The price of Puxian True Leaf had always been remarkably stable.
At times, it had even displayed the curious anomaly of falling against the broader market.
Moreover, when the Heavenly Profound Mirror resolved the crisis with a single proclamation and Spirit Mist Grass dragged the prices of most herbs on the market into a complete collapse, its price had remained rock-solid, experiencing no major fluctuations from beginning to end.
"Puxian True Leaf..."
Within Li Fan's mind, the Dao Transformation Stone crystal flashed with blue light as he began searching for later records concerning it.
A moment later, a look of intrigue crossed his face.
According to Li Fan's memories of the subsequent years, after the Spirit Mist Grass turmoil, as bountiful byproducts from the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven were continuously excavated and dumped onto the market, virtually all spiritual plants and herbs had suffered steep declines.
Yet Puxian True Leaf had once again been an exception.
Over the ensuing decades, its price rose steadily.
It was simply so niche that few cultivators paid it any heed.
Having made a fortune speculating on Spirit Mist Grass back then and subsequently pouring the vast majority of his energy into constructing the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation, Li Fan had naturally overlooked it.
Now, seeing that the Spirit Mist Grass crisis would not come to pass, Li Fan needed an alternative, and the unusual nature of Puxian True Leaf immediately caught his attention.
*In my past life, after the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation became widespread, the Sagacious Truth-Discerning Talisman was gradually phased out. Yet its price stayed consistently high, which means it must have had other, unknown uses.*
*Such anomalous signs indicate that someone must be running the market from the shadows.*
Li Fan weighed the feasibility of the two paths: finding a way to attack Lingwu Island to artificially inflate the price of Spirit Mist Grass, versus using Puxian True Leaf as a substitute.
*Whichever path I take, the final outcome will inevitably cause no small stir. The Heavenly Secret Hall will definitely step in to investigate.*
*Judging by how matters were ultimately handled in my past life, operating in a free market—buying low and selling high—falls within the bounds of permissible rules.*
*Artificially and maliciously throwing the market into chaos and disrupting the economy, however, is another story. They might well slap you with the crime of undermining the stability of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.*
*Even with the secret art Covering the Sky with One Hand, I might not withstand such scrutiny.*
*...*
Li Fan gave the matter careful thought, and a decision gradually formed.
*Still, I need to see whether this Puxian True Leaf is truly viable.*
No sooner said than done.
Without regard for cost, Li Fan dumped all the Spirit Mist Grass he had previously bought up, switching entirely to purchasing Puxian True Leaf.
In the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the price of Puxian True Leaf was currently steady at roughly 280 contribution points apiece.
With a single wave of his hand, Li Fan threw a million contribution points into a frenzy of buying.
Soon, the available stock on the market dwindled at a visible rate.
At the same time, its price began to climb back up.
Erasing the losses from recent days, it returned to its normal level of around 300 contribution points.
Li Fan remained calm and collected, ramping up his purchases further.
Another million contribution points came crashing down.
301, 302...
The price of Puxian True Leaf looked poised to break through 305.
Just then, right before his eyes, its price suddenly took a sharp nosedive.
In an instant, it plummeted from over 300 back down to 292 contribution points.
*Such a drop means someone just dumped a massive quantity of Puxian True Leaf onto the market.*
*The Heavenly Profound Mirror judged that supply exceeded demand, causing the price to plunge in such a short window.*
*Interesting.*
A sharp gleam flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He stayed his hand for the moment and began to deduce the situation carefully.
*Holding a massive reserve of Puxian True Leaf, yet actively driving the price down? Why?*
*What's more, during the Spirit Mist Grass turmoil in my past life, when all herbs and spiritual plants were soaring across the board, this person was still able to maintain tight control over the price of Puxian True Leaf.*
*It's practically certain that they hold something approaching a monopoly.*
*Confident in victory, are they...*
Before long, recalling a certain maneuver from his past life, Li Fan faintly grasped a possibility.
Li Fan rose abruptly, exited the Heavenly Profound Mirror, and headed straight for Thousand Li Hall.
From outside, he heard Jiao Xiuyuan's disgruntled grumbling: "Didn't you agree to take this Flying Star Plate? I went through all that trouble to dig it up, and now you say you don't want it? Can people these days show an ounce of integrity in business?"
Li Fan cut in with a smile. "Nobody wants it? I'll take it!"
Jiao Xiuyuan had been speaking to someone unknown, but hearing this, his face immediately lit up with joy.
He hurried to say, "Deal! Fifteen hundred contribution points, firm price! No backing out!"
With that, he thrust over a rust-encrusted bronze plate.
Li Fan glanced at it and saw nothing remarkable.
Nonetheless, relying on the experience of his past life, he paid the sum and tucked it into his storage ring for safekeeping.
"Daoist Jiao, leave these petty transactions aside. I've come to you today with big business!" Li Fan said solemnly.
Only then did Jiao Xiuyuan recognize Li Fan.
Assuming he had come to ask whether the Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye had been sold, a trace of embarrassment appeared on his dark face.
"Ah! It's Daoist Li Fan! I'm terribly sorry, but that Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye... it might..."
Li Fan waved a hand to cut him off, grabbed Jiao Xiuyuan, pulled him close, and said in a low voice, "Leave that aside for now. Daoist Jiao, what I just said was dead serious. If you miss this golden opportunity, I fear your Dao heart will shatter and most of your puppets will be ruined!"
Seeing Li Fan speak with such alarmist gravity, Jiao Xiuyuan's expression changed instantly.
Wiping away his flippant grin, he scrutinized Li Fan with a solemn expression, then closed the doors to Thousand Li Hall.
"Daoist Li Fan, what do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Puxian True Leaf—are you familiar with it, Daoist? Its price has been somewhat abnormal of late. One look and you'll understand," Li Fan replied.
Hearing this, Jiao Xiuyuan closed his eyes in thought.
After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly.
At that point, Li Fan told Jiao Xiuyuan about his probing maneuver from earlier.
"What do you make of it, Daoist?" Li Fan asked, a testing note in his tone.
Jiao Xiuyuan pondered for a moment before speaking. "If I'm not mistaken, this party must have borrowed a certain amount of Puxian True Leaf somewhere. And they likely hold some surplus inventory of their own. So they're trying to dump a large volume of Puxian True Leaf onto the market to temporarily depress the price, allowing them to repay less and turn a profit."
Such was Jiao Xiuyuan's assessment.
Li Fan clapped his hands. "Great minds think alike. I had the exact same thought."
Jiao Xiuyuan frowned in mild dissatisfaction. "And this is the big business you spoke of? How am I not seeing it?"
Li Fan offered an enigmatic smile.
"What if—and I do mean what if..."
"When the time comes that they must return the Puxian True Leaf, the total amount circulating on the market isn't even enough for them to repay their debt? What do you suppose happens then?"
For a moment, Jiao Xiuyuan failed to grasp Li Fan's meaning.
He froze.
A heartbeat later, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
Chapter 455