53. Direct Confrontation

At first, the atmosphere at the table was pleasant, but it wasn’t long before Ye Feng spotted someone truly repugnant approaching—Bai Weiqi. No one knew what this fellow had been up to, but as soon as he arrived, he first greeted Nangong Jing politely before sweeping his gaze over the others at the table. The moment he caught sight of Ye Feng, he immediately launched into a sneer: “Has this banquet really fallen to such a low standard? Any random stray can take a seat now?”

As soon as these words left his mouth, Luo Ming’s face darkened. After all, it was he who had insisted Ye Feng stay at the table—wasn’t this a direct slap in the face? Everyone else at the table understood Bai Weiqi was targeting Ye Feng, though none could fathom what had caused the Bai clan’s young master to take such offense.

“Indeed, I wonder what kind of security we have these days, letting in strays who bite at will,” Luo Ming retorted sarcastically.

With Luo Ming’s words, everyone but Bai Weiqi was startled. Clearly, in Luo Ming’s eyes, Ye Feng’s status was on par with that of a blood brother.

But Bai Weiqi didn’t catch the implication—having arrived late, he hadn’t witnessed Luo Ming’s show of support for Ye Feng. Though the comment stung, he couldn’t imagine someone of Luo Ming’s standing would direct it at him.

“That’s right, people’s manners these days are really lacking,” Ouyang Lanlan chimed in, which left Murong Fu uneasy—Ouyang Lanlan was siding with Ye Feng, clearly there was a connection between them.

No sooner had Ouyang Lanlan spoken than Amy added, “If people like you can take a seat at this table, who can’t?” This remark made her stance explicit, and Bai Weiqi caught on that something was amiss.

With each person who voiced their support, Ye Feng’s status in their eyes rose higher. In this brief moment, the heirs of the Luo, Ouyang, and Ai families had all stood behind Ye Feng. How could this not shock everyone present? Wasn’t Ye Feng just a once-wealthy heir whose family had fallen from grace? By what virtue did he warrant the allegiance of such elite families?

Their astonishment was not yet at an end, for Nangong Jing spoke up as well: “You’re the one who least deserves to sit here!”

Her words sent shockwaves through the room. Everyone knew of Nangong Jing and Bai Weiqi’s entanglement—she should have spoken up for Bai Weiqi, yet she had chosen to back Ye Feng. Just how much charisma did Ye Feng possess?

Nangong Jing’s words also surprised Ye Feng. He and Nangong Jing had never seen eye to eye; he hadn’t expected her to stand up for him.

Huang Jing’s words caused Bai Weiqi’s expression to sour instantly. He realized at last that the four of them had been referring to him, but still, he pressed on. “You’re talking about me?”

Ye Feng was not one to seek out trouble, but that didn’t mean he was afraid of it. Bai Weiqi had already become a sworn enemy, so he had no need for politeness. “If not you, then who?”

With that, Bai Weiqi could no longer maintain his hypocritical facade. “And who the hell do you think you are? A bastard like you dares speak here? Who let you have a say?”

A few of Bai Weiqi’s sycophantic hangers-on hurried forward to whisper in his ear about Ye Feng’s relationship with Luo Ming. But this did little to sway Bai Weiqi’s opinion. In his view, without a powerful family behind him, no amount of talent would ever allow Ye Feng to ascend. Even with Luo Ming’s support, he was still an insignificant ant. Bai Weiqi had already forgotten that it was due to his own machinations that the Shark Gang—propped up by his family—had been wiped out.

Ye Feng remained unperturbed. He knew that he had firmly secured his place at this table tonight. Though he lacked a family to back him, the words spoken by Luo Ming, Ouyang Lanlan, Nangong Jing, and Amy had already established his reputation among the city’s privileged youth. He simply sat there, a faint, mocking smile on his lips. “And why shouldn’t I have a voice here? If I’m a bastard, how noble are you? Nothing but a hypocrite, worse than an animal.”

“Who did you just call that?” Bai Weiqi glared, feeling his lofty dignity challenged by someone he deemed beneath him. “Think that just because you’ve latched onto Luo Ming, I won’t dare touch you?”

Bai Weiqi’s open scorn made the situation at the table clear to all. Two individuals of vastly unequal standing were now at odds. Most would bet on Bai Weiqi to prevail—even if Ye Feng had many supporters, he was without real backing, and Luo Ming was not yet head of his family. If Bai Weiqi wanted Ye Feng gone, it wouldn’t be difficult. After all, few could connect the Shark Gang’s destruction to Ye Feng.

At this, one of the bystanders piped up, “Ye Feng, Brother Weiqi’s right. You’d best apologize now. If he’s satisfied, maybe he’ll let you off.”

“Brother Weiqi, there’s no need to get worked up, is there? Ye Feng’s just a rookie, doesn’t know the rules!”

“Brother Weiqi…”

As the hangers-on made their allegiance to Bai Weiqi clear, Ye Feng merely watched their performance with an amused smile. Only Huang Quanlu, heir to the Huang family, remained silent, exchanging a smile with Ye Feng, which Ye Feng returned. This made Ye Feng even more aware that Huang Quanlu was no ordinary figure.

“Enough!” Luo Ming’s anger was palpable, his tone icy. “So you all want to disrespect me now?” He cast a sinister glare at those fawning over Bai Weiqi.

“Luo Ming, what’s your problem? You’re going to side with this guy over me?” Bai Weiqi shot back.

“I’ve said it before—Ye Feng is my brother. Say another word about him, and you’re disrespecting me!” Luo Ming’s voice was hard as steel; the tiger had bared its fangs.

“Fine! Lanlan, Mimi, are you going to side with this bastard too?” Bai Weiqi pressed.

“If not him, who else? Honestly, I don’t know what you learned during all those years abroad, but your manners have only gotten worse,” Ouyang Lanlan replied, giving him a cold brush-off.

“Don’t you know Ye Feng and I have been close friends since childhood?” Amy’s words finally crushed Bai Weiqi’s hopes.

Furious, Bai Weiqi looked pleadingly at Nangong Jing, hoping she would support him as his nominal fiancée, but he was destined for disappointment—she simply ignored him. “Fine! Very well, you’re all something else.” With that, Bai Weiqi spun on his heel and stormed off.

Rage burned in Bai Weiqi’s heart. He could not believe that four great families would turn against him for the sake of that bastard. He vowed never to let Ye Feng off—and in that moment, he made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

With Bai Weiqi gone, his entourage of sycophants followed suit, leaving the table suddenly spacious. The mood lightened considerably—no one was left to target Ye Feng. With Huang Quanlu deftly handling the conversation, laughter and good cheer filled the air. This only reinforced Ye Feng’s sense that the Huang family heir was a man of hidden depths.

And so, the charity banquet drew to a close amid an atmosphere of joy and harmony. Ye Feng had achieved his goal; Ye Tianhua, too, had successfully established himself in the elite circles of Haifeng City under a new identity. Though still not equal to the heads of the major families, he was not far off.

Ye Feng asked Luo Ming to accompany him back to the ancestral house. The events of the evening had changed him—he resolved not to live so quietly anymore. Sometimes, living openly didn’t bring trouble, but rather, unexpected advantages.

Upon returning home and just as he sat down, a mischievous, resentful voice rang out, “You’ve been awfully idle lately. Starting to think you’re something special, aren’t you?”

Ye Feng shivered—he realized it was true. Lately, Xu Wen had risen to power, Ye Tianhua’s arrangements were nearly complete, and he’d grown lax in his internal training. At present, his inner energy could only complete twelve cycles—still a long way from the eighteen he needed.

“Have you forgotten who your enemies are? Your current achievements are nothing to them,” the mischievous voice continued, mercilessly striking at his confidence.

“I get it, enough already.” Now that he’d identified the problem, Ye Feng didn’t want to hear any more.

“Good, as long as you understand.” With those words, the voice fell silent again. Truth be told, Ye Feng’s progress was impressive—he’d reached the first level of internal arts in just half a month, a record even in the future special forces. But Ye Feng was the type who needed a beating now and then to stay motivated.

With that, Ye Feng went off to shower. He didn’t bother going to bed afterward, but instead sat cross-legged on his bed to cultivate, determined to make up for lost time. The mischievous voice had told him that cultivating internal energy could replace sleep—the natural energy drawn in was sufficient to restore him.

Recently, the voice hadn’t drawn Ye Feng into dream training, as the energy provided by his current level only allowed him to learn a few basic skills, all of which he had already mastered. To learn more advanced techniques—like driving or weapon skills—he would need to reach higher levels to supply the necessary energy.

In a few days, the new school term would begin, and Ye Feng hoped to reach the second level before then.