Duan Zhixing

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Duan Zhixing (Traditional Chinese: 段智興, temple name Xuanzong, posthumous name Gongji) was the King of Dali between 1172 and 1200.

[edit] In fiction

Duan Zhixing, as the Buddhist monk Yideng (一灯), is a fictional character in the Condor Trilogy, a wuxia trilogy by Jinyong. He is one of Five Supreme Martial Artists in the novel, along with Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, Hong Qigong, and Wang Chongyang.

[edit] The Legend of the Condor Heroes

In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Duan Zhixing was born into the royal family that ruled over the small southern Kingdom of Dali. In the Jin Yong universe Duan Zhixing like his predecessors was not only heir apparent to the Dali throne, but also a prominent participant in the affairs of the bohemian world of Jianghu.

The Duan family awed the martial arts world with their Yi Yang Finger (一阳指), a martial art which had evolved through the Duan family's own unique way of striking acupuncture points. The highest level of the Yi Yang Finger could emit lethal qi from one's fingers.

Duan Zhixing was extraordinarily proficient in his art and became one of the Five Supreme Martial Artists. So great was his power and integrity that he was entrusted by the aging Wang Chongyang with the task of controlling the evil Western Venom Ouyang Feng. The other Champions were either too mercurial in nature or could not be trusted with the task, and furthermore there was only two martial arts in the world which could definitively curb the techniques of Western Venom: Wang Chongyang's First Heaven Art and Duan's Yi Yang Finger. Wang took his younger martial-brother Zhou Botong with him to the Dali palace where he spent several months exchanging arts with the royal pugilist.

However, during this time Zhou Botong had an affair with Duan's consort, Liu Yinggu. Zhou did not know that this woman was the king's consort and fled the palace out of shame. The consort Liu Yinggu became pregnant with Zhou's child and despite being confined to quarters by Duan , was still very happy to have had a child by Zhou Botong.

After the child's birth, Qiu Qianren, believing the child to be the royal heir, attacked him at night. Qiu sadistically left the child mortally wounded but alive, in the hopes that Duan Zhixing would spend his prodigious energies in rescuing the baby's life. Liu begged Duan Zhixing to save her child. At that time he was due to go to a duel that would determine the fate of many, yet out of his love for Liu Yinggu, he relented. Just as he was about to begin treating the baby, he saw the love poem that Liu Yinggu had embroidered onto the clothing of her baby. Jealousy and anger filled Duan Zhixing who then refused to save the baby, shouting how unfair it was for him to save the baby of an adulterous affair and allow Liu and Zhou to spend the rest of their lives in happiness, while he would spend his in exhaustion and solitude. The baby died that night and Liu Yinggu's hair turned white overnight out of grief. She declared her undying hatred for Duan Zhixing and swore to kill him one day.

Duan Zhixing woke up from his jealousy afterwards and realised what he had done. The Duan family were traditionally deeply devoted Buddhists and once Duan Zhixing realised what he had done he was shaken to the core of his being. He therefore tidied up his affairs and decided to follow an ancient tradition of the royal family - becoming a monk. His Buddhist name was Yideng, meaning Solitary Light, possibly an allusion to his art. For decades afterwards Yideng did not involve himself in any affairs outside of his spiritual contemplation. His good friend Hong Qigong was present at his initiation so word was spread out to Jianghu not to disturb the Southern Emperor anymore.

Duan Zhixing inspired such devotion from his subjects that four of his most trusted ministers resigned their posts to become Duan's disciples. They could thus continue protecting and serving the man who would always be their lord and master. Their former posts include Chancellor of State and Commander of the Royal Guard.

Years later the dispute between Liu and Duan would end through the interference of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Duan would also become master to the repentant Qiu Qianren.

[edit] The Return of the Condor Heroes

Still later, Yang Guo would help mend the rifts between Liu Yinggu and Ci'en (Buddhist name of Qiu Qianren), as well as between Liu and Zhou Botong.