The years 1402 to 1424 are known as the “Yongle Golden Age.” To carry out diplomatic missions, punitive expeditions, military oversight, regional command, and the surveillance of officials and martial artists, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming, Zhu Di, restored the Jinyiwei and Eastern Depot, which the Hongwu Emperor had abolished, strengthening centralized autocratic rule. During the Yongle era, the realm was unified, the Grand Secretariat was established, the Yongle Encyclopedia was compiled, and Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas were among a succession of signs of a flourishing age. But the realm was never truly at peace. Beneath the golden age, undercurrents stirred and turmoil rose once more. The descendants of Han Prince Chen Youliang and Wu Prince Zhang Shicheng sought to make a comeback, while trusted retainers of the Jianwen Emperor had never given up and waited for their chance. The unrest caused by Japanese pirates in Liaodong had another mastermind behind it, plotting treason. The martial world was rife with rumors: “The Eight Wastes and Six Absolutes, the Three Sages Beyond the Seas; the Star-Player Embraces the Moon, the Azure Sea and Empty Mystery; the Crimson Maple without End, the Buddha’s Aspect and Divine Power; the Southern City and Northern Palace, enemies for generations.” The Shaolin monk Buren goes down the mountain for the first time with his master, Grandmaster Jikong, and becomes entangled in one martial-world upheaval after another. Faced with temptation, schemes, fame, and fortune, the young monk never forgets his original purpose and keeps his innocence. With his right foot in the mortal world and his left still within the monastery, he emerges unscathed, defeats all challengers, and ultimately excels in both Buddhist and martial arts.
