80: Misty Hall

At dusk, the lingering rays of the setting sun, Li Ke melted gold, cast a hazy golden edge over Oak Tree City.

Li Ke's figure quietly entered a secluded, deserted alley.

He took out the gilded invitation from the Mist.

A wisp of Qi quietly permeated from his fingertips.

The invitation spontaneously combusted without a flame, transforming into wisps of gray smoke that spiraled upwards.

The rising gray smoke did not immediately dissipate.

They swirled and condensed in mid-air.

Finally, they formed an oval-shaped gray Mist passage, about one person's height, with constantly twisting and fluctuating edges.

Inside the passage, a faint fluctuation characteristic of spatial teleportation emanated.

"A bit interesting."

A smile curved at the corner of Li Ke's mouth as he calmly stepped into it.

The scene before his eyes suddenly changed.

A colossal, circular auction hall, exquisitely decorated and resplendent with gold, suddenly appeared before him.

The dome hung high, and countless crystal light fixtures refracted dazzling light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.

In the very center of the hall was a high, raised circular auction stage.

Surrounding the auction area was a three-story-high banquet corridor.

Above the corridor, individual private compartments were scattered in an orderly fashion, clearly prepared for distinguished guests.

This was the Mist organization's secret stronghold in Oak Tree City.

The Mist Hall.

At this moment, many figures were already moving about in the auction hall.

Melodious music faintly drifted, and uniformed attendants occasionally passed politely through the crowd, carrying trays laden with red wine and exquisite refreshments.

Rather than an auction, this place resembled a luxurious aristocratic banquet.

Li Ke noticed that everyone in the Mist Hall was enveloped in a thin layer of gray Mist.

This layer of gray Mist not only blurred their figures and appearances, but also completely isolated their voices, scents, and even the unique Qi fluctuations of Clairvoyance.

Its isolation strength far surpassed that of the small Mist Tavern in Xilin Town.

Here, even very familiar individuals would likely find it difficult to discern each other's true identities.

Li Ke remained unperturbed, attempting to discreetly probe a passing attendant with a wisp of spiritual sense.

However, as soon as his spiritual sense touched the gray Mist on the attendant's body, the gray Mist on the other party's body suddenly fluctuated violently, forming an invisible resistance.

The attendant's footsteps paused slightly, and he let out a soft exclamation of surprise.

"This method of concealment indeed has some Dao."

"Even a forceful probe would immediately alert the other party."

"The Mist still has some professional standards."

Li Ke mused inwardly, calmly retracting his spiritual sense.

Just then, the Mist Emblem in Li Ke's embrace vibrated slightly.

A compartment number appeared on the emblem's surface—207.

Following the guidance of this number, Li Ke quickly found his assigned compartment.

This was a small room, approximately ten square meters in size.

The room was furnished with a set of exquisite dark red wooden tables and chairs, ancient and elegant.

A denser gray Mist permeated the room's surroundings than outside, completely isolating it from all external prying.

Only the wall facing the auction hall presented a peculiar one-way transparent state, allowing a clear view of every scene in the auction hall outside.

Li Ke was about to rest in the room, quietly awaiting the start of the auction.

However, the Mist Emblem in his hand began to tremble gently once more.

"Have you come to the Mist Hall?"

Li Ke looked at his hand.

The sender of the message was none other than Morgana, whom he hadn't contacted for a long time.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he tapped the emblem with his fingertip, replying, "What, are you here too?"

A moment later, Morgana's message came again, inviting him to meet in compartment 311.

Li Ke arrived at compartment 311.

Morgana was already waiting inside.

This compartment was noticeably more spacious and luxurious than Li Ke's "207" compartment.

It not only had exquisite red wine and fresh fruit platters, but also several delicate dishes exuding an enticing aroma, arranged Li Ke works of art on a small zitan wood dining table.

Li Ke chuckled softly.

"Does the Mist organization offer these extra services?"

Morgana gently swirled the stemmed glass in her hand, the liquid within shimmering with an alluring luster.

"In the Mist Hall, as long as you can afford the price, many unexpected services can be provided."

Her voice, filtered through the gray Mist, carried a hint of amusement, still with a slight upward lilt at the end, Li Ke a feather lightly brushing one's heartstrings.

"This place is incomparable to that small tavern in Xilin Town."

"The Mist organization's main source of profit is primarily from auctions and intelligence trading."

"Providing such trading spaces almost for free during normal times can also be considered a means of attracting customers and maintaining relationships."

"Tell me, after disappearing for so long, what do you need me for?"

Li Ke asked, his voice calm and unruffled.

Morgana gently swirled her wine glass, her gaze seemingly scrutinizing him through the thin gray Mist.

She made no mention of the earlier warning to Li Ke from the Mist Emblem.

"Do you still have more red-patterned stone?"

"Or resources Li Ke rock steel, gray marrow stone, and moly crystal."

"High-quality wine is also acceptable."

"I can help you exchange them for gold crowns."

Morgana rattled off several major resources from around Xilin Town.

These were precisely the materials Li Ke could currently produce steadily and had under his control.

"You seem to know me very well."

Li Ke's eyes flickered slightly, his tone flat.

"I understand every noble with potential and business opportunities."

Morgana chuckled softly, her eyes under the gray Mist seemingly curving into crescent moons.

Li Ke was thoughtful.

During this period, he had already converted most of the resources produced in his territory into gold crowns through various channels.

However, the several noble families he had previously cleared out had quite a bit of scattered inventory confiscated from their storerooms.

For example, antiques, artworks, and similar items.

These items were diverse, small in individual quantity, and varied in value.

The Mist Tavern's acquisition prices had always been low, making it unprofitable.

Therefore, a considerable portion of miscellaneous materials remained piled up in his Storage Pouch, occupying a significant amount of space.

...

After some bargaining, Li Ke and Morgana reached a new deal.

He took out the fragmented inventory and sold it to Morgana.

The space in his Storage Pouch became much clearer as a result, and he also gained a considerable sum of gold crowns.

During the transaction, Morgana looked at the items that clearly bore the marks of other noble families, especially a few iconic collections belonging to minor nobles around Xilin Town.

She finally confirmed in her heart that the man before her was indeed the new heir of the Charles Family.

The ruthless individual who, in a short period, had swallowed up the entire Xilin Town.