Chang Pao-Shan

A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.

In wake of the First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895, a group of Japanese warlords calculate that the best way to prepare an invasion of the rest of China from their southern Manchuria staging ground.

During the Manchurian invasion of China, the son of the Ming Dynasty General takes refuge in the Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts, so that he may seek revenge for his dead father. But he must first endure the rigorous test of the temple's legendary 18 Bronzemen.

A corrupt Shaolin assassin, a master in Iron Claws, is hired to threaten members of the Ching Dynasty into resigning a secret letter for the restoration of the monarchy. The plot is unravelled when a police chief captures one of the assailants. The Shaolin Iron Master must be destroyed...

Despite the national resistance, the Manchurians have taken over China, but the Ching Emperor fears that the Shaolin Temple disciples would overthrow the dynasty. So he disguises himself as a disciple, in order to become a kung fu master and control the Shaolin monks. But according to custom, he must pass the test of the legendary 18 Bronzemen before he can leave the Temple.

Shiao Chieh is left to a monastery when his family is killed, and grows up to be an incredible martial artist. He passes a gruelling and weird series of tests, most of which consist of being whacked by bronzemen, and goes out into the material world. He returns to live with his blind mother and his cousin, Ming Chu, who keeps being visited by an older dark stranger. Shiao Chien soon discovers Ming Chu is not really his cousin, but the niece of a man whose earnest wish is to see him die.

Lui is a powerful ex-minister who opposes the ambitious premier Hu Wei Yen. Lui is assassinated, so his daughter Lui Sin and an assorted band of people loyal to the emperor seeks revenge and justice. The premier made a mistake - he allowed a scroll of battle orders to fall into loyalist hands. Lui and Co learn this, and vow to take this proof of treason to the emperor.

The story follows a young man as he changes from an intelligently aware youth, to a teenager with much less confidence than he once had, and finally, to a stable adult.