There is a rat in the Immortal Alliance

Jiao Xiuyuan said with some excitement, “You mean, no matter how outrageous the price someone sells pu xian true leaf to them, they will have to buy it, even if they have to hold their nose, just to fulfill the agreement?”

“And if we corner most of the pu xian true leaf in the market beforehand, forcing the other party…”

“We could easily profit several times over!”

“Brilliant!” Having understood the key, Jiao Xiuyuan slapped his thigh and couldn't help but exclaim.

“Fellow Daoist Jiao truly is a Genius at business!” Li Fan nodded and praised him.

Not taking Li Fan’s flattery to heart, Jiao Xiuyuan’s expression changed, and he frowned, carefully pondering for a moment.

The excited look on his face slowly disappeared again, and he shook his head, saying, “Fellow Daoist’s idea is indeed brilliant, but it seems too idealistic.”

“What if the contract they signed when borrowing pu xian true leaf included a clause that allowed them to return it with an equivalent amount of contribution points?”

“What if the other party would rather break the contract and suffer the backlash than buy back the pu xian true leaf?”

“There are too many uncontrollable factors, and the risk is too high.”

Li Fan said with some indifference, “How can there be a risk-free business in this world? Compared to the profit it can yield, I think it’s worth a try.”

Jiao Xiuyuan’s expression shifted slightly, and just as he was about to speak, he heard Li Fan say, “Moreover, I believe that even if the other party gives up competing with us and voluntarily withdraws, the large quantity of pu xian true leaf we acquire will still result in more gain than loss.”

“Why do you say that, Fellow Daoist?” Jiao Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and asked with some disbelief.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Fan’s mouth, and he extended his right index finger.

In an instant, a crystal-clear regular icosahedron dice appeared out of thin air above it.

As it spun rapidly, it reflected many fragmented images.

After a moment of愣, Jiao Xiuyuan recognized the treasure in Li Fan’s hand and exclaimed, “heaven and earth qiankun dice?!”

Just as he was about to examine the images on the dice more closely, Li Fan immediately put it away.

“I have deduced this matter, and it should be almost certain,” Li Fan said seriously.

Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan’s confident demeanor and couldn't help but become a bit hesitant.

“Let me inquire further.” After saying that, the Puppet in front of Li Fan seemed to lose its controlling consciousness and became completely still.

Li Fan was not in a hurry; he stood quietly by the side, waiting patiently.

This wait lasted a day and a night.

After vitality returned to Jiao Xiuyuan, he suddenly opened his eyes, his face showing delight: “There’s a chance!”

“Oh? What did Fellow Daoist find out?” Li Fan asked with interest.

Jiao Xiuyuan leaned closer and lowered his voice: “According to reliable sources, the ones behind the manipulation of pu xian true leaf prices are several Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators led by Tantai Can from Heavenly Pivot State.”

“Their backgrounds, more or less, are all connected to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance Headquarters.”

“And the Wise Discernment Talismans used in various places are basically monopolized by them.”

“Tantai Can…” This surname was too unique, causing Li Fan to involuntarily recall Tantai Tao, the Dao Formation Genius who died tragically in his previous life.

“Could it be the same Family?” Li Fan thought to himself, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued to listen.

Jiao Xiuyuan spoke voluminously: “The facts are somewhat different from our predictions. Because they control the production line of the Wise Discernment Talisman, these people have a large quantity of pu xian true leaf accumulated in their hands.”

“The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance collects a limited number of Wise Discernment Talismans each year, and the profit is too slow. So, this group of people came up with a crooked idea.”

“Some of them mortgaged a portion of the pu xian true leaf they held to borrow a large amount of contribution points from Qingfeng Hall.”

“At the same time, the remaining people, in turn, borrowed pu xian true leaf from Qingfeng Hall.”

“In one go, the pu xian true leaf returned to their hands. At the same time, they arbitraged and obtained an equivalent value of contribution points.”

…

Upon hearing this, Li Fan frowned slightly and interrupted Jiao Xiuyuan: “I remember, the interest of this Qingfeng Hall is not low, right? How much profit can they make by doing this? And, after getting the contribution points, why would they go through the extra trouble of lending out the pu xian true leaf again?”

Jiao Xiuyuan smiled and said, “That’s why I said there’s an opportunity.”

“Because, nominally, these pu xian true leaf are the property of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.”

“The Wise Discernment Talisman involves the secrets of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, so control measures must naturally be taken.”

“This group of people, like Tantai Can, merely obtained positions responsible for manufacturing the Wise Discernment Talisman due to their respective backgrounds.”

“Every once in a while, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance Headquarters will send people for routine inspections.”

“Although they have internal connections and can know the news in advance, superficial work still needs to be done. At least on the surface accounts, there shouldn’t be too much deficit.”

Jiao Xiuyuan snorted lightly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: “Even though the profits from this business are already frighteningly high, they are still not satisfied.”

“They arbitrarily mortgaged it in exchange for huge contribution points, leveraging it to stir up trouble in the market.”

“And this group of people all have deep backgrounds and are well-informed. So they have been consistently successful and have made a lot of profit. The small interest from Qingfeng Hall is truly not even considered by them.”

“Putting aside other things, just talking about this pu xian true leaf, almost all of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s stock is in their hands. Manipulating the price is effortless, isn't it? Harvesting Cultivators who don't know why is simply not a problem.”

Li Fan slowly nodded, understanding the methods of Tantai Can’s group.

To put it bluntly, it was misappropriating the strategic materials of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and exchanging them for contribution points.

Then, through inside information, they would buy low and sell high, earning the difference for their own profit.

“Such a crime is not small. Fellow Daoist Jiao can investigate so clearly; your ability is truly almost heaven-reaching!” Li Fan came back to his senses and praised him with a click of his tongue.

Jiao Xiuyuan waved his hand: “It’s also because these people are truly inhuman and too arrogant! Not only do they not strictly keep secrets, but they also use these things as capital for bragging in their casual conversations. That’s how I came to know.”

“Otherwise, how could I know such private matters!”

Li Fan smiled, not dwelling on this aspect, but instead discussed the feasibility of targeting Tantai Can's group with Jiao Xiuyuan.

“This way, my previous concerns are no longer an issue.”

“No matter what, they are bound to retrieve the pu xian true leaf. Even if it means losing everything, they must do so.”

“Otherwise, once the truth comes out, even their backers won't be able to protect them.”

“At that time, it won't just be a matter of bankruptcy. Death and the destruction of their Dao will be a desirable outcome.”

Jiao Xiuyuan’s face showed a cold glint, and he said emphatically.

“Good!” Li Fan applauded, with an expression of approval.

“The only worry is that you and I are two individuals, weak in strength, and may not be a match for the other side.”

“If we can't kill the enemy in one blow, and the other party reacts, our plan might fall through.”

Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly said.