Chapter 89: Chapter 89: A Mad Dog’s Barking
At the same time, many of the other families looked on with undisguised disdain.
In their hearts, each of them prided themselves on their noble blood. It would take more than a feat or two for some country bumpkins to blend in with their ranks.
Ye Zhanxiong and the others paid the glares no mind. They walked into the hall, took glasses of wine from a table, and found a place to sit.
They had indeed come to build connections with a few families, but they weren’t about to start fawning over people who were giving them the cold shoulder.
Just as Ye Xuan and his group sat down, a cold gaze shot over from the main banquet hall up front.
"Hm?"
Ye Xuan and the others all sensed it and turned to look. In the main banquet hall, a man in a silk robe was staring at them coldly. Wang Yue sat respectfully behind him. It was none other than the Wang family’s Patriarch, Wang Hai, accompanied by Wang Xuan and the others.
Wang Xuan, in particular, glared with savage viciousness, his eyes promising to tear Ye Xuan and his family to shreds.
At the table opposite the Wang family, a middle-aged man in blue robes watched with eyes like chips of ice. Zhou Yan was seated respectfully behind him. This was the Zhou family Patriarch, Zhou Tong.
In addition, the Chen family Patriarch, Chen Lin, and his contingent also watched with piercing gazes, as if trying to see right through this newly risen family.
"Hmph. This is no place for the likes of you. You’re just a bunch of country bumpkins. Your seats are over there."
Suddenly, a cold voice barked out. A young man in his twenties strode down from the Wang family’s table and stood before Ye Xuan’s group, looking down on them as he spoke with contempt.
He pointed to the far corner of the hall, the worst spot available.
The entire banquet hall was divided into a main and a secondary hall. The main banquet hall only had eight long tables, and those who could enter were all the clan leaders of the major families and prominent figures of Blue Moon City.
The secondary banquet hall was for the smaller families and their many attendants.
The spot the young man pointed to was the worst in the entire banquet hall. In other words, even the seats for the attendants of small families were better than theirs.
In an instant, all eyes in the room turned toward them, many with faint, mocking smiles as they settled in to watch the drama unfold.
This young man was Wang Jun, one of the more outstanding disciples of the Wang family’s third generation. No one believed he would have dared to do this without the approval of the Wang family’s Patriarch, Wang Hai.
This showed the depths of the Wang family’s resentment toward the Ye family; it was truly beyond words. They were so shameless as to send a disciple to publicly humiliate them right at the City Lord’s Mansion banquet.
"Wang Jun, this is a banquet at the City Lord’s Mansion. It’s not your place to be throwing your weight around." Before anyone from the Ye family could speak, Chen Xing shouted out first. "A dog trying to catch mice—mind your own business! You clearly have nothing better to do."
Wang Jun’s face darkened, and he was just about to speak.
"Chen Xing, get back here! The Chen family’s seats are over here," Chen Zhi suddenly reprimanded him from the Chen family’s table.
"Chen Zhi, just because I call you cousin doesn’t mean I have to listen to you. Who do you think you are? I’ll sit wherever I want, what are you going to do about it?" Chen Xing said dismissively.
"You..."
Chen Zhi flew into a rage, his fists clenching in anger.
He was the most outstanding member of the Chen family’s third generation and had always aimed to become the Patriarch. A sense of crisis had grown within him with Chen Xing’s sudden rise.
Because of this, Chen Zhi often used his seniority as a cousin to lecture Chen Xing. In the past, Chen Xing had always been meek and submissive, so he never expected this sudden defiance.
To defy his command in front of so many people made his face flush crimson, and he began to tremble with rage.
"Patriarch, look at him! That brat Chen Xing, what has he become? Hanging out with the Ye family... isn’t this just making the Chen family offend the Wang and Zhou families?"
Chen Zhi, humiliated and enraged, complained to the Patriarch, Chen Lin.
’What’s going on?’ everyone wondered. ’The Ye family hasn’t even clashed with the Wangs yet, and the Chen family is already having an internal squabble?’
Chen Lin shot Chen Zhi a look of extreme displeasure. "Disciples of the Chen family fear no other family, nor any single person," he said coldly. "By ordering Chen Xing back, you’re giving everyone the impression that our family is afraid of the Wangs. Is that it?"
"But..."
Being looked at like that by Patriarch Chen Lin, Chen Zhi’s heart immediately trembled. Cold sweat instantly broke out all over his body, and he stammered, not daring to speak.
"Heh. Letting an outsider fight your battles for you. I guess that’s all the Ye family is good for. Country bumpkins will be country bumpkins—utterly unpresentable."
Wang Jun sneered with disdain.
"This is supposed to be the City Lord’s banquet, right? Why do I hear a mad dog barking over here?" Ye Xuan picked up a shrimp ball, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, his tone light and breezy.
"What did you say?"
Wang Jun pointed at Ye Xuan and roared in fury, "You country barbarian, so crude and vulgar..."
As he spoke, Ye Xuan picked up a meatball from his plate. With a light flick of his steel fork, the meatball shot through the air with a SWOOSH, as if it had eyes, heading straight for Wang Jun’s shouting mouth.
Wang Jun was in the middle of his tirade when he suddenly saw a black shadow flying towards him. His face filled with horror, and he quickly retreated to dodge.
"Ngh!"
But the black shadow suddenly accelerated in mid-air and, with a SWOOSH, went right into his throat.
"No... It’s a poison pill! You dare try to poison me..."
Wang Jun was scared out of his wits. He clutched his throat with both hands, repeatedly slapping his back. His eyes bulged, his face turned beet red, and he dry-heaved continuously.
PLOP!
He finally managed to force the meatball out, and it fell to the ground.
Ye Xuan took a light sip of his fine wine and said coldly, "Heh, so the mad dog was just begging for food. What, you don’t think the meatball tastes good? Or were you planning to bring it back for your master to taste? Such a good dog."
"You’re courting death!"
Wang Jun trembled with rage, his fists cracking. The aura of a Tier Two Martial Artist erupted from him, pressing down on Ye Xuan like a tidal wave.
He was already prepared to strike, determined to break both of Ye Xuan’s legs and make him kneel here and apologize.
Ye Xuan, holding his wine glass, stood perfectly still under Wang Jun’s imposing aura. He rolled his eyes and sneered, "My, my, when a mad dog gets angry, it really does have a crazed air about it. But this is the City Lord’s Mansion banquet hall. It’s not that I’m looking down on you, but if you have the guts, go ahead and try to attack me."
"You little bastard, you’re courting death!"
Wang Jun’s mind was consumed by rage. With bloodshot eyes, he slammed his right hand down.
"Wang Jun, stop!"
The Wang family Patriarch, who had been watching for a long time, barked a cold order, stopping Wang Jun in the nick of time.
"Patriarch, let me teach this arrogant brat a lesson," Wang Jun roared.
"Useless thing, get back down here," Wang Hai barked. A terrifying pressure was suddenly released, halting Wang Jun’s movements. At the same time, he gave a meaningful look to Wang Cong at his side.
Wang Cong nodded discreetly, left the banquet hall, and a moment later, quietly returned to his seat.
A middle-aged man wearing the uniform of a steward of the City Lord’s Mansion walked into the banquet hall and went straight to Ye Xuan’s group.
"Pardon me, this area is reserved for other families. Your seats are over there."
As soon as the middle-aged man arrived, he spoke coldly. His words were exactly the same as Wang Jun’s, and he pointed to the very same spot Wang Jun had indicated earlier.
The expressions on Ye Zhanxiong and the others’ faces changed.
This man was clearly from the City Lord’s Mansion, yet he was in cahoots with the Wang family.
The members of the other families also looked at the Wang family and the middle-aged man with some surprise. Everyone recognized this man; he was a steward from the City Lord’s Mansion in charge of the banquet, named Meng Shan.
’I can’t believe the Wang family can order Meng Shan around to suppress the Ye family,’ the onlookers thought. ’It seems the Wang family’s tentacles really do reach everywhere in Blue Moon City, even into the City Lord’s Mansion. They truly live up to their name as one of the three great families.’
’Looks like the Ye family is in for some serious trouble now.’
Thinking this, everyone continued to watch the show unfold.
But Ye Xuan didn’t even lift his eyelids. "And who do you think you are?"
"Insolence!"
Meng Shan’s face sank. "Where did you country barbarians come from? I am Meng Shan, a steward of the City Lord’s Mansion. This is the City Lord’s Mansion banquet hall, a place where your arrogance will not be tolerated."
"Arrogant? The arrogant one here should be you. Coming over here acting so high and mighty. What a show of authority."
Meng Shan’s eyes were icy. He almost lost his temper several times, but finally took a deep breath and said coldly, "Smooth talker. I don’t care what you say. This area is for other families. Your seats are over there. I must ask you to move."
Ye Xuan finally looked up and said coldly, "Are you sure?"
"I am the steward from the City Lord’s Mansion in charge of seating arrangements today. What, am I not sure? You think you are?" Meng Shan sneered. "Young man, don’t think you’re so great just because you’ve made a small name for yourself. In Blue Moon City, you are nothing."
"Sir, you are going too far," Ye Zhanyun finally spoke, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "This is the first I’ve heard of assigned seating at this banquet."
There were indeed some unwritten rules about the seating in the banquet hall. It was impossible for a newly promoted family like the Ye family to sit in the main hall, but they shouldn’t be relegated to a corner worse than where the attendants sat.
"Hmph, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never heard of it. As of today, it’s a rule."
Ye Xuan glanced at Meng Shan and sneered. "I don’t know whether to call you stupid or smart. A steward of the City Lord’s Mansion, yet you’re willing to be a dog for the Wang family. You’ve really opened my eyes."
"You..." Meng Shan’s expression changed.
"A certain family is truly impressive, able to command even a steward from the City Lord’s Mansion at will. Heh, so it turns out Blue Moon City is ruled by the Wangs. I, Ye Xuan, have finally learned my lesson today." Shaking his head, Ye Xuan said lightly, "Father, a banquet like this isn’t worth attending."
"Just a minor family. Did you think the City Lord’s Mansion was honored by your presence?" Meng Shan couldn’t help but sneer.
"Lord Mu Shan, so this is the quality of your City Lord’s Mansion’s stewards. I, Lin, have truly had my eyes opened today."
Suddenly, a resonant voice boomed from outside the hall. Everyone turned to see two figures striding in together.
