Chapter 2921 — The Decision of the Palace of Dark Night

It was Zhang Naipao who had started the extortion, but Zhang Naipao came from the Tomorrow After Tomorrow cult, and they could not afford to offend him. Besides, after Zhang Naipao had taken them on as his followers, he had even given them benefits, so they no longer bore him a grudge. But Wei Zhao was a lone cultivator—that a disciple of an ancient sect should be extorted by the likes of him, how humiliating was that?

"What? Wei Zhao?" The Grand Elder was briefly startled. Why did that name sound so familiar? Then all at once she remembered who he was. "Is that the wild man beside that little slut? He actually entered the Xuan Dan Sect trial? Isn't he a Earth-rank expert? The two of you together were no match for him?"

"Ah?" The two disciples were slightly taken aback. What did the Grand Elder mean by that? It sounded as though she knew Wei Zhao. So the first disciple of the Palace of Dark Night asked cautiously, "Grand Elder, you know that Wei Zhao?"

"You needn't trouble yourselves over this. I understand now!" The Grand Elder waved her hand, indicating that the two could leave, while she herself knit her brows tightly. Anyone could see the fury in her heart—someone at Gu Mengyao's side had trampled all over the Palace of Dark Night. Was this not a naked provocation?

"Someone come!" The Grand Elder drew a deep breath and bellowed.

"Grand Elder, is something the matter?" It happened to be Elder Li on duty today. Standing outside the door, he had heard the two disciples' words clearly, and his heart was gladdened. The close guardian at the young lady's side was actually this formidable? With only Earth-rank strength, he had claimed a place in the Xuan Dan Sect trial?

"Why is it you?" The Grand Elder frowned the moment she saw that it was Elder Li. She knew Elder Li was one of Palace Master Wan'er's people, and that he respected and worried over Gu Mengyao exceedingly.

"It is my turn on duty today, Grand Elder!" Elder Li said, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Fine, you will do!" The Grand Elder thought to herself that Elder Li merely helped Gu Mengyao in secret; would he dare defy her wishes openly? This was a fine chance to give him a taste of disgust!

"May I ask, Grand Elder, what business you have with me?" One look at the Grand Elder's expression and Elder Li knew it was no good matter. He guessed that the Grand Elder had dreamed up some vicious, underhanded scheme to deal with Wei Zhao.

"Right now, in the name of the Palace of Dark Night, issue a notice to Wei Zhao at once, ordering him to return the two spirit herbs he seized from our disciples with all haste—otherwise, he shall bear the consequences!" the Grand Elder said.

"Ah?" Elder Li was instantly dumbstruck. He had not expected the Grand Elder to assign him this task. How was such a notice to be issued? Elder Li's expression turned troubled. "Grand Elder, this is hardly appropriate, is it? Matters within the trial are for the Xuan Dan Sect to adjudicate. The Palace of Dark Night cannot settle scores after the fact, can it? If the Xuan Dan Sect were to learn of this, it would be a grave taboo!"

"Hmph, Wei Zhao is nothing but a petty lone cultivator, a dog at that little slut's side. How could the Xuan Dan Sect possibly speak up for him? Besides, could Wei Zhao carry a complaint to the highest heavens? What a joke!" The Grand Elder said scornfully. "He will just have to swallow a silent loss. He certainly won't dare speak of it."

"But those two spirit herbs—were they not both handed over to the Xuan Dan Sect? Where is Wei Zhao supposed to return them?" Elder Li said with a bitter smile.

"If the two spirit herbs are gone, then naturally we demand the pills he obtained in their stead. Surely we are not to let him profit from it?" The Grand Elder gave a cold snort. "A petty lone cultivator, and all he dares is bully our disciples of the Palace of Dark Night—why does he not dare bully the disciples of the Xuan Dan Sect? What trash! Still, once an expert of my caliber—peak late Heaven-rank—takes the field, we shall see whether he pisses himself in fright!"

"This..." Elder Li was rather put out. Was this not plain harassment? Everything that happened in the trial was left to fate; never had anyone heard of settling scores afterward. If a blood feud of life and death were settled, so be it—but to seize two spirit herbs and then demand them back was nothing short of bullying.

"Will you send it or not? If not, I'll have someone else send it!" Seeing Elder Li's hesitation, the Grand Elder glared at him and snapped.

"This... I will send it. I'll see to it at once!" Elder Li had no choice but to steel himself and leave the Grand Elder's chamber—and then, furtively, he hurried toward the place where Palace Master Wan'er cultivated.

What was the Grand Elder's strength? She was naturally perfectly aware of Elder Li's little tricks. She saw them too, yet did not stop him. It was all the better that Palace Master Wan'er should know—this was precisely the effect the Grand Elder desired!

If you do not break through to Heaven-rank and receive the inheritance, then your kin will be oppressed without end. Without pressure, where would the drive come from? The standing of the Palace of Dark Night was in grave peril. Should the inheritor fail to appear, the entire plan for the future would be ruined. That place, in a fit of rage, might well do something unspeakably cruel. The Grand Elder's own burden was immense.

Now, with the matter of Wei Zhao at hand, she could make an issue of it and bring pressure to bear on Wei Zhao, making Palace Master Wan'er understand one truth: unless she cultivated, there was absolutely no way her daughter would ever have standing!

Elder Li relayed the Grand Elder's order to Palace Master Wan'er. Palace Master Wan'er's face turned somewhat pale. This young matron—the grown-up version of the eldest young lady—felt a great tangle of emotions at this moment.

Once the inheritor's body was defiled, the chance of receiving the inheritance was next to nothing. Even after breaking through to Heaven-rank, one would find it very hard to comprehend the inheritance. Palace Master Wan'er knew that the only way to reunite with Gu Pengzhan and Gu Mengyao was to successfully receive the inheritance and become the inheritor. Only then would she be the true Palace Master of the Palace of Dark Night; for now, she was Palace Master in name only.

If she could not receive the inheritance, all was lost. And so this Qi-Gathering Pill of the Palace of Dark Night had become the key that could turn the tide. Should it succeed, everything would come right; should it fail, it would be failure forever. The Grand Elder had no choice but to activate the Palace of Dark Night's treasure—the Dark Phoenix Bloodline Guiding Stone—to seek out another metal-attribute inheritor of the Dark Phoenix bloodline who might appear and receive the inheritance!

Though she was Palace Master, to appease a new inheritor she would have to abdicate and yield her place. At that point her standing would truly be inferior to that of an ordinary elder of the Palace of Dark Night. The Grand Elder would not mistreat her—she would even guarantee her a lifetime free of want for food and clothing—but given the Grand Elder's temper, to see Gu Pengzhan and Gu Mengyao again in this life would be all but impossible.

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