Original subtitles

Shaw brothers Ltd. A Shaw studios production

Hua shun offers greetings, general.

This is about a private matter. There's no need to stand on ceremony.

- Please rise. - Thank you, general.

Have the people sent by songshan Shaolin temple arrived?

Yes, sir. Should I let them wait in the hall or bring them in?

I've prepared something in the garden for them.

- Ask them to come in. - Yes, sir.

Summon the three masters from north Shaolin.

Yes, sir.

General hua,

how do you think they compare to the three south Shaolin masters?

I can't tell who's better in terms of kung fu,

but they seem more modest and polite.

South Shaolin is more intractable.

The Shaolin monks offer us aid,

but since the battle with the luosha people,

the government has thought that their kung fu is far too powerful.

It's not beneficial for the nation.

That's why the imperial court ordered a ban on practicing martial arts.

The Shaolin temple should be included in the ban as well.

However, the imperial court has been lenient with them.

They were asked to send disciples to instruct our soldiers in martial arts.

Who knew that they would send some lay disciples from Guangzhou

in order to brush us off?

It's really despicable.

That's why I reported this to the imperial court

and asked songshan Shaolin to send people here.

I have other plans for them.

The three masters from north Shaolin are here.

- Show them in. - Yes, sir.

These are the three masters sent by songshan Shaolin temple.

May I present our general?

Lu feng I'm bao shanxiong from north Shaolin.

Sun chien I'm xu fang.

Chiang sheng I'm Yang zhongfei.

Greetings, general.

You've traveled far. Please be seated.

Thank you, general.

Songshan Shaolin has sent the three of you.

You must have extraordinary skills.

I hope that you will instruct my soldiers.

We'll do our best.

I hope the three of you understand

that the Shaolin temple should not be allowed to practice martial arts,

and that the imperial court is being magnanimous.

Back then, the former minister of war had an agreement with the imperial court.

Only secular disciples would be subjected to that law.

Even so, are you laymen or Shaolin monks?

There are already three masters advising the military,

and they were sent by the Shaolin temple in putian.

I'll accompany you to meet them later.

Before that, I have a small favor to ask of you.

Please tell us.

This way.

I've long admired the martial arts of Shaolin.

Would you demonstrate some of your techniques on the wooden dummies?

Suen San-cheung, yu tai-ping, lau fong-sai, chan chi-keung

Outstanding kung fu. Outstanding.

The three southern Shaolin masters have been waiting in the hall. Let's go.

Hall of martial arts

They're from songshan Shaolin temple.

They're also going to instruct the military.

Both north and south Shaolin have always been well-respected.

Today will be an eye-opener for us, and show us which one is superior.

Will you participate in a competition?

Our martial arts make no distinction. They both have the same origin.

One is not better than the other. There's no need for a competition.

That's strange. Martial artists always claim to be the best.

Why won't you compete?

Are the martial arts of north Shaolin inferior?

That's not what he was saying.

This is going to make it difficult for me.

There are three teaching positions available to those with superior kung fu.

If you don't wish to compete, that will make things difficult.

I can't speak for the others,

but when we were invited, we were told we would be instructors.

In that case, let's just compete.

- Right. - Who will compete against me?

Now wait.

If we must compete, we can do it by demonstration.

Each of us can show off our kung fu skills.

You're right.

I'm Yang zhongfei. I practice qinggong and the two-sectioned pole.

Qinggong? That's not practical in fighting.

But you can use it to run away!

You're right. I'll run and you'll chase me.

If you can catch me, I lose.

Come on, come on!

Come on.

That's no good. You must let the energy flow through your hands.

You're angry and short-tempered. You've already lost before fighting.

Don't you even know this?

Songshan Shaolin didn't obey the imperial order.

His majesty told them to send experts. Why did they send these losers?

For the crime of disobeying an imperial order...

Careful now, I'm going to fight back.

- General hua. - Sir?

Prepare a room for the north Shaolin masters.

- You're preparing to leave? - We haven't performed well.

But not because south Shaolin kung fu is inferior.

We'll take our leave. The other three can take our places.

Don't worry, if there are experts in south Shaolin, they'll avenge you.

- This is deliberate? - Yes.

Putian in the south and songshan in the north,

both Shaolin temples are dangers to the imperial court.

- I'll trick them into fighting each other. - You...

General hua.

Send their bodies to their master, mai qi, in the morning. You know what to say.

Wei pai

they agreed not to injure each other in the competition.

We didn't expect north Shaolin masters to kill them.

The three of them suffered internal injuries, but no one could tell.

In less than two hours aftennards, they vomited blood and died.

Father.

Master!

They died from injuries sustained in the competition.

The general is saddened by this and will visit to pay his respects.

I don't know what to say.

Father, don't worry.

The three of them won't have died in vain.

North and south Shaolin belong to the same family.

The same family? Then how could they be so ruthless?

That's right.

Even the general thinks that they were too ruthless.

Master mai, the general also said

that if you send three men who can defeat them,

the positions will be given to south Shaolin.

That's not necessary.

If the Abbot from putian hadn't sent us a message

saying that the imperial court ordered us to dispatch our masters as instructors,

I would never have sent them.

Now that this has happened, we won't take the positions anymore.

But we must take revenge for their deaths.

That's right.

I shall take my leave.

Thank you for coming.

- Mai feng, see him out. - Yes.

- This way, please. - I'll take my leave.

Father, I'll go and avenge my junior disciples.

- I'm willing to go with mai yuan. - Me, too.

- We'll go, too! - Father, I'll go as well.

That's enough.

Mai yuan, ding li and lu qiang will suffice.

This concerns our reputation. We mustn't win by outnumbering them.

Father, I...

If three of us can't beat them, what's the point of you going there?

The matter's settled. Split up and do what you have to do.

But prepare their coffins first.

Mai yuan, ding li, and lu qiang, set a time to challenge them.

The three previous masters stayed here.

If it's not to your liking, we can find other rooms.

This place is fine.

But it's strange, we didn't hit them that hard.

Why did they all suddenly die at the same time?

We were wondering that, too.

As they say, the unexpected may occur any time.

Life and death are decreed by fate. Who can guarantee a long life?

Martial artists aren't superstitious. We're fine staying here.

I'll take my leave, then. If you need anything, just let me know.

Shanxiong, something's not right. How can there be such a coincidence?

What do you think we should do?

Shaolin disciples don't want to work for the manchus.

But the imperial court is threatening the safety of Shaolin,

insisting that it sends disciples to instruct their military.

We're only doing this to ensure the safety of Shaolin.

I'm afraid the situation is the same for disciples of southern Shaolin.

We're not sure if the manchus are conspiring.

We have no choice now.

We can stay here, make inquiries and find out the truth.

That's all we can do.

North and south Shaolin belong to the same family.

Let's go and pay our respects tomorrow as a courtesy.

At the same time, maybe we can investigate their cause of death.

You're right. We can avoid a misunderstanding by meeting their elder.

I'll ask someone to make preparations.

- I'm sorry. - It's fine.

You must be the new masters. The general sent me to serve you.

- Were you outside the whole time? - No.

- I just arrived. - Don't be scared.

Shanxiong may look fierce, but he's actually very nice.

My name is xiuyan. If you need anything, just call for me.

We wouldn't dare.

You must be elder mai.

I won't allow you to show up here and pay your respects.

My disciples' skills couldn't compare to yours, and so they died.

Tomorrow, I shall send three more disciples

to the general's mansion to fight against you.

Master mai, there's something odd going on here.

If we compete again, there will only be more discord.

In any case, the three of us don't want the positions.

Who says we want the positions? We only want revenge!

- Master mai... - Enough. Say no more.

If you stay here, there might be a huge brawl.

If that happens, I won't be able to stop them.

You'd better leave. Let's compete tomorrow.

Well...

Alright. That's what we'll do.

We'll wait for you at the general's mansion tomorrow.

- Shall we get started? - Very well.

- Wait. - We're here for revenge, not to compete!

We'll fight you whether you want to or not.

If we're going to compete, let's just do a demonstration.

Yes.

Whatever you do, the southern Shaolin masters lost last time.

You must determine the winner this time.

The general will stand in personally asthejudge.

Let's begin.

Shanxiong, Shaolin has only one origin. Control yourself.

Alright.

Who will compete with me?

Within ten moves, whoever retreats one step is the loser.

I'll go first.

He's no match for shanxiong. If they carry on, he'll be badly injured.

- Let's break it up. - Alright.

Are you planning to gang up on him?

Can't you see that he can't hold on much longer?

Our intentions are good. A dog shouldn't bite his feeder.

- You're the dog! - Wait.

Are you gonna take off your robe and fight?

I'll exchange a few techniques with you. But let's stop when we've had enough.

All his ribs are broken. He's dead.

Huh? We have another feud now!

Let's continue no further now.

Watch out!

Lu qiang, forgive me.

It seems that north Shaolin is superior to south Shaolin.

- I'm ashamed. - Stand up.

You did your best. It's not your fault your skill can't compare to theirs.

This is due to the cyclone kick.

This is due to the vajra palm.

The one who fought with me was Yang zhongfei.

He uses a two-sectioned pole and has exceptional qinggong.

He's very agile. His pole broke my arm.

That's the butterfly pole.

One must be excellent at qinggong in order to use it.

With the cyclone kick and vajra palm, they're part of Shaolin's 72 techniques.

Father...

Listen very carefully.

From today, we shall disband the school temporarily.

Return home and accept no visitors.

If you cause any trouble, you shall be banished from the school.

You will no longer be a Shaolin disciple.

- Father. - Master!

- Master! - Enough!

If you still respect me as your teacher, do as I say.

Alright. You may all go now.

Three of us went together, but only one returned

please avenge our deaths

Lu qiang.

Father, this is the letter in blood that he left.

"Three people went together, but only one returned."

Father, aren't you planning to take revenge anymore?

How can we not seek vengeance? But we've already lost twice.

We know that your current kung fu skills aren't a match for theirs.

It won't help going there to die.

It will only weaken the southern Shaolin's reputation.

That was why I dispersed all the students.

If I hadn't, they'd have sought revenge and got killed.

Well, then, father, what's your plan?

The martial arts of Shaolin are both broad and profound.

The northern and southern styles have their own strengths.

We could beat them if we wanted to,

but I injured myself carelessly while training years ago.

I've been sick a long time, and my vital energy is scattered.

I can't gather my strength.

That's why I can't guide you in advancing your skills.

You would only learn a little,

but luckily there are still famous elders in south Shaolin.

Though they've been living as recluses to avoid threats from the qing court,

their skills must have gotten better over the years.

- Do you have plans for me? - I've already thought about that.

The one who killed your brother has a great cyclone kick.

What you must learn is to be his opposite.

His kicks are useful in distant attacks, so you must excel in close attacks.

His leg technique is strong and fierce, so yours must be gentle to win.

In northern Shaolin martial arts, wing chun uses softness

to overcome hardness.

It's better in close attacks.

There's an elder called liang, with the nickname "scholar gardener".

- I'm planning on you studying under him. - Yes.

I'll write an introductory letter tomorrow. Give it to him and learn from him.

Ask your fellow disciples he yingwu and zhu zancheng to see me at once.

Masters, you must have had a tiring day. Here's some freshly brewed tea.

Look, you're perspiring.

- Here. - You do it for him, but not me?

Forget it, shanxiong. Know your place.

- How can you compare to xu fang? - We're both men. How are we different?

That's enough. Let's get changed and visit town.

Come and buy some!

- Let's get a drink. - Alright.

Come and buy some!

Come and buy some!

- Please buy some fruit. - Please buy some.

- Hey! - What's the matter?

- You're eating my fruit. - Indeed, I am. I admit it.

- That's all you have to say? - You have to pay for it!

I have to pay?

Why didn't they have to pay, then?

They're vulgar manchu soldiers. I consider that like feeding dogs.

Ah, I get it. You're scared of them.

Hey, come over here.

Master Yang, master bao. Do you have orders for us?

See, you're afraid of them. But they're afraid of me.

They don't need to pay, so why should I pay?

Thatjust means you're a bad person, too.

- Go. - Yes.

Here. I'm not a bad guy. I'm a good person.

- Paying doesn't make you a good person. - What? Paying doesn't make me good?

That's too much. Here's your change.

What if I don't want my change?

I'll give it all to you. Am I considered a good person?

- No way. - No way? Why not?

Those manchu soldiers called you masters.

You're on the side of the manchus. How can you be good people?

I see. I didn't expect girls like you to have so much pride as hans.

Shanxiong, tell them about us.

- Then they'll know. - Tell them?

Oh, so your friend can speak.

- I thought he was mute. - He's not mute, but...

- You speak enough for both of you! - You want me to tell them?

It's fine. They don't think we're good people.

But I don't think they're bad people.

Here's what we'll do. Isn't this a teahouse?

Let's have some tea and a chat.

What about our fruit and vegetables?

There's another idea, you have tea with shanxiong and I'll watch your stall.

Alright.

- Xiaoling, let's go and have tea. - Alright.

Get inside!

Come and get some!

Fresh in the market!

They're fragrant and crispy.

What is it now?

If you're worried that I'll steal your produce,

you can ask my fellow disciple to pay.

I'm not worried about that. I just...

I was afraid you'd be bored, so I came to keep you company.

Do you think the three masters are serious about teaching my soldiers?

Yes. They seem to be teaching them what they know.

- They're working hard. - That's good.

My ruse is already working.

- Do you understand? - I do, sir.

The feud between north and south Shaolin only deepens.

The imperial court will benefit from their rift.

That's right. Many disciples from south Shaolin have already died.

Even mai qi's son is dead.

They won't just let this go. Let's wait and see.

Your plan is excellent, sir. You have everything under control.

- Come and buy some! - Like this...

They're big and fragrant! Buy one!

They're very cheap!

- Sorry. - I'm sorry.

They're guaranteed to be good.

Philip kwok

- sorry. - Alright.

Buy some pears!

I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry. - Excuse me. Buy some pears.

- Are you a fruit seller? - Yes. They're sweet and tasty. Try them.

- You're not a fruit seller. - Says who?

Not bad. It's sweet and fragrant.

Hey! Don't you need your bag?

If I sold fruit like you, I would've starved to death long ago!

Yingwu.

Master.

- Did you meet mai feng? - Yes.

- So you already know? - Mai feng told me.

However, after seeing these coffins...

I can't help but...

Do you know why I asked you to return?

- To train and seek revenge. - Yes.

There's no need for regret.

- Just train diligently and seek revenge. - Yes.

- When did you part ways with mai feng? - Three days ago.

Then he must've found zhu zancheng and met the scholar gardener, too.

May I ask if you're master liang, the scholar gardener?

- Go away! - Sir...

My father requested that I see you.

What are you talking about? Can't you see that I'm busy?

Yes.

Sir, my father told me to give you this letter.

Go home!

You are indeed... master liang!

- You're mai qi's son? - Yes.

Why hasn't he taught you his kung fu?

He wants you to learn wing chun from me?

My father has been sick in recent years.

I haven't been able to learn much from him.

A man who killed my brother has an amazing leg technique.

My father said that only by learning wing chun from you

can I win and take revenge.

Mai qi is slacking off, pushing his son onto me.

You know, wing chun may seem easy,

but it's actually extremely difficult.

It's not easy to master.

I'm not afraid to study hard to avenge my brother.

Very well. We shall see.

These vegetables can't be eaten raw.

But the seller looks pretty.

Beautiful enough to feast your eyes on!

You're already eating for free. What else do you want?

Lo meng

are you trying to escape? Don't run away!

Let go of me.

Do you have some kind of a death wish?

Get him!

Right!

- What happened? - That soldier tried to touch me.

That man came to my aid.

- Let's go. - Come on.

Don't get us wrong. He's stopping you because you might be at a disadvantage.

- You're not helping them? - She's my fellow disciple's good friend.

He likes her. Why would he help them?

You should go.

You won't escape them if they return with a larger group.

You want to fight a thousand manchu soldiers in Guangzhou?

They won't give a damn if they kill you.

Your kung fu is good.

- He's a good man. - You look happy, like you found gold.

I met a good man. Of course I'm happy.

But he didn't even ask my name.

You didn't ask him either.

Master.

Come inside.

- Do you see that? - Yes.

The memorial tablets and coffins of my six fellow disciples.

Mai feng must've told you everything that happened.

I want you to train hard and avenge them.

- Master, I'll do my utmost. - Good.

Yingwu will train here with you.

I've asked mai feng to study wing chun to overcome hardness with softness.

Zancheng, do you know the most powerful technique in Shaolin martial arts?

Please tell me.

The most powerful northern Shaolin technique is the vajra palm.

In the south, it's the mantis style.

Zancheng, your physique is suitable for training in a powerful style.

Among our three enemies, one uses the cyclone kick.

I want you to learn the mantis style to overcome hardness with fierceness.

There's a famous master in south Shaolin called zhu,

who has been living in seclusion for many years.

He calls himself the nanshan woodsman.

I want you to study under him.

However, he's an eccentric fellow. I'm afraid you'll have a hard time.

Taking revenge is Paramount. I'm not afraid of training hard.

Good. That's good.

I've already prepared an introductory letter for you.

Go to the nanshan woodsman today to learn from him.

From mai qi to master zhu, deliver by hand.

Come here.

Take off your clothes.

- Take off your pants. - Huh?

You seem to have a strong physique.

But it's not easy to learn the mantis style.

The mantis is small, but very powerful.

It can lift things a hundred times its body weight.

You think your arms are strong enough?

You have a long way to go!

In ancient times, they said a mantis' arms could stop a chariot.

It may just be a fable,

but when the mantis style's founder, wang lang,

was sent up the mountain to chop wood while studying martial arts in Shaolin,

he watched a mantis employ its small arms

to fight against a Finch that wanted to eat it.

That was what inspired him to create the mantis style.

That's why the mantis style is very fierce and powerful.

If you don't train hard, you won't succeed.

- That's why you must work diligently. - Yes.

This technique is called "penetrate armor and mountains".

The focus is on the strength of the arms and fingers.

After mastering this, you'll be able to penetrate mountains and Pierce rocks.

Now start practicing what I just taught you.

Again.

Oh, scrambled eggs. Not bad!

If you repeat what you did earlier, you'll be eating plenty of scrambled eggs.

I like scrambled eggs.

You're lucky you like them!

All schools in south Shaolin only pass on their martial arts to men.

But wing chun was founded by a woman, Yang yongchun,

who learned to fight from the nun wu Mei.

My teacher, master liang bochou, learned it from his wife,

before it was passed on to men.

But this style's emphasis is on the power of gentleness, not strength.

There are no expansive movements. We win by fighting at close range.

Start by standing on the wooden Poles to stabilize your lower body.

Stand on it, and practice what I showed you earlier.

- Yes. - Stand correctly.

Adopt the horse stance.

Start!

Stand on the pole.

Remember, if you fall off the pole, your punishment will be gardening!

Master, are we having scrambled eggs again tonight?

Keep practicing.

Don't you like your scrambled eggs? This dish is mine!

Use three fingers.

Use two fingers.

- Use one finger. - One finger?

Hmm... one finger.

I've eaten scrambled eggs for two months. Can I eat something else?

I thought you liked scrambled eggs.

You broke so many eggs.

What will we do with them if you don't eat them?

The two-sectioned pole is most useful for close attacks.

If you can keep the sticks off the ground, then you'll have mastered this.

I don't have to eat scrambled eggs today!

This is my dish. You only broke two eggs today.

- So, no more scrambled eggs? - No.

You shall practice the spinning mill tomorrow.

- So, this is the spinning mill? - That's right.

What you'll learn here is called the bone stacking technique.

In the north, the mantis is considered a technique to build stamina.

Before learning to attack, you must get beaten first.

In practicing the bone stacking technique, your bones will become as strong as steel.

Then his vajra palm will have no effect on you.

Right, practice well.

Good. Come down.

- Follow me. - Yes.

These are the balancing Poles.

I want you to perform the techniques I showed you.

But be careful. Don't step on the plants.

How strange. It's been many months, and no news from south Shaolin.

- Mai qi wouldn't have given up so easily. - Indeed. I'll investigate.

Be discreet. Don't give the game away.

And you must keep a watchful eye on the three masters.

- Xu fang, you've been busy lately. - I've been making inquiries.

I'm looking into the cause of death of those three Shaolin masters.

- Didn't they die from their injuries? - Don't be swayed by emotion.

Alright. So what exactly did you find out?

Your kicks killed mai yuan. And I killed ding li.

As soon as we arrived here, I think we fell into a trap.

And unknowingly, we're falling deeper and deeper into it.

I've already discovered how the three of them died.

They suffered serious internal injuries.

When we fought that day, we didn't deal any fatal blows.

So, you mean...?

There must be an expert here who can inflict such internal damage.

He ambushed them that very night. Then he framed us for their deaths.

What an evil trick.

I want to visit master mai qi and explain this to him.

There's no need. You killed his son. He won't forgive you for that.

If such an evil expert is here, surely we can find him.

I've been watching the guards and the soldiers here.

They can't possibly possess such kung fu skills.

- Unless it's one of those two... - Which two?

- Hua shun or the general himself. - Those two?

We didn't do anything wrong. We're not guilty.

- We have nothing to fear. Let's go. - Where to?

There are two people who want to be introduced to you.

- Who? - You'll see.

Your pole technique has greatly improved.

I've seen you train hard for many days. You can rest today.

- Continue your training tomorrow. - Yes, master.

- Why aren't they here yet? - I don't know.

It's here.

This is xu fang.

And these are the two people I mentioned.

Miss Cheng... and xiaoling.

Eh? Didn't you say that they were...?

They closed up their stall especially to meet you today.

Take a seat.

You're all martial artists, but look at how refined xu fang is.

Hey, xiaoling, we must find a suitable match for xu fang.

Don't worry about that. He has someone he's in love with.

Really?

- It's you? - It's you?

So, you're not a fruit seller.

- I can take a day off from business. - I don't think so.

Your tea, sir.

Well, selling fruit is hard work. You're not very good at it.

It's strange for a martial artist to pose as a fruit seller.

You're a martial artist? Based where?

- At general pu's mansion. - So, you're the ones from north Shaolin?

That's right. That's us.

So, I was right. You're not a fruit seller.

Alright. And who are you?

I'm master mai qi's disciple from south Shaolin.

I met you on the day I received my master's summons.

May I ask your name?

- I'm he yingwu. - My name is xu fang.

North and south Shaolin belong to the same family.

Please come and join us. Let's have tea and a chat.

My master didn't summon me here to have tea and make friends.

Which one of you uses a two-sectioned pole?

What a coincidence. That's me.

I've studied the fishtail pole.

I'd like to see your butterfly pole technique.

Too bad I didn't bring my pole.

Looks like you didn't bring your fishtail pole either. So forget it.

We'll both use these improvised weapons. That'll be fair.

Are you insisting on fighting?

Now that our paths have crossed, I shall seek revenge.

But I know that I can't defeat the three of you together.

Nonsense. It won't require the three of us to defeat you.

- Zhongfei, teach him a lesson. - We won't gang up on you.

I don't think you need to fight zhongfei either.

There's been a misunderstanding.

- Will you fight me or not? - Don't think that I'm scared of you.

Right. You lost.

Master he, please wait. I would like to talk to you.

- So, you've returned? - Yes.

What's wrong?

What happened? Did you meet and fight with them?

I fought with one of them.

I believe he was the one who used the two-sectioned pole.

- And you were no match for him? - That's right.

His pole technique is equal to mine, but his qinggong is far superior.

If he hadn't gone easy on me, I would've been seriously injured.

His butterfly pole technique must be used with qinggong.

- I plan to train you further in qinggong. - Alright.

Four hands technique!

Four hammers technique!

Monkey steps!

Good.

Since your opponent is skillful at leg techniques,

I've set this up specially for you to train on.

Keep going with alternate hands. Strike and turn it.

Jump over it and strike. Lean fonnard. Strike with dart fingers.

Well done.

Now, fit the metal rings round your ankles.

Nine step thrust.

Good.

Remember the principle of passing one breath through three vital points?

Yes. The constant circulation of the breath within the body.

That's right. Let's practice using this stone barbell.

First position.

Second position.

Third position.

Strike!

Good.

Let's practice your dart fingers in the pavilion.

Master!

If you want to get out, then break your way out!

You learned three step technique when you first came here.

Let's change the way you practice it.

The mantis style is considered a powerful technique.

You must develop all the muscles in your body.

See how a mantis can lift one hundred times its body weight.

But these techniques are merely superficial.

To defeat your enemy, it depends on how much strength you can employ.

You already have a rough understanding of all the techniques now,

so you must train your strength with the three step sword.

Place the bands around your ankles.

First step.

Second step.

Third step.

Again.

Hey... finished eating? Back inside the pavilion.

Again?

It's easy to attack strongly from a distance.

But wing chun is used for close quarter attacks.

You must strike the enemy from close range,

since your opponent has excellent leg techniques

which are only good for attacks at a distance.

You must be able to use your strength at close range to defeat him.

Consider this.

Master!

- Master, you must rest. - Don't mind me. Focus on your training.

- But... - Go on. Keep practicing.

Master!

Xu fang!

Xu fang!

- Xu fang... - What's the matter?

What brings you ladies here today?

- You tell him. - Fine. We can speak for ourselves.

- We came today to see... - Me?

We came to see your girl.

- They came to see xiuyan. - To see xiuyan?

They're curious to meet your future wife and their sister-in-law.

- Who says that I'm...? - What? What?

- The wife. - Why are you helping him?

- Alright, I'll help you. Sit down. - Sit.

- Where's xiuyan? - She was just here.

I'll go and find her.

Xiuyan!

Xiuyan!

- So you're hiding in xu fang's room. - Don't talk nonsense!

- I just came from there. - Come on.

- What are you doing? - She's here. Someone wants to meet you.

Here she is. This is miss xiuyan.

Who wants to meet her?

Look at her carefully from head to toe.

Stop kidding around and introduce me to these two ladies.

This is cuiying. She's your future sister-in-law.

And this is xiaoling. She's your future sister-in-law as well.

You interrupted my speech.

Congratulations to you, masters bao and Yang, and to you ladies.

- However, I feel left out... - What are you talking about?

A beautiful woman like you will be a great match for xu fang.

When's the wedding going to take place?

Who's there?

It's me, master xu.

Ah, it's you, hua shun. Sorry about that.

Oh, no worries.

It's fine as long as you and miss xiuyan don't forget to invite me to your wedding.

I must let general pu know about it. He'll be very happy at the news.

General, you instructed me to keep an eye on the masters.

Well, I found out something today.

Didn't you send the maid, xiuyan, to serve the three of them?

Well, she and xu fang are an item now.

- They even want to get married. - They've got a nerve!

General, I think you should be pleased about the matter.

- Oh? Why? - Think about it.

Amongst the three of them, bao shanxiong is a fool.

Yang zhongfei is immature.

But the hardest to handle is xu fang.

If he marries the maid...

He will be subordinate to your orders.

That makes sense.

General, when the time comes,

you can order them to fight against south Shaolin

if they won't come here and retaliate themselves.

You're right. I can take advantage of this.

I can make sure that the feud between them deepens.

I took the Liberty of telling them you'd approve of their wedding.

You were right. Good thinking.

In that case, I'll put on a show of respect for xu fang,

and I'll take xiuyan as my goddaughter and host their wedding.

Brilliant idea, general. An excellent way to handle it.

Again.

You can go back to your father now.

Hua shun told me that general pu is pleased about xu fang and xiuyan.

He wants to take xiuyan as his goddaughter,

then he'll host the wedding as her godfather.

So, what do we do?

Xu fang, the other day, when you confronted hua shun,

you took the opportunity to test out his kung fu, didn't you?

- That's right. - Could he be the one who killed them?

No. Hua shun's kung fu is very mediocre.

He didn't fight back, and I don't think he was faking his lack of skill.

No, he can't have been the killer.

I think we should do what general pu wants.

We all want to restore the ming dynasty and overthrow the qings.

The manchus threatened the safety of Shaolin,

so we had no choice but to take up our positions here.

But won't xu fang become the manchus' godson-in-law?

Here's what I think.

Since hua shun lacks any skill in kung fu,

then the killer can only be general pu himself.

But he's so aloof from us, it'll be hard to test his kung fu skills.

This gives us the only opportunity to approach him and find out the truth.

- I believe xu fang has the same idea. - That's indeed what I think.

But it may cause problems for xiuyan.

That can't be helped. She'll have to take her chances.

We must take risks to accomplish great things.

It's decided, then.

The zhu family now has a successor.

You've gained great skill in the mantis style in such a short time.

With your talent, you'll continue to improve

and the zhu family's mantis style will develop and spread.

You can go home and visit master mai now.

Father!

Master!

Finally, I am able to witness your homecoming.

Help me up, mai feng.

Father, you're weak. You should rest more.

Help me up.

Go and count the number of coffins.

We already know.

Count them!

One, two, three, four, five, six. There are six in total.

Mai feng... zancheng...

Have you seen the coffins... And counted them?

- Yes. - Remember this.

Your fellow disciples lie in these coffins.

They all died for our school.

They were all so young.

Mai yuan was the oldest among them, but he was only 27 years old.

I didn't want to Bury them yet.

I was hoping you could kill their enemies and avenge them

before we Bury them in the ground.

I'm afraid I won't be alive to see that day.

Now, I want you to swear an oath of vengeance before their coffins.

Father... we'll get our revenge.

Kneel down.

You must promise not to stop until you have killed our enemies.

- Mai feng... - I won't stop until I kill our enemies.

- Zancheng... - I won't stop until I kill our enemies.

- Yingwu... - I won't stop until I kill our enemies.

You must also swear to stand by the spirit of Shaolin...

And never submit to the qing dynasty.

We stand by the spirit of Shaolin

and will never submit to the qing dynasty.

- Father. - Master!

Master!

- Master! - Father.

General, mai qi is dead.

- Dead? - He died this afternoon.

He'd been sick for a long time,

but still, he instructed his disciples to take revenge.

So that's why they made no moves for so long.

Now that mai qi is dead,

his disciples and son will surely want to seek revenge.

I plan to visit them tomorrow,

in the name of paying respects, but really to add fuel to the fire.

- Then our plans will be assured. - Good.

I'll also let them know that you're adopting a goddaughter

and hosting a banquet in two days.

I'll tell them that xiuyan's wedding with xu fang will be held aftennard.

That should stir up their anger in south Shaolin.

They'll assume that the people from north Shaolin are traitors,

so they'll be furious.

I'll tell them to come here in two days' time.

Good!

When those from south Shaolin arrive, we'll mobilize troops to lie in ambush.

We'll let them kill each other first.

- Then... - We'll capture them all.

Pay respect

master mai qi

I didn't expect master mai to pass away so suddenly.

- General pu sends his condolences. - That's kind of him.

But he has been very busy at the mansion lately.

Tomorrow, he will adopt a goddaughter and hold a banquet.

Then he'll host her wedding with master xu.

- Master xu? - Xu fang from north Shaolin.

He's marrying the goddaughter the general is adopting.

I'm sorry. I have to go. I shall take my leave.

Farewell.

What a scoundrel.

Yingwu, you said the three masters from north Shaolin weren't bad men.

As loyal Shaolin disciples, even if they were forced to take those positions,

why would one of them marry the goddaughter of a manchu general?

- Aren't they defecting to the qings? - Say no more.

I think something feels wrong about this.

But we've already sworn an oath.

We must fight the three of them and not ignore master mai's last wish.

Yes. I think we should go tomorrow.

We'll demand righteous justice before the general's banquet.

- Greetings, godfather. - Ah, good. Please stand.

This is my gift to you.

Thank you, godfather.

General, please enter.

- Come on. - Go and sit down.

This is just a family dinner to celebrate my new goddaughter.

When xiuyan and xu fang get married, we'll have a grand banquet.

A toast to you, general.

Very good.

A toast to master xu and miss xiuyan.

A toast to godfather.

- Master xu should give a toast too. - Yes.

- A toast to you, general. - Eh?

Xu fang, why are you still calling me "general"?

Who goes there?

South Shaolin disciples he yingwu,

zhu zancheng and mai feng are here to seek justice.

How dare you?

I apologize for arriving at your celebration as uninvited guests.

But it can't be helped.

- It's you? - You?

How can you consider yourselves disciples of Shaolin?

Not only have we come to seek revenge,

but we're also here to clear the name of Shaolin.

You must be mai feng.

There's been a great deal of misunderstanding in this matter.

I'm convinced there's some conspiracy behind this.

If we can't seek the truth calmly,

the plot will harm us all and benefit only our enemy.

Xu fang...

The last time we met, I had my suspicions, too.

However...

We've already sworn an oath before our fellow disciples' coffins.

We can't disobey our master's orders. Today's fight is unavoidable.

No need for further discussion, xu fang.

I just hope the truth will come out someday after this is all over.

You're right. Xu fang, there's no use in talking further.

We must fight today.

Hey, you haven't told me your name yet.

But since we met last time, I've wanted to have a drink with you.

- There's wine here, so let's drink. - Very well.

I'm bao shanxiong.

In songshan Shaolin, I learned the vajra palm.

My name is zhu. I come from a family of famous masters.

I learned mantis style.

I didn't know that. So you're a descendant of the zhu family.

That's right.

This way.

You're the one who uses cyclone kicks, aren't you?

I'm seeking revenge for my brother. No more talk. Let's fight.

Godfather...

This is men's business. Women must not interfere.

They're being so unreasonable.

- Now it's our turn. Get my pole. - Yes.

- You brought your pole today. - Right.

We have our personal weapons, so we shall fight well today.

But understand this, our fight today is no friendly competition.

Don't pull any of your techniques.

Stay where you are.

You'll be of no help, and will only distract them.

Four hammers technique!

Your pole technique has greatly improved.

Fighting like a fruit seller will do me no good.

I always said you were no fruit seller. Now fight seriously.

The retreat garden

The retreat garden

You have avenged your brother now.

I swore an oath before his coffin. I must do this.

Now that I'm gravely injured, I can only await death.

I won't lie to you. I want to tell you the truth.

After the winner was declared,

I turned around to get my robes and your brother attacked me from behind.

I acted on reflex, I wasn't able to control my strength.

I never meant to kick him with lethal force.

Perhaps my father and I were wrong.

I'll stop the others from continuing this fight.

My name is zhu. I come from a family of famous masters.

- Why didn't you try to strike me earlier? - We've no quarrel. Why would I harm you?

But I thought you would, that's why I...

I know that. That's why I only struck the pole and not you.

We were wrong!

We were all wrong!

Watch out!

It was him! That's the palm technique.

He was the one who killed your fellow disciples!

That's right. That was the same palm technique.

Zancheng, mai feng... Listen carefully.

I'm already gravely injured.

You must go immediately and explain to our fellow disciples

about the manchus' conspiracy to sow discord.

You must work together to carry on Shaolin's martial arts.

Move aside!

I'll deal with this traitor!

Go now or they'll kill you!

You...

Why haven't you left yet? My good friends are already dead.

You must escape, or the manchus' plot will succeed!

You're usually so happy-go-lucky.

- You're a good man. - A good man?

You should ask this fruit seller how much a good man is worth...