mǒu chù wèi zhī kōng jiān 。
某处未知空间。
In an unknown space.
yǐ lóng yuè yóu wéi shǒu de yī zhòng xiū shì ， bāo kuò zhōu kè bǎo ， qí jù yī táng 。
以龙跃游为首的一众修士，包括周克宝，齐聚一堂。
Leading the group of cultivators, including Zhou Kebao, gathered together to discuss Li Fan's recent actions.
shāng yì zhe lǐ fán zuì jìn de jǔ dòng 。
商议着李凡最近的举动。
Since they had suffered a hidden loss from Li Fan and were forced into cooperation afterward, although they didn't mention it openly, there was still a knot in their hearts. After all, they were figures who dominated their regions. Being outsmarted by Li Fan instead of the other way around was not just a financial loss but also a blow to their prestige!
zì cóng shàng cì zài lǐ fán shǒu shàng chī le àn kuī 、 zhuǎn ér bèi pò gēn tā hé zuò zhī hòu ， suī rán biǎo miàn shàng bù tí ， dàn qí shí zhòng rén xīn zhōng dōu yǒu xiē gē da 。
自从上次在李凡手上吃了暗亏、转而被迫跟他合作之后，虽然表面上不提，但其实众人心中都有些疙瘩。
Even though both parties had established a "friendly cooperation" relationship on the surface, this did not prevent them from secretly setting obstacles for Li Fan, hoping to vent their frustration.
zài zěn me shuō ， tā men yě dōu shì chì zhà yī fāng de rén wù 。
再怎么说，他们也都是叱咤一方的人物。
Thus, they paid close attention to every move Li Fan made. The fact that he was raising huge contributions and purchasing large quantities of supplies naturally couldn't escape their notice.
suàn jì lǐ fán bù chéng ， fǎn bèi duì fāng jiāng kě yī jūn 。 kuī le qián cái shì xiǎo ， là le miàn zi shì dà ！
算计李凡不成，反被对方将可一军。亏了钱财事小，落了面子事大！
"Around everyone, what do you think? Should we follow Li Fan's lead and purchase the same items, or..."
jí biàn shuāng fāng míng miàn shàng yǐ jīng dá chéng le “ yǒu hǎo de hé zuò ” guān xì ， dàn zhè bìng bù fáng ài tā men ， zài guān jiàn shí hòu ， gěi lǐ fán “ zhè zhǐ féi yáng ” àn zhōng shǐ shǐ bàn zi 。
即便双方明面上已经达成了“友好的合作”关系，但这并不妨碍他们，在关键时候，给李凡“这只肥羊”暗中使使绊子。
"Haha, do you really want to follow him for profit?" One person in the crowd let out a disdainful laugh. "Everyone knows this man is extremely cunning. Looking back at his past actions, every grand move was always with ulterior motives, wanting to deceive others."
hǎo hěn hěn chū yī kǒu xiōng zhōng è qì 。
好狠狠出一口胸中恶气。
"Didn't Pu Xian's True Leaf suffer heavy losses not long ago? Could they have already forgotten?"
suǒ yǐ tā men duì lǐ fán de yī jǔ yī dòng dōu shí fēn guān xīn ， wěi tuō hé zhèng hào mù jí jù é gòng xiàn dù 、 suí hòu dà sì cǎi gòu wù zī zhè zhǒng shì ， zì rán yě mán bù liǎo tā men de yǎn jīng 。
所以他们对李凡的一举一动都十分关心，委托何正浩募集巨额贡献度、随后大肆采购物资这种事，自然也瞒不了他们的眼睛。
"Oh, Daoist Zhu, that can't be said like that. Times have changed. Now that Li Fan is the Secret Messenger of Congyun City and holds an official position, how could he act recklessly as before? If he maliciously disrupts the market and destabilizes the Immortal Alliance again, wouldn't headquarters punish him?" Another person took a counter-argument.
“ zhū wèi ， zěn me kàn ？ shì gēn zài lǐ fán hòu miàn ， yì qǐ cǎi gòu 。 hái shì ……”
“诸位，怎么看？是跟在李凡后面，一起采购。还是……”
Upon hearing this, most cultivators nodded in agreement. "Exactly! In my view, he must have foreseen something significant to make such a move. Remember, the fundraising plan overseen by He Zhenghao has been in place since Li Fan appeared. At the beginning, his good reputation was closely tied to that fundraising plan. It can be said to be his calling card too! I don't believe he would do anything that would damage his own prestige!"
“ hē hē ， xiǎng gēn zài tā pì gǔ hòu miàn fā cái ？” chǎng zhōng yī rén fā chū bù xiè de chī xiào shēng ，“ zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， cǐ rén yīn xiǎn jiǎo zhà zhì jí 。 huí xiǎng tā guò wǎng jǔ dòng ， nǎ yī cì de dà zhāng qí gǔ ， bù dōu shì yǒu suǒ yù móu 、 xiǎng yào kēng bié rén yī bǎ ？”
“呵呵，想跟在他屁股后面发财？”场中一人发出不屑的嗤笑声，“众所周知，此人阴险狡诈至极。回想他过往举动，哪一次的大张旗鼓，不都是有所预谋、想要坑别人一把？”
"Let's follow him! If we consider financial strength, could those mere crowds match us?"
“ pǔ xián zhēn yè dà jiā sǔn shī cǎn zhòng ， hái mò guò qù duō jiǔ ne 。 bú huì dōu wàng le ba ？”
“普贤真叶大家损失惨重，还没过去多久呢。不会都忘了吧？”
...
“ āi ， zhū dào yǒu ， huà bù néng zhè me shuō 。 jīn shí bù tóng wǎng rì ， rú jīn tā lǐ fán shēn wèi cóng yún chéng mì zì shǐ ， yǒu zhèng shì guān zhí zài shēn 。 qǐ néng zài xiàng guò qù nà bān hú zuò fēi wéi ？ ruò shì zài cì è yì rǎo luàn shì chǎng 、 pò huài xiān méng wěn dìng ， zǒng bù nà biān néng ráo dé le tā ？” lìng wài yī rén ， chàng qǐ le fǎn diào 。
“哎，朱道友，话不能这么说。今时不同往日，如今他李凡身为丛云城秘字使，有正式官职在身。岂能再向过去那般胡作非为？若是再次恶意扰乱市场、破坏仙盟稳定，总部那边能饶得了他？”另外一人，唱起了反调。
The cultivators argued heatedly, with more agreeing to follow Li Fan and synchronize their operations.
ér cǐ yán yī chū ， zài chǎng xiū shì duō shì àn àn diǎn tóu ， chí zàn tóng yì jiàn 。
而此言一出，在场修士多是暗暗点头，持赞同意见。
This showed that although they didn't deal harshly with Li Fan, they still trusted in his abilities.
“ bù cuò ！ yī wǒ kàn ， tā dìng rán shì yù yán dào le shén me ， zhè cái yǒu zhè me dà de dòng zuò 。 yào zhī dào ， nà hé zhèng hào fù zé zhǔ chí de mù zī jì huà ， kě shì zì cóng tā lǐ fán xiàn shì yǐ lái jiù chéng lì de 。 chū qī lǐ fán néng zǎn xià hǎo dà de míng shēng ， gēn zhè mù zī jì huà yě tuō bù liǎo gān xì 。 kě yǐ shuō shì tā de zhāo pái yě bù wèi guò le ！ wǒ bù xìn tā huì zuò chū zì sǔn yán miàn de shì qíng ！”
“不错！依我看，他定然是预言到了什么，这才有这么大的动作。要知道，那何正浩负责主持的募资计划，可是自从他李凡现世以来就成立的。初期李凡能攒下好大的名声，跟这募资计划也脱不了干系。可以说是他的招牌也不为过了！我不信他会做出自损颜面的事情！”
While the others were discussing enthusiastically, Zhou Kebao remained silent, frowning deeply.
“ zán men gēn le ！ ruò lùn cái lì xióng hòu ， nán bù chéng nà xiē wū hé zhī zhòng ， hái néng gēn zán men jiā qǐ lái bǐ ma ？”
“咱们跟了！若论财力雄厚，难不成那些乌合之众，还能跟咱们加起来比吗？”
Dragon Leiyou, sitting upright with a faint smile on his face but maintaining an imposing demeanor, noticed Zhou Kebao's behavior and asked, "What does Daoist Zhou think of this matter?"
……
……
Zhou Kebao responded without hesitation: "Of course, we can refer to Li Fan's purchase list and buy the same items."
zhòng rén chǎo chǎo rāng rang ， yī shí jiān ， jìng shì yuàn yì gēn zài lǐ fán hòu miàn 、 tóng bù tā cāo zuò de xiū shì jū duō 。
众人吵吵嚷嚷，一时间，竟是愿意跟在李凡后面、同步他操作的修士居多。
Dragon Leiyou was slightly surprised by Zhou Kebao's decisiveness but did not interrupt him as he continued listening.
kě jiàn suī rán tā men bù zěn me duì fù lǐ fán ， dàn shì duì tā de néng lì ， hái shì hěn xìn fú de 。
可见虽然他们不怎么对付李凡，但是对他的能力，还是很信服的。
"Based on these items' prices, there should be a significant increase in the near future."
zhòng rén tǎo lùn rè liè de shí hòu ， zhōu kè bǎo què shì shǐ zhōng yī yán bù fā 、 méi tóu jǐn suǒ 。
众人讨论热烈的时候，周克宝却是始终一言不发、眉头紧锁。
Zhou Kebao's expression grew more puzzled: "But what confounds me is that if all these items listed are to rise in price..."
ér duān zuò zhèng zhōng ， zuǐ jiǎo suī rán guà zhe dàn dàn wēi xiào 、 dàn liǎn shàng wēi yán bù jiǎn de lóng yuè yóu ， kàn dào le zhōu kè bǎo de biǎo xiàn zhī hòu ， chū shēng wèn dào ：“ zhōu dào yǒu zěn me kàn dài cǐ shì ？”
而端坐正中，嘴角虽然挂着淡淡微笑、但脸上威严不减的龙跃游，看到了周克宝的表现之后，出声问道：“周道友怎么看待此事？”
"...then only one possibility exists. A massive battlefield is about to erupt."
shuí zhī zhōu kè bǎo méi yǒu bàn fēn yóu yù ， zhí jiē huí dá dào ：“ háo wú yí wèn ， wǒ men kě yǐ cān zhào lǐ fán cǎi gòu de qīng dān ， mǎi rù xiāng tóng de wù zī 。”
谁知周克宝没有半分犹豫，直接回答道：“毫无疑问，我们可以参照李凡采购的清单，买入相同的物资。”
Zhou Kebao lightly tapped his fingers, creating an illuminated screen in mid-air.
lóng yuè yóu jiàn zhōu kè bǎo rú cǐ guǒ jué ， liǎn shàng bù jīn shǎn guò yī sī yà yì 。 bù guò tā méi yǒu dǎ duàn duì fāng de huà ， ér shì jì xù nài xīn tīng le xià qù 。
龙跃游见周克宝如此果决，脸上不禁闪过一丝讶异。不过他没有打断对方的话，而是继续耐心听了下去。
The characters on the screen matched exactly with the list Li Fan had given He Zhenghao.
“ zhè xiē dōng xī de jià gé ， zài bù jiǔ hòu ， yīng gāi huì yǒu bù xiǎo de zhǎng fú 。”
“这些东西的价格，在不久后，应该会有不小的涨幅。”
As Zhou Kebao spoke, everyone fell silent, staring at the flickering characters, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
zhōu kè bǎo yí huò zhī sè yù nóng ：“ dàn ràng wǒ bù jiě de dì fāng jiù zài zhè lǐ 。 rú guǒ qīng dān shàng de zhè xiē wù zī ， qí qí zhǎng jià 。”
周克宝疑惑之色愈浓：“但让我不解的地方就在这里。如果清单上的这些物资，齐齐涨价。”
"War? With the Five Elders Association? It can't be. We haven't truly fought for years. Although the border tensions have been high lately, it's too much to believe that a war will break out."
“ zhēn de fā shēng le zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， nà me jiù zhǐ yǒu yī zhǒng kě néng 。”
“真的发生了这种事情，那么就只有一种可能。”
"Exactly! Just recently, the Five Elders Association rode in and took over Ten Thousand Immortals Island. Didn't we endure it as well? If there is really going to be a war, wouldn't it take something extraordinary?" Most of the cultivators' first reaction was disbelief.
“ nà jiù shì yī cháng guī mó jù dà de zhàn chǎng ， yào bào fā le 。”
“那就是一场规模巨大的战场，要爆发了。”
"There have been rumors lately about something amiss. If they are indeed planning a war, shouldn't everyone be making preparations?" Dragon Leiyou was also extremely serious and asked.
zhōu kè bǎo qū zhǐ qīng dàn ， zài chǎng zhōng líng kōng biàn huà chū yī dào guāng mù 。
周克宝屈指轻弹，在场中凌空变化出一道光幕。
There was a moment of silence.
guāng mù shàng zhū duō zì fú yǒng xiàn ， shàng miàn de qīng dān ， hé lǐ fán jiāo dài gěi hé zhèng hào de ， jìng rán fēn háo bù chā 。
光幕上诸多字符涌现，上面的清单，和李凡交代给何正浩的，竟然分毫不差。
Then each cultivator took out communication spirit tokens to gather information through their channels.
suí zhe zhōu kè bǎo de yī fān huà ， zhòng rén fēn fēn ān jìng xià lái 。 tā men dīng zhe guāng mù shàng de yuè dòng de zì fú ， yī shí jiān yě shì jīng yí bù yǐ 。
随着周克宝的一番话，众人纷纷安静下来。他们盯着光幕上的跃动的字符，一时间也是惊疑不已。
But in the end, none of them shook their heads without results.
“ zhàn zhēng ？ gēn wǔ lǎo huì ？ bù zhì yú ba ， duō shǎo nián méi yǒu zhēn dāo zhēn qiāng de gàn guò le 。 suī rán zuì jìn biān jìng dí què jú shì jǐn zhāng ， dàn zài zěn me jiǎng ， yě bù zhì yú è huà dào zhēn de kāi zhàn ba ？”
“战争？跟五老会？不至于吧，多少年没有真刀真枪的干过了。虽然最近边境的确局势紧张，但再怎么讲，也不至于恶化到真的开战吧？”
"Strange... " Zhou Kebao was even more puzzled.
“ jiù shì shuō ！ bù jiǔ qián wǔ lǎo huì qí liǎn ， dōu bǎ wàn xiān dǎo zhěng gè lüè zǒu le 。 zán men bù yě zhào yàng rěn le xià lái le ma ？ rú guǒ zhēn de bào fā zhàn zhēng ， nà dé shì tǒng pò le tiān cái xíng ba ？” zài chǎng jué dà duō shù xiū shì de dì yī fǎn yìng ， jiù shì bù xìn 。
“就是说！不久前五老会骑脸，都把万仙岛整个掠走了。咱们不也照样忍了下来了嘛？如果真的爆发战争，那得是捅破了天才行吧？”在场绝大多数修士的第一反应，就是不信。
The other cultivators looked at Dragon Leiyou, waiting for his final decision.
“ zuì jìn yǒu shōu dào fēng shēng ， nǎ lǐ bú duì jìn ma ？ rú guǒ zhēn de yào dǎ ， bù zhì yú xià miàn gè fāng yì diǎn zhǔn bèi dōu méi yǒu 。” lóng yuè yóu cǐ kè yě shì yán sù zhì jí ， xún wèn dào 。
“最近有收到风声，哪里不对劲吗？如果真的要打，不至于下面各方一点准备都没有。”龙跃游此刻也是严肃至极，询问道。
Dragon Leiyou narrowed his eyes and pondered before recalling scenes from his interactions with Li Fan. He felt there was something he couldn't fully understand about this person.
xiān shì ān jìng le piàn kè 。
先是安静了片刻。
Thus, he made up his mind: "Better to assume the worst than the best. Li Fan does have some real abilities."
suí hòu gè xiū shì fēn fēn qǔ chū tōng xùn líng fú ， fā dòng zì shēn qú dào ， dǎ tàn xiāo xī 。
随后各修士纷纷取出通讯灵符，发动自身渠道，打探消息。
"He must have foreseen certain future events. We can follow him for now!"
dàn wú yī lì wài ， tā men zuì hòu dōu shì yáo yáo tóu ， méi yǒu shōu huò 。
但无一例外，他们最后都是摇摇头，没有收获。
Seeing that many still looked reluctant, Dragon Leiyou smiled sarcastically: "Rest assured and go purchase."
“ guài shì ……” zhōu kè bǎo gèng jiā yí huò bù jiě 。
“怪事……”周克宝更加疑惑不解。
"I've checked this list of items. Although we don't use them much, their prices are stable and they can be stored long-term."
ér yī zhòng xiū shì ， fēn fēn dǎ liàng zhe lóng yuè yóu ， děng zhe tā zuò zuì hòu de jué dìng 。
而一众修士，纷纷打量着龙跃游，等着他做最后的决定。
"Even if it turns out to be a trap set by Li Fan again, we won't lose much."
lóng yuè yóu yǎn jīng wēi mī ， chén yín piàn kè ， huí xiǎng qǐ zhī qián gēn lǐ fán dǎ jiāo dào shí de chǎng jǐng ， zǒng jué de yǒu xiē kàn bù tòu cǐ rén 。
龙跃游眼睛微眯，沉吟片刻，回想起之前跟李凡打交道时的场景，总觉得有些看不透此人。
"Of course, if you're still not convinced..."
yú shì xīn zhōng yǒu le zhǔ yì 。
于是心中有了主意。
"If there is any unexpected incident, our Dragon family will buy back all the items at your purchase price."
“ nìng kě xìn qí yǒu ， bù kě xìn qí wú 。 lǐ fán cǐ rén ， shì zhēn yǒu diǎn běn shì de 。”
“宁可信其有，不可信其无。李凡此人，是真有点本事的。”
"I guarantee that no one here will suffer anymore!" Dragon Leiyou said solemnly.
“ tā yí dìng shì yù jiàn le wèi lái mǒu xiē shì ， zhè cì wǒ men zhào gēn jí kě ！”
“他一定是预见了未来某些事，这次我们照跟即可！”
Hearing this, everyone was startled. Because what Dragon Leiyou just said wasn't about himself but his family.
jiàn rén qún rén hái yǒu xiē shén qíng bù yuàn de ， lóng yuè yóu shěn rán yī xiào ：“ zhū wèi fàng xīn qù cǎi gòu 。”
见人群人还有些神情不愿的，龙跃游哂然一笑：“诸位放心去采购。”
This meant...
“ zhè qīng dān shàng de wù zī ， wǒ kàn guò le 。 suī rán píng shí bù zěn me huì yòng dào ， dàn hǎo zài jià gé wěn dìng 、 yě néng zhǎng shí jiān zhù cún 。”
“这清单上的物资，我看过了。虽然平时不怎么会用到，但好在价格稳定、也能长时间贮存。”
Seeing the cultivators' dawning realization and their excited looks, Dragon Leiyou proudly said: "Indeed, my elder brother recently broke through to the Dao Integration realm."
“ jiù suàn zhè cì yòu shì tā lǐ fán xià de tào ， wǒ men yě kuī bù liǎo duō shǎo 。”
“就算这次又是他李凡下的套，我们也亏不了多少。”
"Through some maneuvering, he is soon to be transferred to headquarters of the Public Administration Hall."
“ dāng rán ， rú guǒ nǐ men hái bù fàng xīn ……”
“当然，如果你们还不放心……”
"The relevant orders will be issued shortly. Even if I don't mention it, you should all know about it soon."
“ rú guǒ zhēn yǒu yì wài fā shēng ， dào shí hòu ， wǒ men lóng jiā kě yǐ àn zhào nǐ men de cǎi gòu jià ， bǎ nǐ men shǒu shàng de wù zī quán dōu mǎi xià lái 。”
“如果真有意外发生，到时候，我们龙家可以按照你们的采购价，把你们手上的物资全都买下来。”
With Dragon Leiyou's verbal confirmation, the cultivators were overjoyed.
“ bǎo guǎn bú huì zài ràng zhū wèi shòu sǔn le ！” lóng yuè yóu chén shēng dào 。
“保管不会再让诸位受损了！”龙跃游沉声道。
After all, their small group had been intertwined for years, essentially forming a single entity.
zhòng rén wén yán ， fēn fēn yī jīng 。
众人闻言，纷纷一惊。
One's success or failure affected everyone. Dragon Leiyou held the most dominant position among them.
yīn wèi lóng yuè yóu gāng gāng shuō de ， bú shì tā zì jǐ ， ér shì lóng jiā 。
因为龙跃游刚刚说的，不是他自己，而是龙家。
The Dragon family was powerful with relations spread across various states of the Immortal Alliance.
zhè shuō míng ……
这说明……
The only regret was that there wasn't someone who could serve as a pillar.
kàn zhe zhòng xiū shì huí guò shén lái ， yǒu xiē jīng xǐ de yǎn shén 。 lóng yuè yóu mǎn liǎn ào rán ， shuō dào ：“ bù cuò ， jiā xiōng zuì jìn yǒu xìng tū pò dào le hé dào jìng jiè 。”
看着众修士回过神来，有些惊喜的眼神。龙跃游满脸傲然，说道：“不错，家兄最近有幸突破到了合道境界。”
But now, with his elder brother advancing to Dao Integration and being transferred to headquarters, this final shortcoming would be filled.
“ jīng guò yī fān yùn zuò ， tā jí jiāng diào rèn bù zhèng táng zǒng bù 。”
“经过一番运作，他即将调任布政堂总部。”
Dao Integration cultivators at the Public Administration Hall headquarters were undoubtedly the pinnacle of power in the Immortal Alliance.
“ xiāng guān mìng lìng mǎ shàng jiù yào xià fā ， jiù suàn wǒ bù shuō ， zhū wèi dào yǒu yě yīng gāi néng hěn kuài zhī xiǎo le 。”
“相关命令马上就要下发，就算我不说，诸位道友也应该能很快知晓了。”
Thus, they sincerely congratulated Dragon Leiyou: "The cold region of Heavenly Virtue Province, Brother Jiu Yuan has been dormant for a long time and is finally about to soar. Congratulations!"
dé dào le lóng yuè yóu qīn kǒu chéng rèn ， zài chǎng xiū shì fēn fēn kuáng xǐ 。
得到了龙跃游亲口承认，在场修士纷纷狂喜。
(End of Chapter)
In an unknown space.
Leading the group of cultivators, including Zhou Kebao, gathered together to discuss Li Fan's recent actions.
Since they had suffered a hidden loss from Li Fan and were forced into cooperation afterward, although they didn't mention it openly, there was still a knot in their hearts. After all, they were figures who dominated their regions. Being outsmarted by Li Fan instead of the other way around was not just a financial loss but also a blow to their prestige!
Even though both parties had established a "friendly cooperation" relationship on the surface, this did not prevent them from secretly setting obstacles for Li Fan, hoping to vent their frustration.
Thus, they paid close attention to every move Li Fan made. The fact that he was raising huge contributions and purchasing large quantities of supplies naturally couldn't escape their notice.
"Around everyone, what do you think? Should we follow Li Fan's lead and purchase the same items, or..."
"Haha, do you really want to follow him for profit?" One person in the crowd let out a disdainful laugh. "Everyone knows this man is extremely cunning. Looking back at his past actions, every grand move was always with ulterior motives, wanting to deceive others."
"Didn't Pu Xian's True Leaf suffer heavy losses not long ago? Could they have already forgotten?"
"Oh, Daoist Zhu, that can't be said like that. Times have changed. Now that Li Fan is the Secret Messenger of Congyun City and holds an official position, how could he act recklessly as before? If he maliciously disrupts the market and destabilizes the Immortal Alliance again, wouldn't headquarters punish him?" Another person took a counter-argument.
Upon hearing this, most cultivators nodded in agreement. "Exactly! In my view, he must have foreseen something significant to make such a move. Remember, the fundraising plan overseen by He Zhenghao has been in place since Li Fan appeared. At the beginning, his good reputation was closely tied to that fundraising plan. It can be said to be his calling card too! I don't believe he would do anything that would damage his own prestige!"
"Let's follow him! If we consider financial strength, could those mere crowds match us?"
...
The cultivators argued heatedly, with more agreeing to follow Li Fan and synchronize their operations.
This showed that although they didn't deal harshly with Li Fan, they still trusted in his abilities.
While the others were discussing enthusiastically, Zhou Kebao remained silent, frowning deeply.
Dragon Leiyou, sitting upright with a faint smile on his face but maintaining an imposing demeanor, noticed Zhou Kebao's behavior and asked, "What does Daoist Zhou think of this matter?"
Zhou Kebao responded without hesitation: "Of course, we can refer to Li Fan's purchase list and buy the same items."
Dragon Leiyou was slightly surprised by Zhou Kebao's decisiveness but did not interrupt him as he continued listening.
"Based on these items' prices, there should be a significant increase in the near future."
Zhou Kebao's expression grew more puzzled: "But what confounds me is that if all these items listed are to rise in price..."
"...then only one possibility exists. A massive battlefield is about to erupt."
Zhou Kebao lightly tapped his fingers, creating an illuminated screen in mid-air.
The characters on the screen matched exactly with the list Li Fan had given He Zhenghao.
As Zhou Kebao spoke, everyone fell silent, staring at the flickering characters, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
"War? With the Five Elders Association? It can't be. We haven't truly fought for years. Although the border tensions have been high lately, it's too much to believe that a war will break out."
"Exactly! Just recently, the Five Elders Association rode in and took over Ten Thousand Immortals Island. Didn't we endure it as well? If there is really going to be a war, wouldn't it take something extraordinary?" Most of the cultivators' first reaction was disbelief.
"There have been rumors lately about something amiss. If they are indeed planning a war, shouldn't everyone be making preparations?" Dragon Leiyou was also extremely serious and asked.
There was a moment of silence.
Then each cultivator took out communication spirit tokens to gather information through their channels.
But in the end, none of them shook their heads without results.
"Strange... " Zhou Kebao was even more puzzled.
The other cultivators looked at Dragon Leiyou, waiting for his final decision.
Dragon Leiyou narrowed his eyes and pondered before recalling scenes from his interactions with Li Fan. He felt there was something he couldn't fully understand about this person.
Thus, he made up his mind: "Better to assume the worst than the best. Li Fan does have some real abilities."
"He must have foreseen certain future events. We can follow him for now!"
Seeing that many still looked reluctant, Dragon Leiyou smiled sarcastically: "Rest assured and go purchase."
"I've checked this list of items. Although we don't use them much, their prices are stable and they can be stored long-term."
"Even if it turns out to be a trap set by Li Fan again, we won't lose much."
"Of course, if you're still not convinced..."
"If there is any unexpected incident, our Dragon family will buy back all the items at your purchase price."
"I guarantee that no one here will suffer anymore!" Dragon Leiyou said solemnly.
Hearing this, everyone was startled. Because what Dragon Leiyou just said wasn't about himself but his family.
This meant...
Seeing the cultivators' dawning realization and their excited looks, Dragon Leiyou proudly said: "Indeed, my elder brother recently broke through to the Dao Integration realm."
"Through some maneuvering, he is soon to be transferred to headquarters of the Public Administration Hall."
"The relevant orders will be issued shortly. Even if I don't mention it, you should all know about it soon."
With Dragon Leiyou's verbal confirmation, the cultivators were overjoyed.
After all, their small group had been intertwined for years, essentially forming a single entity.
One's success or failure affected everyone. Dragon Leiyou held the most dominant position among them.
The Dragon family was powerful with relations spread across various states of the Immortal Alliance.
The only regret was that there wasn't someone who could serve as a pillar.
But now, with his elder brother advancing to Dao Integration and being transferred to headquarters, this final shortcoming would be filled.
Dao Integration cultivators at the Public Administration Hall headquarters were undoubtedly the pinnacle of power in the Immortal Alliance.
Thus, they sincerely congratulated Dragon Leiyou: "The cold region of Heavenly Virtue Province, Brother Jiu Yuan has been dormant for a long time and is finally about to soar. Congratulations!"
(End of Chapter)