
the Shaolin Temple is your refuge?
Not helping those in need; what sutra you've imbibed?
It's unfair, four against one.
You want to help him?
And don't forget;
We've sworn to the Buddha that...
our feet won't touch the ground outside.
We can't help even if we want to.
That's true.
Maybe not.
You have a point.
What a cute baby!
Thank you, masters.
Let's kill the child first.
Your turn!
Up!
We saved the baby without breaking the rule.
Don't underestimate yourself!
Let's go inside first.
Sure.
Excuse me.
Come on. Let's go inside.
Masters.
What's this?
This jade seal.
It belongs to him, is it?
Please don't let anyone know.
Don't worry, we'll pass it to him when he grows up.
Dead?!
God bless his soul!
It's heavy!
What could this be?
We'll look at it inside.
What is this?
I have no idea what it is.
Do you?
My name is Wu Ming, I wouldn't understand.
Why are you asking me?
And you?
My name is Wu Li, I wouldn't care.
We'll just give it to him when he grows up.
And who will be responsible to raise him?
It's so boring here,
I think it will be fun with this kid around.
What fun?
We've got into enough trouble before,
and been told off by the head-priest many a time.
Now we're banned from leaving this place;
But... but it's different for him, right!
We can teach him all we know,
then he can fight with us.
And we can also watch him beat others up!
That's right, we should ask someone to shave his head.
That's nonsense! He can be just like us.
Great.
Dao Xing.
Did you call me, Second Master?
Second Master, you...
The outside world is dangerous, you must remember:
Don't trust anyone.
Even your own master could hurt you.
Come on.
Now I'll teach you another thing.
When you cannot see danger, it doesn't mean it's safe.
And how do I know that it's dangerous?
Intuition, my boy.
That's right, stand up.
What? Are you afraid that I'll hit you?
No...
Trying to dodge?
And now, I'll teach you another trick.
Say, you can't hide when someone wants to hit you.
And if you want to avoid being hit,
...you must take the initiative first.
Attack is the best defense.
In brief, watch the front & back; don't miss anyone
Presently can you sense danger?
No.
But there IS.
What danger?
I'm not in danger,
but you are, First Master.
Silly boy, how could that be?
First Master, your name is Wu Zhi.
Of course you wouldn't know.
Your bum is on fire!
Well, you just mentioned that even when...
one can't see danger, it doesn't mean it's safe.
You little urchin!
Who are you?
Watch it!
I'm grateful for your teachings, Uncle Gu.
Excellent swordplay.
Excellent.
My respects!
Prime Minister.
I think His Highness' swordplay has reached perfection
Reckon it's our time to recover the throne.
Not yet.
Good swordplay no doubt; but as compared to Lord 9th...
I fear his inner strength is still insufficient
If only my elder brother would be here to help,
...then I could have reinstated our power.
Alright, your three masters have good appetite.
Take enough so that you don't have to run around.
Thank you.
Smells good.
Dao Xing.
Did you call me, Brother Dao Kong?
Why don't you come here to practice?
My masters are teaching me.
Well, so what those three teach is kung fu...
and what we do here isn't kung fu?
That's not what I meant.
You are their student,
then you must be really good.
Not really.
Have you learnt the Lohan Fist style?
Not yet.
And the Ten styles Fist?
Nope.
And what exactly have they taught you?
Well, they taught me that to avoid being hit,
...I must attack first.
Fine, now I'm going to hit you,
...show me how it's done.
That's not Shaolin Kung Fu.
What was that?
That was "Quick vs. Slow", it's just that simple.
This was "Shaolin Hind Leg"
And the last one, "Run for your life"
Goodbye.
It's time to eat.
Great.
Second Master, trust no one.
Even your own student could hurt you.
Please come in to have some buns.
Let's eat, masters.
Are you alright, Second Master?
No problem.
Dao Xing, there's nothing for you to do now.
You may go and rest
Sure.
Take a good nap.
First Master, this is called "Sandwich"
Did you have fun?
Little brat!
Don't ruin the buns.
Third Master, in a nutshell...
watch the front and the back and don't miss anyone!
There's no where to hide.
Rotten kid!
So you've learnt all our tricks.
I have good teachers indeed.
You still haven't learnt the last trick.
What's that?
Three against one.
Masters are hitting the student!
Don't run.
Stop running.
Stop.
If you take one more step,
you will touch the ground outside.
You little rat!
Come inside if you've got guts.
Enjoy the food, I'll be back soon.
I can't believe him!
Your Highness, if you could unlock...
the iron fingers, then you could kill the traitor.
Uncle Gu, please begin.
It's 20 years since my nephew became the emperor
Is there any minister who's not happy with the rule?
With your power and influence,
the country has been prosperous and peaceful.
How can any official dare oppose you?
Exactly, not only the court officials,
we've got spies everywhere.
We'll always be well informed.
I've recently found out that...
Prime Minister Wang has an adopted son.
How old is he?
Must be 22 or 23 years old.
Could he be the Crown Prince!
What news have you got, Guard Tu?
Lord 9th,
Two monks are now working as my informants
Wu Ren and Dao Kong.
They are both from Shaolin Temple.
Shaolin Temple?
What news do you have?
Nothing yet.
Right now, my only worry is Shaolin Temple's...
unique kungfu, the Sinews Martial Art Scriptures
If the crown prince ever goes to Shaolin Temple...
Lord 9th,
we'll try to find out more about it.
Fine, you go to Shaolin.
And I'll pay the Prime Minister Wang a visit.
Zitai, greet Lord 9th.
Zitai wishes Lord 9th a good day.
Prime Minister, he's become a dashing young man.
You must have good kung fu skills, please get up.
Lord 9th, my son has never practiced martial arts.
What's... going on, Lord 9th?
I was just testing you.
I think you'd be a better scholar than a fighter.
Thank you for your advise, Lord 9th.
Prime Minister Wang.
Yes.
I'll make a move then
I'll see you off. Please.
Your Highness, a little impatience spoils great plans.
I almost lost it.
I would have almost ruined it!
Now that Lord 9th has his suspicions about us...
He'll find out sooner or later.
Now that we've reached a critical time.
But His Highness' skills...
At this point,
His Highness is not quite ready to take on the traitor.
Unless he's got the Shaolin's Sinews scripture
After he's learnt that unique style, he'll have a chance.
Right, I'll leave for Shaolin Temple at once.
When did I ever learn the Scripture of Sinews?
Oh, it's Shaolin's unique style.
All about the importance of Qigong the inner strength
Five elements as one.
Get the balance between Yin and Yang energies
I've been teaching you since you were a child.
Turn like a crane.
Hands like a snake.
Agility of an ape.
Feet deep into the ground.
The art of meditating... it's a type of Qigong.
Balance between in & out, between yin and yang.
You'll benefit greatly after its prolonged practice.
How to sleep
Eyes & heart, heart and spirit; Spirit and the body.
The unity of essence, the Qi, and spirit.
And circulation of the five elements.
Body as flexible as a bow, legs strong like arrows
Eyes as sharp as a meteor, hands with power of a drill
Uprooting skills.
You've already learnt it,
...and you didn't realize.
That's right.
Remember,
you must always be a step ahead of your opponent
Got it?
Absolutely
Thank you, masters.
I've checked for you.
There are 3 dumb monks in the Disciplinary Hall
Long ago they adopted a monk who still keeps his hair.
But he doesn't look remotely royal.
How old is he?
In his early twenties.
We'd better be safe than sorry.
Sure. I've always wanted to get rid of him.
Also,
what's the development on stealing the Scriptures?
The chamber has high security, it isn't that easy.
Okay... kill that monk first, then try to steal it.
Are you trying to kill me?
That was a quick reaction!
Your masters have taught you well.
Come on, show us.
Stop kidding.
Take it.
Last time you've shown me your moves.
This time I want to test you with weapons.
Weapons? No way
Brother Dao Kong.
Thank you for not being too harsh on me.
What are you laughing at?
Dao Xing.
Master.
What's going on?
Nothing.
I was teaching Dao Xing.
Dao Kong, come here.
Master, do you have any instructions?
Take a few members down the hill,
to the Xia household for a ceremony.
Something to do with ghosts. So be careful.
Got it?
Yes.
You will follow me to the ceremony tonight.
Yes.
You too.
Me too?
Not only that,
you will be performing the rites.
Performing the rites?
Master
My daughter Suqin.
My son-in-law died recently.
They were such a loving couple.
Hence he wouldn't leave her even after his death.
It's been bothering us.
You have great power of Buddhist doctrines.
Please help us to rest his soul.
Do your own thing, leave me alone.
Get reincarnated soon.
Do your own thing...
Amitabha Buddha... we will try to help.
Don't worry.
I'll help you.
Thank you, I'm off.
Suqin...
Master.
Even when one can't see danger, doesn't mean it's safe
You've got a lot of nerve!
Trying to break us up, huh?
Do something!
Anyone here?
God, you frightened me!
Another busybody.
I'll send you to hell together.
Thank you for helping.
You are very welcome.
This sword is really something!
Oh, this Emperor Sword can conquer evil & kill demons.
Are you alright, lady?
I'm fine, just a bit tired.
Suqin, you must thank them.
Thank you for helping.
You're welcome.
What a coincidence! Why were you...
at the Xia Residence last night?
I was rushing to Shaolin Temple, but having missed the inn,
...I went there to seek shelter.
You're heading to Shaolin Temple? Me too.
Are you a Shaolin disciple?
Yes and no.
What's your Buddhist name?
Dao Xing.
And yourself, mister?
Wang Zitai.
Master Wang.
Let's travel together.
Sure, I don't know my way around.
It would be best if you could lead me.
Please.
This way please.
Master Wang, here we part ways.
Aren't you going with me?
My 3 masters live in the Disciplinary Hall at the back
This is a short cut.
The little rat is still alive?!
Why has he brought an outsider here?!
You'll reach the main hall when you go up the stairs.
Please.
Good bye.
Till the next time we meet.
Please wait.
What is it?
Shaolin Temple is a solemn place.
All must disarm here at the pavilion.
Please understand.
"Disarming Pavilion"
I have always had my sword with me.
I'm afraid I can't leave it here.
Then I'm afraid you can't enter the premises.
This mountain belongs to the Emperor,
...it's not yours.
How can you forbid me from entering?
What are you doing here?
To borrow the Scriptures of Sinews.
Then you're only making trouble.
Get him
Yes.
Sorry about this, master
Is it a special day today?
The Twelve Guardians are here to see us.
We're here on the Abbot's order to catch Dao Xing.
What's going on?
This will be fun.
Come out here, Dao Xing.
What is it?
You should know what you've done.
Brother Dao Kong,
how could you leave me there all alone last night?
That's nonsense.
You fled while several of our fellow men got killed
And to commit serious offence like bringing enemy here
I didn't do such things.
I saw at the pavilion,
...don't try to quibble.
Wang Zitai... our enemy?
I don't have time for this, catch him.
Wait.
Masters.
Dao Xing, if you think you haven't done anything wrong,
...then go ahead.
Show him what you've got.
Give your best.
Alright.
My master taught me,
watch the front and the back and don't miss anyone!
Oh no! I think Dao Xing is losing.
Like that, you can't tackle...
the Twelve Guardians' special style, right?
Help me, masters.
You don't need my help.
Continue if you can, hide if you can't.
Got it?
Yes.
Got it.
Let's go.
Please.
Haven't I told you?
Never show consideration for your opponent.
Trust no one.
Yes, master.
It's obvious that Dao Kong was trying to kill you.
Whom have you brought here?
I was confronted by a ghost at the Xia Residence.
That Wang Zitai helped me with his Emperor Sword.
Emperor Sword?!
Okay, no matter who or why you brought...
you ought to go to the main hall and have a look.
What if they come back?
You're a fool!
Do you think they can beat us three?
You have a point. I'll go to the main hall then.
Wait.
You can't go like this.
Get changed first.
Go on.
Yes, masters.
Go.
Amitabha Buddha.
I'm really impressed with your skills.
You've been easy on me.
Abbot, I've met the Chief of the Hall of Lohans.
Could you grant me my wish?
You're a very skilled swordsman.
What do you need the Scriptures of Sinews for?
I'm afraid I can't reveal for it concerns a lot.
You won't even tell us who you are.
Have you got no respect for us?
I wouldn't dare.
I was just hoping to get a glimpse of the Scriptures.
Please be kind.
I can't lend it out just like that.
Unless you can break through the Eighteen Lohans array
The Lohans Array?
Bodhidharma who created the array once said:
If anyone who could break through the Lohans Array,
...then there's no more secrets for Shaolin Kung Fu.
We can reveal everything.
Abbot, a promise is a promise.
You have my word.
Fine.
Please excuse me.
Wu Ren, he means no harm.
Why are you trying to kill him?
He's trespassing, he deserves to die.
His background is unknown & he's here for the manual.
I think there's more to it.
Lock him up and we'll interrogate him.
Move him.
Yes.
Master Wu Ren.
Abbot, Dao Xing refused to obey your instructions.
He's hurt his fellow students, and he's gone hiding.
Dao Xing never really practices,
how could he beat you and the Twelve Guardians?!
Wu Zhi, Wu Ming, Wu Li.
His three masters.
I see.
Spreading rumors again, I'll deal with you another day.
Those three are exceptionally skilled,
...you are no match for them.
Great... search the premises.
We must try to find Dao Xing.
Yes.
You must be the younger Prince.
I know even if you won't tell us.
You've that Sword and you're here for the Scriptures.
Are you trying to go against Lord 9th?
Some 'Shaolin Monks' you are! Working with the court!
We have been paid.
What should we do with him?
I must take him to Lord 9th.
But I'm worried about his skills.
Let me make him a vegetable first.
Hold it!
So you are all in this together!
Kill.
Master Wu Ren.
Let's go.
Master, I'm really impressed.
You must leave, or you'll get into trouble.
Dao Xing, you killed Wu Ren.
Accept your punishment right now.
Abbot, Master Wu Ren and Brother Dao Kong...
Nonsense.
You set the prisoner free without permission.
Me?
Don't bother explaining.
They'll treat you as a traitor now.
We should fight our way out.
Fight?
Sure.
Master, I rely on you.
I don't know if I can make it, I'll try.
Excellent.
What's the matter with you? This isn't a game.
Right, I forgot.
You head for the top, and I'll go for the bottom.
Great.
You're good, master.
Piece of cake!
Go.
Let's go, Wang Zitai.
Okay
Master, you know the Scriptures of Sinews really well.
Just go.
Master, I don't think we are going anywhere.
Just leave me here,
you must go first.
If I leave you here now,
do you think I'm entitled to be a monk?
My three masters!
Calm down, don't panic.
Your punishment will be over tomorrow,
...why are you breaking the rule?
I am aware of that.
That's why we dressed up for the occasion.
But we haven't touched the ground outside,
...so we haven't broken any rules.
Abbot, they are disrespectful.
They should be punished.
Hey, you're in no position to talk.
Brother Dao Kong.
The Magic Fingers?
That's right, brother.
You were working your way up to become the Abbot.
All your life you've only flattered the teacher.
That's why your skills aren't as good as us.
Let's fight our way out.
Alright.
Masters, you are great.
Stop wasting time and get out of here.
Go on.
Wait, this belongs to you.
Thank you, masters.
Go after him.
What?
There's no need to go after him.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Dao Xing, what are your plans?
Plans? Don't have any.
I'm a grown up,
but the furthest place I've been to is Taian Inn.
I've no idea where I should go now.
I heard our Premier say that the King of West Xia...
will send their Sacred Lady to the palace.
Sacred Lady?
What's that?
The West Xia tribe believes in pagan religion.
The Sacred Lady represents truth and innocence.
Lord 9th wanted her to be the Queen,
so that the West Xia tribe will obey him later on.
I still don't get it.
Lord 9th is really running the kingdom.
I want to sneak into the palace
...at this opportunity.
So you want my help?
That's right.
No problem! I'm good at fighting.
First I've to meet the Premier. You await me at the inn
I've got nothing else to do anyway.
But you must pay for my expenses.
Certainly.
Fine then.
What were you doing?
How could you let him escape?
Lord 9th.
We almost caught that kid.
Who would have thought...
Dao Xing to get help from his three masters!
That's why he could escape.
Who is Dao Xing?
The monk who hasn't become a proper monk yet.
And he's well versed with Sinews skill.
Lord 9th, on the way to the capital,
they have to pass by Taian Inn.
We can intercept him.
Lord 9th is here.
Let's run.
Don't move, go over there.
Inn keeper...
do you have any guests in monks' outfit?
Monks' outfit?
Yes... upstairs, under the "Huang" plate.
Come on
No one here
Search around.
Let's go.
Check around.
Go.
So?
No one here.
Let's go downstairs.
We couldn't find them.
And you?
No.
No?
Move over.
I'm a representative of West Xia.
The Sacred Lady is here.
I'll escort her to the palace after I am done here.
Yes.
Damn it!
Don't be angry, Lord 9th.
I don't think they can go very far.
Search again.
I'll escort her to the palace.
Your Majesty, Lord 9th is here.
Send him in.
Long Live Your Majesty.
Please have a seat, uncle.
What would you like to see me for?
Our army is now stationing in West Xia, Dali,
Laos, Tufan; we have large military expenses.
I plan on raising the taxes.
Of late there have been droughts. Folks are suffering.
They won't be able to take it if we raise the taxes.
As long as we have a strong army,
...what do I care about the people?
Uncle, people are the base of a country.
I'm not here to get lectured.
I want you to send an Imperial decree.
But I don't even have the jade seal.
It's not an imperial decree.
You've talked too much. Guard Tu...
Here.
Give him to sign.
Yes.
Don't think that you're really the Emperor.
I can make you, and I can break you.
Now I offer you the Sacred Lady.
She's here.
She's a rare beauty,
I'm sure you'll be pleased.
Your Majesty, we are officials of West Xia.
Arise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
In the eyes of the West Xia people,
she is sacred, off limits.
But tonight, you and her...
I...
I understand that you are only here
...because you were forced to.
Don't worry, I won't harm you.
We are both under others' control.
You have strong religious beliefs.
Pray for last dynasty's crown prince to resume power.
And I don't have to be a puppet emperor.
You... you're the Sacred Lady?
Of course not, she's inside the sedan chair.
I'm Dao Xing; not a proper monk yet.
I'm surprised, you're a good king.
But I'm useless.
If you aren't the Sacred Lady,
...what were you doing inside?
It's a long story.
Don't worry, I won't harm you.
Alright, tell me your story.
Guards
Yes, Your Majesty
Escort the lady towards the back.
He knows Scriptures of Sinews.
Excellent.
Why are there so many traitors
...guarding this inn?
Oh, no! Dao Xing must be in trouble.
Go to the palace first & see if the Sacred Lady is okay
I'll report to the Prime Minister.
Sure.
I'll get rid of the puppet emperor if I've the chance.
What's going on?
Someone's there.
Let's follow him.
Sure.
So I see.
My uncle is a traitor.
He will be punished.
Amitabha Buddha. Emperor, you are very understanding.
It's quite unexpected.
It's you!
Why are you helping him?
He is a good king.
Assassin!
Dao Xing, if you're my friend,
...don't try to stop me.
It's because I'm your friend,
that I don't want you to kill the wrong man.
Good man, my foot!
Why are you helping him?
There's no need for you to kill him.
Lord 9th is your only enemy.
Then you're not on my side.
I just won't let you kill him.
Wang Zitai.
Dao Xing.
Now we're even.
We'll go our separate ways from now on.
You aren't going anywhere.
It would be a waste to kill you.
Not a waste at all.
Prime Minister...
Prime Minister!
Uncle Gu.
Your Highness!
Lord 9th, I will tear you into pieces.
Calm down first.
We've to find some cloth to cover his wound.
The imperial seal.
It's the imperial seal!
That's right.
The late emperor's royal seal.
We've found him! He's still alive.
You are...
Uncle Gu.
Master...
Where did you get this seal from?
I'm not sure exactly.
Li Zheng gave it to my master,
and he's been safekeeping it for me.
You have the seal,
you are the crown prince.
Oh, I'm the crown prince?!
My brother.
Friends become brothers! This is just great.
Prime Minister...
From now on,
you two work together to restore power.
That's of course, we're brothers.
I heard the traitors. They couldn't find anyone here
...so he's heading to Shaolin Temple.
Listen up, Lord 9th
...has ordered you to give up the two Princes.
But we have no Princes here in Shaolin.
Not even one,
...let alone two.
Don't play fools.
They are Dao Xing and Wang Zitai.
Beg your pardon?
Our student is the crown prince?
What an honor to be his masters!
What if we won't give them up?
Exactly.
Then I'll set the whole Shaolin Temple on fire,
...and there won't be anything left but ashes.
Think again.
Dao Xing...
You're back, Dao Xing?
You're back.
Great. You're back.
My three masters.
I've come back with my younger brother.
We'll get even with this traitor.
Do you need our help?
Thank you,
but this concerns us only.
We wouldn't want to drag Shaolin Temple in it.
Are you sure?
Don't worry.
Watch the front and the back and don't miss anyone!
Fine. But in case you need us,
...just holler!
Yes, masters.
Let's go inside.
Come on, let's do it.
Okay
Old Timer, if you have any more sidekicks,
get them out here.
Listen, we're the princes of the late dynasty.
If you won't help this traitor,
...we'll spare your lives.
Still not backing off?
You're dreaming! Come on
What are you doing?
This is your doom day.
No one will help you.
Today is your doom day.
You two are the ones who will die.
What tricks have you got? Show me.
Come on
Oh yeah?
Move over, brother.
Traitor, you might be skilled, but you are old.
Trying to kill me?
You wish!
Let's finish him off!
Don't be afraid, I'm here.
Kill.
Zitai!
Scared you, huh? There's more
Let's kill him!
Zitai!
Zitai
Are you alright, brother?
I'm fine.
Where's the traitor?
An armor?!
So you've got the treasured sword... so what?
Where's the seal?
We knew you will miss us!