Chapter 79: Shocked Duan Yanqing

Duan Yanqing stared in shock, muttering in disbelief:

“Could it be that there truly exist beings born with innate wisdom?”

He had cultivated for many years, yet had only brought his One Yang Finger to the fourth-rank level.

Even so, he was already the foremost master of finger strength in his time.

Only a few elderly monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple, who had sat in meditation for most of their lives, could match him.

Even when he exerted his full internal energy, he could only split his One Yang Finger force into six streams.

He could barely light six incense sticks five feet away at once.

Although Zhang Jie had only extinguished one candle, making him seem inferior,

remember that Zhang Jie had only heard the One Yang Finger incantation once from his lips!

“A celestial being has descended! A celestial being has descended!”

Duan Yanqing exclaimed in awe again and again.

Now he had not a single selfish thought left.

Even if he did not fear death, he already had a son.

Zhang Jie, however, felt no pride—unlike what Duan Yanqing assumed—

for he had long ago shared the One Yang Finger’s power with Zhang Jie from the Heaven’s Edge world.

Even though the Heaven’s Edge Zhang Jie, due to the incomplete scripture, had no motivation to cultivate,

under the boost of his extraordinary talent, he had already brought One Yang Finger to the sixth-rank level.

Duan Yanqing, preoccupied with his child, quickly set aside his astonishment toward Zhang Jie.

“Now, can you tell me who my son is? Is he well?”

Duan Yanqing asked, his face filled with anxiety.

He feared hearing that his child had suffered.

His years of traveling far and wide had taught him

how wretched a child without a father could become.

Not only would he be bullied, but even wandering the streets, fighting dogs for scraps, was common.

“Your son, hmm~”

Zhang Jie deliberately drew out his tone.

Duan Yanqing, sensing his child’s tragic fate, blamed himself bitterly:

“I am no good husband, no good father! I have wronged them!”

To Duan Yanqing’s shock, Zhang Jie continued cheerfully:

“They are all doing very well.”

“Huh?”

Duan Yanqing, having fully built up his emotions, could neither cry nor laugh.

Zhang Jie shrugged innocently:

Who could say that the Princess Consort of the Southern King of Dali and his son were living poorly?

Especially since both wife and son were unique.

Well, unique within the capital of Dali.

Princess Consort Dao Baifeng’s family held great power, and she was somewhat domineering,

Therefore, the Southern King dared not bring concubines like Ruan Xingzhu or Gan Baobao back to the princely mansion.

“Then who exactly is the Bodhisattva Guanyin?”

Duan Yanqing asked, deflated.

This time, Zhang Jie did not tease him, but answered directly:

“She is Princess Consort Dao Baifeng of the Southern King of Dali.”

“Dao Baifeng? The Bodhisattva Guanyin is Dao Baifeng?”

Upon hearing the answer, Duan Yanqing was utterly stunned.

He had speculated countless times about the Bodhisattva’s identity—

from devout women who came to the Heavenly Dragon Temple to offer prayers, to female Daoists residing there—

yet he never imagined she was Princess Consort Dao Baifeng, wife of Southern King Duan Zhengchun of Dali.

“Princess Consort Dao Baifeng, son, my son!”

Duan Yanqing suddenly saw the key, like a blind monk finding the truth.

He struggled to speak through his abdominal voice:

“Duan Yu? Duan Yu is my son?!!”

Since Zhang Jie said the Bodhisattva bore him a son,

and Princess Consort Dao Baifeng had only one son, then that son must be his.

Dao Baifeng had only Duan Yu as her son, so Duan Yu was his son.

And what stunned him further was that Duan Zhengchun had only Duan Yu as his son too!

Even more complex was the fact that the current Emperor of Dali, Duan Zhengming, had no sons,

and Duan Zhengchun, his identical twin brother, was very likely to be named Crown Prince.

And as Duan Zhengchun’s “only son,” Duan Yu would be the sole heir to the future throne of Dali!

“Could karmic cause and effect be so astonishing?”

Duan Yanqing murmured to himself.

Years ago, he was betrayed by corrupt ministers and lost the throne of Dali.

He had long regarded Duan Zhengming, installed by powerful ministers, as his mortal enemy,

and had repeatedly infiltrated the palace, seeking to kill him.

He also hated Duan Zhengchun, his brother, and his nephew Duan Yu by extension.

After failing multiple times to assassinate Duan Zhengming, protected by the old monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple,

he had turned his target toward Duan Yu—the sole future heir of Dali!

Now he felt overwhelming relief: had Zhang Jie not led him to Leigu Mountain,

he would have nearly killed his own son—the very son destined to inherit the throne of Dali!

As for whether Zhang Jie might be conspiring with Duan Zhengchun and others to deceive him,

to make him abandon his revenge against the Duan clan of Dali?

Duan Yanqing deemed it utterly implausible.

With Zhang Jie’s martial skill, he could kill him in three or five moves—

there was absolutely no need to fabricate such a slanderous lie against the Duan clan of Dali.

For Duan Zhengchun, who would soon inherit the throne of Dali,

and for Duan Yu, the future heir, such a lie would be fatal!

Even Duke Zhou feared rumors and gossip,

let alone Duan Yu, whose legitimate claim to the throne rested entirely on bloodline.

“My wish is fulfilled. Let me go.”

Duan Yanqing, suddenly at peace, spoke with the calm of a monk who had attained sudden enlightenment.

He knew that since Zhang Jie had lured the Four Evils to Leigu Mountain, he had never intended to let them leave alive.

He himself had once done the same to his enemies.

Zhang Jie smiled slightly, embarrassed: “I have one more humble request—

I hope the Crown Prince Duan Yanqing will pass on his internal energy to me.”

Although he had already obtained the complete version of the One Yang Finger,

he had no intention of letting this gift of One Yang Finger energy slip away.

Or rather, Duan Yanqing’s internal energy was his primary target.

“So that’s it,” Duan Yanqing realized.

Zhang Jie, so young, already possessed such profound internal energy—

it must have been passed down to him by his elders.

Yet even so, Duan Yanqing did not underestimate Zhang Jie.

Not only did Zhang Jie, upon seeing One Yang Finger once, produce finger force spanning several meters—

but merely inheriting such immense internal energy proved his extraordinary talent.

Major sects in the martial world all passed on energy to some degree,

yet none had ever produced a peerless master with generations of accumulated power.

This was not because the elders were stingy with transmission,

but because they could not find a disciple capable of receiving centuries of internal energy!

At present, Zhang Jie might be the one rare genius who existed only in theory!

“I can pass on all my energy to you, young friend,

but I ask you to promise me one condition.”

Duan Yanqing said after some thought.

Zhang Jie nodded slightly: “Prince Yanqing, please speak—let me see if I have the ability.”

He would not rashly agree to Duan Yanqing’s terms,

but if the conditions were not difficult, he had no objection to accepting them.

After all, although he possessed the Northern Dark Divine Art, which could steal cultivation,

the efficiency of the theft depended greatly on whether the victim willingly cooperated or fiercely resisted.

The reason he had inherited sixty years of cultivation from Wu Yashu, who had seventy years of cultivation,

was largely due to Wu Yashu’s cooperation.

If stealing inner power were robbery, then voluntary transfer was inheriting an estate.

Robbery might be quick and convenient, but it could only yield a portion of gold, silver, and jewelry,

or movable property like household appliances—hard to convert into immovable assets like houses or land.

Inheriting an estate might be complicated, but aside from paying a portion as inheritance tax (the cost of transmission),

most of the other assets could be retained.

Duan Yanqing used belly speech: “I ask for nothing else,

only that you lend what aid you can when my son is in peril.”

With Zhang Jie’s natural talent, the future martial world would be his martial world.

A promise from a peerless master might save Duan Yu’s life.

“Parents who love their children plan for their distant future.”

Hearing Duan Yanqing’s condition, Zhang Jie sighed inwardly.

Duan Yanqing was using his own life to secure a future safeguard for Duan Yu.

Likewise, Wu Yashu, in life, had been most reluctant to let go of his daughter, Lady Li Qingluo.

“Then I accept,” Zhang Jie nodded.

Duan Yu’s character was worthy of his helping him, should the opportunity arise in the future.