The Attack on Ying Li was an attempt by the Iron Gang to kill Xu Wenwu due to the war with the Ten Rings, which resulted in the death of Ying Li.
Background[]
Powered by ten mysterious rings, Xu Wenwu was gifted with unmatched power and immortality. Possessing the power of the rings, Wenwu became a powerful warlord and founded the organization, known as the Ten Rings. During Wenwu's conquering crusade, the Ten Rings engaged in a war with the Iron Gang which resulted in the organization being nearly wiped out.
During his search for the legendary village Ta Lo, Wenwu encountered Ying Li, falling in love with her. They eventually married and had two children, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing, as Li decided to leave Ta Lo and stay with Wenwu. Finding peace in the newfound family life, Wenwu left his mantle of the Ten Rings leader, dedicating himself to his wife and children.[1]
Attack[]
A group of the Iron Gang members entered the Ten Rings' compound with an intention to kill Xu Wenwu. However, he was not present, as Ying Li told them that Wenwu ceased his leadership of the Ten Rings. The leader was not satisfied with that, stating that his organization demands retribution, even if it is not Wenwu himself. Iron Gang members surrounded Li, preparing for an attack, as the leader decided to spare Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing.
With Shang-Chi and Xialing hiding in the safe place, Li engaged in a fight with the Iron Gang. Due to her martial art skills, she was able to take down multiple enemies, however, the Iron Gang eventually outnumbered her which resulted in Li's death. The leader of the gang together with the surviving members escaped from the compound before Wenwu arrived and saw his wife's body.[1]
Aftermath[]
Swallowed by rage and grief, Xu Wenwu resumed the leadership of the Ten Rings and targeted the Iron Gang to avenge Ying Li's death. With Shang-Chi witnessing, Wenwu assaulted a mahjong parlor owned by the gang and mercilessly massacred all members inside, using his rings, leaving one member alive. Wenwu demanded the survivor to tell him where the Iron Gang Leader was, however, he did not know. Wenwu executed the gang member and tasked the Ten Rings with tracking down the leader. They succeeded and Wenwu tasked Shang-Chi with assassinating him, so he could avenge his mother and put an end to the organization. Shang-Chi carried out the mission but ran away from the Ten Rings, horrified by what his father turned into.
One day, Wenwu heard the voice that sounded like Li, telling him that the elders of Ta Lo trapped her spirit and begged Wenwu to come and save her. Wenwu found out that there was a secret passage to Ta Lo that could be accessed once a year at a specific time. During his research, Wenwu found out that in order to find the passage, he needed two Eyes of the Dragon, two gems from a dragon statue from Ta Lo, that Ying Li gave to Shang-Chi and Xialing to wear as pendants. However, he did not know that the voice he was hearing belonged to the Dweller-in-Darkness who manipulated Wenwu into liberating him.[1]