Chapter 3118 — Zhao Qibing Scared Out of His Wits

"This... Elder Ye has gone to attend the new Palace Master's welcome ceremony, so she isn't here..." that disciple said hurriedly.

"Oh..." The Grand Elder nodded, and was just about to turn and tell Gu Mengyao that her mother had already gone to the ceremony, and that she should go too and would see her there—but then she caught sight of that murderous glare from Gu Mengyao and gave a start. "Little Great-Aunt, what's the matter with you now?"

The Grand Elder had grown a little fearful of her all along the way, but for the sake of the Dark Night Palace's future, she could only endure it. With an heir who would not obey, all she could do was coax.

"Who did you call a cheap woman? You old hag!" Gu Mengyao glared at the Grand Elder.

"Uh... well... what I meant was, why hasn't Ye Rou'er come out to meet people—to meet people, not to be a cheap woman!" the Grand Elder explained hastily.

"Hmph!" Gu Mengyao gave a cold sniff. "Lead the way."

"Very well." The Grand Elder wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Thank goodness Gu Mengyao had not taken offense; otherwise, this day would likely have dragged on forever.

At that moment Ye Rou'er was in a very complicated and uneasy state of mind. She did not know that the new Palace Master was her own daughter, Gu Mengyao, and she was still worrying about Gu Mengyao—because when the Grand Elder had left, she had said she was going to kill Gu Mengyao, and she had never explained who the heir she brought back was. How could she not be nervous?

"Miss Wan'er, don't worry. Young Miss has good fortune watching over her and should be fine. Perhaps the Grand Elder, having found the heir, was so delighted that she let Young Miss off—who can say!" Elder Li said.

"Is that really so..." Wan'er sighed. Though Elder Li had said so, she was still deeply anxious. She knew the Grand Elder's temper—the woman meant what she said...

Yet just as Ye Rou'er was in the depths of her nervous worry, a cheer suddenly rose from the crowd around her. Clearly the new Palace Master—the Dark Night Palace's heir—had arrived, and everyone, following the motions they had rehearsed beforehand, broke into applause and cried out, "The Dark Night Palace welcomes the new Palace Master to her post!"

Ye Rou'er raised her head numbly—but when she saw the face of the new Palace Master clearly, she was utterly dumbstruck! This person... was that not Gu Mengyao? Though Ye Rou'er had never met Gu Mengyao, back when the black-robed Elder had still been in charge of the Shadow Group, he had brought her photographs of Gu Mengyao; she looked exactly as Ye Rou'er had in her youth. She had never imagined that Gu Mengyao would come to the Dark Night Palace—and as the new Palace Master!

So Yao Yao was not dead! She had not been killed by the Grand Elder—she was the heir, the new Palace Master of the Dark Night Palace! Yet even as Ye Rou'er rejoiced for Gu Mengyao, a worry rose in her heart as well. Gu Mengyao being alive was a good thing, but entering the Dark Night Palace was no good thing at all!

There would be no freedom. She might be Palace Master, but she would be constrained by the Grand Elder—worse off, even, than an ordinary Elder in power...

Still, all in all, Ye Rou'er was somewhat happy.

Gu Mengyao followed the Grand Elder up onto the high platform, but she gave no inauguration speech, nor said anything else—she simply looked at the Grand Elder and asked, "Where is my mother?"

"This... Palace Master Yao Yao, let us first carry out the inauguration ceremony. Once it is over, you will have all the time you need to be reunited with your mother. Look—so many Elders and the rest are waiting down there!" the Grand Elder said hurriedly.

"I ask you, where is my mother?" Gu Mengyao's voice had turned somewhat cold. "Am I the Palace Master, or are they? Is there a problem with the Palace Master making the Elders wait a little longer?"

"This... of course there is no problem! In this Dark Night Palace, apart from me, you are the greatest!" the Grand Elder said at once. "And—Ye Rou'er, what are you standing there dazed for? Hurry up onto the platform!"

"Could you be a little nicer in your tone?" Gu Mengyao gave a sniff and said discontentedly.

"My Little Great-Aunt, my tone... is already as nice as could be..." The Grand Elder was somewhat speechless. Fortunately, she was the greatest in the Dark Night Palace; whatever she said, the Elders below would not dare to object. Since Gu Mengyao wanted to acknowledge her kin first, then let her acknowledge her kin first!

Below the platform, Ye Rou'er's eyes had gone wide with shock, shining with an incredible light! Gu Mengyao dared to defy the Grand Elder? And she even spoke to the Grand Elder in such a tone?

Most wondrous of all, the Grand Elder was not angry at all—she even called Gu Mengyao Little Great-Aunt. What on earth was going on?

In the eyes of Elder Li beside Ye Rou'er, a strange gleam and a spark of hope flickered too. It seemed the Young Miss's temperament was utterly different from the Miss's! By the look of it, she had the Grand Elder completely under her thumb!

The other Elders understood one thing clearly now as well: in the past, the Palace Master of the Dark Night Palace had been a mere figurehead, but from today onward, the new Palace Master was the greatest presence in the palace after the Grand Elder. If Gu Mengyao wanted to do away with someone, they had no doubt the Grand Elder would endorse her words!

"You have me call my mother up to the platform to find me—have you no sense of seniority? I should be the one going down to find my mother!" With that, Gu Mengyao stepped down from the platform and walked toward Ye Rou'er! By now Gu Mengyao had seen Ye Rou'er too, and tears of excitement glistened in her eyes!

Though Gu Mengyao had never seen her mother since childhood, the very first glance she had of Ye Rou'er now was enough to tell her that this was her mother! Because her features were so very much like her own!

"Mom..." Gu Mengyao could not help but run quickly forward and fling herself into Ye Rou'er's embrace, tears streaming down beyond her control. For how many years had Gu Mengyao dreamed of one day being reunited with her mother—but who would have thought that after reunion would come separation!

Ye Rou'er was about to leave, while Gu Mengyao would have to stay!

"Yao Yao... my daughter, I've finally seen you!" Ye Rou'er wept too—tears of joy, for their reunion, and for Gu Mengyao's strength!

She knew that Gu Mengyao would never suffer a loss in the Dark Night Palace from now on—and that she was a Palace Master in the true sense! Utterly different from herself, a puppet Palace Master.

"Mom, no one will bully you anymore. You can go back and be reunited with Daddy. Whoever dares to stop you, I will be the first to kill him!" Gu Mengyao said.

Those words left everyone present trembling with dread—and nearly scared Zhao Qibing out of his pants! (To be continued)