Chapter 458

Jiao Xiuyuan said excitedly, "You mean, when the time comes, even if someone offers them the Samantabhadra True Leaf at an absurd price, they'll have no choice but to buy it to fulfill their commitments?"

"And if we preemptively take up the majority of the market share of Samantabhadra True Leaf, forcing the other party's hand..."

"Couldn't we easily make several times the profit?"

"Brilliant!" Jiao Xiuyuan exclaimed, slapping his thigh as he figured out the crux of the plan.

"Daoist Jiao, you truly are a business genius!" Li Fan nodded and praised him.

However, Jiao Xiuyuan didn't dwell on Li Fan's compliment. His expression changed as he furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment.

The excitement on his face gradually faded as he shook his head and said, "Your idea is indeed brilliant, but it seems a bit too idealistic."

"What if, when the other party borrowed the Samantabhadra True Leaf, the contract they signed included a clause allowing them to repay with equivalent contributions?"

"What if they choose to breach the contract, risking backlash, but refuse to buy back the Samantabhadra True Leaf?"

"There are too many uncontrollable factors, too much risk."

Li Fan was a bit dismissive as he said, "Is there any business in the world without risk? Considering the potential profit, I think it's worth a try."

Jiao Xiuyuan's expression shifted slightly as he was about to respond, but then he heard Li Fan say, "Besides, I believe that even if the other party abandons the struggle with us and voluntarily withdraws, we would still profit from the large amount of Samantabhadra True Leaf Leaves we've acquired."

"What do you mean by that?" Jiao Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat skeptical.

A faint smile appeared on Li Fan's lips as he extended his right index finger.

In an instant, a translucent icosahedral die appeared in mid-air, spinning rapidly and reflecting numerous fragmented images.

Jiao Xiuyuan froze for a moment before recognizing the treasure in Li Fan's hand and exclaimed, "The Heaven-Earth Divination Die?!"

Just as he was about to take a closer look at the images on the die, Li Fan quickly put it away.

"I've deduced this, and it should be nearly accurate." Li Fan said seriously.

Seeing Li Fan's confidence, Jiao Xiuyuan hesitated for a moment.

"Let me investigate further." With that, the puppet in front of Li Fan suddenly lost its guiding consciousness and became completely still.

Li Fan wasn't in a hurry. He stood quietly by the side, patiently waiting.

He waited for an entire day and night.

When vitality returned to Jiao Xiuyuan, he suddenly opened his eyes, his face beaming with joy. "There's hope!"

"Oh? What did you find out, Daoist Jiao?" Li Fan asked with interest.

Jiao Xiuyuan leaned in and lowered his voice, "According to reliable sources, the manipulation of Samantabhadra True Leaf prices is led by several Soul Transformation cultivators, headed by Tantai Can of Tianshu Prefecture."

"They all have connections to the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance."

"And the 'Wise Discernment Talisman' used in various regions is almost entirely monopolized by them."

"Tantai Can..." This surname was too unique, reminding Li Fan of the brilliant Formation path genius, Tantai Tao, who had met an untimely death in his previous life.

"Could it be the same clan?" Li Fan thought to himself, though his expression remained unchanged as he continued listening.

Jiao Xiuyuan continued eagerly, "The truth is slightly different from our speculation. Because they control the production line of the Wise Discernment Talisman, these people have accumulated a large amount of Samantabhadra True Leaf."

"The number of Wise Discernment Talismans collected annually by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance is limited, and the profits are too slow. So, this group had the audacity to come up with a crooked plan."

"Some of them used part of the Samantabhadra True Leaf they controlled as collateral to borrow a large amount of contribution points from the 'Qingfeng Hall.'"

"Meanwhile, the others borrowed Samantabhadra True Leaf from Qingfeng Hall in return."

"In one go, the Samantabhadra True Leaf returned to their hands while they gained contribution points of equal value through arbitrage."

...

Hearing this, Li Fan frowned and interrupted Jiao Xiuyuan, "I remember, the interest rates at Qingfeng Hall aren't low, right? How much profit can they make from this? And once they have the contribution points, why go through the trouble of lending out the Samantabhadra True Leaf again?"

Jiao Xiuyuan chuckled and said, "This is precisely why I said there's an opportunity for us."

"Because, technically, these Samantabhadra True Leaf belong to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance."

"The Wise Discernment Talisman involves the secrets of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, so naturally, they need to implement control measures."

"Tantai Can and his group only hold the position of producing the Wise Discernment Talisman because of their backgrounds."

"Periodically, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters sends people to conduct routine inspections."

"Although they have internal connections and can receive advance notice, they still have to maintain appearances, and at least on the surface, they can't afford to lose too much."

Jiao Xiuyuan snorted, his eyes flashing with disdain, "Even though the profits from this business are already ridiculously high, they are still not satisfied."

"They privately used it as collateral, exchanged it for a huge amount of contribution points, leveraged the situation, and stirred up trouble in the market."

"And these people have deep backgrounds and are well-informed, so they are always successful and reap significant profits. They don't even care about the interest from Qingfeng Hall."

"Not to mention, almost all of the Samantabhadra True Leaf in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance are in their hands. Manipulating the price is easy for them, and exploiting unsuspecting cultivators is a piece of cake."

Li Fan slowly nodded, understanding the methods of Tantai Can and his group.

In essence, they were embezzling the strategic resources of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to exchange for contribution points.

Then, through insider information, they bought low and sold high to profit for themselves.

"Such a crime is not minor. Daoist Jiao, it's impressive that you could uncover all this; your abilities must be near divine!" Li Fan regained his composure and clicked his tongue in admiration.

Jiao Xiuyuan waved his hand, "It's just that these people are too arrogant! Not only do they not keep it strictly confidential, but they also use it as bragging material in casual conversations. That's how I found out."

"Otherwise, how could I have known such a private matter!"

Li Fan chuckled and didn't dwell on this, instead discussing with Jiao Xiuyuan the feasibility of striking against Tantai Can's group.

"In this case, my previous concerns are no longer an issue."

"No matter what, they will have to recover the Samantabhadra True Leaf. Even if it means losing everything, they must do so."

"Otherwise, if the truth comes to light, not even the backers behind them will be able to protect them."

"At that point, it won't just be a matter of bankruptcy. Death and complete annihilation will be the least of their worries."

Jiao Xiuyuan's face turned cold as he spoke with unwavering determination.

"Excellent!" Li Fan applauded, his face showing approval.

"My only concern is that we are two against many, and we might not be able to match them."

"If we can't deliver a decisive blow and they catch wind of our plan, we might lose everything."

Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly said.