Kung Fu

Forever?

"Forever" is a word for children.

The tallest candle burns to an end.

Even the stones which form our temple walls...

...built to last 1000 years...

...will grind down under the attrition of time.

A thousand years.

Yet, even in the time...

...I have been master of monks here at Honan...

...there have been occasions...

...when it seemed like the end would come far sooner.

Strike block.

Ready strike.

Strike.

Strike.

Strike.

- Take heart, Shaolin! - Strike.

Tamo, the brave wild one is here.

Cross-stance, strike.

Hammer fist, strike.

You are Shaolin?

Yes, we are Shaolin.

I am Tamo...

...of Cold Mountain.

I am Caine.

You see I've broken your door?

Yes. I see.

You did not hear me knocking?

I heard.

You did not come?

My attention was focused on my master.

You speak of Chen Ming Kan?

No. I speak of Master Hake Tao.

He is no master here as long as Chen Ming Kan lives.

- He lives. - Then take me to him.

I have business with him.

Master Kan has no time for itinerant beggars.

And I have no time for idiots.

Move out of my path, boy.

Kwai Chang, move out of the way.

I will teach this beggar a lesson.

Your tread must be light and sure...

...as though your path were upon rice paper.

It is said a Shaolin priest can walk through walls.

Looked for, he cannot be seen.

Listened for, he cannot be heard.

Touched, he cannot be felt.

This rice paper is the test.

Fragile as the wings of the dragon fly,

clinging as the cocoon of the silk worm.

When you can walk its length and leave no trace...

...you will have learned.

Yes?

There is a man in the courtyard, master.

He says his name is Tamo.

Tamo.

I know of this man.

What is he like?

Like no one I have ever seen before.

What does he want?

He wants you.

He asked for me by name?

Yes, master.

A challenge?

I do not believe so.

Though Master Hake Tao was of that opinion...

...and fought him in your stead.

How badly was Hake Tao injured?

He is defeated.

Tamo of Cold Mountain?

His reputation precedes him.

Braggart, bully, boaster...

...badly in need of a lesson in manners.

Tamo?

Bag of wind.

- Are you there? - Who is this fat old man?

Can he not see?

My name is Po.

I am a master here at Honan...

...and I can see you well enough now that you speak.

I have no wish to fight a blind man.

Keep talking.

Your mouth gives me eyes.

Do you wish to fight me?

If you would be so kind as to strike the first blow.

- I will not. - But you are the challenger.

You are the offender.

So be it.

Enough!

- Who speaks? - Chen Ming Kan speaks.

I have a thing to tell you, Chen Ming Kan...

...if you will agree to hear me.

I will hear you.

Leave us.

Your young master mistook me.

I challenge no one.

I come as a messenger...

...from the Fukien Shaolin...

...and what's left of them.

What should be left of them?

- You have heard nothing? - Nothing.

- Then there is much to tell. - Please, come in.

What I have to tell is for all the monks.

That is for me to judge.

Our visitor is Tamo, the hermit.

He lives alone on Cold Mountain...

...in the high range of Chiu Lien.

He has come to us with news of our brother monks...

...at the Shaolin monastery in Fukien.

I ask you to hear him.

Shaolin of Honan Province...

...earlier this year, Mongol hordes met and defeated...

...the best of the Imperial Dragon Guards.

Upon hearing this...

...your Fukien brothers joined the battle...

...and put the Mongols to rout...

...without suffering a single casualty.

The emperor was grateful...

...but his advisors were fearful...

...of the power of the Fukien Shaolin.

Lies were invented, and liars were paid to tell them.

In due course...

...a warlord was sent to destroy the Fukien temple.

And with the aid of a traitor...

...and the big cannon of the warlord...

...the temple was destroyed.

Only five Shaolin survived...

...and escaped.

Three of them were old men...

...seriously injured.

The other two were young and unharmed.

Di Sum Si, the master monk?

He is dead.

Where are the survivors?

They are at my cave on Cold Mountain.

How does this happen?

One of the survivors is a student of mine...

...led the others to my cave for sanctuary.

Who is this warlord...

...that has destroyed a Shaolin temple with a cannon?

His name is Sing Lu Chan.

Does he know where the survivors are hiding?

No, he does not.

But he keeps searching for them.

And what do you seek here?

I seek nothing but your answer.

The five seek sanctuary here.

What will the warlord do if we provide refuge?

If he knows the survivors are here...

...he will attack, but of course..

...that changes nothing.

Because you are all Shaolin, are you not?

Anyone else wish to speak?

Then we must decide.

Whatever we decide will be decided by vote.

Shall we, no matter how great the danger...

...give sanctuary to our Fukien brothers?

Those who so desire.

It remains only to determine who shall go to the rescue...

...and who shall remain.

May I offer a suggestion?

Certainly.

It should be a small force, not more than six.

With your permission, reverend master, I will go.

You have your six.

Tamo does me honor.

I do honor to myself.

It would take six ordinary mortals to knock Tamo down.

Of course, I am 77 years old...

...and past my prime.

Master Po sympathizes, I am sure.

He is 83.

For the return journey...

...I will need someone else to be my eyes.

Yes. For your companion, Kwai Chang Caine.

Then it is decided, Tamo.

We, the Shaolin of Honan...

...owe you great thanks.

Don't thank me, Shaolin.

The chances are excellent that, through my coming...

...you will all have a violent death...

...before the month is out.

It is Tamo.

We will keep out of sight.

Follow him to where the others are hiding.

Are we passing through a village, gRASSHopper?

No, master. There is no village.

I feel eyes upon us.

There is no one.

There are troops of Warlord Sing Lu Chan...

...in the bluff behind us.

They know me. Don't look.

They will want to follow us to the mountain?

They will try.

We will discourage them.

The master and the disciple followed Tamo...

...the man of Cold Mountain, up into his mountain.

It was as Tamo had said.

Troops of the warlord were lying in wait...

...hoping to be led to Tamo's lair.