Chapter 915 — I Just Can't Let Her Go

"The young master ought to be able to find someone to protect the young lady..." Elder Li trailed off, sounding less than certain even to himself.

"What are we to do? Uncle Li, is there any way? Do you have anyone at your disposal?" the Palace Mistress in Plain Robes asked urgently.

"Young lady, this old servant is powerless as well... Ever since the master passed away, the Supreme Elder has feared that your heart was not yet dead and has whittled away much of my influence. Though I am now the Chief Elder, the only force I can still mobilize is the Shadow Group, which I built with my own hands..." Elder Li sighed, speaking with a trace of helplessness. "The Supreme Elder has tightened her grip on power. In the Night Palace today, to deploy any capable fighter without the Supreme Elder's nod is utterly impossible..."

"But... could she be in danger?" The Palace Mistress in Plain Robes frowned, her mind visibly unsettled.

Elder Li was about to speak when a stern, cold laugh cut him off.

"Hmph! Such frantic, jittery behavior — what sort of conduct is that? Looking at you now, is there any trace of a palace mistress about you?"

An old woman who appeared to be over sixty suddenly appeared at the edge of the pavilion, fixing Elder Li and the Palace Mistress in Plain Robes with a severe gaze.

"Supreme Elder, why have you come..." The Palace Mistress in Plain Robes started at the sudden voice.

"This Li pays his respects to the Supreme Elder..." Elder Li clasped his hands and bowed half his body to her.

"I'm sorry, Palace Mistress... the Supreme Elder insisted on coming up, and I dared not stop her..." Xiaoqing shrank back a little in fear.

The Palace Mistress in Plain Robes shook her head. How could she blame Xiaoqing at a time like this? Xiaoqing was only her personal maid — how would she dare stand in the Supreme Elder's way?

"Wan'er, you are the mistress of this palace, and you must carry yourself as one! Do not imagine I am unaware that you spend your days using Elder Li's Shadow Group to pry into trifles of the mundane world — I have simply turned a blind eye!" The Supreme Elder watched the Palace Mistress in Plain Robes coldly. "All these years, and you still cannot let it go?"

"Supreme Elder, she is my daughter after all, and the blood of our Dark Phoenix clan flows in her veins..." The Palace Mistress in Plain Robes was like a child caught in some fault, not daring to meet the Supreme Elder's eyes.

"Hmph — daughter? Nothing but a little bastard. Blood so impure is a disgrace to any cultivator of the ancient martial arts!" The Supreme Elder snorted. "After such a scandal, you still have the nerve to bring it up? Would you have the Night Palace take that bastard back and acknowledge her, so the Profound Elixir Sect can laugh at us?"

Wan'er, the Palace Mistress in Plain Robes, said nothing, only lowered her head in quiet grievance.

"Hmph, if you had married the Second Young Master of the Profound Elixir Sect back then, how would the Night Palace have fallen into such an awkward position today, mocked by every sect?" Here the Supreme Elder seemed to touch upon an old wound, and she gave a cold snort. "From now on, you had best settle your heart and calm your mind, and devote yourself to cultivation. Break through from the Earth Rank to the Heaven Rank within ten years — otherwise, do not blame me for killing that adulterer and the little bastard!"

With that, the Supreme Elder drifted away, leaving behind only the Palace Mistress Wan'er, her face full of grievance.

"Young lady, this old servant truly has no way. Forgive me!" Elder Li sighed. "The Supreme Elder acts as she does for the sake of the Night Palace. Extreme and mercenary though she is, she never married in her life, and devoted all her energy to the Night Palace! She served under the Grand Madame and was as close to her as a sister; this old servant is a generation below her..."

"I know... I know... but I truly cannot let her go..." A clear tear slid down the face of Palace Mistress Wan'er before she could stop it...

"Young lady, there is something this old servant does not know whether he ought to say..." Elder Li hesitated a moment.

"Uncle Li, whatever you have to say, say it. What could there be that cannot be said?" Palace Mistress Wan'er looked at him, puzzled.

"Young lady, the truth is that the Supreme Elder is simply exasperated that you will not live up to your potential. If you truly break through to the Heaven Rank within ten years, our Night Palace will have two Heaven Rank masters, and we will hold a place at the Heaven Rank Assembly. Then, when you take the young miss back, who will be able to mock the Night Palace? Who will dare mock the Night Palace? I fear even the Supreme Elder will have nothing more to say," Elder Li said after a moment's hesitation.

"But breaking through to the Heaven Rank — easy to say, and how hard to do?" Palace Mistress Wan'er nodded, then gave a faint sigh.

"The young lady is gifted and clever, and carries the blood of the Dark Phoenix clan besides. I would say the Heaven Rank is within reach," said Elder Li.

"Uncle Li, keep watching over her affairs for me..." said Palace Mistress Wan'er.

"Rest easy, Miss. Looking after the young miss is also this old servant's duty!" Elder Li nodded and answered.

……………………

After seeing Tang Zhi off, Wei Zhao drove back to the villa district.

On the way, he thought to give Gu Pengzhan a call; he had important matters to settle with Gu Pengzhan. But before he could dial, Gu Pengzhan's call came through first.

"Hello, Uncle Chu!" Wei Zhao answered.

"Mm... Xiaoyi, where are you? Yaoyao says you went on a date with Tang Zhi?" Gu Pengzhan asked, probing.

"I'm on my way back to the villa. What is it?" Wei Zhao did not catch Gu Pengzhan's undertone; he was eager to tell Gu Pengzhan about his strength being exposed, so he gave no thought to the meaning behind the words.

"Nothing much. We'll talk when you get back, shall we? Have a good talk?" Hearing that Wei Zhao was already on his way back, Gu Pengzhan said no more.

"All right! I wanted to talk with you too." Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, then nodded in agreement. He did not know what Gu Pengzhan wanted with him, but surely it had to do with the loss of his strength.

Wei Zhao parked the car in the villa's courtyard and pushed the door open. The moment he stepped inside, he saw the eldest young miss and Xiaoshu sitting on the living room sofa watching television. The program, however, was the housewife training show they ordinarily could not stand...

And at that moment, the two of them were actually watching with keen relish...

Wei Zhao found the tastes of these two girls hard to fathom; they jumped around a little too much.

The sound of Wei Zhao opening the door drew Gu Pengzhan's attention. Gu Pengzhan came out of Wei Zhao's room and nodded to him. "Xiaoyi, you're back?"

"Yes, Uncle Chu. Shall we talk in my room?" There were things Wei Zhao did not want Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu to know, lest it give the two of them cause for worry. He had not expected Gu Pengzhan to have the same idea!