Chapter 3307 — The Grand Elder's Decision

Three different directions, three different moves, all struck at the Grand Elder, leaving her unable to cope—no sooner did she fend off one than another came, and she could not guard her head and her tail at once, nor her front and her back. The three men's blows landed on the Grand Elder simultaneously, and from her mouth a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out as she crashed heavily to the ground, suffering incomparably severe internal injuries.

"You old fool, overreaching yourself. I'll give you a few days to think it over—otherwise, next time it won't be this simple. If you don't yield the Dark Night Palace, then next time it will be death for every soul within these halls!" Xiao San looked down at the Grand Elder sprawled on the ground, a trace of vicious cunning flickering in his eyes.

"Who exactly are you people? Were you sent by Kang Jingming?" Gu Mengyao was worried about the Grand Elder's safety, but this was no time to fret over her—she had to get to the bottom of these people's origins!

The Grand Elder could be harsh at times, and cold and unfeeling, but Gu Mengyao had seen it too: the Grand Elder was truly, utterly loyal to the Dark Night Palace, and so her heart was heavy with concern.

Something had occurred to Gu Mengyao before this—when Kang Jingming had left the day before, he had said one thing: that the Ancient Plane had been unsettled lately, with bands of robbers about. And the very next day, this gang appeared before them. Could such a coincidence truly exist in this world?

Gu Mengyao could not shake the feeling that these people had something to do with Kang Jingming.

Xiao San was startled. He had not expected Gu Mengyao to be so sharp—she had actually guessed their identity and origins! That was the most fatal thing of all. The purpose of Ancestor Xuanchen ordering them to mask their faces had been to avoid notice, to keep them from showing their true faces to the world!

Yet Gu Mengyao had guessed it. But precisely because of that, Xiao San could not lay a hand on Gu Mengyao. He could strike the Grand Elder and the others of the Dark Night Palace, but Gu Mengyao alone he must not touch. She was the Dark Night Palace's metal-attribute inheritor, vital to Ancestor Xuanchen's future Cloud-Tier Island plan. If he injured Gu Mengyao, he would not be able to walk away unscathed once he returned.

At that thought, Xiao San's mind worked quickly, and he gave a cold snort. "Oh? So you actually know?"

"You really were sent by Kang Jingming?" Gu Mengyao had only suspected before, but she had not expected Xiao San to admit it. Her expression changed, turning somewhat ugly. "So then—you came deliberately to make trouble over that matter?"

"So you're from the Xuandan Sect?" The Grand Elder was gravely wounded, but hearing Xiao San's words she was instantly furious. "Does the Xuandan Sect mean to take the lead in breaking the rules of the Ancient Plane?"

"What do you mean by that?" Xiao San feigned puzzlement. "My brothers here originally meant to go rob the Xuandan Sect. We'd heard it was the richest sect in the Ancient Plane—nothing but alchemists, so surely no real strength to speak of. But who'd have thought—stubborn bones, every one of them! Every time we cut one down another took his place, and they even had a peak expert at Great Perfection holding the line. My brothers got not a single scrap of benefit. If that Elder Kang Jingming hadn't been such a good man, telling us your Dark Night Palace was the weakest and easiest to bully, we never would have come knocking at your door!"

"So it really does come back to Kang Jingming!" Gu Mengyao ground her teeth in fury. These men may not have been sent directly by Kang Jingming, but they were inseparable from him! Kang Jingming had come yesterday to propose marriage, failed, and gone back to brew his wicked schemes, then drummed up this gang to come!

Or perhaps this group had not been gathered only yesterday—perhaps Kang Jingming had spoken with them long before, and they had simply not yet arrived when Kang Jingming came first. Otherwise, how would they have known the Ancient Plane was unsettled of late?

"Little girl, never mind about any Kang Jingming. You're the palace master here, aren't you? I'll give you a chance to think it over. We'll be back in a few days!" With that, Xiao San waved his hand. "Let's pull out!"

Then Xiao San led his men down the mountain. The underlings behind him had never even had a chance to make a move before they all left together—they had come only to add to the show of force. Had Xiao San not wounded the Grand Elder, they might have all swarmed forward together and beaten a few Dark Night Palace disciples to death to establish their dominance. But now there was no need—the goal had already been achieved.

"Grand Elder, are you all right?" Only after those people had gone did Gu Mengyao walk over and help the Grand Elder up.

"This is too much!" The Grand Elder's face was covered with rage and resentment, and yet also with deep helplessness. These bandits were insolent, yes, but they also possessed overwhelming strength—the Grand Elder simply had no way to contend with them!

Now she had suffered severe internal injuries, and it left her somewhat despondent. She knew her own body. She had originally been preparing to make a push soon for the peak of Heaven Rank late stage—Great Perfection. If she truly advanced to Great Perfection, not only would the Dark Night Palace's overall strength rise a step further, but she would then be able to take part in the Cloud-Tier Island plan—and, if all went smoothly, even set foot upon the Heavenly Dao!

But ideals were one thing; she had never imagined that at this crucial moment such a catastrophe would strike, and despair filled the Grand Elder's eyes! It was all over—finished, completely finished. Never mind raising the Dark Night Palace's strength, it was hard to say whether they could survive this at all, and the Heavenly Dao was farther away than ever.

Gu Mengyao was somewhat silent. What Kang Jingming had done was truly underhanded, but even before she joined the Dark Night Palace, she had deeply understood the law of the jungle. Had it not been for Wei Zhao's strength, Gu Mengyao might long since have been devoured down to the bone.

But now that such a thing had fallen upon the Dark Night Palace, Gu Mengyao could not be glad of it. "Grand Elder, what are we to do? These people—"

"Yaoyao, to preserve the Dark Night Palace, if it truly comes to it, we have no choice but to agree to the Xuandan Sect's demands. If you marry the Xuandan Sect's young master, Tian Canbian, we can obtain the Xuandan Sect's protection!" The Grand Elder was reluctant about it, but if they did not do this now, she did not believe any other solution remained.

"What?" Gu Mengyao was briefly stunned by the Grand Elder's words, then immediately said, "No, I won't. That's absolutely impossible!"

"Yaoyao, I don't wish it either—I hate the Xuandan Sect more than you do—but this is the only way to preserve the Dark Night Palace. I am no match for these people at all. When they return, it will be the day the Dark Night Palace perishes!" the Grand Elder said gravely. "You don't want the Dark Night Palace your ancestors founded to be destroyed in a single stroke, do you?"