Shifting focus from Gao Yuan’s subtle scheming and insight into human nature, the story returns to He Zhenghao.
In a state of unease, he took about ten more days to finally complete the collection of 100 million contribution points.
Afterward, he followed Gao Yuan’s instructions closely, quietly awaiting Li Fan’s next orders.
This period of waiting was indeed challenging.
Even though Gao Yuan’s reasoning sounded plausible, it was still just his personal conjecture.
As for what the Lord Envoy himself was thinking…
Who could say with any certainty?
Perhaps the Lord Envoy was even considering entrusting He Zhenghao to manage that hundred million contribution points?
On the surface, He Zhenghao appeared calm, but his mind was racing, filled with an overwhelming sense of apprehension.
This was a vivid taste of what ancient cultivators described as “demonic heart invasion.”
Fortunately, He Zhenghao’s luck seemed to hold.
Just when he felt he was reaching his limit, a peculiar vibration came from his storage ring.
Overjoyed, he quickly composed himself, then eagerly took out the small metal figurine.
“Sir, do you have orders for me?” He asked respectfully, placing the figurine on the table.
“You’re to use the collected hundred million contribution points to purchase the items on this list,” Li Fan’s voice issued from the metal statue.
“There’s no need to buy everything from the Tianxuan Mirror. You may prioritize items of slightly lower quality if they come at a more affordable price.”
“A short time from now, when these items’ prices go up, sell them off.”
After giving these instructions, Li Fan’s voice gradually faded.
He Zhenghao was left stunned, his mind a blank as if thunderstruck.
“Gao Yuan was wrong!”
“This time, the Lord Envoy really intends for me to manage the 100 million contribution points!”
After a brief moment of pause, He Zhenghao gradually recovered.
But this time, instead of fear and helplessness, he felt an inexplicable sense of excitement and fervor.
He knew he couldn’t accomplish this on his own, but with the Lord Envoy’s guidance, none of that mattered!
When it came down to it, investing was quite simple.
It was all just a matter of having insider information.
As long as you knew what others didn’t, even a pig could make a fortune by just sitting on it!
He Zhenghao’s hands trembled slightly as he eagerly reviewed the list Li Fan provided.
“Sky Recovery Pills, Violent Burst Powder, Berserker Killing Pills…”
“Standardized Tiangang Armor, Divine Thunder Weapons…”
“Hundred Battle Formation Diagram…”
The more He Zhenghao read, the deeper his frown grew, his face etched with confusion.
It was nothing like what he had expected.
Initially, he had thought Li Fan would instruct him to purchase rare minerals, spiritual woods, medicinal herbs, and other raw materials.
With the Tianxuan Mirror’s comprehensive view, the price fluctuations for such items would be fairly moderate, typically within twenty percent.
Even if he bought at a peak price, he could simply hold onto them and wait for the next price hike.
He would, at worst, lose a small fee when selling them.
If he reached a high enough merit level, even these transaction fees would be negligible.
But this time, the items on Li Fan’s list were all finished products.
And they were all combat-related goods like pills, magical weapons, and formation diagrams.
Pills were understandable, as cultivators often carried them when exploring ancient sect ruins to be prepared for unforeseen dangers.
But items like Tiangang Armor and Divine Thunder Weapons—unless one was in life-or-death combat, most cultivators wouldn’t need them.
Not to mention the formation diagrams.
He Zhenghao searched for market data on these items and found only sparse records of their transactions.
Their prices were stable and seldom fluctuated, with a large stockpile available since they were mass-produced.
Would the prices of these items really go up?
Even though Li Fan had demonstrated his incredible predictive abilities in the past, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but harbor deep doubts.
Was he truly supposed to purchase large quantities of these items?
He hesitated.
But just then, Gao Yuan’s warning resurfaced in his mind.
“We, as subordinates, don’t need exceptional abilities. The most crucial quality is loyalty.”
“If the Lord wants us to do something, we must complete it without hesitation.”
“After all, with so many cultivators in the Congyun Sea and us not being exceptionally talented, why else would the Lord favor us?”
Steeling himself, He Zhenghao made up his mind.
“Even if I don’t understand, I just need to follow the Lord’s instructions.”
“Besides, these pills and magical weapons are widely known. When people think of affordable, useful items, these are what first come to mind.”
“Even if the Lord’s prediction doesn’t come true, it shouldn’t be a complete loss.”
He reassured himself with this reasoning.
Once resolved, He Zhenghao wasted no time and began consulting with his friends.
Currently, he was quite a sought-after associate.
As soon as people heard he needed assistance, several cultivators were eager to offer advice.
After comparing prices from over ten sources, He Zhenghao began his large-scale purchasing endeavor.
His suppliers were delighted, as he was buying items that had been sitting in storage for quite some time.
To expedite the deal and prevent him from changing his mind, they even offered considerable discounts.
Though a 100 million contribution points was a substantial amount, it wasn’t so large when divided across various types of pills and magical artifacts.
Most sizable production workshops could meet He Zhenghao’s demands.
The speed at which his procurement was completed exceeded even his expectations.
After he had exchanged the collected points for what appeared to be a pile of “useless” items, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness.
A lingering sense of unreality filled his heart and wouldn’t go away.
Despite his caution, He Zhenghao’s unusual behavior hadn’t escaped the notice of certain individuals.
To the public, He Zhenghao’s actions were seen as indicative of Li Fan’s intentions.
Everyone knew he was Li Fan’s trusted aide, and a procurement effort of this scale would certainly be at Li Fan’s direction.
Could it be that the ancient cultivator from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect had foreseen something once again?
Were the items He Zhenghao purchased about to see a price surge?
Some were immediately tempted.
However…
With the tragedy of the Samantabhadra True Leaf still fresh in their minds, many cultivators, having learned a hard lesson, suspected that this might be another of Li Fan’s tactics to manipulate the market.
So, most chose to wait and see.