Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 32 An Unparalleled Dream That You Would Never Dare to Imagine

Duan Yanqing is disabled in both legs and uses an iron cane to get around.

The weapon was also an iron staff.

It wasn't the kind of thick, long, and heavy iron staff, but a very slender one. The techniques used weren't the fierce and domineering staff techniques, but rather the light and agile sword techniques.

Duan Yanqing was a direct descendant of the Duan family and the Crown Prince Yanqing. He suffered a great calamity back then, losing his leg, disfiguring himself, and damaging his vocal cords. In addition, with the new emperor's ascension to the throne, he fled to Western Xia.

Over the years, Duan Yanqing has diligently practiced martial arts and recruited martial arts masters, all in an attempt to reclaim the emperor's throne.

One more thing to say here.

It wasn't Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun who plotted against Duan Yanqing back then, but Yang Yizhen. Yang Yizhen rebelled, killed the emperor, and Duan Yanqing was severely injured.

Later, Gao Shengtai led troops to quell the rebellion, and the throne returned to the Duan family. Duan Zhengming had been on the throne for many years and was deeply supported by the people, so it was impossible for him to seize the throne.

Duan Yanqing's enemies were Yang Yizhen and the martial arts masters under Yang Yizhen's command. After Duan Yanqing achieved mastery of martial arts, he killed all of them and avenged his blood feud long ago.

The current dispute is neither about the throne nor about family property; rather, it's about Duan Yanqing needing a reason to live, a pillar of support.

How can Duan Yanqing, looking like that, become emperor?
Does Tenryu-ji Temple approve of this?

Did the officials of Dali approve?
Does the people of Dali approve of this?
Even Duan Yanqing himself doesn't agree!
The iron staff was lifted lightly.

Duan Yanqing used the Duan family sword technique, the authentic Duan family sword technique, magnificent, light and elegant, and the purity and skill of the moves surpassed Duan Zhengchun by more than ten times.

While Duan Zhengchun was busy flirting with girls, Duan Yanqing was diligently practicing martial arts and fighting to the death in the countryside. His internal strength and experience far surpassed Duan Zhengchun's.

An ugly, crippled man with a face as hard as a zombie and legs crippled uses an iron staff to wield swordsmanship, yet he exudes a sense of righteousness and ethereal beauty.

The Duan family of Dali established their state through martial arts, and all their emperors were top-notch masters. The ancestor of the Duan family was a swordsman of unparalleled skill and mastery. This family sword technique, after being supplemented by successive emperors, can be considered an unbreakable move.

It is both grand and imposing, dignified and self-possessed, yet also light and agile, exuding a regal aura.

Duan Yanqing is physically disabled and ugly, but his swordsmanship is uniquely beautiful. When he makes a move, he incorporates the One-Finger Divine Skill into his sword moves, adding a touch of sharpness.

Li Zhaoting faced the enemy with only a willow branch, not out of arrogance or overconfidence, but because he used softness to overcome hardness. He used the gentle willow branch to break the iron staff, and the long willow branch transformed into a long whip.

An inch of strength is an inch of length!

Duan Yanqing, who has difficulty moving around, hates masters of light-footed skills the most. In the past, he had Yun Zhonghe to help cover him, but now he has to fight alone, which makes him somewhat irritable.

Li Zhaoting's body moved like a flying dragon, appearing and disappearing as if emerging from the clouds. The willow branches and green dragons extended their claws, emitting the sounds of tigers roaring and dragons howling, swallowing and exhaling sand and clouds.

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged seventeen or eighteen blows.

There was neither the sound of metal clashing, nor the piercing killing intent, nor even the howling of sword energy; only bursts of sound emanated from the flashing green light.

Duan Yanqing concentrated his energy, controlled the chariot to fly, used his internal strength to turn the wheelchair, and suddenly jumped up, thrusting out two iron staffs from high above, shooting out two sword beams.

The Six Meridians Divine Sword of the Dali Duan Family is famous throughout the world, but the entry requirements are too strict. Duan Yanqing was not qualified to practice the Six Meridians Divine Sword when he was in trouble, and he was even less qualified after his misfortune. He could only combine the One-Finger Divine Skill with the Duan Family Sword Technique, and use an iron staff instead of a sword to create a sword qi skill.

Originally intended as a trump card to deal with Duan Zhengming, Duan Yanqing found the pressure from Li Zhaoting too great, leaving him no choice but to use his trump card to get past Li Zhaoting first.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three sword energies pierced through Li Zhaoting without drawing any blood. The ground and gravel crumbled, and debris shot in all directions, only to be discovered that it was just an afterimage.

"Excellent swordsmanship! Excellent swordsmanship!"

Li Zhaoting offered a few words of praise, then shifted his feet. The willow branches transformed into green ribbons that swept down, and a sword beam, like a meteor falling to earth or a celestial river hanging upside down, poured down.

"Boom!"

The sword energy was like thunder and lightning, scattering from a single willow branch into hundreds of strands. The sword energy shot through the air, and Li Zhaoting's figure vanished, quietly disappearing into the forest of sword energy.

Li Zhaoting was dressed in a blue robe, and the willow branch in his hand was fresh and green. It would have been impossible for him to hide his figure. However, Li Zhaoting's moves were too fast and his mental pressure was too strong. Duan Yanqing had to concentrate on the trajectory of the sword energy. He could only see the sword energy and the sword light, but could not see Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting recalled what his master had said.

This state is called: The One and Only Sword of Heaven and Earth!
Reaching this level of swordsmanship is barely considered an entry into the inner sanctum of the sword path, qualifying one to climb to the peak. To advance further, countless battles are required.

As for special techniques such as gathering qi into rays or gathering qi into a shield, these are all applications and manipulations of true qi, belonging to basic skills, which can be practiced diligently in private.

Li Zhaoting had witnessed his master casually transform a tree branch into a sharp sword. The sword's aura was so powerful that it only dissipated after three days, displaying an awe-inspiring divine might that inspired awe.

Everything in the universe can be used as a sword.

This is a true "sword immortal"!

"Nostalgia" is never a sign of being distracted, but rather a kind of blessing, belonging to a special state of enlightenment.

Li Zhaoting experienced a sudden enlightenment, his sword energy soaring like a rainbow. Duan Yanqing struggled to hold on, thinking to himself, "What kind of monster is this? What grudge do I have against you? Why are you stopping me?"
Enraged, he became even more ruthless in his attacks.

With a series of clanging sounds, the willow branches and iron staffs clashed repeatedly, scattering more than a dozen sword energies that carved marks on the stone wall, instantly filling the sky with dust.

"laugh!"

A green light swept across, parting the smoke and dust.

The willow twigs and leaves shattered into tiny pieces the size of fingernails, which drifted into Li Zhaoting's hand.

Duan Yanqing staggered back several steps, desperately trying to dissipate his strength. His wheelchair was shattered into pieces as he retreated until he landed on the stone table, where he finally managed to regain his balance. One of his iron canes was knocked away by the impact.

"clang!"

The iron rod was driven deep into the stone wall.

The stone wall was polished smooth by sword energy, and there were nineteen vertical and horizontal sword energy engravings on it, which formed a chessboard.

Li Zhaoting said, "I am not a member of the Duan family. If I were to bully the weak, you would be outwardly convinced but inwardly resentful. Why don't we have a battle of wits and compete in terms of strategy?"

Duan Yanqing nodded in agreement.

Duan Yanqing is physically disabled and disfigured. Coupled with the "Guanyin's Blessing" incident in the past, he regards all the beauties in the world as nothing. His only hobby is playing chess.

In the original story, Xu Zhu solved the Zhenlong Chess Game with the help of Duan Yanqing. Based on this, some people have deduced that Duan Yanqing is the person with the highest chess skills in the original novel of Tianlong.

This answer is most likely wrong.

The player with the highest chess skills must be... Duan Yu!
Some experts on the forum have analyzed the game word by word, using a problem-solving approach, and concluded that Duan Yu's chess skills were slightly better than Duan Yanqing's.

In chess, one should strive to make the first move.

Duan Yanqing dared not speak up to compete for it.

Duan Yanqing's vocal cords were destroyed, so he could not speak and could only communicate with others through ventriloquism. What he feared most was being rebuffed when he used ventriloquism.

Especially someone like Feng Suzhen, who is also skilled in sonic attacks, could cause Duan Yanqing's mental cultivation technique to backfire and possibly drive him to madness and death by plucking a few strings.

Li Zhaoting said, "My chess skills are poor, and I dare not play against Mr. Duan. My wife is proficient in all the arts, so let my wife play against me!" Duan Yanqing looked up at Feng Suzhen.

Feng Suzhen stepped forward: "Mr. Duan, you are a senior in the martial arts world, while I am a junior. In this game of chess, I will give you the first move. Please make the first move, Senior Duan!"

This statement is utterly provocative.

If it were a hot-blooded man, he would definitely not be able to stand being looked down upon like this by a little woman. Duan Yanqing had endured twenty years of misery, so how could he care about mere ridicule?

He picked up a pebble and threw it.

"Snapped!"

The stones are engraved on the stone wall.

Feng Suzhen flicked out a green leaf.

The previously broken willow twigs were used as chess pieces.

The two players launched an offensive attack on each other, placing their pieces at an incredibly fast pace. Duan Yanqing launched a series of powerful attacks, but Feng Suzhen responded calmly and quickly erased the advantage of having the first move.

No matter how Duan Yanqing made his moves, Feng Suzhen could always see through the traps in the game, make the most correct response in time, and set traps in her response.

Duan Yanqing knew that his swordsmanship was inferior to Li Zhaoting's, and he was already impatient. Now that he was at a disadvantage in the game, he became increasingly anxious, and his formation gradually revealed flaws.

Feng Suzhen's response remained the same as always.

No matter how anxious Duan Yanqing appeared, or how obvious the flaws in the game were, he never rushed ahead recklessly, but gradually gained the upper hand and launched a steady and methodical attack.

Before long, the victory was secured.

"Ah~ Pfft~"

Duan Yanqing looked up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

After more than ten years of painstaking planning, he lost three capable subordinates before he could even take action. He was no match for Li Zhaoting in martial arts and no match for Feng Suzhen in literature. He lost completely.

The wear and tear from continuous, intense verbal and physical battles, the despair of a failed plan, and a touch of jealousy—why does everyone help Duan Zhengming and not me?

Loss, injury, despair, jealousy, resentment.

A number of conditions erupted simultaneously.

Duan Yanqing went mad and became completely insane.

God, why are you doing this to me?

I can't die!

I can't die!

I also have the White-Robed Guanyin!
Guanyin Bodhisattva descended to earth to enlighten me!
I am the chosen one of Dali!

Back then, Duan Yanqing dragged his severely injured body to Tianlong Temple to seek help. However, Dali already had a new ruler, and the throne could not be changed at will, so Tianlong Temple refused him.

Just when Duan Yanqing was in utter despair, a fairy in flowing white robes appeared and nestled in his arms. After dawn, she drifted away.

Everyone in the Duan family of Dali believed in Buddhism. Duan Yanqing felt that this was Guanyin descending to earth to guide him back to the right path.

For the next ten years or so, whenever Duan Yanqing encountered danger, he would recall the White-Robed Guanyin, which would inspire him with boundless fighting spirit, enabling him to turn the tide and defeat his enemies.

Just as Duan Yanqing was filled with fighting spirit and ready to fight to the death to kill Duan Yu, Dao Baifeng suddenly rushed over, holding a steel knife, her hair disheveled, and slashing wildly.

"you lose!"

"Give Yu'er back to me right now!"

"You madman, what exactly do you want to do!"

Duan Yanqing thought to himself, "A hostage delivered to my doorstep, why not take him down with me? I'll take him down with me before I die." He reached out to grab Dao Baifeng, but halfway there, his whole body trembled.

Dao Baifeng, dressed in white gauze and white skirt, with disheveled hair and eyes filled with sorrow and anger, looked exactly like the white-robed Guanyin outside Tianlong Temple. There was no way to mistake her for someone else.

Princess Zhennan is a white-robed Guanyin.

Duan Yu... Could Duan Yu be...?

When Duan Yanqing captured Duan Yu, he wanted to beat Duan Yu to vent his anger or cripple him. He raised his iron staff many times, but he could not bring himself to do it.

A strange emotion was stopping him; the two seemed to have an inextricable and complicated fate!
Upon closer reflection, more clues were discovered.

Duan Yu's appearance was six or seven parts similar to his own when he was young, but because he had been disfigured for many years and hated looking in the mirror, he hadn't remembered it.

Duan Yu has a pointed face, while Duan Zhengchun has a square face!

Various thoughts swirled in Duan Yanqing's mind.

Duan Yu is my son?

I have a son!

I have a son!
My son is the Crown Prince of Dali!

The throne has returned to my son's hands!
Duan Yanqing was not a heartless and insane person. He rationally considered the issue of the Dali throne and knew that he had no chance of succeeding. The throne was the pillar for his survival.

Even if they succeed, to whom will the throne be passed?
Of course, it should be passed on to my own son!

Now, the biological son has grown up and is the crown prince of Dali, and can inherit the throne openly and legitimately!

To put it bluntly, even if you gave Duan Yanqing seven Dragon Balls and let him make a wish, he would never have imagined such an earth-shattering wish, and he was so overjoyed that he almost fainted!
Fortune comes and disaster depends on, disaster comes and good fortune lies.

After the joy comes the worry.

In order to deal with Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yanqing captured Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing, and gave them the drug "Love Silk Entanglement" to ruin Duan Yu's reputation and prevent him from becoming the crown prince.

What was originally a brilliant plan has now become a dagger piercing my heart. All my scheming has backfired, ruining my own son. I might as well just die!
Duan Yanqing desperately channeled his inner energy and smashed through the prison cell door, intending to kill Mu Wanqing. He believed that killing Mu Wanqing would cover up the incident.

He had just entered the cell and raised his hand to kill someone when he discovered that it was not Mu Wanqing inside, but Zhong Wanchou's daughter, Zhong Ling. The iron staff in his hand fell limply to the ground.

Great rises and falls, great falls and great rises.

Overwhelmed by intense emotional fluctuations, Duan Yanqing could no longer suppress his injuries and collapsed to the ground.

Before collapsing, only one thought remained.

I have a son!

Guanyin Bodhisattva sent me a son!
(End of this chapter)