Heroes of Shoalin - Zen Lee

17th Century China: The country has just been conquered by the Manchu troops who would rule China for 267 years. Anti-Manchu activists work hard to drive out the Manchus. They form a Triad Society in an attempt to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming. Foremost in their priorities is to enlist the Shaolin Monastery to their cause. They besiege Shaolin when the Abbot refuses their request as Shaolin is a Zen establishment and will not get involved in worldly affairs. The three young heroes grow up in Shaolin where they develop superior kung fu skills. Three Shaolin Elders teach the protagonist, Flint, the secret Shaolin kung fu. Flint and his two friends Bussie and Tobie must save the monastery from falling into the hands of the Triad Society. The young Manchu Emperor Kang Xi finds himself in Shaolin by accident. When the power hungry Regent Oboi hears of the Emperor's whereabouts, he sends out his assassins. The youngsters must protect the Emperor and help him to seize back power from the evil Regent Oboi. Events comes to a head with the annual contest between Shaolin junior monks and lay pupils. Many important men and kung fu experts invite themselves to Shaolin to watch the contest, but their intentions are not innocent. They come for one reason, to steal the Shaolin's secret kung fu manual so that they can learn the power of the famous Shaolin kung fu. At the end of their training, the young heroes are ready to graduate and leave Shaolin but first they must prove themselves by fighting their way through the Wooden Men Lane. In their final test, they must meet Shaolin's most lethal striking force, the eighteen Lohans. This fast-paced novel traces the history of Shaolin and kung fu, while following the trials of Flint, Bussie and Tobie as they learn the skills they will need both in their fight against evil and to become real Heroes of Shaolin.