No one ever imagined that a mighty empire such as the Tang dynasty would come crumbling down after 300 years. Yes, for more than three centuries the Tangs ruled China; and under their rule, they have seen many wars and made great innovations. They say nothing lasts forever under the heavens, but the Tangs managed to defy all the odds. That's why when news of their downfall reached the four corners of the empire, many found it hard to believe. But even more unbelievable was the architect behind the Tangs' downfall, a dastardly fellow by the name of Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen was nothing more than a bandit. Holding up imperial convoys and pillaging towns, with his band of thieves, were two of his most favorite pleasures. He probably would have been content with ransacking and stealing for the rest of his days, if he had not made the acquaintance of Huang Chao, a would-be rebel hell bent on taking down the Tang dynasty. By joining forces with Huang Chao and his freedom fighters, Zhu Wen had the opportunity to become rich beyond his wildest dreams. The bandit served loyally by the rebel's side until he was apprehended by imperial forces. In order to save his own neck, Zhu Wen quickly turned on Huang Chao and even gave up the network of thieves he belonged to. With the help of the turncoat, Emperor Ai of Tang was able to quell the pestering rebellion and exterminate all the bandits that terrorized his empire.
Zhu Wen, now considered a hero, quickly climbed the social ladder by receiving several military promotions. Under the emperor's nose, he grew in power and influence. And once elected military governor of the province of Xuanwu, he wasted no time to show his true colors. The one time bandit had now become a power hungry warlord who overthrew Ai. He then crowned himself emperor and immediately established the Later Liang dynasty.
Now known as Emperor Taizu, Zhu Wen had no idea that he had set in motion a series of events that would plunge China in a state of turmoil for the next three decades. Although the new ruler made sure to exterminate his political rivals, his reign would not last. He came to an untimely end at the hands of his own son.
The fall of the Later Liang dynasty caused other dynasties to rise quickly, but they all would fall one after the other, plagued by bitter infighting, deadly assassinations and treacherous coups.
While in the north, dynasties were busy succeeding one another, the military governors of the south, who were once loyal to Emperor Ai, formed their own governments. These independent administrations were known as the Ten Kingdoms. They too were subjected to infighting and even battled themselves, but they all challenged the dynasty in power in an effort to take control of all of China.
For fifteen more years, our motherland was ravaged by death and destruction. All seemed lost until the rise of the Later Zhou dynasty, under the command of another emperor named Taizu. This new Taizu was a brilliant tactician who managed to run several successful campaigns by using both military and peaceful means. Finally, after three years of never ending conflict, there was a glimmer of hope for China as peace seemed attainable. But on February 22nd of 954 CE, the Zhou dynasty which looked full of promise, was dealt a devastating blow. Its founder, the great and wise emperor Taizu, died abruptly at the age of fifty. His adopted son, Guo Rong, would rise to the throne, amidst concerns that he wasn't ready to assume such an important position. Guo Rong chose the imperial name Zhou Shizong and vowed, under the banner of a golden dragon, that he would accomplish his father's dream of unifying China under one empire, no matter what.
Shizong went to rage war against the kingdoms of the south and the Mongolian invaders of the frozen north. Unlike his father, the emperor of Zhou showed an extreme penchant for cruelty, wiping out entire villages while showing no mercy to man, woman or child.
The shadow of war covered every inch of China. Even the famed Shaolin monastery, where peace and harmony always bloomed and flourished, was not left untouched. Plagued by a series of dreadful events, it looked like the peaceful monks of Shaolin had been targeted by sinister forces. First, they fell victim to a violent attack that reduced their ranks and claimed the life of their spiritual leader, the abbot Woo-Ping. Then one of their own, possessed by demons, went insane. He turned his back on his teachings and used his advanced knowledge of Kung Fu to take innocent lives and hunt down his former brethren. And now, to add insult to injury, the Shaolin monks had now been subjected to a callous robbery. Five sacred scrolls left by the great Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin, over 600 years ago, have mysteriously vanished. The sacred writings contained the forbidden fighting techniques of the Bodhi, and they even revealed the true identity of the monster behind the pain and suffering that plague these shores. With the lost of these precious documents, the Shaolin monks are now left in disarray, and all hope of bringing peace back to the world is lost.
My name is Jeong. I write these final words as a warning to whomever finds them. Whether you may be an emperor or a farmer, a prince or a pauper, a warlord or a priest, I hope you don't see this as a delusion or some insane work of fiction. The end is near, and I know this is true like the air I breathe. I also hope, dear reader, that you get on your knees and pray to whatever god you believe in. Because when the evil one reveals himself, there won't be a single soul left to challenge him, and the entire world will be covered in blood before being consumed by his fire..
Diary of Jeong (960 CE)
The City of You Zhou, Northern China... A mysterious figure walks the deserted streets of the quiet town as strong gusts of wind batter him violently. With temperatures quickly dropping in the city, nobody dared to venture outside, except for him. He continues to move forward, undaunted by the chill gnawing at his back, while eyeing the compact houses which cluttered You Zhou. After searching the city for several minutes, the man, dressed in white, comes across an old building with Chinese symbols at the entrance. Finally, his two week long search for the famed northern monastery is at an end. Without hesitation, he immediately goes through the main doors and discovers a small courtyard which takes him to a temple hidden behind the premises. Inside the place of worship, he then encounters an old Shaolin monk praying in front of an altar illuminated by candles and some sunlight.
MAN : Master Liu, I am from the central monastery…
MASTER LIU (still facing the altar) : I know, my son. I've been expecting you.
MAN : You know, then, why I am here.
MASTER LIU : Yes, I do. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the whereabouts of the chosen one.
MAN: Master Liu, time is of the essence. I must speak to him. We must prepare for the upcoming threat.
MASTER LIU: You may have good intentions, but you're on the wrong path, my son. The mark you bear does not belong to you. First and foremost, you have to answer for taking the life of a fellow monk. Then, we have to pray over you and exercise these demons that have taken over your soul.
MAN : Demons? You and the others think I'm possessed? I have seen the face of true evil, the bodies and the blood. I've heard the screams of anguish. Bodhidharma wasn't lying, evil is coming. And I will do anything in my power to stop it; even if I have to tear down your temple piece by piece.
Hidden in the shadows of the temple, multiple figures move closer to the intruder. He is so frustrated with Master Liu that he doesn't notice them approaching.
MAN (angry) : Look at me, old man!...
As soon as he moves forward and grabs the old monk's shoulder, a dozen armed shaolin leap out of the darkness.
MONK 1 : Get your hands off him, demon!
The young monks attack the man. He tries to avoid their strikes, but one lucky student manages to hit him with a sword.
MASTER LIU (angry) : What are you doing? I ordered all of you to leave the monastery. Drop your weapons at once.
The monks refuse to listen. Master Liu is forced to pick up a giant vase and toss it at their feet. The loud smash startles the combatants, and they immediately put a stop to the fight.
MASTER LIU : Put down your weapons. Do not desecrate this holy place. He wants us to fight him, don't you understand? He wants us to hate him so he can justify his actions. Please, stand down my students.
The monks drop their weapons and get in formation.
MAN : Very impressive, Master Liu! You have them trained well.
The individual then walks up to the group of young monks.
MAN : It is very unfortunate that these old monks have you all completely brainwashed. Don't you understand that they will use you to do their dirty work? And once you have outlived your purpose, they will discard you, or better yet, turn on you. I will ask one more time: Where is the chosen one?
Everyone in the temple remains silent, except for Master Liu.
MASTER LIU : Do what you will, my son. But neither I nor my students will answer your questions.
MAN : Fine then, let's see how well you've got your dogs trained.
The sinister man begins to pace back and forth in front of the row of monks. Suddenly, he goes nose to nose with one student.
MAN : You are the one who managed to cut me with that sword, right? You think you're pretty strong, don't you?
The young monk receives a swift punch to the gut, causing him to fall to the ground, reeling in agony
MAN : What you are feeling right now is not pain. It's called reality.
He then addresses the other students.
MAN : You will all learn this truth if no one is willing to talk.
More silence.
The man faces another student, and without warning he drives a kick to the young monk's knee, breaking it instantly. Fearing that the rest of his students would ultimately fall victim to the man in white, Master Liu immediately tries to reason with him
MASTER LIU : We are ready to give our lives to protect the chosen one. I will not help you, and they will not either. Do what you must, but you are just wasting your time.
MAN : Old fool! Do you think I take pleasure in doing this? Death is coming, and I am the only one who can stop it. Just tell me where he is and let him make the decision for himself.
MASTER LIU : I cannot.
MAN : Damn you! The blood of the innocent will be on your hands, not mine. I might as well start with your flock.
Filled with anger, the stranger attacks the remaining students, punching and kicking violently at random. One brave monk tries to fight back, but he is put in an arm lock and pinned violently to the ground.
MASTER LIU : Enough! I said enough! Please stop!
MAN : Talk then! Where is he?
Master Liu, with tears in his eyes, doesn't say a word.
MAN : As you wish.
With a simple twist, the sadistic man in white breaks the young monk's arm at the elbow. And once he has his fill of the broken-limbed monk, he moves on to his brothers, beating them systematically, one after the other. After torturing all of the young shaolin, the demanding stranger has no other choice but to focus his anger on Master Liu. He grabs the old monk by the neck and lifts him off the ground.
MAN : If you wish death so badly upon yourself, I shall grant it.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blows into the temple, putting out candles and pushing drapes upward, and the voice of an unknown individual could be heard throughout the building.
LI YEN : My name is Li Yen. I am the one you seek.
While the man tried to figure out who had just entered the temple and interrupted his interrogation of the old monk, Master Liu was beside himself with worry.
MASTER LIU : No!... Get out of here, Li Yen, he will kill you! Go!
MAN : That's the chosen one of the northern monastery? You are not a monk.
LI YEN : No, I am not. I am just a carpenter who was blessed with the mark of Bodhidharma.
MAN : I can't believe the monks of Shaolin would resort to such deception to disprove my anointing. Take off your shirt, liar. Let me see the mark!
LI YEN : I will be glad to show it to you, when I'm standing over your dead body. Now, put Master Liu down at once.
MAN (laughing) : I don't know how they convinced a poor carpenter to go on a suicide mission, but I will be glad to beat some sense back into you and make you tell me where the real chosen is.
The menacing individual drops the old man and turns to confront Li Yen.
LI YEN : I may be just a carpenter, but headmaster Liu trained me well. I will not hide or stand aside while you torture these monks.
MAN : I will ask you once, where is the chosen one?
LI YEN : I am the chosen one, and I am warning you; get off this path that you are on or face the consequences. Are you so blinded by your self imposed divine quest that you can't see what you've become? What happened to you?
The answer to that question can be found 15 years earlier, deep in the woods of mount Shaoshi, within the walls of the legendary Shaolin monastery.
