“ cǐ shì wú rén zhuī jiū hái hǎo 。 jiù pà yǒu xīn rén xiǎng yào jiè tí fā huī ， móu suàn yú wǒ 。 nà kě zhēn shì má fán dà le ！” hé zhèng hào yuè xiǎng liǎn sè yuè chà 。
“此事无人追究还好。就怕有心人想要借题发挥，谋算于我。那可真是麻烦大了！”何正浩越想脸色越差。
"Fortunately, no one is pursuing this matter. The worry is that someone with ulterior motives might use it as an excuse to plot against me. That would be a real headache!" Hao Zhenghao's expression grew worse the more he thought about it.
“ hé dào yǒu bù bì dān yōu ， wǒ kàn zuì duō shì dàng zuò xián liáo shí de tán zī bà le 。 ruò shì zhēn de xiǎng yào jiè cǐ suàn jì nǐ ， yòu zěn me huì jiù zhè me qīng yì de shuō chū kǒu ne 。 dìng rán shì zhí jiē tǒng dào wàn xiān méng gāo céng nà lǐ qù le 。” lǐ fán quàn wèi dào 。
“何道友不必担忧，我看最多是当做闲聊时的谈资罢了。若是真的想要借此算计你，又怎么会就这么轻易的说出口呢。定然是直接捅到万仙盟高层那里去了。”李凡劝慰道。
"Elder Daoist, you needn't worry. I think this will just be casual talk for others. If they really wanted to scheme against you, wouldn't they have said something more easily? They must have reported it directly to the upper echelons of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance," Li Fan comforted.
“ bù guò ， bǎo xiǎn qǐ jiàn 。 dào yǒu jīn hòu hái shì bú yào zài zuò zhè zhǒng shì qíng le 。” lǐ fán dào 。
“不过，保险起见。道友今后还是不要再做这种事情了。”李凡道。
"Still, as a precaution, Elder Daoist should not do such things in the future." Li Fan added.
hé zhèng hào tàn le kǒu qì ， diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
何正浩叹了口气，点了点头。
Hao Zhenghao sighed and nodded.
jǐn jiē zhe ， lǐ fán yòu zhuāng zuò yī fù shí fēn hào qí de yàng zi ：“ jì rán dào yǒu zhī dào bāng zhù fán rén tōu dù yī shì yǒu zhe bù xiǎo de fēng xiǎn ， zhī qián yòu wèi hé fēi yào qù zuò ne ？ nán bù chéng ， zhè qí zhōng de lì yì gāo dào zú yǐ lìng dào yǒu nǐ bù gù shēng sǐ ？”
紧接着，李凡又装作一副十分好奇的样子：“既然道友知道帮助凡人偷渡一事有着不小的风险，之前又为何非要去做呢？难不成，这其中的利益高到足以令道友你不顾生死？”
Then, Li Fan pretended to be very curious: "Since you know that helping ordinary people cross over has significant risks, why did you insist on doing it before? Could it be that the benefits are so high that they outweigh your life and death?"
hé zhèng hào kǔ xiào dào ：“ nǎ yǒu shén me gāo é lì rùn 。 yí gè xiǎo shì jiè ， shí nián yī tàng yě bù guò liǎng sān qiān gòng xiàn dù ér yǐ 。 bù guò shì jī shǎo chéng duō bà le 。”
何正浩苦笑道：“哪有什么高额利润。一个小世界，十年一趟也不过两三千贡献度而已。不过是积少成多罢了。”
Hao Zhenghao smiled bitterly. "There's no such thing as huge profits. A small world trip every ten years only brings in a couple thousand contribution points. It’s just accumulating over time."
lǐ fán jiǎ zhuāng cuò è dào ：“ dào yǒu rú cǐ quē gòng xiàn dù ma ？ zhè me yì diǎn gòng xiàn dù yě yào tān ？”
李凡假装错愕道：“道友如此缺贡献度嘛？这么一点贡献度也要贪？”
Li Fan pretended to be surprised. "Elder Daoist, you're so short on contribution points? You still want to hoard even a little?"
hé zhèng hào lǎo liǎn yī hóng ：“ gòng xiàn dù zhè dōng xī ， shuí hái huì xián duō ma 。 zài shuō ， wǒ yě yǒu wǒ bù dé yǐ de kǔ zhōng 。”
何正浩老脸一红：“贡献度这东西，谁还会嫌多嘛。再说，我也有我不得以的苦衷。”
Hao Zhenghao's face turned red. "Contribution points—how could anyone not want more? Besides, I have my own reasons for doing this."
dāng xià ， hé zhèng hào bǎ zì jǐ xiū xíng gōng fǎ de lì bì ， yǐ jí zhǔn bèi gēng huàn yī mén yuán yīng gōng fǎ de shì qíng shuō le chū lái 。
当下，何正浩把自己修行功法的利弊，以及准备更换一门元婴功法的事情说了出来。
He then explained the pros and cons of his cultivation techniques and his intention to switch to a new Foundation Establishment Realm technique.
lǐ fán tīng le ， zé zé yáo tóu ：“ bǎi yú nián dōu zhǐ shì xiū liàn dào zhù jī zhōng qī ， zhè gōng fǎ què shí bù zěn me yàng 。 bù xiū yě bà ！”
李凡听了，啧啧摇头：“百余年都只是修炼到筑基中期，这功法确实不怎么样。不修也罢！”
Li Fan shook his head in disapproval. "After over a hundred years, you've only reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. This technique is not good enough. It's better not to cultivate it!"
“ hé dào yǒu nǐ zhuàng shì duàn wàn ， zhōng tú gǎi huàn gōng fǎ ， suī rán huā fèi de dài jià pǒ dà ， dàn què xiǎn rán shì zhí de de ！”
“何道友你壮士断腕，中途改换功法，虽然花费的代价颇大，但却显然是值得的！”
"Elder Daoist, you're making a wise decision by changing your cultivation method mid-way. The cost is high, but it’s clearly worth it!"
“ wǒ zhī chí nǐ ！”
“我支持你！”
"I support you!"
“ bù zhī dào yǒu nǐ lí duì huàn chū nà mén yuán yīng zhēn gōng ， hái chà duō shǎo gòng xiàn dù ？”
“不知道友你离兑换出那门元婴真功，还差多少贡献度？”
"May I ask how many contribution points are still needed for you to obtain that Foundation Establishment Realm technique?"
hé zhèng hào yáo tóu tàn xī dào ：“ wǒ yào duì huàn de zhè mén gōng fǎ ， kě shì jí wéi bù fán 。 bù jǐn guāng gòng xiàn dù jiù xū yào èr shí wǔ wàn diǎn ， hái yào quán xiàn dào dá yí dìng jí bié cái néng sōu suǒ dào bìng duì huàn 。”
何正浩摇头叹息道：“我要兑换的这门功法，可是极为不凡。不仅光贡献度就需要二十五万点，还要权限到达一定级别才能搜索到并兑换。”
Hao Zhenghao sighed and shook his head. "The technique I want to exchange for is extraordinary. Not only does it require 250,000 contribution points in contributions, but also a certain level of authority to search for and acquire."
“ rú jīn wǒ quán xiàn dǎo shì tí shēng de chà bu duō le ， jiù shì gòng xiàn dù jī zǎn yáo yáo wú qī ， hái xū yào chà bu duō shí duō wàn diǎn ne 。”
“如今我权限倒是提升的差不多了，就是贡献度积攒遥遥无期，还需要差不多十多万点呢。”
"My authority has increased significantly recently, but the contribution points are still far off. I need another ten thousand or so."
lǐ fán wén yán diǎn tóu ， xīn lǐ què dào ：“ yuán lái wǒ píng shí zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng kàn dào de gōng fǎ liè biǎo ， hái shì bù wán zhěng de 。”
李凡闻言点头，心里却道：“原来我平时在天玄镜中看到的功法列表，还是不完整的。”
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "I see that the technique list I've seen on the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror is incomplete."
“ shí wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， què shí shì yī bǐ tiān wén shù zì le 。 wǒ jiā rù wàn xiān méng hòu zhè yí gè duō yuè ， fāng cái zhī dào jī zǎn gòng xiàn dù de bù yì 。 tīng shuō dìng yú shì gè yī yè bào fù de jī huì ， yú shì jiù qù dǔ le yī bǎ 。 āi ……” lǐ fán tàn le kǒu qì ， yī liǎn yù mèn de yàng zi 。
“十万点贡献度，确实是一笔天文数字了。我加入万仙盟后这一个多月，方才知道积攒贡献度的不易。听说定鱼是个一夜暴富的机会，于是就去赌了一把。哎……”李凡叹了口气，一脸郁闷的样子。
"A hundred thousand contribution points is indeed an astronomical sum. It took me over a month to realize how difficult it was to accumulate contributions after joining the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. I heard that Dingyu offered a chance for sudden wealth, so I took a gamble. Sigh…" Li Fan sighed with a look of depression.
“ dìng yú ？ hē hē ， wǒ xǔ jiǔ zhī qián dǎo shì yě céng chī mí qí zhōng 。 bù guò xiàn zài yǐ jīng xǔ jiǔ bù wán le 。”
“定鱼？呵呵，我许久之前倒是也曾痴迷其中。不过现在已经许久不玩了。”
"Dingyu? Haha, I used to be obsessed with it long ago, but haven't played in years."
hé zhèng hào zhèng sè dào ：“ tīng wǒ yī jù quàn ， zhè dōng xī hái shì shǎo pèng wèi miào 。 nǐ wǒ gēn běn méi yǒu nà zhǒng yǎn guāng hé qì yùn a ！ qù le yě zhǐ shì bái bái sòng qián ér yǐ ！”
何正浩正色道：“听我一句劝，这东西还是少碰为妙。你我根本没有那种眼光和气运啊！去了也只是白白送钱而已！”
Hao Zhenghao said seriously, "Listen to my advice—stay away from this. We have no such vision or fortune! It’s just throwing money away!"
lǐ fán shí fēn zàn tóng ：“ dào yǒu suǒ yán jí shì 。”
李凡十分赞同：“道友所言极是。”
Li Fan agreed wholeheartedly: "Your words are very wise."
jǐn jiē zhe ， lǐ fán huà fēng yī zhuǎn ， tú qióng bǐ xiàn ：“ sī lái xiǎng qù ， wǒ jué de ， hái shì dào yǒu xiān qián gēn wǒ tí jí de nà zhǒng tóu zī zhī fǎ ， bǐ jiào shì hé wǒ ……”
紧接着，李凡话锋一转，图穷匕见：“思来想去，我觉得，还是道友先前跟我提及的那种投资之法，比较适合我……”
Then, he changed the subject. "After much thought, I think the investment method you mentioned earlier is more suitable for me…"
hé zhèng hào miàn yǒu dé sè ：“ hē hē ， dào yǒu néng zhè me kuài yì shí dào zhè yì diǎn ， yǎn guāng hái zhēn bù cuò 。 bù xiàng wǒ ， cuō tuó le bàn bèi zi ， cái zhōng yú zhǎo dào zhè me gè wěn tuǒ de zhuàn qián fāng fǎ 。”
何正浩面有得色：“呵呵，道友能这么快意识到这一点，眼光还真不错。不像我，蹉跎了半辈子，才终于找到这么个稳妥的赚钱方法。”
Hao Zhenghao smiled with satisfaction. "Haha, it's good that you realized this so quickly. Unlike me, who wasted half my life before finding a reliable way to make money."
“ fàng xīn ， xià cì yǒu dà zhuàn de jī huì ， wǒ yí dìng bú huì wàng jì dào yǒu nǐ ！”
“放心，下次有大赚的机会，我一定不会忘记道友你！”
"Don't worry, next time there’s a big opportunity, I won’t forget you!"
lǐ fán què zhí jiē shuō dào ：“ bù yòng xià cì yí dìng le 。 xiàn zài jiù yǒu gè zhuàn dà qián de jī huì ！”
李凡却直接说道：“不用下次一定了。现在就有个赚大钱的机会！”
Li Fan said directly: "No need for 'next time.' There’s an opportunity right now to make a lot of money!"
“ ó ？ hái yǒu cǐ shì ？” hé zhèng hào yǐn yǐn chá jué dào bú duì ， liǎn sè yī biàn 。 bù guò hái shì chū yán wèn dào 。
“哦？还有此事？”何正浩隐隐察觉到不对，脸色一变。不过还是出言问道。
"Oh? Is that so?" Hao Zhenghao sensed something was amiss and his expression changed. He still asked.
“ hē hē ， bù mán dào yǒu 。 zì cóng shàng cì dào yǒu gēn wǒ tí guò zhè tóu zī zhī fǎ hòu ， wǒ yě shí cháng méi shì de shí hòu ， zì jǐ zhuó mó yán jiū 。 yí gè yuè xià lái ， wǒ gǎn jué yǐ rán zhǎng wò le qí zhōng de qiào mén 。 xiǎng yào cóng jià gé bō dòng zhōng huò lì ， zuì fāng biàn de hái shì nà líng wù cǎo 。”
“呵呵，不瞒道友。自从上次道友跟我提过这投资之法后，我也时常没事的时候，自己琢磨研究。一个月下来，我感觉已然掌握了其中的窍门。想要从价格波动中获利，最方便的还是那灵雾草。”
"Haha, let me be honest with you. Since you mentioned this investment method last time, I've often researched it in my spare time. After a month, I feel like I’ve grasped the key to making profits from price fluctuations. The easiest way is through Spirit Fog Grass."
“ cháng nián jià gé dōu zài měi zhū 18-22 diǎn gòng xiàn dù zhī jiān pái huái 。 wǒ zhǐ yào zài 18 diǎn gòng xiàn dù de shí hòu dà liàng shōu gòu líng wù cǎo ， rán hòu zài 22 diǎn gòng xiàn dù de shí hòu quán bù mài chū ， bù jiù néng hěn róng yì dà zhuàn yī bǐ ma ？” lǐ fán xìn xīn mǎn mǎn ， kǎn kǎn ér tán 。
“常年价格都在每株18-22点贡献度之间徘徊。我只要在18点贡献度的时候大量收购灵雾草，然后在22点贡献度的时候全部卖出，不就能很容易大赚一笔嘛？”李凡信心满满，侃侃而谈。
"The price has been between 18 and 22 contribution points for years. As long as I buy large quantities of Spirit Fog Grass when the price hits 18, then sell them all at 22, I can easily make a fortune," Li Fan said confidently.
“ é … shì zhè ge dào lǐ méi cuò 。” hé zhèng hào tīng le lǐ fán zhè yī xí huà ， méi néng zhǎo chū qí zhōng de pò zhàn ， zhǐ hǎo diǎn tóu chēng shì 。
“额…是这个道理没错。”何正浩听了李凡这一席话，没能找出其中的破绽，只好点头称是。
"Hmm… that makes sense." Hao Zhenghao couldn't find any flaws in what Li Fan said and nodded in agreement.
lǐ fán měng dì yī pāi shǒu ：“ nà xiàn zài jiù shì mǎi rù de zuì jiā shí jī le a ！ zhè duàn shí jiān ， bù zhī wèi hé ， líng wù cǎo de jià gé yì zhí zài màn màn wǎng xià diē 。 xiàn rú jīn yǐ jīng diē dào 18 diǎn gòng xiàn dù le ! bù jiù zhèng hǎo shì zuì dī jià le ma ！ xiàn zài bù mǎi ， gèng dài hé shí ？”
李凡猛地一拍手：“那现在就是买入的最佳时机了啊！这段时间，不知为何，灵雾草的价格一直在慢慢往下跌。现如今已经跌到18点贡献度了!不就正好是最低价了嘛！现在不买，更待何时？”
Li Fan clapped his hands. "Now is the best time to buy! The price of Spirit Fog Grass has been slowly dropping for some reason. It’s already at 18 contribution points now! Isn’t that exactly the lowest price? Why wait?"
hé zhèng hào yě bèi lǐ fán yī fān huà shuō dé pēng rán xīn dòng ：“ yǒu dào lǐ a ！”
何正浩也被李凡一番话说得怦然心动：“有道理啊！”
Hao Zhenghao was moved by Li Fan's words: "That makes sense!"
dāng jí bù zhī cóng nǎ tāo chū yī méi tiān xuán xiǎo jìng ， shǒu zhǐ qīng diǎn zhī hòu ， xiǎn xiàn chū le líng wù cǎo de jià gé 。
当即不知从哪掏出一枚天玄小镜，手指轻点之后，显现出了灵雾草的价格。
He took out a small mirror and pointed it, showing the current price of Spirit Fog Grass.
“ hái zhēn shì diē dào 18 diǎn gòng xiàn dù le ！” tā jīng xǐ de shuō dào 。
“还真是跌到18点贡献度了！”他惊喜的说道。
"Indeed, it has dropped to 18 contribution points!" he exclaimed happily.
suí hòu duì lǐ fán pǒ wèi zàn shǎng ：“ dào yǒu de shāng yè xiù jué ， hái shì fēi cháng mǐn ruì de ma ！”
随后对李凡颇为赞赏：“道友的商业嗅觉，还是非常敏锐的嘛！”
Then, he praised Li Fan. "Your business acumen is quite sharp!"
“ bú duì ！ zěn me jiù diē dǎo 18 le ！？” tū rán ， hé zhèng hào fǎn yìng guò lái ， liǎn sè dà biàn 。
“不对！怎么就跌倒18了！？”突然，何正浩反应过来，脸色大变。
"No! How can it drop to 18?" Hao Zhenghao suddenly realized and his face turned pale.
“ wǒ dāng chū jiù shì 18 diǎn gòng xiàn dù mǎi de ， yì zhí méi yǒu chū shǒu ， xiàn zài yòu diē huí qù le ？”
“我当初就是18点贡献度买的，一直没有出手，现在又跌回去了？”
"I bought at 18 and never sold. Now the price has dropped back down?"
lǐ fán lián máng shuō dào ：“ āi ， dào yǒu bù bì jīng huāng 。 suǒ wèi wù jí bì fǎn ， rú jīn líng wù cǎo jià gé yī lù zǒu dī ， yǐ rán diē dǎo jí xiàn le 。 jiē xià lái ， xiǎng bì shì yào jìn xíng yī lún fǎn tán 。 shuō bù dìng ， huì yī xià zi zhǎng dào 23 diǎn dōu yǒu kě néng 。 rú jīn jià gé zhè me dī ， zhèng hǎo gěi wǒ men jiā cāng de jī huì ！”
李凡连忙说道：“哎，道友不必惊慌。所谓物极必反，如今灵雾草价格一路走低，已然跌倒极限了。接下来，想必是要进行一轮反弹。说不定，会一下子涨到23点都有可能。如今价格这么低，正好给我们加仓的机会！”
Li Fan hurriedly said, "Don’t be alarmed, Elder Daoist. As they say, extremes reverse. The price of Spirit Fog Grass is now at its lowest point. It will likely rebound soon. Maybe it could even rise to 23 points. At such a low price, we have the chance to increase our holdings!"
“ yǒu dào lǐ ！ yǒu dào lǐ ！ jiā cāng ， bì xū jiā cāng ！” hé zhèng hào shēn yǐ wéi rán 。
“有道理！有道理！加仓，必须加仓！”何正浩深以为然。
"Right! Right! We must increase our holdings!" Hao Zhenghao agreed wholeheartedly.
“ āi ， zhǐ kě xī ， wǒ de gòng xiàn dù zài dìng yú zhōng sǔn shī le dà bàn 。 bù zhī hé dào yǒu ， kě fǒu jiè ……”
“哎，只可惜，我的贡献度在定鱼中损失了大半。不知何道友，可否借……”
"Alas, my contribution points were mostly lost in Dingyu. Elder Daoist, can you lend me…"
lǐ fán hái méi shuō chū ， hé zhèng hào lián lián yáo tóu ：“ méi yǒu méi yǒu ， nǐ shàng cì yě jiàn dào le ， wǒ shǒu lǐ néng yòng de gòng xiàn dù yě zhǐ shèng xià yī qiān duō diǎn le ， shí zài ná bù chū duō yú de jiè gěi nǐ le 。”
李凡还没说出，何正浩连连摇头：“没有没有，你上次也见到了，我手里能用的贡献度也只剩下一千多点了，实在拿不出多余的借给你了。”
Hao Zhenghao shook his head repeatedly. "No, no. I only have a thousand or so contribution points left and can’t spare any more."
lǐ fán yī liǎn wǎn xī ：“ ruò shì cuò guò zhè ge dà zhuàn de jī huì ， shí zài yǒu xiē bù gān xīn a ！”
李凡一脸惋惜：“若是错过这个大赚的机会，实在有些不甘心啊！”
Li Fan looked disappointed. "If we miss this big opportunity, it will be hard to bear!"
hé zhèng hào kàn zhe lǐ fán ， sì hū xiǎng shuō diǎn shá ， dàn yòu yǒu xiē yóu yù 。
何正浩看着李凡，似乎想说点啥，但又有些犹豫。
Hao Zhenghao looked at Li Fan, considering something but hesitating.
lǐ fán què shì yī yǎn jiù jiāng qí kàn chuān ， dà xǐ dào ：“ dào yǒu yǒu hé jiào wǒ ？”
李凡却是一眼就将其看穿，大喜道：“道友有何教我？”
Li Fan saw through his hesitation and said happily, "Elder Daoist, what do you advise?"
hé zhèng hào hái shì méi yǒu kāi kǒu 。
何正浩还是没有开口。
Hao Zhenghao remained silent.
lǐ fán zhèng zhòng shuō dào ：“ ruò shì zhè cì dào yǒu néng bāng wǒ yī bǎ ， rì hòu bì yǒu zhòng xiè 。”
李凡郑重说道：“若是这次道友能帮我一把，日后必有重谢。”
Li Fan solemnly said, "If Elder Daoist can help me this time, I will surely repay the favor in the future."
“ wǒ yǒu yù gǎn ， lí tū pò dào zhù jī yuán mǎn yǐ jīng bù yuǎn ， mǎ shàng jiù yào wèi jié dān zuò zhǔn bèi le 。”
“我有预感，离突破到筑基圆满已经不远，马上就要为结丹做准备了。”
"I have a feeling that breaking through to Foundation Establishment Completion is imminent. I need to prepare for condensation of essence soon."
“ chóu jí gōng fǎ ， pò zài méi jié 。 ruò shì cuò shī liáng jī ， bù zhī dào hái yào cuō tuó duō jiǔ a ！”
“筹集功法，迫在眉睫。若是错失良机，不知道还要蹉跎多久啊！”
"Raising funds for techniques is urgent. If we miss this opportunity, how long will it take?"
huò xǔ shì lǐ fán hòu miàn liǎng jù huà shuō fú le hé zhèng hào 。
或许是李凡后面两句话说服了何正浩。
Perhaps convinced by Li Fan's last two sentences, Hao Zhenghao hesitated before finally taking out a greenish-black jade token and handing it to Li Fan.
tā chí yí le huì ， zuì zhōng hái shì tāo chū yī méi mò lǜ sè de yù pái ， dì gěi le lǐ fán 。
他迟疑了会，最终还是掏出一枚墨绿色的玉牌，递给了李凡。
He whispered, "If you really want to seize this opportunity, hold onto this token. Go to the outermost part of Ten Thousand Immortals Island and find a shop called 'Clear Breeze Hall.'"
qiǎo shēng shuō dào ：“ ruò shì dào yǒu zhēn de xiǎng jiè cǐ jī huì bó yī bǎ ， kě chí cǐ lìng pái ， qù wàn xiān dǎo zuì wài wéi ， zhǎo dào yī jiān jiào zuò 【 qīng fēng táng 】 de shāng pù 。”
悄声说道：“若是道友真的想借此机会搏一把，可持此令牌，去万仙岛最外围，找到一间叫做【清风堂】的商铺。”
"Once inside, don’t say anything. Just show the token."
“ jìn rù diàn pù zhī hòu ， shén me dōu bú yào shuō ， chū shì cǐ lìng pái jí kě 。”
“进入店铺之后，什么都不要说，出示此令牌即可。”
"If anyone asks, tell them I referred you."
“ ruò yǒu yǒu rén wèn qǐ ， jiù shuō shì wǒ jiè shào lái de 。”
“若有有人问起，就说是我介绍来的。”
"Clear Breeze Hall is ostensibly a store selling various miscellaneous items, but in reality, it provides loans for contribution points, cultivation techniques, and other supplies."
“ qīng fēng táng biǎo miàn shàng shì yī jiān chū shòu gè zhǒng zá wù de shāng pù ， shí zé àn dì lǐ tí gōng gòng xiàn dù 、 gōng fǎ yǐ jí qí tā zhǒng zhǒng wù zī de jiè dài 。”
“清风堂表面上是一间出售各种杂物的商铺，实则暗地里提供贡献度、功法以及其他种种物资的借贷。”
...
……
……
Li Fan listened to Hao Zhenghao's words with a slight smile.
lǐ fán tīng zhe hé zhèng hào de huà ， xīn zhōng wēi wēi yī xiào 。
李凡听着何正浩的话，心中微微一笑。
That’s you.
"Fortunately, no one is pursuing this matter. The worry is that someone with ulterior motives might use it as an excuse to plot against me. That would be a real headache!" Hao Zhenghao's expression grew worse the more he thought about it.
"Elder Daoist, you needn't worry. I think this will just be casual talk for others. If they really wanted to scheme against you, wouldn't they have said something more easily? They must have reported it directly to the upper echelons of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance," Li Fan comforted.
"Still, as a precaution, Elder Daoist should not do such things in the future." Li Fan added.
Hao Zhenghao sighed and nodded.
Then, Li Fan pretended to be very curious: "Since you know that helping ordinary people cross over has significant risks, why did you insist on doing it before? Could it be that the benefits are so high that they outweigh your life and death?"
Hao Zhenghao smiled bitterly. "There's no such thing as huge profits. A small world trip every ten years only brings in a couple thousand contribution points. It’s just accumulating over time."
Li Fan pretended to be surprised. "Elder Daoist, you're so short on contribution points? You still want to hoard even a little?"
Hao Zhenghao's face turned red. "Contribution points—how could anyone not want more? Besides, I have my own reasons for doing this."
He then explained the pros and cons of his cultivation techniques and his intention to switch to a new Foundation Establishment Realm technique.
Li Fan shook his head in disapproval. "After over a hundred years, you've only reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. This technique is not good enough. It's better not to cultivate it!"
"Elder Daoist, you're making a wise decision by changing your cultivation method mid-way. The cost is high, but it’s clearly worth it!"
"I support you!"
"May I ask how many contribution points are still needed for you to obtain that Foundation Establishment Realm technique?"
Hao Zhenghao sighed and shook his head. "The technique I want to exchange for is extraordinary. Not only does it require 250,000 contribution points in contributions, but also a certain level of authority to search for and acquire."
"My authority has increased significantly recently, but the contribution points are still far off. I need another ten thousand or so."
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "I see that the technique list I've seen on the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror is incomplete."
"A hundred thousand contribution points is indeed an astronomical sum. It took me over a month to realize how difficult it was to accumulate contributions after joining the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. I heard that Dingyu offered a chance for sudden wealth, so I took a gamble. Sigh…" Li Fan sighed with a look of depression.
"Dingyu? Haha, I used to be obsessed with it long ago, but haven't played in years."
Hao Zhenghao said seriously, "Listen to my advice—stay away from this. We have no such vision or fortune! It’s just throwing money away!"
Li Fan agreed wholeheartedly: "Your words are very wise."
Then, he changed the subject. "After much thought, I think the investment method you mentioned earlier is more suitable for me…"
Hao Zhenghao smiled with satisfaction. "Haha, it's good that you realized this so quickly. Unlike me, who wasted half my life before finding a reliable way to make money."
"Don't worry, next time there’s a big opportunity, I won’t forget you!"
Li Fan said directly: "No need for 'next time.' There’s an opportunity right now to make a lot of money!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Hao Zhenghao sensed something was amiss and his expression changed. He still asked.
"Haha, let me be honest with you. Since you mentioned this investment method last time, I've often researched it in my spare time. After a month, I feel like I’ve grasped the key to making profits from price fluctuations. The easiest way is through Spirit Fog Grass."
"The price has been between 18 and 22 contribution points for years. As long as I buy large quantities of Spirit Fog Grass when the price hits 18, then sell them all at 22, I can easily make a fortune," Li Fan said confidently.
"Hmm… that makes sense." Hao Zhenghao couldn't find any flaws in what Li Fan said and nodded in agreement.
Li Fan clapped his hands. "Now is the best time to buy! The price of Spirit Fog Grass has been slowly dropping for some reason. It’s already at 18 contribution points now! Isn’t that exactly the lowest price? Why wait?"
Hao Zhenghao was moved by Li Fan's words: "That makes sense!"
He took out a small mirror and pointed it, showing the current price of Spirit Fog Grass.
"Indeed, it has dropped to 18 contribution points!" he exclaimed happily.
Then, he praised Li Fan. "Your business acumen is quite sharp!"
"No! How can it drop to 18?" Hao Zhenghao suddenly realized and his face turned pale.
"I bought at 18 and never sold. Now the price has dropped back down?"
Li Fan hurriedly said, "Don’t be alarmed, Elder Daoist. As they say, extremes reverse. The price of Spirit Fog Grass is now at its lowest point. It will likely rebound soon. Maybe it could even rise to 23 points. At such a low price, we have the chance to increase our holdings!"
"Right! Right! We must increase our holdings!" Hao Zhenghao agreed wholeheartedly.
"Alas, my contribution points were mostly lost in Dingyu. Elder Daoist, can you lend me…"
Hao Zhenghao shook his head repeatedly. "No, no. I only have a thousand or so contribution points left and can’t spare any more."
Li Fan looked disappointed. "If we miss this big opportunity, it will be hard to bear!"
Hao Zhenghao looked at Li Fan, considering something but hesitating.
Li Fan saw through his hesitation and said happily, "Elder Daoist, what do you advise?"
Hao Zhenghao remained silent.
Li Fan solemnly said, "If Elder Daoist can help me this time, I will surely repay the favor in the future."
"I have a feeling that breaking through to Foundation Establishment Completion is imminent. I need to prepare for condensation of essence soon."
"Raising funds for techniques is urgent. If we miss this opportunity, how long will it take?"
Perhaps convinced by Li Fan's last two sentences, Hao Zhenghao hesitated before finally taking out a greenish-black jade token and handing it to Li Fan.
He whispered, "If you really want to seize this opportunity, hold onto this token. Go to the outermost part of Ten Thousand Immortals Island and find a shop called 'Clear Breeze Hall.'"
"Once inside, don’t say anything. Just show the token."
"If anyone asks, tell them I referred you."
"Clear Breeze Hall is ostensibly a store selling various miscellaneous items, but in reality, it provides loans for contribution points, cultivation techniques, and other supplies."
...
Li Fan listened to Hao Zhenghao's words with a slight smile.
That’s you.