MM Racing Chapter 142 What should Tianlong Temple do if Duan Zhengchun wants to become a monk?
Chapter 142 What should Tianlong Temple do if Duan Zhengchun wants to become a monk?
Chapter 142 What should Tianlong Temple do if Duan Zhengchun wants to become a monk?
"The Duan Family Sword Technique! You know the Duan Family Sword Technique! Who are you? Do you know who I am?"
Dao Baifeng served as the Princess of Zhennan for twenty years, so of course she had seen the Duan family sword technique. This sword technique was a simplified version of the Six Meridian Divine Sword by Duan Siping, the ancestor of the Duan family.
The Duan family has two inherited martial arts techniques: the One-Finger Divine Skill, used for acupressure healing, and the Six Meridians Divine Sword, which is the pinnacle of martial arts. The two sets of martial arts complement each other.
However, the Six Meridian Divine Sword is too difficult to cultivate. The entry requirement is "Fourth Grade One Yang Finger". To fully unleash the Six Meridian Divine Sword, an even greater amount of true energy is needed.
Duan Siping knew that it was unlikely that any extraordinary genius would emerge from the Duan family, so he simplified the moves of the Six Meridians Divine Sword, changing it from an invisible sword aura into a sword technique.
Afterwards, the Duan family became the royal family of Dali, and they modified all the sword techniques that were not magnificent enough, making their swordsmanship both dignified and majestic, and with a kingly air.
The Duan Family Sword Technique is not a secret art; all Duan Family disciples can use it. However, in other words, anyone who can perform the Duan Family Sword Technique must be related to the Dali Duan family.
Despite his physical disability, Duan Yanqing was determined and practiced martial arts diligently. His skills in Duan family swordsmanship and One-Finger Divine Skill far surpassed those of Duan Zhengchun and were even better than those of Duan Zhengming.
Even without overwhelming him with superior skill, he could easily suppress Dao Baifeng with his exquisite techniques. No matter how Dao Baifeng attacked, he could always easily dismantle his moves.
In less than ten moves, Duan Yanqing knocked the whisk in Dao Baifeng's hand away. Dao Baifeng had practiced whip techniques since childhood, but when she was cultivating in the Jade Void Temple, she switched to using a whisk. After the whisk was knocked away, she directly took out a soft whip from her waist.
Duan Yanqing didn't say much because he couldn't utter a single word. When Yang Yizhen rebelled, the rebels slashed him on the face and throat, leaving him mute and facial paralysis, unable to even chew.
Duan Yanqing, after much painful reflection, created a wicked technique based on ventriloquism from martial arts and mind-controlling techniques from unorthodox schools. The sound produced by ventriloquism is sharp and piercing, which can be used to attack the mind of the enemy.
The downside is that it requires an extremely high level of internal strength. If the enemy's skill surpasses one's own, or if they are proficient in the orthodox methods of Taoism or Buddhism, they can easily retaliate against the evil technique with a single shout, causing one to suffer a qi deviation.
In the original story, Xiao Feng shouted so loudly that he killed Duan Yanqing's disciple, Tan Qing, who wielded the "Soul-Chasing Staff." Duan Yanqing would never dare to use ventriloquism when he encountered Xiao Feng.
Just because he didn't dare to use it against Xiao Feng didn't mean he wouldn't dare to use it against Dao Baifeng. Duan Yanqing suddenly shouted, his voice sharp like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts. Dao Baifeng was already in an unstable state, and suddenly being hit by the evil magic made him feel dizzy and lightheaded, slowing down his attack speed by three or four points.
Duan Yanqing seized the opportunity and used his staff as a finger to unleash the One-Finger Divine Skill, attempting to seal Dao Baifeng's acupoints.
Dao Baifeng instinctively used her soft whip to block, but the tip of the whip was deflected by a finger strike, shattering the crown on Dao Baifeng's head with a "crack." Dao Baifeng's hair was disheveled, her face was deathly pale, and she staggered back several steps, cursing her fate for being so cruel. She never expected to die at the hands of an ugly monster.
Moonlight fell on Dao Baifeng, who was dressed in a white gauze robe and had a sorrowful expression. Her hair ornament was shattered, her hair was disheveled, and her expression was sad with tears in her eyes.
Just as Duan Yanqing was about to make another move, he saw Dao Baifeng's appearance, his eyes widened, his heart pounded, and the valve that had been closed for twenty years in his mind suddenly opened, and the wonderful memories from twenty years ago instantly filled his mind.
When Yang Yizhen rebelled, Duan Yanqing was seriously injured by Yang Yizhen's experts. He survived by sheer luck and struggled to crawl to Tianlong Temple, hoping to ask the Imperial Uncle Master Kurong to uphold justice for him. Unfortunately, he arrived too late. The rebellion was quelled by Gao Shengtai, and Duan Shouhui became emperor. How could the matter of the succession to the throne be changed so easily?
Yang Yizhen broke the unspoken rules between the Dali royal family and powerful ministers, and the two sides fought fiercely. The people of Dali were filled with fear. They had finally quelled the rebellion. If the throne were to be changed again, wouldn't Dali be in chaos?
Even if Duan Shouhui was willing to abdicate, would Gao Shengtai be willing to let Duan Yanqing become emperor? Could Duan Yanqing, with his appearance, still be emperor? Duan Yanqing had considered these questions, but they were his only wish.
Master Kurong gave Duan Yanqing two choices: either he could become a monk at Tianlong Temple and be considered a member of the "Ben" generation, or he could stay outside and I would provide him with food.
Duan Yanqing lay prostrate outside Tianlong Temple, leaning against a Bodhi tree, living like an ant, hoping that Master Kurong would change his mind. He became more and more despondent each day. Just when he was disheartened and ready to spend the rest of his life, a white-robed Guanyin with disheveled hair walked gently to his side under the moonlight and enlightened Duan Yanqing with her body.
After dawn, the white-robed Guanyin disappeared. Everyone in Dali believed in Buddhism. Duan Yanqing thought to himself, "The Holy Emperor has the help of a hundred spirits, and the white-robed Guanyin descended to earth to enlighten me. How can I give up on myself?" He immediately broke off two Bodhi branches and left by limp, hiding in the countryside to practice martial arts diligently. After mastering his martial arts, he killed all his enemies, leaving no one alive.
For the next twenty years, Duan Yanqing’s reason told him that without the White-Robed Guanyin, he would have encountered a resentful woman who was just as self-destructive. But how could he live without the White-Robed Guanyin to keep him in mind?
With a crippled leg, facial paralysis, disfigurement, and muteness, he can only eat by pulling his jaw open with his hands, throwing a piece of food into his mouth, and swallowing it whole. He doesn't even have the ability to chew delicious food. What's the point of living?
If it weren't for the two things—the White-Robed Guanyin and the reclaiming of the throne—as my spiritual pillars, how could I have survived until now?
Duan Yanqing had thought he would never see the White-Robed Guanyin again in this life, but he never expected that the disheveled, sorrowful Princess Zhennan before him would actually be—
Dao Baifeng stood there, her gaze vacant.
Even if her martial arts skills were five times better, she still wouldn't be a match for Duan Yanqing. Even if she could defeat Duan Yanqing, what would Dao Baifeng do if Qin Hongmian, Gan Baobao, Ruan Xingzhu, and others came knocking on her door? Was there any point in struggling?
Duan Yanqing's hands and feet trembled, his whole body shook, and the condensed One Yang Finger power quietly dissipated. Let alone making a move against Dao Baifeng, he couldn't even utter half a harsh word. He almost fell to the ground.
Dao Baifeng roared, "Go ahead and do it! Are you pitying me? If you've got the guts, then do it!"
Duan Yanqing used ventriloquism to say, "Outside Tianlong Temple, under the Bodhi tree, a disheveled beggar stands beside a long-haired Guanyin. Perhaps you've forgotten me, but I still remember you!"
Dao Baifeng was even more terrified upon hearing this. She had resented Duan Zhengchun's womanizing ways and thought to herself, "You've had dozens or hundreds of lovers, so I'll find the most filthy, ugly, and lowly man." Then, she met Duan Yanqing, who was huddled under the Bodhi tree. At that time, Duan Yanqing didn't even have the strength to move. Dao Baifeng was the one in charge. Duan Yanqing mistook her for a Bodhisattva, and he was right.
From a positional perspective, wasn't the process of nurturing Duan Yu akin to that of a Bodhisattva? It can only be said that the healing effect of the One-Finger Divine Skill was too strong, and the vitality too surging. Even the crippled Duan Yanqing could achieve a soul-piercing effect with a single strike.
Dao Baifeng looked at Duan Yanqing in horror.
Ugly face, expressionless face—except for the absence of blood and flies, it was exactly the same as that person from before—impossible! Dao Baifeng clutched her head and screamed, trying to wake up from the nightmare.
Duan Yanqing was puzzled. Why did Dao Baifeng have such an expression? Was she afraid that he would blackmail her? If it weren't for the White-Robed Guanyin's guidance, how could I have pulled myself together? How could a real man be ungrateful? Although I claim to be utterly wicked, I have always acted with integrity.
Then I thought again, Dao Baifeng is the beautiful and noble Princess Zhennan, while I am one of the Four Evils, infamous and hated by everyone. Even if I told you, who would believe me? I would be the one ridiculed, saying that I have gone mad and am fantasizing about the Princess Zhennan.
In ancient times, without photos, videos, or the internet, if you used secrets to blackmail someone, did you have evidence? Did you have witnesses or physical evidence?
Even if you have evidence, how do you spread the secret throughout the world? Don't you think writing materials are free?
Duan Yanqing isn't a big name like Ke Zhen'e or Duan Zhengchun. He's the leader of the Four Evils. What's the difference between what this guy says and farting?
You think it's true just because you say so?
I could have said I was the Jade Emperor!
Such things are not uncommon in the royal family. Even in Dali, there are countless attacks and slanders in the struggle for power and profit. As the Princess Consort of Zhennan, how could Dao Baifeng not understand such a small matter? The more agitated Dao Baifeng became, the greater Duan Yanqing's suspicions grew.
However, in Duan Yanqing's mind, Dao Baifeng was a high and mighty Bodhisattva, the white moonlight that the poor boy had fantasized about for twenty years. Just like Wu Yazi's infatuation with the jade statue, Dao Baifeng in Duan Yanqing's heart was perfect and sacred and inviolable. He dared not utter a single word of probing.
Dao Baifeng gave Duan Yanqing a deep look, then turned and left. Duan Yanqing didn't dare to stop her, but he was worried about Dao Baifeng's safety, so he could only follow her from a distance.
Duan Yanqing's lightness skill is quite special. He uses two canes instead of his legs. With a light tap of the canes, he can fly several meters. His movements are very light. In addition, he cannot speak and has long been used to the quiet atmosphere. He moves without making a sound or even stirring up any air currents.
Duan Yanqing escorted Dao Baifeng all the way until she entered Yuxu Temple. Duan Yanqing wanted to leave, but worried that Dao Baifeng might do something rash. He cursed himself for being foolish and incited Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao to anger Dao Baifeng. He also cursed Duan Zhengchun for being a womanizer and not knowing how to cherish the goddess.
The two of them just drifted along aimlessly, wasting time with each other.
Duan Yanqing did not leave until the early morning, when the maids and servants of Yuxu Temple helped Dao Baifeng wash up.
The Prince of Zhennan's Mansion.
After washing up, Xu Qingya went out for a stroll under Duan Yu's guidance, enjoying the "wind, flowers, snow, and moon".
Duan Zhengchun went to Yuxu Temple to coax Dao Baifeng.
The shock of last night was too great. No matter what methods Duan Zhengchun used, Dao Baifeng could only calmly cultivate himself, constantly chanting scriptures and silently reciting "karma"!
Duan Yu was also greatly shocked, his values were on the verge of collapse, and he barely managed to cheer himself up. Xu Qingya and Zhong Ling were in the best mood, as they were just there for sightseeing.
Surprisingly, Yin Susu and Cheng Lingsu were not in good spirits either, with dark circles under their eyes and looking very listless, appearing lethargic during their outing.
Yin Susu has always had abundant physical strength. In the original storyline, she survived in the wilderness for ten years and was even able to give birth in the wild. Apart from Liu Qingci, she has the best physical strength in the family.
Cheng Lingsu is good at health preservation, going to bed early and getting up early to take care of her body. She hopes to get better as soon as possible so that she won't only be able to kiss and hug, and then watch helplessly as Xu Qingya sleeps in the same bed with other sisters. It's really too frustrating.
How could their physical strength be poor?
Xu Qingya glanced at Hua Baifeng.
As Xu Qingya's "personal agent," Hua Baifeng glanced at Yin Susu and Cheng Lingsu, took two steps closer to Xu Qingya, and whispered, "My lord, the two ladies feel that we should learn from history. Last night, they worked through the night to revise the family rules and regulations, some of which are to discipline you."
Xu Qingya complained, "What a waste of time!"
Hua Baifeng retorted, "My lord, only you would be so bored. What balls do your two ladies have?"
Xu Qingya squinted at Hua Baifeng.
Hua Baifeng pointed to her belly: "My lord, this servant has been waiting impatiently for a long time. No, our son is getting impatient at the Bridge of Helplessness and can't wait to be reincarnated."
"Bai Feng, I really can't help you with this. Everything has two sides."
"What do you mean by 'two-sided'?"
"Your martial arts skills are high, but not high enough. If your martial arts skills were lower, like Yan'er or Su Su, you would be stuck at the threshold of refining essence into qi and could get pregnant. If your martial arts skills were higher and you broke through to the refining essence into qi level, you could also get pregnant. But you are stuck in an in-between position."
"This servant will now cripple my martial arts!"
"That won't do. Canceling one's martial arts skills is extremely damaging to the body. Even with the help of spiritual essence, it will take two or three years to recuperate before one can conceive."
"This can't be right, can it? My lord, don't lie to me! I've read many records. In the history of the Demonic Sect, there were many enchantresses who married righteous heroes. In order to show that they were severing all ties with the Demonic Sect, they would often cripple their martial arts. These people would have children soon after marriage."
"They don't understand health preservation. To stay together until old age requires not only affection, but also good health! Ling Su is a little weak, so I ordered her to recuperate. If you dare to cripple your martial arts and damage your health, I will definitely punish you severely with family discipline. This is my order!"
"This servant will obey the Marquis's orders."
Hua Baifeng's face fell. "My child, my body is failing me, so I can only let you be reborn later."
The two communicated using telepathy, which outsiders couldn't hear, but they could see their mouths moving slightly. Zhong Ling took Xu Qingya's arm and asked, "Brother Xu, what are you and Sister Hua talking about? It's so secretive!"
Xu Qingya ruffled Zhong Ling's hair: "We've discussed shaving your head so you can become a nun. Little Ling'er is so cute, even as a nun, you'll be the cutest little nun. Do you want to keep your head shaved?"
"No! No! I don't want to shave my head! Brother Xu is a bad guy! I don't want to be a nun!"
Zhong Ling covered her head and ran away.
Duan Yu joked, "Ling'er, actually—Buddhism is quite interesting. Let me tell you about it!"
"Brother Duan is a bad guy too!"
Zhong Ling complained a couple of times, then ran even faster.
Xu Qingya asked curiously, "Brother Duan, I've heard that everyone in Dali is a Buddhist. Looking around, I can see quite a few temples, but not many nunneries. Where is the most famous nunnery in Dali?"
Duan Yu explained, "Brother Xu, not everyone who believes in Buddhism has to become a monk or nun. If all the men in Dali became monks and all the women became nuns, who would be responsible for bearing and raising children? As far as I know, there aren't many nunneries in Dali; most of them are located deep in the mountains."
"Deep in the mountains and forests?"
"So as not to disturb my meditation."
"I also heard that almost all the emperors of Dali would become monks in their later years. If the emperor became a monk, would the empress or the imperial concubine also become a monk? Emperor Baoding had no children, so the throne would definitely be passed on to the Prince of Zhennan."
When the Prince of Zhennan grows old and frail and wants to become a monk at Tianlong Temple, will Tianlong Temple accept him?
You saw what happened last night, right?
If the Prince of Zhennan's lover comes to him wanting to become a nun, would Tianlong Temple need to build a Tianfeng Nunnery next to it to take in those old nuns?
Brother Duan, don't run away!
I am sincerely asking for your advice!
I really wasn't laughing at you!
How come your Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) is so skillful?
Brother Duan, there are no mad dogs chasing you, why are you running so fast? Do you think I'm going to eat you? What's up ahead?
Is that Cangshan Mountain?
Xu Qingya chased after Duan Yu, spouting nonsense. Duan Yu, driven to the brink of nervous exhaustion by the barrage of questions, turned and ran. Under Xu Qingya's relentless barrage of trash talk, Duan Yu unleashed his full potential, his speed rivaling that of Zhui Ming.
This has piqued people's curiosity.
Was the Yuxu Temple, where Dao Baifeng practiced her spiritual cultivation, a nunnery belonging to the Dali royal family? Of course not! Yuxu Temple is a Taoist temple. Not everyone in Dali is a Buddhist; some people believe in other things, and you can occasionally see a few Taoist temples.
There are specific rules for naming factions.
The place where monks live is called a "temple".
The place where nuns live is called a "nunnery".
The place where Taoist priests live is called a "temple".
There are people arguing here, but what about the Dali Temple?
The word "temple" appeared earlier than "monk" and originally represented official institutions. For example, "Honglu Temple" was a place specifically for entertaining foreign guests. Hua Mancong's position was the Vice Minister of Honglu Temple, which was a very high-ranking official position.
The Dali Temple, literally translated, is an institution for reasoning and upholding the law. Guo Bujing, known as the "God of Catchers," officially held the position of Left Vice Minister of the Dali Temple. When he retired, the court posthumously conferred upon him the title of "Minister of the Dali Temple."
There are nunneries near the capital of Dali.
Duan Yu had never been there; he had only heard of it.
This nunnery, located deep in the Cangshan Mountains, is called Tianqi Nunnery, also known as the "Widow's Temple." It was the site of a deal between the Central Plains martial arts world and the Duan family of Dali.
The nuns at Tianqi Nunnery are divided into two types.
One type is the widow left behind by a chivalrous knight-errant from a respectable and righteous family. These knight-errant fought for the righteous path and were worried that the evil cultists would harm their families, so they sent their families to Dali, away from the martial arts world, to cultivate their character.
One type is the demoness from the demonic sect who reformed and feared being hunted down by the demonic sect. Some of these people are genuinely repentant and live a life of seclusion, while others are just trying to find a way to survive and never go out even for a moment.
It's understandable that the demoness from the demonic sect wants to find a way to survive, but shouldn't the righteous heroes' gangs provide care for the widows they left behind?
First of all, not all heroes belong to any gang.
Secondly, not all gangs have a conscience.
Finally, not all conscientious gangs have the money to take care of them; some gangs may go bankrupt.
For example, Shen Qinghong, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of the Sanyuan Escort Agency, one of the eight managers of Linglong Pavilion, was robbed by the "Twelve Constellations" while escorting goods in the original story. Her fate was unknown for more than ten years. The Sanyuan Escort Agency had to support Shen Qinghong's family on the one hand and compensate for the losses of the escorted goods on the other. In the end, it was unable to make ends meet and the agency was forced to go bankrupt and dissolve.
After the Sanyuan Escort Agency disbanded, Shen Qinghong's family was immediately murdered, which enraged Zhang Jing, who chased after the bandits for thousands of miles to avenge Shen Qinghong.
There's nothing anyone can do to avoid this.
Even the most ethical business, the镖局 (bodyguard agencies), couldn't withstand such losses. How many other gangs could afford it?
Dali is a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters. It's always better to cultivate oneself in Dali than to be kicked when one is down by an enemy.
Furthermore, Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang frequently donated money to an organization called "Zhengqilou".
Zhengqilou is the Central Plains version of Tianqi Nunnery.
Lu Xiaofeng donated money to the Righteousness Pavilion for two reasons: firstly, to support the orphans and widows, and secondly, to tell those with ill intentions that with Lu Xiaofeng as their guarantor, anyone who dares to cause trouble will face the consequences.
This is a rare ray of light in a world of chaos, bloodshed, and utter confusion.