Create your own "Duan Yanqing" twists for Jin Yong characters

[PJ]

What is a "Duan Yanqing" twist? It's when a character has been focused on achieving an objective for a long time, possibly his entire life, and we all know that is the case. Then one day, something random happens to him, and suddenly we're told that he loves this thing even more than his life-long objective.

Why don't we have some fun (or randomness) with this.

For example, take Chen Jialuo. We know his life objective was to overthrow the Qing throne and restore the Han rule. Then, suddenly, one day, he sees a cat being beaten on the street. He was outraged by the animal cruelty, and decided to dedicate the rest of his life to advocating animal rights instead. In the year 1773, he founded the world's first animal rights advocacy group called BHDW (Bao Hu Dong Wu). One of his followers was a foreigner named Alexander Garfield, who later spread the love for animals across the globe. 200 years and 9 generations later, Garfield's descendant Ingrid Newkirk founded the nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, aka PETA.

[bliss]

What is a "Duan Yanqing" twist? It's when a character has been focused on achieving an objective for a long time, possibly his entire life, and we all know that is the case. Then one day, something random happens to him, and suddenly we're told that he loves this thing even more than his life-long objective.

Why don't we have some fun (or randomness) with this.

For example, take Chen Jialuo. We know his life objective was to overthrow the Qing throne and restore the Han rule. Then, suddenly, one day, he sees a cat being beaten on the street. He was outraged by the animal cruelty, and decided to dedicate the rest of his life to advocating animal rights instead. In the year 1773, he founded the world's first animal rights advocacy group called BHDW (Bao Hu Dong Wu). One of his followers was a foreigner named Alexander Garfield, who later spread the love for animals across the globe. 200 years and 9 generations later, Garfield's descendant Ingrid Newkirk founded the nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, aka PETA.

What thing did you have in mind that Duan Yanqing suddenly loved more than his lifelong dream of regaining his throne? I thought his twist was more along the lines of when he found out that Duan Yu was his son, he realized that his dream had already been achieved vicariously through his bloodline.

[PJ]

What thing did you have in mind that Duan Yanqing suddenly loved more than his lifelong dream of regaining his throne? I thought his twist was more along the lines of when he found out that Duan Yu was his son, he realized that his dream had already been achieved vicariously through his bloodline.

As I wrote in another thread, the novel said that Duan Yanqing felt having a son in general made him happier than the prospect of having the throne. Only LATER, after he established the above thought, he realized his son would get the throne anyway. It seemed like no matter who his son is, as long as he's not a complete idiot, Duan Yanqing would rather choose him over the throne -- at least he felt so in that moment.

[bliss]

As I wrote in another thread, the novel said that Duan Yanqing felt having a son in general made him happier than the prospect of having the throne. Only LATER, after he established the above thought, he realized his son would get the throne anyway. It seemed like no matter who his son is, as long as he's not a complete idiot, Duan Yanqing would rather choose him over the throne -- at least he felt so in that moment.

Ah I see, I don't think Duan Yanqing's sudden son-lust was that random and out of left field. It's kind of an extension of his existing Guanyin lust ...

[PJ]

Ah I see, I don't think Duan Yanqing's sudden son-lust was that random and out of left field. It's kind of an extension of his existing Guanyin lust ...

Yes, I believe you're right. So in my above story, I need to have Chen Jialuo reveal that he was saved by a tiger once, and since cats look like tigers (only smaller), that's why he later became obsessed with cats.

[smurf120]

DKQB went around wulin his entire life looking for a fighter to beat him. One day he meets a beautiful young woman with a surname Lam (aka Lam Chiu Ying's grandfather's sister aka woman later fictionally known as the South Sea Nun) at his local Dragon Gate Inn franchise - because heroes with nothing better to do than dueling people have to eat too. They strike up a silent conversation sitting at opposite ends of the restaurant with inner chi but their combined auras scare away all the customers anyway. DKQB, attracted to her beauty, did what came natural to him - he challenged her to a duel.

After 1,327 stances, the Lady Lam flicks out a pebble hitting the area between the 3rd and 4th rib, thereby beating DKQB by half a stance. After this historic defeat, DKQB realizes that in fact he hates losing and retreats for the remainder of his life to the mountain. Living in shame and denial, he never acknowledges the defeat even in his stone epitaph.

[kidd]

DKQB went around wulin his entire life looking for a fighter to beat him. One day he meets a beautiful young woman with a surname Lam (aka Lam Chiu Ying's grandfather's sister aka woman later fictionally known as the South Sea Nun) at his local Dragon Gate Inn franchise - because heroes with nothing better to do than dueling people have to eat too. They strike up a silent conversation sitting at opposite ends of the restaurant with inner chi but their combined auras scare away all the customers anyway. DKQB, attracted to her beauty, did what came natural to him - he challenged her to a duel.

After 1,327 stances, the Lady Lam flicks out a pebble hitting the area between the 3rd and 4th rib, thereby beating DKQB by half a stance. After this historic defeat, DKQB realizes that in fact he hates losing and retreats for the remainder of his life to the mountain. Living in shame and denial, he never acknowledges the defeat even in his stone epitaph.

Wow, this is a really good twist.

[Ken Cheng]

I would have liked it much better if there were a way for both of them to lose.

If there's one thing I hate more than Dook Goo Kau Bai, it's Lam Chiu Ying.

It reminds me, as a Lakers fan, how I felt about the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals when the Chicago Bulls played the Utah Jazz: I really did wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

[smurf120]

Well, I had to find a way to explain why LCY could have learned/created such awesome kung fu and inherit a long tradition of haughty man hating. So she is a natural descendant of the South Sea nun that fooled YG into waiting for 16 years - it all ties together .

So in a way they both lost.