Chapter 459: Hidden True Leaf Cartel

The price of Samantabhadra True Leaf had always been remarkably stable. At times, it had even moved against the broader market trend.

Moreover, after the Tianxuan Mirror quelled the storm with a single announcement and the Spirit Mist Grass crash triggered a collapse across the vast majority of medicinal herbs, Samantabhadra True Leaf had held firm, showing no significant fluctuation from beginning to end.

Samantabhadra True Leaf...

Blue light flickered within the Dao Transformation Stone in his mind as Li Fan searched for information about it from his later memories.

A moment later, a look of mild interest crossed his face.

According to those memories, after the Spirit Mist Grass incident, as the abundant by-products from the Five Elements Grotto-Heavens were extracted and released onto the market, the prices of nearly all spirit plants and medicinal herbs had experienced another substantial decline.

Yet Samantabhadra True Leaf was, once again, an exception.

For decades afterward, its price had risen steadily.

It was simply too niche a commodity, attracting little attention from most cultivators.

Li Fan, who had made his fortune speculating on Spirit Mist Grass and then devoted most of his energy to constructing the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array, had naturally overlooked it.

Now, with the Spirit Mist Grass storm seemingly destined not to occur, he needed a substitute, and the behavior of Samantabhadra True Leaf was clearly unusual.

In my previous life, after the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array was fully implemented, the Clarity-Discernment True Talisman was gradually phased out. Yet its price remained consistently high. It must have had other uses no one spoke of openly.

All these abnormal signs point to someone running the show from behind the scenes.

Li Fan carefully weighed two approaches: finding a way to strike at Spirit Mist Island and artificially inflating the price of Spirit Mist Grass, versus using Samantabhadra True Leaf as a substitute.

Either way, the end result will be significant market turbulence. The Heavenly Mechanism Hall will inevitably step in to investigate.

Judging from how things played out in my previous life, operating within the free market, buying low and selling high, falls within acceptable bounds. But maliciously disrupting the market and the broader economy is another matter entirely. They might just slap you with the charge of destabilizing the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Even with A Single Hand Veils the Heavens, I might not withstand a thorough investigation...

After careful deliberation, Li Fan began to lean toward a decision.

Still, I need to confirm whether this Samantabhadra True Leaf will actually work.

No time like the present.

Li Fan began offloading all the Spirit Mist Grass he had previously acquired, regardless of cost, and started purchasing Samantabhadra True Leaf in its place.

In the Tianxuan Mirror, the current price of Samantabhadra True Leaf held steady at around 280 contribution points per piece.

Li Fan moved in with a million contribution points, sweeping up stock in bulk.

The available inventory on the market began to visibly shrink.

At the same time, the price slowly started to climb.

It erased the decline from the prior period, recovering to a normal level of around 300 contribution points.

Li Fan, his expression unchanged, continued purchasing in large quantities.

Another million contribution points poured in.

301, 302... The price of Samantabhadra True Leaf looked poised to break through 305.

Then, without warning, it plummeted.

In an instant, it fell from above 300 back down to 292 contribution points.

This indicates that someone has just dumped a large quantity of Samantabhadra True Leaf into the market.

A gleam of sharp insight flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He stayed his hand and turned the matter over carefully in his mind.

The Tianxuan Mirror judges that supply now exceeds demand, hence the sudden, steep drop in such a short span of time. Interesting.

To hold a large stock of Samantabhadra True Leaf and yet actively drive the price down... why?

And during the Spirit Mist Grass turmoil in my previous life, when prices were rising across nearly all spirit plants and herbs, they still managed to keep tight control over the price of Samantabhadra True Leaf. The other party has almost certainly achieved a near-monopoly.

Feeling confident of victory, are they...

A certain operation from the life before his transmigration surfaced in his memory, and Li Fan began to glimpse a possibility.

He rose abruptly, exited the Tianxuan Mirror, and headed straight for the Thousand Li Hall.

He could already hear Jiao Xiuyuan's dissatisfied grumbling from outside. "Didn't you already confirm you wanted this Celestial Star Plate? I went through considerable trouble to excavate it, and now you don't want it anymore? Can't people in business these days show a little integrity?"

Li Fan cut in with a laugh. "No one wants it? I'll take it."

Jiao Xiuyuan, who had been muttering to himself, brightened immediately. "Deal! Fifteen hundred contribution points, final price—no backing out!" He thrust a tarnished, rust-mottled bronze plate into Li Fan's hands.

Li Fan gave it a cursory glance. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it. But based on his past life’s experience, he paid without argument and stored it carefully in his storage ring.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, never mind these small dealings. I’ve come to you this time with a major business opportunity," Li Fan said, his tone turning serious.

At that, Jiao Xiuyuan finally recognized him. Assuming Li Fan had come to ask whether the Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye had sold, a trace of embarrassment crept across his swarthy face. "Ah! So it's Fellow Daoist Li Fan! My apologies. About that Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye, it might..."

Li Fan waved him off, drew him closer, and lowered his voice. "Never mind that for now. Fellow Daoist Jiao, this is serious. If you let this opportunity pass, I fear your Dao heart may shatter, and most of your puppets along with it."

The ominous gravity in Li Fan's voice wiped the smirk from Jiao Xiuyuan's face. He studied Li Fan with a measured look, then turned and closed the doors of the Thousand Li Hall.

"Fellow Daoist Li Fan, what exactly do you mean?" he asked.

"Samantabhadra True Leaf. Are you familiar with it, Fellow Daoist Jiao? Its price has been behaving rather strangely of late. Have a look for yourself," Li Fan said.

Jiao Xiuyuan closed his eyes in thought. After a moment, his brow furrowed slightly.

Li Fan then recounted his recent probing actions in full. "What's your read on it, Fellow Daoist?"

Jiao Xiuyuan considered for a moment before speaking. "If I had to guess, the other party likely borrowed a certain quantity of Samantabhadra True Leaf from somewhere, and probably holds some surplus stock of their own as well.

"Their intent is to profit by flooding the market with it, temporarily driving the price down. That way, they repay less than they borrowed and pocket the difference." He gave his assessment.[1]

Li Fan clapped his hands. "Great minds think alike. That is precisely my suspicion."

Jiao Xiuyuan frowned, a hint of dissatisfaction in his expression. "And this is the 'major opportunity' you mentioned? I fail to see it."

A faint, knowing smile touched Li Fan's lips.

"Suppose, just suppose, that when the time comes for them to return the Samantabhadra True Leaf, the total quantity circulating in the entire market is insufficient to cover what they owe. What do you imagine would happen then?"

For a moment, Jiao Xiuyuan couldn't grasp Li Fan's meaning.

Then, after a pause, a sharp and calculating gleam flashed in his eyes.

1. never expected to be learning about cornering and bear raids in a webnovel ☜

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