Evil Master and Disciple

Chapter 1326 Seeing Through Yun Yi's Thoughts

Fu Jinghong seemed to understand but not quite.

Seeing this, Dugu Changkong said, "Jinghong, don't you understand? In previous years, Master valued you highly. He wanted you to restrain me."

Although we have been fighting for decades, we have managed to maintain a delicate balance within the Cloud Sea Sect.

If I fall from power, the Yunhai Sect will be out of balance, which is something Master absolutely does not want to see.

The last incident really hit me hard, causing me to lose more supporters than usual, many of whom were traitors bribed by the Lord and have already been executed.

Master knows the impact this matter has on me, and he'll probably have no way to control you anymore. That's why he valued Junior Brother Ye Feng highly recently, and even used the magic treasures and pills in the Lingbao Pavilion to help Ye Feng open the Lingbao Pavilion at the foot of the mountain.

Master promoted Ye Feng not because he intended to make Ye Feng the future successor of the Yunhai Sect, but because he wanted to use Ye Feng to fill the power gap I had lost, and to have Ye Feng and I work together to restrain you.

For those in positions of power, balance is paramount.

Fu Jinghong's expression changed rapidly.

He had never thought of this before.

All he knew was that raising Gu to select successors was a tradition of the Yunhai Sect. In Fu Jinghong's mind, his master's support for him to fight against his senior brother was in accordance with this tradition of the Yunhai Sect in selecting successors.

Whoever wins between himself and his senior brother will be appointed as the young sect leader of the Cloud Sea Sect by their master, and then rightfully inherit the position of sect leader after their master passes away.

He never imagined that his struggle with his senior brother was not just about raising Gu worms and selecting people, but also involved the art of balancing.

Not long ago, Fu Jinghong was still wary of Ye Feng, suspecting that his master wanted to pass on the position of sect leader to Ye Feng after his death because Ye Feng had learned the Three Swords of God-Slaying from the Dugu Ancestor.

After Dugu Changkong's explanation, Fu Jinghong felt enlightened.

Master never intended to elevate Ye Feng to a higher position. Instead, he wanted to use Ye Feng and the senior brother to restrain him and bring the Yunhai Sect back into a delicate balance.

Fu Jinghong, having read extensively, naturally knew the art of balance, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that his senior brother's words made sense.

Otherwise, even if the eldest brother was the master's illegitimate son and committed such a serious crime, it would be impossible for him to be reused.

Fu Jinghong just couldn't understand why his master would do such a thing.

Am I not good enough? Am I not good enough for Master to decide to make me the successor of the Yunhai Sect?

Fu Jinghong asked the question that had been on her mind.

Upon hearing this, Dugu Changkong chuckled and said, "Jinghong, you are indeed only suited to be a cultivator, not a ruler."

"You're looking at things too superficially. I've said so much, and you still haven't guessed why Master wants to maintain the balance of the sect, and why he hasn't appointed you as the young sect leader yet?"

Fu Jinghong's eyes flickered as he said, "I would be grateful if you would offer your guidance, Senior Brother."

Dugu Changkong hesitated for a moment, then looked towards the door.

The dining hall had a soundproof barrier, so he had no reservations.

So Dugu Changkong said, "Since you asked, as your senior brother, I will tell you."

"Jinghong, you are well-read and knowledgeable in history. Think back to the emperors of past dynasties: what were the consequences of those who established their crown princes early and those who established them late, and what was the age of the crown prince at the time of his appointment?"

Fu Jinghong was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

Dugu Changkong said, "Don't you understand? History tells us that the best time for a dynasty to appoint a crown prince is after the old emperor is fifty years old, while the crown prince is usually no older than eighteen."

Although the dynasties continued, most of the crown princes appointed at other times did not have good endings.

Why choose to appoint an emperor after he turns fifty? Why choose to appoint a crown prince before he turns eighteen? These are lessons learned by our ancestors through bloodshed and sacrifice.

There's a saying among ordinary people: "Seventy is a rare age." Even emperors, due to their good fortune, typically lived to be around seventy.

By selecting a crown prince after the age of fifty, choosing a prince under the age of eighteen, the old emperor could not only help the crown prince take the reins and support him for the next twenty years, but also ensure a smooth transition of power.

However, if a crown prince is appointed too early, or if the crown prince is too old, the situation is completely different.

Everyone knows that the Crown Prince will be the future emperor. The moment the Crown Prince is enthroned, countless ministers will appear around him, forming a small court. As time goes by, this small court will grow bigger and bigger like a snowball.

As long as the emperor lives, the crown prince will always be the crown prince. But faced with supreme power, who would be willing to be the crown prince for decades? Even if the crown prince were willing, could the officials who support him wait? How many crown princes in history have launched palace coups and rebellions because the old emperor was not dying?

Throughout history, there have been many so-called incompetent rulers who appointed their crown princes early on, but later favored their youngest sons and wanted to change the heir apparent.

Why did they want to change the heir apparent? Were they really so foolish? No, no, no. The reason they began to favor their youngest son in their later years was because he was too young. Even if he was made crown prince, they were not in a hurry to make him emperor.

"Jinghong, do you understand now?"

Fu Jinghong was dumbfounded.

Even if he were an idiot, he would understand what his senior brother meant at this moment.

With his master's cultivation and spiritual attainment, living another two hundred years would not be a problem.

However, Fu Jinghong and Dugu Changkong are both nearly a hundred years old this year.

Regardless of which of the two is chosen to become the young sect leader of the Cloud Sea Sect, they will both be over three hundred years old when they inherit the position.

Who would want to be the crown prince for two hundred years?

Even if the two of them are willing, what about the people who support them? Are they willing?

Many people choose sides to take a gamble. If their chosen side succeeds in coming to power, they will have access to inexhaustible cultivation resources.

For example, Yu Chenzi, Yu Long Shangren...aren't these living examples?

If I wait two hundred years, I might be dead by then. What use would those cultivation resources be then?

Therefore, those who are enthusiastic about participating in the succession struggle in sects are mostly young disciples. The older generation of elders know that they may not live to see that day, so they are not very interested. At most, they will offer some advice on choosing sides based on their own experience and pave the way for their disciples.

"That's it, that's it..."

Fu Jinghong murmured to himself.

Dugu Changkong stood up, picked up the exquisite little box in front of him, and said, "Jinghong, I've told you everything I should and shouldn't have today. It's getting late, so I'm going to visit Junior Sister Ling'er at Mozhuxuan first. As for how we should proceed in the future and how we should handle our relationship, you should think about it yourself."

After saying that, Dugu Changkong took the small box and walked out of the dining hall, leaving Fu Jinghong's disciple sitting in a daze.