pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo de jià gé yì zhí hěn wěn dìng 。
普贤真叶草的价格一直很稳定。
True Virtue True Leaf Grass's price had always been stable.
shèn zhì hái céng chū xiàn guò nì shì xià diē de qí jǐng 。
甚至还曾出现过逆势下跌的奇景。
Even a reverse decline in the market was once observed.
ér qiě dàng tiān xuán jìng yī yán dìng fēng bō ， líng wù cǎo dài dòng shì chǎng shàng jué dà duō shù de cǎo yào jià gé bēng pán zhī hòu 。
而且当天玄镜一言定风波，灵雾草带动市场上绝大多数的草药价格崩盘之后。
Moreover, after the incident with Spirit Fog Grass caused most medicinal herbs' prices to collapse, its own price remained firm and showed no significant fluctuation.
tā de jià gé yě hái yī rán jiān tǐng ， zì shǐ zhì zhōng méi yǒu chū xiàn shén me tè bié dà de bō dòng 。
它的价格也还依然坚挺，自始至终没有出现什么特别大的波动。
"True Virtue True Leaf Grass..."
“ pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo ……”
“普贤真叶草……”
The blue light of the Daoist Stone crystal flickered in Li Fan's mind as he began searching for information about it. After a moment, his expression turned slightly interested.
nǎo hǎi zhōng huà dào shí jīng tǐ lán guāng shǎn shuò ， lǐ fán kāi shǐ sōu xún qǐ hòu lái de tā xìn xī 。
脑海中化道石晶体蓝光闪烁，李凡开始搜寻起后来的它信息。
According to Li Fan's subsequent memories, after the Spirit Fog Grass incident, with the continuous extraction and release of abundant by-products from the Five Elements Great Cavern, most spirit plants' prices had dropped significantly.
piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán lù chū yǒu diǎn gǎn xìng qù de shén sè 。
片刻之后，李凡露出有点感兴趣的神色。
However, True Virtue True Leaf Grass was an exception. Its price steadily increased over the next few decades.
gēn jù lǐ fán zhī hòu de jì yì ， líng wù cǎo fēng bō zhī hòu ， suí zhe wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān zhōng fēng ráo de fù chǎn pǐn bù duàn bèi kāi cǎi 、 tóu fàng dào shì chǎng zhōng ， jī běn suǒ yǒu de líng zhí cǎo yào dōu yǒu le dà fú dù de xià diē 。
根据李凡之后的记忆，灵雾草风波之后，随着五行大洞天中丰饶的副产品不断被开采、投放到市场中，基本所有的灵植草药都有了大幅度的下跌。
It was just too obscure for many cultivators to pay attention to. Therefore, Li Fan, who had made a fortune during the Spirit Fog Grass incident and then focused on building the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array, naturally ignored it.
rán ér ， pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo què yòu shì gè lì wài 。
然而，普贤真叶草却又是个例外。
Now that the Spirit Fog Grass incident seemed unlikely to happen again, Li Fan needed an alternative, which prompted him to notice the unusual nature of True Virtue True Leaf Grass.
wǎng hòu jǐ shí nián lǐ ， pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo de jià gé yì zhí wěn bù shàng zhǎng 。
往后几十年里，普贤真叶草的价格一直稳步上涨。
"Back in my previous life, I remember that after the widespread use of the True Virtue Identifying Talisman, its price remained high. This suggests it has other unknown uses."
zhǐ bù guò tā shí zài tài guò lěng mén ， méi yǒu tài duō xiū shì qù guān zhù 。
只不过它实在太过冷门，没有太多修士去关注。
"The various anomalies indicate someone must be manipulating the market."
suǒ yǐ zhī qián zài chǎo zuò líng wù cǎo shì jiàn zhōng zhuàn de pén mǎn bō mǎn 、 zhī hòu yòu jiāng jué dà duō shù jīng lì yòng zài jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn shàng de lǐ fán ， yě jiù zì rán jiāng tā hū lüè le 。
所以之前在炒作灵雾草事件中赚的盆满钵满、之后又将绝大多数精力用在建造天玄锁灵阵上的李凡，也就自然将它忽略了。
Li Fan carefully considered both methods: artificially inflating the price of Spirit Fog Grass and using True Virtue True Leaf Grass as a substitute.
rú jīn líng wù cǎo fēng bō yǎn kàn bú huì fā shēng ， lǐ fán xū yào xún zhǎo tì dài pǐn ， jiù míng xiǎn zhù yì dào le pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo de bù tóng xún cháng zhī chù 。
如今灵雾草风波眼看不会发生，李凡需要寻找替代品，就明显注意到了普贤真叶草的不同寻常之处。
"Regardless of which method is chosen, significant turmoil will ensue. The Celestial Oracle Hall will inevitably investigate."
“ qián shì ， wǒ jì de tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn pǔ jí zhī hòu ， xián míng biàn zhēn fú jiù zhú jiàn bèi qǔ xiāo le 。 rán ér tā de jià gé què shǐ zhōng jū gāo bù xià ， shuō míng tā yīng gāi yǒu qí tā bù wéi rén suǒ zhī de yòng tú 。”
“前世，我记得天玄锁灵阵普及之后，贤明辨真符就逐渐被取消了。然而它的价格却始终居高不下，说明它应该有其他不为人所知的用途。”
"Based on the final outcome from my previous life, manipulating the market through legal means—buy low, sell high—is acceptable within certain rules."
“ zhǒng zhǒng fǎn cháng de jì xiàng shuō míng ， zhè bèi hòu ， yīng dāng yǒu rén zài zuò zhuāng 。”
“种种反常的迹象说明，这背后，应当有人在做庄。”
"But if one intentionally disrupts the economy and causes instability, that could lead to severe consequences. One might even be accused of destabilizing the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
lǐ fán xì xì sī suǒ zhe zì jǐ xiǎng bàn fǎ qù xí jī líng wù dǎo 、 rén wéi zào chéng líng wù cǎo jià gé péng zhàng ， hé yòng pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo lái dàng zuò tì dài ， zhè liǎng zhǒng fāng fǎ de kě xíng xìng 。
李凡细细思索着自己想办法去袭击灵雾岛、人为造成灵雾草价格膨胀，和用普贤真叶草来当做替代，这两种方法的可行性。
"Even with my Secret Technique to Conceal My Hand, it may not withstand scrutiny."
“ wú lùn nǎ zhǒng fāng fǎ ， zuì zhōng de jié guǒ dìng rán shì huì yǐn qǐ bù xiǎo de dòng dàng 。 tiān jī táng shì bì huì xià chǎng diào chá 。”
“无论哪种方法，最终的结果定然是会引起不小的动荡。天机堂势必会下场调查。”
...
“ cóng shàng yī shì zuì zhōng de chǔ lǐ jié guǒ lái kàn ， tōng guò zì yóu shì chǎng cāo zuò 、 dī mǎi gāo mài ， zài yǔn xǔ de guī zé fàn wéi zhī nèi 。”
“从上一世最终的处理结果来看，通过自由市场操作、低买高卖，在允许的规则范围之内。”
After careful consideration, Li Fan had a vague idea.
“ ér ruò shì rén wéi è yì jiǎo luàn shì chǎng 、 rǎo luàn jīng jì ， jiù bù hǎo shuō le 。 shuō bù dìng pò huài wàn xiān méng wěn dìng de zuì míng jiù gěi nǐ guān shàng 。”
“而若是人为恶意搅乱市场、扰乱经济，就不好说了。说不定破坏万仙盟稳定的罪名就给你冠上。”
"But I still need to see if this True Virtue True Leaf Grass can work."
“ jí biàn wǒ yǒu zhǐ shǒu zhē tiān mì shù ， yě wèi bì jīn de qǐ chá 。”
“即便我有只手遮天秘术，也未必禁得起查。”
With that in mind, he acted immediately. He sold all his Spirit Fog Grass at a loss and began purchasing True Virtue True Leaf Grass instead.
“……”
“……”
In the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, the current price of True Virtue True Leaf Grass was roughly 280 contribution points per piece. Li Fan spent one million contribution points to buy as much as he could.
lǐ fán rèn zhēn sī liáng le yī fān ， yǐn yǐn yǒu le jué dìng 。
李凡认真思量了一番，隐隐有了决定。
Soon, the market's supply decreased visibly.
“ bù guò ， hái yào kàn kàn zhè pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo jiū jìng néng bù néng xíng 。”
“不过，还要看看这普贤真叶草究竟能不能行。”
At the same time, its price slowly began to rise.
shuō zuò jiù zuò 。
说做就做。
After recovering from the previous drop, it stabilized at around 300 contribution points.
lǐ fán jiāng zhī qián shōu gòu de líng wù cǎo bù jì chéng běn de jìn shù pāo chū ， zhuǎn ér shōu gòu qǐ pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo lái 。
李凡将之前收购的灵雾草不计成本的尽数抛出，转而收购起普贤真叶草来。
Li Fan continued his purchases without revealing his intentions. He spent another million contribution points.
zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng ， pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo rú jīn de jià gé jī běn wěn dìng zài 280 diǎn gòng xiàn dù yī méi 。
在天玄镜中，普贤真叶草如今的价格基本稳定在280点贡献度一枚。
The price climbed to 301 and then 302...
lǐ fán yī chū shǒu jiù shì bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù ， fēng kuáng sǎo huò 。
李凡一出手就是百万贡献度，疯狂扫货。
True Virtue True Leaf Grass's price was on the verge of breaking through 305 when its price suddenly plummeted visibly.
hěn kuài ， shì chǎng shàng de cún huó jiù yǐ ròu yǎn kě jiàn de sù dù zài xià jiàng 。
很快，市场上的存活就以肉眼可见的速度在下降。
In an instant, it dropped from over 300 back down to 292 contribution points.
tóng shí ， tā de jià gé yě màn màn kāi shǐ huí shēng 。
同时，它的价格也慢慢开始回升。
"This indicates someone has dumped a large quantity of True Virtue True Leaf Grass into the market."
mǒ qù le qián duàn rì zi de diē fú ， huí dào le zhèng cháng de jià gé shuǐ píng ，300 gòng xiàn dù zuǒ yòu 。
抹去了前段日子的跌幅，回到了正常的价格水平，300贡献度左右。
"The Heavenly Xuan Mirror judged that supply exceeded demand, leading to a sharp drop in prices."
lǐ fán bù dòng shēng sè ， jì xù jiā dà cǎi gòu lì dù 。
李凡不动声色，继续加大采购力度。
"Interesting."
yòu shì yì bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù zá xià qù 。
又是一百万贡献度砸下去。
A glint appeared in Li Fan's eyes as he paused and began carefully analyzing the situation.
301，302……
301，302……
"Holding such a large amount of True Virtue True Leaf Grass while actively lowering its price—why?"
pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo de jià gé yǎn kàn jiù yào tū pò 305。
普贤真叶草的价格眼看就要突破305。
"And during the Spirit Fog Grass incident, when most spirit plants' prices rose, they managed to control the price of True Virtue True Leaf Grass."
jiù zài zhè shí ， ròu yǎn kě jiàn de ， tā de jià gé tū rán kāi shǐ měng diē 。
就在这时，肉眼可见的，它的价格突然开始猛跌。
"Based on this, I can almost be certain that the other party has nearly formed a monopoly."
shùn jiān ， jiù cóng 300 duō ， diē huí le 292 diǎn gòng xiàn dù 。
瞬间，就从300多，跌回了292点贡献度。
"Is it all in hand...?"
“ chū xiàn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， shì shuō míng yǒu rén tóu fàng le dà liàng de pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo dào shì chǎng shàng 。”
“出现这种情况，是说明有人投放了大量的普贤真叶草到市场上。”
Recalling an operation from his previous life, Li Fan had a vague idea.
“ tiān xuán jìng pàn duàn gōng dà yú qiú ， suǒ yǐ jià gé cái huì zài duǎn shí jiān nèi bào diē 。”
“天玄镜判断供大于求，所以价格才会在短时间内暴跌。”
He stood up abruptly and left the Heavenly Xuan Mirror to head straight for the Thousand Mile Hall.
“ yǒu yì si 。”
“有意思。”
Outside, he heard Jiao Xiuyuan's complaints: "Didn't we agree on this flying star disk? I dug it out with difficulty; you can't just say no now!"
lǐ fán yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī dào jīng guāng ， zàn qiě shōu shǒu ， zǐ xì tuī qiāo qǐ lái 。
李凡眼中闪过一道精光，暂且收手，仔细推敲起来。
"Can people in business still be honest?"
“ shǒu shàng zhǎng wò zhe dà liàng de pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo ， què zài zhǔ dòng cāo zòng jià gé xià diē ？ zhè shì wèi hé ？”
“手上掌握着大量的普贤真叶草，却在主动操纵价格下跌？这是为何？”
Li Fan interrupted him with a smile. "No one wants it? I'll take it!"
“ ér qiě shàng yī shì zài líng wù cǎo fēng bō zhōng ， líng zhí cǎo yào pǔ zhǎng de qíng kuàng xià ， hái néng zuò dào pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo jià gé de gāo dù kòng pán 。”
“而且上一世在灵雾草风波中，灵植草药普涨的情况下，还能做到普贤真叶草价格的高度控盘。”
Jiao Xiuyuan, who had been speaking to someone else, was delighted.
“ jī běn néng kěn dìng ， duì fāng yǐ jīng jìn hū xíng chéng le mǒu zhǒng lǒng duàn 。”
“基本能肯定，对方已经近乎形成了某种垄断。”
He immediately said, "Deal! One thousand five hundred contribution points, final offer! No backing out!"
“ shèng quàn zài wò me ……”
“胜券在握么……”
He then handed over a rusted copper plate.
bù duō shí ， lián xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ qián shì mǒu gè cāo zuò ， lǐ fán yǐn yǐn xiǎng dào le mǒu zhǒng kě néng 。
不多时，联想起自己前世某个操作，李凡隐隐想到了某种可能。
Li Fan glanced at it but saw nothing unusual. Nevertheless, he paid for it and stored it in his storage ring as per his previous experience.
lǐ fán huò rán qǐ shēn ， chū le tiān xuán jìng ， zhí bēn qiān lǐ táng ér qù 。
李凡豁然起身，出了天玄镜，直奔千里堂而去。
"Friend Jiao, don't worry about these trivial matters. I'm here with a big business opportunity!"
zài wài miàn ， jiù tīng dào jiāo xiū yuǎn bù mǎn de bào yuàn shēng ：“ bú shì shuō hǎo yào zhè ge fēi xīng pán de ma ？ wǒ hǎo bù róng yì wā chū lái ， shuō bú yào jiù bú yào le ？”
在外面，就听到焦修远不满的抱怨声：“不是说好要这个飞星盘的嘛？我好不容易挖出来，说不要就不要了？”
Li Fan said seriously.
“ xiàn zài de rén ， zuò shēng yì hái néng bù néng jiǎng diǎn chéng xìn ？”
“现在的人，做生意还能不能讲点诚信？”
At this moment, Jiao Xiuyuan recognized Li Fan.
lǐ fán xiào zhe jiāng qí dǎ duàn ：“ méi rén yào ？ wǒ yào le ！”
李凡笑着将其打断：“没人要？我要了！”
Thinking he had come to inquire if the True Virtue Stone Eye was sold, Jiao Xiuyuan's face turned slightly embarrassed.
jiāo xiū yuǎn yuán běn bù zhī zài hé shuō huà ， cǐ shí wén yán ， dùn shí xǐ shàng méi shāo 。
焦修远原本不知在和说话，此时闻言，顿时喜上眉梢。
"Aha! It's you, Daoist Li Fan! I'm really sorry. That True Virtue Stone Eye... might have..."
lián máng chū shēng dào ：“ chéng jiāo ！ yī qiān wǔ bǎi diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， yī kǒu jià ！ bù xǔ fǎn huǐ ！”
连忙出声道：“成交！一千五百点贡献度，一口价！不许反悔！”
Li Fan waved him off and pulled him closer with a serious tone. "Forget that for now. Friend Jiao, what I said just now was serious."
shuō zhe zhí jiē bǎ yí gè xiù jì bān bān de tóng pán dì le guò lái 。
说着直接把一个锈迹斑斑的铜盘递了过来。
"If we miss this opportunity, your heart of dao will shatter, and most of the puppets will be damaged!"
lǐ fán sǎo shì yī yǎn ， méi kàn chū shén me xī qí de 。
李凡扫视一眼，没看出什么稀奇的。
Seeing Li Fan's dire warning, Jiao Xiuyuan changed his expression.
bù guò běn zhe qián shì jīng yàn ， fù le kuǎn hòu ， yī rán jiāng qí shōu jìn chǔ wù jiè zhōng ， hǎo shēng bǎo guǎn 。
不过本着前世经验，付了款后，依然将其收进储物戒中，好生保管。
He put on a solemn face as he scrutinized Li Fan. He then closed the Thousand Mile Hall entrance.
“ jiāo dào yǒu ， bié guǎn zhè xiē xiǎo dǎ xiǎo nào le ， wǒ zhè cì lái zhǎo nǐ ， kě shì yǒu dà shēng yì de ！”
“焦道友，别管这些小打小闹了，我这次来找你，可是有大生意的！”
"Daoist Li Fan, how do you mean?" he asked.
lǐ fán rèn zhēn de shuō dào 。
李凡认真的说道。
"Do you know about True Virtue True Leaf Grass? Its price has been acting strangely recently. You can see for yourself," Li Fan replied.
ér zhè shí ， jiāo xiū yuǎn yě rèn chū le lǐ fán 。
而这时，焦修远也认出了李凡。
Jiao Xiuyuan closed his eyes and thought for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly.
hái yǐ wéi tā shì lái xún wèn 【 pò wàng shí yǎn 】 yǒu méi yǒu mài chū qù de ， jiāo xiū yuǎn yǒu hēi de liǎn shàng fú xiàn yī sī jiǒng pò 。
还以为他是来询问【破妄石眼】有没有卖出去的，焦修远黝黑的脸上浮现一丝窘迫。
Then, Li Fan told Jiao Xiuyuan about the probing actions he had just taken.
“ a ！ yuán lái shì lǐ fán dào yǒu ！ shí zài bù hǎo yì sī ， nà ge pò wàng shí yǎn ， kě néng ……”
“啊！原来是李凡道友！实在不好意思，那个破妄石眼，可能……”
"How do you think this is?" Li Fan asked with an air of consideration in his voice.
lǐ fán bǎi bǎi shǒu jiāng qí dǎ duàn ， yī bǎ jiāng jiāo xiū yuǎn lā jìn ， chén shēng dào ：“ xiān bié guǎn zhè ge le 。 jiāo dào yǒu ， wǒ gāng gāng shuō de huà ， kě shì rèn zhēn de 。”
李凡摆摆手将其打断，一把将焦修远拉近，沉声道：“先别管这个了。焦道友，我刚刚说的话，可是认真的。”
After pondering for a while, Jiao Xiuyuan said, "If my guess is correct, they must have borrowed a certain amount of True Virtue True Leaf Grass from somewhere."
“ ruò shì cuò shī liáng jī ， kǒng pà nǐ yào dào xīn pò suì 、 kuǐ lěi sǔn huài dà bàn ！”
“若是错失良机，恐怕你要道心破碎、傀儡损坏大半！”
"He might also be holding some excess inventory himself."
jiàn lǐ fán rú cǐ wēi yán sǒng tīng ， jiāo xiū yuǎn shùn jiān biàn le liǎn sè 。
见李凡如此危言耸听，焦修远瞬间变了脸色。
"Thus, he wants to artificially lower the market price by flooding it with large quantities of True Virtue True Leaf Grass temporarily and reduce his repayment accordingly, thereby making a profit," Jiao Xiuyuan concluded.
shōu qǐ liǎn shàng xī xiào de biǎo qíng ， miàn sè yán sù dǎ liàng le fān lǐ fán ， jiāo xiū yuǎn jiāng qiān lǐ táng dà mén guān bì 。
收起脸上嬉笑的表情，面色严肃打量了番李凡，焦修远将千里堂大门关闭。
Li Fan clapped his hands. "We see eye-to-eye. That's exactly what I thought."
“ lǐ fán dào yǒu cǐ yán ， cóng hé shuō qǐ a ？” tā wèn dào 。
“李凡道友此言，从何说起啊？”他问道。
Jiao Xiuyuan frowned, slightly dissatisfied. "This is the big business you're talking about? I don't see it."
“ pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo ， cǐ wù jiāo dào yǒu zhī fǒu ？ zuì jìn tā de jià gé ， yǒu xiē yì cháng 。 dào yǒu yī kàn biàn zhī 。” lǐ fán huí dá dào 。
“普贤真叶草，此物焦道友知否？最近它的价格，有些异常。道友一看便知。”李凡回答道。
Li Fan smiled mysteriously.
jiāo xiū yuǎn wén yán ， bì mù sī suǒ qǐ lái 。
焦修远闻言，闭目思索起来。
"Suppose," he said, "if they must return True Virtue True Leaf Grass, but the market supply isn't enough to cover their needs—what will happen then?"
piàn kè zhī hòu ， tā de méi tóu wēi wēi zhòu qǐ 。
片刻之后，他的眉头微微皱起。
Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly didn't understand Li Fan's meaning and was momentarily stunned. After a moment, his eyes lit up with understanding.
True Virtue True Leaf Grass's price had always been stable.
Even a reverse decline in the market was once observed.
Moreover, after the incident with Spirit Fog Grass caused most medicinal herbs' prices to collapse, its own price remained firm and showed no significant fluctuation.
"True Virtue True Leaf Grass..."
The blue light of the Daoist Stone crystal flickered in Li Fan's mind as he began searching for information about it. After a moment, his expression turned slightly interested.
According to Li Fan's subsequent memories, after the Spirit Fog Grass incident, with the continuous extraction and release of abundant by-products from the Five Elements Great Cavern, most spirit plants' prices had dropped significantly.
However, True Virtue True Leaf Grass was an exception. Its price steadily increased over the next few decades.
It was just too obscure for many cultivators to pay attention to. Therefore, Li Fan, who had made a fortune during the Spirit Fog Grass incident and then focused on building the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array, naturally ignored it.
Now that the Spirit Fog Grass incident seemed unlikely to happen again, Li Fan needed an alternative, which prompted him to notice the unusual nature of True Virtue True Leaf Grass.
"Back in my previous life, I remember that after the widespread use of the True Virtue Identifying Talisman, its price remained high. This suggests it has other unknown uses."
"The various anomalies indicate someone must be manipulating the market."
Li Fan carefully considered both methods: artificially inflating the price of Spirit Fog Grass and using True Virtue True Leaf Grass as a substitute.
"Regardless of which method is chosen, significant turmoil will ensue. The Celestial Oracle Hall will inevitably investigate."
"Based on the final outcome from my previous life, manipulating the market through legal means—buy low, sell high—is acceptable within certain rules."
"But if one intentionally disrupts the economy and causes instability, that could lead to severe consequences. One might even be accused of destabilizing the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
"Even with my Secret Technique to Conceal My Hand, it may not withstand scrutiny."
...
After careful consideration, Li Fan had a vague idea.
"But I still need to see if this True Virtue True Leaf Grass can work."
With that in mind, he acted immediately. He sold all his Spirit Fog Grass at a loss and began purchasing True Virtue True Leaf Grass instead.
In the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, the current price of True Virtue True Leaf Grass was roughly 280 contribution points per piece. Li Fan spent one million contribution points to buy as much as he could.
Soon, the market's supply decreased visibly.
At the same time, its price slowly began to rise.
After recovering from the previous drop, it stabilized at around 300 contribution points.
Li Fan continued his purchases without revealing his intentions. He spent another million contribution points.
The price climbed to 301 and then 302...
True Virtue True Leaf Grass's price was on the verge of breaking through 305 when its price suddenly plummeted visibly.
In an instant, it dropped from over 300 back down to 292 contribution points.
"This indicates someone has dumped a large quantity of True Virtue True Leaf Grass into the market."
"The Heavenly Xuan Mirror judged that supply exceeded demand, leading to a sharp drop in prices."
"Interesting."
A glint appeared in Li Fan's eyes as he paused and began carefully analyzing the situation.
"Holding such a large amount of True Virtue True Leaf Grass while actively lowering its price—why?"
"And during the Spirit Fog Grass incident, when most spirit plants' prices rose, they managed to control the price of True Virtue True Leaf Grass."
"Based on this, I can almost be certain that the other party has nearly formed a monopoly."
"Is it all in hand...?"
Recalling an operation from his previous life, Li Fan had a vague idea.
He stood up abruptly and left the Heavenly Xuan Mirror to head straight for the Thousand Mile Hall.
Outside, he heard Jiao Xiuyuan's complaints: "Didn't we agree on this flying star disk? I dug it out with difficulty; you can't just say no now!"
"Can people in business still be honest?"
Li Fan interrupted him with a smile. "No one wants it? I'll take it!"
Jiao Xiuyuan, who had been speaking to someone else, was delighted.
He immediately said, "Deal! One thousand five hundred contribution points, final offer! No backing out!"
He then handed over a rusted copper plate.
Li Fan glanced at it but saw nothing unusual. Nevertheless, he paid for it and stored it in his storage ring as per his previous experience.
"Friend Jiao, don't worry about these trivial matters. I'm here with a big business opportunity!"
Li Fan said seriously.
At this moment, Jiao Xiuyuan recognized Li Fan.
Thinking he had come to inquire if the True Virtue Stone Eye was sold, Jiao Xiuyuan's face turned slightly embarrassed.
"Aha! It's you, Daoist Li Fan! I'm really sorry. That True Virtue Stone Eye... might have..."
Li Fan waved him off and pulled him closer with a serious tone. "Forget that for now. Friend Jiao, what I said just now was serious."
"If we miss this opportunity, your heart of dao will shatter, and most of the puppets will be damaged!"
Seeing Li Fan's dire warning, Jiao Xiuyuan changed his expression.
He put on a solemn face as he scrutinized Li Fan. He then closed the Thousand Mile Hall entrance.
"Daoist Li Fan, how do you mean?" he asked.
"Do you know about True Virtue True Leaf Grass? Its price has been acting strangely recently. You can see for yourself," Li Fan replied.
Jiao Xiuyuan closed his eyes and thought for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly.
Then, Li Fan told Jiao Xiuyuan about the probing actions he had just taken.
"How do you think this is?" Li Fan asked with an air of consideration in his voice.
After pondering for a while, Jiao Xiuyuan said, "If my guess is correct, they must have borrowed a certain amount of True Virtue True Leaf Grass from somewhere."
"He might also be holding some excess inventory himself."
"Thus, he wants to artificially lower the market price by flooding it with large quantities of True Virtue True Leaf Grass temporarily and reduce his repayment accordingly, thereby making a profit," Jiao Xiuyuan concluded.
Li Fan clapped his hands. "We see eye-to-eye. That's exactly what I thought."
Jiao Xiuyuan frowned, slightly dissatisfied. "This is the big business you're talking about? I don't see it."
Li Fan smiled mysteriously.
"Suppose," he said, "if they must return True Virtue True Leaf Grass, but the market supply isn't enough to cover their needs—what will happen then?"
Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly didn't understand Li Fan's meaning and was momentarily stunned. After a moment, his eyes lit up with understanding.