Chapter 255: Malicious Taunting

Outside the Keystone Business, the red carpet paved the floor, and there was a large number of waiters on either side.

Powerful guards guarded the road to the Keystone Business so as not to obstruct the arrival of VIPs.

On both sides of the road, there was already a sea of people. Looking at it, people were everywhere, and the area was blocked up by them. Most were practitioners, but there were some ordinary people too.

They all came to see the fun and stood outside because they were not qualified to receive the invitation letter of Keystone Business and could not enter to view the celebration.

However, they didn’t want to miss such a big event.

Today, all the big shots in Mist City would come as expected, including the famous legendary artistic practitioner Liu Qingyan. It would be worth their journey if they could see these magnates before they entered the Keystone Business.

On the sides, many young men and women were hoisting banners with exaggerated and striking slogans on them.

“We prefer Yan’s smile than a picturesque river and mountain.”

“Welcome, Miss Liu Qingyan to Mist City.”

“Qingyan’s wonderful voice should only be heard in heaven.”

It was exaggerated. However, it displayed the influence of Liu Qingyan among the younger generation of the empire.

When Chu Feng arrived here with the invitation letter, he saw such a lively scene and could not help but feel amazed about Keystone Business’s forces.

Chu Feng did not rush to Keystone Business and stood in the crowd instead. He wanted to see how many dignitaries would actually come to the event today.

Before long, the crowd in the distance suddenly became agitated and started shouting.

The president of Mist College was here.

Senior Wei Lingzhen was a well-known person in the Tao-insight Realm. He had been teaching at Mist College for many years and rarely appeared in public. Chu Feng never thought that Wei Lingzhen would come in person this time.

With the noise, an old man in plain clothes riding on a green donkey appeared from a distant road. He had a clean face and a master’s demeanor, behaving like an idle crane.

Seeing him, the eyes of many practitioners showed admiration and awe.

This was Wei Lingzhen, a famous figure in Mist City.

Wei Lingzhen was the first to come.

Chu Feng was surprised. From what he knew, Wei Lingzhen was a lonely and indifferent person. He hated gatherings, but this time, he was not only here in person but was also the first one to appear, which was quite unusual and unexpected.

It could be seen that Keystone Business was so powerful that it could even invite great reclusive figures like Wei Lingzhen. Not every force could do this.

It was not long after Wei Liangzhen arrived when another cry burst out. The sound was loud enough to shock everyone and made the event much livelier.

The prominent and influential people who were rarely seen in the past came on treasure carriages or spiritual beasts one by one.

They brought a different sense of dignity to people. It made the field cheer with amazement and caused a sensation.

When Governor Liu Wujun showed up, the atmosphere became more and more stirring. Liu Wujun was one of the most influential figures in the Southwestern Province of the empire.

At this time, Chu Feng’s expression also changed slightly with an unspeakable complexity. He watched the team of Liu Wujun enter Keystone Business.

Just as he was about to take his eyes back, he saw a middle-aged scholar from Liu Wujun’s team coming straight to him.

Seeing this man, Chu Feng’s eyes suddenly shrank, and his face became cold. A trace of hatred flashed in the depths of his eyes imperceptibly.

“What a surprise to see you here!”

The middle-aged scholar came over with his hands on his back. His chin was slightly raised as he glanced at Chu Feng with a trace of pride.

“And why can’t I be here?”

Chu Feng lost the elegant and romantic temperament of the past, and his voice became cold and low. It seemed that he was enduring something in his heart as his face became gloomy.

“So many years have passed, but you are still stubborn. You should know that as long as I am in Mist City, you will never have the face to raise your head.”

The middle-aged scholar spoke slowly, “Look at me. I’m invited to the venue of the celebration. But you, the chief executive of the Commune of Spiritual Tattooists, have not even received an invitation letter. You have to stand outside the door and watch the fun. If your relatives and friends in the Forbidden City were to know your situation now, they would surely look down on you even more.”

Green veins appeared on Chu Feng’s forehead. He seemed to be irritated by these words. His eyes became fixed on the middle-aged scholar. After a long time, he suddenly smiled and said leisurely, “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m here with an invitation letter, but you can only act as Liu Wujun’s lackey to enter the venue.”

Then, without looking at the middle-aged scholar again, he turned and walked towards the gate of Keystone Business.

Taking out the invitation letter, a servant came in with Chu Feng respectfully.

When the middle-aged scholar saw this, he was stunned. Especially, when he saw Chu Feng entered Keystone Business directly, his eyes flashed a cold color.

“You are just permitted to enter the site. With your poor identity, you will only be ignored and blindfolded by others in this celebration.”

The middle-aged scholar gave a sneer and went in with his team.

At the same time, there was a tremendous outburst of cheers outside. The atmosphere suddenly became electrifying. Many people showed excitement and madness, shouting endlessly.

Needless to say, Liu Qingyan was here.

If Chu Feng saw this scene, he would undoubtedly have been thrilled due to his admiration of Liu Qingyan. However, unfortunately, the meeting with the middle-aged scholar made his mood extremely bad. He had no mind to pay attention to these things.

The middle-aged scholar was named Ruan Lingdu. He was now a counselor beside Governor Liu Wujun.

But Chu Feng knew that Ruan Lingdu had another identity: a highly-valued guest elder of Chu Clan in the Forbidden City.

Chu Feng was also from Chu Clan but different from Ruan Lingdu. He was a real disciple and descendant of Chu Clan.

More than a decade ago, Chu Feng was schemed against and scolded because of a conspiracy for the clan’s power. He was expelled from the Chu Clan from that day on.

Otherwise, how could Chu Feng stay in Mist City with his identity?

What frightened Chu Feng the most was that after he was expelled from his clan, although those enemies dared not kill him easily, they still sent Ruan Lingdu to Mist City to secretly repel and suppress Chu Feng. They brought a lot of humiliation and suffering to him.

In these years, he could have made many powerful connections in the city by virtue of his status as the head of the Commune of Spiritual Tattooists. But since Ruan Lingdu became the adviser of Governor Liu Wujun, Chu Feng had become the person whom many forces didn’t like in Mist City. No one wanted to make friends with him.

According to common sense, Chu Feng should have received an invitation to the Keystone Business Centennial celebration easily as the head of the Commune of Spiritual Tattooists. On the contrary, however, he did not receive it. He had to borrow Lin Xun’s invitation letter to attend this event.

This was the current situation of Chu Feng: expelled by the clan, oppressed, and humiliated by Ruan Lingdu. On the surface, he was a high dignitary, but in reality, he was extremely humiliated.

However, after years of repression, Chu Feng had already honed his tough character and wouldn’t admit defeat readily.

Lin Xun’s appearance gave Chu Feng some hope.

Inside Keystone Business, Chu Feng was soon introduced to a vast and incomparable palace. It was beautifully carved with beams and painted columns. The area was divided into different levels. This hall could hold tens of thousands of people on a rough estimate.

Luxurious!

Magnificent!

Elegant!

This was Chu Feng’s intuitive impression of Keystone Business.

At this time, many people had already come to the hall. Each of them might be a dominant figure in Mist City.

The celebration had not yet begun, so these bigwigs were talking to each other at the moment like a crowd of high-ranking friends, laughing and chatting.

When they saw Chu Feng, all of them showed a little surprise. But then, they turned their heads away with a cold look. They simply ignored the existence of Chu Feng.

Even if Chu Feng had already been prepared for this scene, his heart was still hurt in the face of ignoring.

But soon, he overcame the oppression. He came here to witness Liu Qingyan’s performance. Apart from that, he didn’t expect more. As for the cold eyes in the field, he cared little about them.

Ruan Lingdu followed Chu Feng into the hall and saw the cold reception Chu Feng had suffered along the way. He could not help feeling proud. Wasn’t it self-humiliating to have an invitation letter?

Looking at Ruan Lingdu, no matter where he went, there would always be people who took the initiative to talk with him. He seemed extremely popular.

Compared to Chu Feng, it was a wholly different treatment.

Chu Feng felt disdainful. He knew the reason Ruan Lingdu was so popular: he was the closest advisor of Governor Liu Wujun and had the support of the Chu Clan in the Forbidden City. All of this made his life in Mist City smooth like a fish in the water.

Otherwise, the major forces of Mist City couldn’t reject and neglect Chu Feng with the strength of Ruan Lingdu alone.

Unconsciously, Chu Feng had been led to the front row of the hall by his attendants. This was the seat where the chief VIP was qualified to sit.

Seeing this, Chu Feng could not help but be surprised. How could this be? Even without rejection and ridicule, according to his status as head of the Commune of Spiritual Tattooists, he was not qualified to sit here.

But soon, he vaguely guessed that this might have something to do with Lin’s invitation letter that was sent to him.

Almost at the same time, a person bantered behind him, “Someone is too senseless to raise his status and even wishes to achieve something he shouldn’t. Should we praise his courage or consider him a fool? That’s ridiculous. Have you seen such an insensible clown before?”

Chu Feng knew this was Ruan Lingdu’s malicious taunting without looking back.