knife

Chapter 234 The Grand Preceptor of the Yuan Dynasty
Akton looked up at the dilapidated little wooden house at the top of the cliff.

I have a feeling that this dilapidated house will be blown to pieces by the howling wind at any moment.

Tian Gang Peak is a very strange place.

It is neither the highest nor the most precipitous mountain in the vicinity.

But it is indeed the most dangerous mountain.

His danger comes from the strong winds.

The winds blowing from those distant mountains and valleys, for some unknown reason, become exceptionally dangerous here.

For ordinary people, living on the mountaintop is difficult enough, let alone making a living.

Yet, even in such a perilous place, some still regard it as a sacred ground for honing their martial arts skills and even comprehending their own Dao.

This person is, of course, the one Akton is visiting today.

This person's name is Phagpa.

He was Emperor Yingzhuo's closest friend and also the Yuan Dynasty's current supreme military force.
It is said that Phagpa is only one step away from achieving divine ascension, and it is highly likely that he will break through the final barrier within two years and become one of the most powerful martial arts practitioners in the world.

The reason it is called one of them is that once someone has truly cultivated to the state of divine travel, unless they reveal their true cultivation level, it is difficult for others to detect them.

Even a master of innate talent cannot distinguish whether a person is in a spiritual state or an ordinary person.

Carrying the box, Akdun walked with some difficulty along the extremely treacherous mountain path.

Danger is not an obstacle.
That omnipresent gale is it.

Akedun, with only a seventh-grade Xuan Yuan cultivation level, found it quite difficult to withstand the fierce wind.

But he still kept climbing up step by step.

In recent years, he has come here every month.

He knew that once he reached the summit, everything would be alright.

When his clothes were getting wet and his internal energy was starting to give way, Akodun finally saw the mountaintop and the broad back of the figure sitting cross-legged on the highest stone platform.

"Imperial Preceptor!" he called out with all his might.

Then, the gale seemed to disappear, and Akdun felt the warm sun again.

The incredible abilities of masters at the peak of the Innate Realm sometimes filled Akedun with envy.

They can always do what others cannot.

Phagpa turned around, looked at Akdun, and laughed, "Your cultivation has improved a lot in the past few months. Today you climbed the mountain half an incense stick's time faster than last time!"

“Coming to listen to the Imperial Preceptor’s teachings every month should surely bring some benefit!” Akdun smiled as he opened the box he was carrying.

There were no delicacies in the box, just a few side dishes and a small pot of wine.

What matters is not what's inside, but the sentiment behind bringing these things up step by step.

Phagpa ate slowly and deliberately, while Akdun was not in a hurry. He sat cross-legged opposite him, simply watching Phagpa with a smile.

Phagpa ate very slowly, taking almost half an hour to finish the few dishes in front of him. He also drank every last drop of wine from the pot. He even picked up the plate and licked the soup inside clean with his tongue.

After doing all this, Phagpa looked at Akdun and said, "Over the past few years, you have not only personally brought me food and drink, but you have also made excellent arrangements for my good-for-nothing children and grandchildren. I know what you want, but Akdun, whether it is because of my relationship with your father or my duty as the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yuan Dynasty, I cannot directly intervene in your brothers' struggle."

Akdun asked, "Grand Preceptor, do you think I am suitable to be an emperor?"

Phagpa chuckled: "That's hard to say, it depends on the actual implementation."

Akdun took a deep breath: "For the past four or five years, my father and eldest brother have been fighting a life-or-death battle against the Western and Northern Hu in the north, while my second brother has been confronting the Qin people in the south. I have been in charge of the internal affairs of the entire Great Yuan. I believe I have done a good job. Whether it is my father's victory on the northern front or my second brother's situation in the south, I have contributed to it. The domestic political situation is stable, and everyone is of one mind. No matter if there are natural disasters or man-made calamities, I can handle them perfectly and never let these things affect the overall situation of the country. Grand Preceptor, have I lied?"

Phagpa nodded: "You're not lying!" "It's not that I look down on my elder brother, he's just a general with the talent to charge into battle, a master on the battlefield, but if it comes to governing a country as large as the Great Yuan, I'm sure it won't be long before he wreaks havoc on the Great Yuan!" Akdun said: "As for my second brother, he has Qin blood. If he becomes emperor, will our Great Yuan still be the Great Yuan? And I don't think he'll do a better job than me!"

Phagpa seemed to be deep in thought.

"I don't know what Father is hesitating about? I don't know what he's still investigating?" Akdun was full of resentment. "Grand Preceptor, that vixen Chang Le has bewitched Father, and he's actually planning to hand over a portion of the Emperor's personal guards outside Yandu to him. If it weren't for the strong opposition from the court officials, and my second brother's inability to perform his duties due to his still-recovering health, he would already be in charge of everything. And you know what that means!"

"Don't you hold the power to defend Yandu?" Phagpa said, "Perhaps your father only needs to balance the power of you brothers to prevent you from killing each other!"

Akdun laughed loudly: "Grand Preceptor, look at what you're saying! If that were really the case, it would make us brothers kill each other. Don't forget how my father ascended to the throne. This is the tradition of our Great Yuan: the winner takes all, the loser dies! Is Father planning to have us fight each other? I don't know if Father has gone mad with illness, but in my opinion, if we really want to ensure that the vitality of our Great Yuan is not lost, then we can only concentrate military power in one person's hands. In this way, the others will not have any ambitions, and the winner might even have a change of heart and let them live."

"Would you be able to generate this compassionate heart?" Phagpa asked.

Akdun thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Whether it's the eldest brother or the second brother, they are both fierce tigers. Keeping them around is like raising tigers to cause trouble!"

“I won’t help you!” Phagpa shook his head.

“Grand Preceptor, I did not ask you for help!” Akodun said, “I just wanted to invite you to stay with me for a while during this period of time.”

"How is this any different from helping you? My presence in your residence will affect countless people, which is unfair!"

“The Imperial Preceptor may secretly reside in my residence without anyone knowing, and I would never dare to divulge even the slightest secret!” Akodun said, “I am doing this in order to ask you to spare my life so that I will not die in a muddle.”

"Who can make you die so confused?"

“Grand Preceptor, I have now confirmed that there is a master of innate realm in my second brother’s residence!” Akodun said.

"What did you say?" Phagpa asked in astonishment.

“It’s true!” Akdun said, “It’s a woman who came with Princess Chang Le as part of her dowry. Her surname is Duanmu, and she practices the Blood Jade Technique!”

"A descendant of the Great Yong Dynasty?" Phagpa's eyes widened in disbelief: "The Blood Jade Technique actually has a successor? And one who has even reached the Innate Realm?"

"Grand Preceptor, Father is dying!" Akdun said. "My elder brother is in the Southern Frontier, fighting against the Qin people. It's hard to say whether he'll win or lose. Since he went to the Southern Frontier, the throne has been out of his reach. My only competitors are my second brother and me. To be honest, no matter how you look at it now, I have an absolute advantage. If my second brother gets desperate, he can just send that Granny Duanmu to assassinate me. Grand Preceptor, even with the Prince's mansion heavily guarded, how can you stop a Xiantian master who wants to be an assassin? Only you can save my life!"

Phagpa pondered deeply, unable to make a decision.

"I don't need your intervention in the struggle between my second brother and me. I just don't want to die at the hands of this master of innate cultivation!" Akdun said. "Grand Preceptor, from the perspective of national affairs, I believe I can be a good emperor. From a personal perspective, if I truly become emperor, your family can enjoy wealth and honor for decades or even centuries. Grand Preceptor, you are almost a god, but your clansmen, like me, Akdun, are just ordinary mortals!"

"How much longer can your father live?" Phagpa asked.

“Master Fu has passed away!” Akedun lowered his head, a look of sadness in his eyes: “Perhaps he could hold on for a few more months, or perhaps in the next moment, Master Fu said that the power of medicine had been exhausted, and he was just barely clinging to life. The remaining days depend on Father’s willpower.”

“I will go down the mountain to see your father, to see him one last time, and to say goodbye!” Phagpa pondered for a moment and said, “Then I will stay with you for a while and prepare a secret room for me.”

"Thank you, Imperial Preceptor!" Akodun was overjoyed, and bowed deeply with his hands at eyebrow level.

“Go, go!” Phagpa said, “After more than ten years of arduous cultivation and contemplation, I still cannot escape the disturbances of the mortal world.”

“The Grand Preceptor is the pillar of the Great Yuan Dynasty, how can he completely escape the troubles of the world?” Akdun said, “Moreover, Grand Preceptor, can you really reach the realm of divine travel without the seven emotions and six desires? I don’t think so! The Crown Princess of the Great Qin Dynasty is proof of that!”

Phagpa returned to the boulder atop the mountain, and Akdun immediately felt the onslaught of the fierce wind again. He dared not linger, and after bowing once more, he packed up the food box and carefully walked down the mountain step by step.

However, the overwhelming joy in his heart was something he simply couldn't suppress.

He had finally taken the decisive step, and all his years of relentless efforts to please Phagpa and take good care of his family had not been in vain.

As long as Phagpa lives in this world, he cannot escape the bonds of family ties.

Back on the flat ground, looking back at the mountaintop, Phagpa had become a blurry little black dot.

Akton's smile gradually faded.

It's time to get started!

Since Father Emperor has made a mistake, then I can't blame myself for being unfilial.

(End of this chapter)