Chapter 78: A Condition Duan Yanqing Cannot Refuse

When Zhang Jie returned to Leigushan carrying Yunzhonghe,

Fan Bailing had already sworn brotherhood with Yue Laosan.

“Brother Fan.”

“Younger Brother Yue.”

Although Yue Laosan was uneducated and knew nothing of chess, his straightforwardness unexpectedly suited Fan Bailing’s taste.

“Uncle.”

Seeing Zhang Jie return, Fan Bailing immediately went to greet him, having just been chatting with Yue Laosan.

“I pay my respects to the elder.”

Yue Laosan dared not call Zhang Jie by name,

and could only humbly use the Jianghu term for powerful figures.

Yue Laosan’s behavior strangely reminded Zhang Jie of the cultivation world’s realms:

False realms: Qi Refining novice, Foundation Establishment master, Golden Core ancestor, Nascent Soul true lord, Transformation Spirit old monster.

True realms: ants, Dao friend, elder.

Centered on oneself, those without power or background are ants;

those with comparable power and background are Dao friends;

those far surpassing one’s own power are elders.

There is also one category: those without power but with background—young friends.

Why don’t elders care about background?

In the cultivation world, power is the greatest background!

Even a Qi Refining disciple from a Golden Core sect must respectfully address a cultivator of Foundation Establishment as elder!

…

“Lock him up.”

Zhang Jie tossed Yunzhonghe to Fan Bailing like garbage.

“At once.”

Fan Bailing took Yunzhonghe and bound him tightly with ropes already prepared.

Especially knowing Yunzhonghe’s exceptional lightness skill,

Fan Bailing paid special attention to his legs, nearly piercing bones with locks.

“Elder, elder, what about me?”

Seeing Zhang Jie about to leave, Yue Laosan hurriedly asked.

“Wait here.”

Zhang Jie replied casually, busy dealing with Duan Yanqing.

“Understood, understood.”

Yue Laosan nodded repeatedly, his face breaking into a genuinely sincere smile.

“Er…”

Now it was Zhang Jie’s turn to be speechless.

Yue Laosan’s monstrous face making such a smile was not sincere at all—it was terrifying.

Zhang Jie now understood why, despite not being truly evil,

Yue Laosan had been shunned by every faction since leaving the Southern Seas,

and was eventually forced to join Duan Yanqing and others to form the Four Evils.

They say one’s face reflects one’s heart; with Yue Laosan’s appearance—capable of stopping children from crying at night—

it was hard to believe he was merely hot-tempered.

As for cruelty toward enemies—like cutting them in half with the Crocodile Shears?

In a world where you kill or are killed,

cruelty toward enemies is not a flaw—it’s a major advantage.

A kind-hearted man cannot survive in the treacherous Jianghu.

Even Qiaofeng, hailed as a hero of the North, had blood on his hands.

Otherwise, how do you think those ruthless beggars—who would do anything for money,

masters of harvesting organs and mutilating children—disappeared?

Speechless, Zhang Jie picked up Duan Yanqing and entered the secret chamber specially used for cultivation.

The chamber was five to six meters square; apart from several cushions and a large “Jing” character,

written by Zhang Jie himself and hung on the wall, there was nothing else.

“Mm.”

As Zhang Jie unsealed Duan Yanqing’s acupoints, Duan Yanqing slowly awoke.

He opened his eyes to see Zhang Jie seated several meters away, meditating.

Zhang Jie’s attire was identical to when they had fought—

still as white as snow, still elegant and refined.

Even Duan Yanqing could not help but sigh inwardly:

“What a refined young man, like orchid and jade!”

But remembering his status as a prisoner, Duan Yanqing could only smile bitterly.

“Speak. What do you want?”

Duan Yanqing asked in a low voice.

He did not believe Zhang Jie had gone to such lengths to lure the Four Evils here

just to punish evil and protect the innocent.

“Prince Yanqing, you’re straightforward.”

Zhang Jie smiled broadly and spoke slowly:

“I’ve heard the Dali Duan family’s One Yang Finger is peerless in the world. I humbly request Prince Yanqing’s instruction.”

In truth, Zhang Jie was genuinely interested in One Yang Finger.

In terms of healing, One Yang Finger even surpassed Nine Yang Divine Art.

During the Condor Heroes era, Qiu Qianren, leader of the Iron Palm Sect,

whose martial arts and lightness skill were both formidable,

was known as “Iron Palm, Water Drifter.” To gain advantage at the Mount Hua Summit,

he shamelessly attacked a child under one year old.

The child was the son of Yin Gu, concubine of the Southern Emperor Yidan,

who was then the ruler of Dali and younger brother of the Great Divine Power Wang Chongyang.

Qiu Qianren deliberately shattered the child’s heart meridian to the brink of death,

hoping to exhaust Yidan’s strength and prevent him from reaching his peak form.

But at the time, Yidan still had ambition to win at Mount Hua,

and the child was proof of his wife’s betrayal—

so he hardened his heart and refused to heal him, letting the child die.

Yin Gu turned against Yidan in vengeance.

Later, Yidan deeply regretted it, believing his power could have saved the child.

Qiu Qianren, Yin Gu, and Yidan himself all acknowledged One Yang Finger’s healing power.

Now that Zhang Jie had the chance to obtain this art, he would take it even if there was no guarantee.

It was also the fault of Zhu Changling and the other disciples of Yidan—they were useless.

When Zhang Jie of the Zhuyi era destroyed the entire Zhu Wu Linked Mountain Villa,

he specifically searched the premises, but found only cultivation methods below fourth rank.

One Yang Finger is divided into nine ranks: ninth rank lowest, first rank highest.

Below fourth rank, it was merely fragments—useless to Zhang Jie, who possessed Nine Yang Divine Art, Wudang Nine Yang Art, and Northern Dark Art.

Zhu Changling and these incompetent fools couldn’t even fully memorize the manual.

No wonder he got stuck forever in that cave.

…

“One Yang Finger? Impossible!”

Duan Yanqing flatly refused.

Though he hated Duan Zhengchun and others for usurping the Dali throne rightfully his,

he had never considered betraying his family’s secret art.

One Yang Finger was not only Duan Zhengchun’s family art—it was also his own!

If he revealed it, how could he face his ancestors in the netherworld?

“Why not let me finish speaking, Prince Yanqing?”

Zhang Jie did not lose his temper; he remained calm and composed:

“I can offer you a condition you cannot refuse.”

“Hah! Hah!”

Upon hearing this, Duan Yanqing burst into wild laughter.

His friends and family had all been slaughtered by the rebels on the day of the coup.

Did Zhang Jie really think he could coerce him with Ye Erniang, Yue Laosan, and others?

To him, Ye Erniang, Yun Zhonghe, and the rest were merely tools for his revenge!

Suddenly, Duan Yanqing’s face twitched as something occurred to him:

“You found my Guanyin Bodhisattva?”

Duan Yanqing suddenly understood: since Zhang Jie knew “outside Tianlong Temple,

beneath the Bodhi tree, the beggar is filthy, Guanyin’s hair flows long,”

and knew the beggar was him, it was no surprise he also knew Guanyin’s identity.

And with Zhang Jie’s bottomless martial arts, capturing a woman would be effortless.

After all, Guanyin Bodhisattva was Guanyin Bodhisattva only to him;

to Zhang Jie, she was merely a weak woman.

Yet what stunned him was this:

Could a master like Zhang Jie really sink so low as to bully a weak woman?

For a master standing at the pinnacle of the martial world,

wealth, gold, power, and official rank came easily—he shouldn’t stoop to such base acts.

“No.”

In response to Duan Yanqing’s suspicion, Zhang Jie shook his head.

Dao Bai Feng was still safely in Dali, serving as Princess of the Southern March!

“If so, how can you offer me a condition I cannot refuse?”

Now Duan Yanqing was confused.

He had never seen such a tactic—no hostage, no leverage!

Are the younger generation really playing this way now?

Duan Yanqing suddenly wondered if he had grown old, out of step with the times.

Duan Yanqing: Has the new era left no boat to carry me?

“I’ll tell you a piece of news for free:

Your Guanyin Bodhisattva bore you a son.”

Zhang Jie began to reveal the truth.

“What? Guanyin Bodhisattva bore me a son?

I, Duan Yanqing, have an heir! I, Duan Yanqing, have an heir!”

Upon hearing this, Duan Yanqing was instantly overjoyed, wild with ecstasy.

He had believed his life was over, that no trace of Duan Yanqing would remain in this world,

yet now he learned his bloodline still lived on!

“Tell me, tell me—who is my son!”

With most of his cultivation sealed, barely able to use abdominal speech,

and unable to move, Duan Yanqing crawled and rolled to Zhang Jie’s feet, pleading.

‘Is bloodline really so important?

Pan Jinlian felt this way, and so does Duan Yanqing?’

Zhang Jie, who now had hope of immortality, found this baffling.

‘Perhaps, precisely because they know they will die one day,

they seek immortality through bloodline?’ Zhang Jie speculated.

“Tell me, please, tell me!”

Duan Yanqing had lost all dignity of a top-tier master, begging incessantly.

Zhang Jie rubbed his thumb and forefinger together:

“The One Yang Finger?”

“I’ll give it all, I’ll give it all!”

For his son, Duan Yanqing would sacrifice everything.

“Please.”

Zhang Jie solemnly invited.

Duan Yanqing, barely regaining his composure, recited the incantation of the One Yang Finger:

“Move like rivers and seas, still as mountains and peaks…”

With the incomplete One Yang Finger fragments from the Yitian world as reference, Zhang Jie had no fear of Duan Yanqing falsifying it.

He closed his eyes and meditated; soon, he opened them.

“Go!”

Zhang Jie pointed at a candle several meters away.

A finger force shot forth, instantly snuffing out the flame.