“It’s fortunate that no one is investigating this matter. I’m afraid that if someone with ill intentions wants to take advantage of it and scheme against me, there would be a big trouble!” He Zhenghao’s complexion worsened the more he thought about it.
“Fellow Daoist He, there’s no need to worry. I believe, at most, it will be treated as gossip during casual conversation. If someone truly wants to plot against you, they wouldn’t casually reveal it like this. It’s more likely they would directly report it to the higher-ups in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.” Li Fan consoled him.
“Nevertheless, just to be safe, fellow Daoist, you should refrain from such activities in the future.” Li Fan advised.
He Zhenghao sighed and nodded.
Then, Li Fan pretended to be very curious and asked, “Since you know that helping mortal trespassers has considerable risks, why did you do it before? Could it be that the benefits involved were so great that you disregarded life and death?”
He Zhenghao smiled bitterly, “There wasn’t much profit involved. A single world makes two or three thousand contribution points every ten years. It’s just a slow accumulation over time.”
Li Fan pretended to be surprised, “Fellow Daoist, are you lacking in contribution points to this extent? You would still covet such a small amount?”
He Zhenghao blushed, “Who wouldn’t want more contribution points? Besides, I also have my difficulties.”
Then, He Zhenghao explained the advantages and disadvantages of his cultivation technique and his plans to change to another Nascent Soul technique.
Li Fan shook his head, “If you’ve only reached Foundation Establishment mid stage after a hundred years of cultivation, then indeed, this technique isn’t worth it. It’s better not to cultivate it!”
“Fellow Daoist He, you’ve made a bold decision to change your cultivation technique midway. Although the cost is significant, it seems worthwhile!”
“I support you!”
“I wonder how many contribution points you are short of exchanging for the Nascent Soul technique?”
He Zhenghao sighed, “The Nascent Soul technique I want to exchange for is extraordinary. It not only requires a hundred thousand contribution points, but also a certain level of authority to search for and exchange it.”
“My authority has reached a sufficient level, but accumulating enough contribution points will still take about ten more years.”
Li Fan nodded, thinking, “So, the list of cultivation techniques I saw in the Tianxuan Mirror was incomplete.”
“Ten thousand contribution points, indeed, it’s a considerable sum. In the over a month since I joined the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, I have come to understand the difficulty of accumulating contribution points. I heard that fish gambling is a one-night opportunity for sudden wealth, so I went to try my luck. Sigh…” Li Fan sighed, looking troubled.
“Fish gambling? Hehe, I used to be obsessed with it too. But it’s been a long time since I participated in it.”
He Zhenghao solemnly said, “Let me give you a word of advice; it’s better to touch this thing less. You and I simply don’t have the foresight and luck. Going there would just be giving away money for nothing!”
Li Fan agreed, “Fellow Daoist, you speak the truth.”
Then, Li Fan changed the subject and said, “Thinking about it, I feel that the investment method you mentioned earlier suits me better…”
He Zhenghao’s face lit up, “Hehe, fellow Daoist, you have a good eye to realize this so quickly, unlike me, who wasted half a lifetime before finally finding a stable way to make money.”
“Don’t worry, when the next big profit opportunity comes, I won’t forget you!”
Li Fan, however, directly stated, “No need to wait for the next time. There is a big money-making opportunity right now!”
“Oh? There’s such a thing?” He Zhenghao sensed that something was amiss but still asked.
“Hehe, I won’t hide it from you. Since you mentioned the investment method to me last time, I’ve been studying it in my free time. After a month, I feel like I’ve mastered the key points. If you want to profit from price fluctuations, the most convenient item is the Spirit Mist Grass.”
“The price has been fluctuating between 18-22 contribution points per plant throughout the year. If I buy a large quantity of Spirit Mist Grass at 18 contribution points per plant and then sell it all when it reaches 22 contribution points per plant, I can easily make a big profit, right?” Li Fan confidently explained.
“Well… the logic behind it is indeed correct.” He Zhenghao, after listening to Li Fan’s explanation, couldn’t find any flaws and could only nod in agreement.
Li Fan slapped his hands together, “Now is the best time to buy! For some reason, the price of Spirit Mist Grass has been slowly declining during this period. Now it has dropped to 18 contribution points! Isn’t it the lowest price now? If you don’t buy now, when will you?”
He Zhenghao was also excited by Li Fan’s words, “Makes sense!”
Immediately, he took out a Tianxuan Minor Mirror from somewhere, and after a light tap with his finger, the price of Spirit Mist Grass appeared.
“It really dropped to 18 contribution points!” he exclaimed in joy.
Then he praised Li Fan quite appreciatively, “Fellow Daoist, your business intuition is quite keen!”
“No! How did it drop to 18 points?” Suddenly, He Zhenghao realized something was wrong, and his face changed.
“I bought it at 20 contribution points initially and never sold it. Now it dropped again?”
Li Fan hurriedly said, “Hey, fellow Daoist, no need to panic. As the saying goes, when things reach their extremes, they can only reverse. The price of Spirit Mist Grass has been steadily declining, reaching the limit. Next, it’s likely to undergo a rebound. Perhaps, it might even rise to 23 points in one go. The price is so low now, it’s a perfect opportunity to increase our holdings!”
“Reasonable! Reasonable! Increase our holdings, we must increase our holdings!” He Zhenghao agreed deeply.
“Ah, it’s a pity that I lost most of my contribution points during fish gambling. I don’t know, fellow Daoist, if you could lend…” Li Fan hadn’t finished speaking, but He Zhenghao shook his head repeatedly, “No, no. As you saw last time, I only have a little over a thousand contribution points left, and I can’t spare any more to lend you.”
Li Fan looked disappointed, “If I miss this chance for a big profit, I’ll feel unwilling!”
He Zhenghao looked at Li Fan, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.
Li Fan, however, saw through him at a glance and said joyfully, “Fellow Daoist, what do you want to tell me?”
He Zhenghao still didn’t speak.
Li Fan said solemnly, “If fellow Daoist could help me this time, I will repay this debt in the future.”
“I have a premonition that I am not far from breaking through to perfect Foundation Establishment. I’m about to prepare for Golden Core.”
“Collecting contribution points is urgent. If I miss this opportunity, who knows how long I’ll have to wait!”
Perhaps the last two sentences convinced He Zhenghao. He hesitated for a while, then finally took out a dark green jade token and handed it to Li Fan.
Whispering, he said, “If fellow Daoist really wants to seize this opportunity, take this token and go to the outermost part of Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance Island, find a shop called the ‘Clear Wind Hall.'”
“Once inside the shop, don’t say anything, just show this token.”
“If someone asks, just say that I recommended you.”
“On the surface, Clear Wind Hall is a shop selling various sundries, but secretly, it provides loans of contribution points, cultivation techniques, and various other supplies.”
…
Li Fan listened to He Zhenghao’s words and smiled slightly in his heart.
It’s you.