Coded Talk Galore, Mutual Support

"Oh?"

Lin Fan had long guessed why they had come, but he had to put on an act!

He frowned. "Cooperation would naturally be good, but our Moon Embracing Sect is currently poor and bare-bones, with no particular strengths. How could we possibly deserve such..."

Act.

Keep acting, brat!

Liu Xun wanted to curse.

But Lin Fan's expression looked exceptionally 'genuine,' and for a moment, he could not tell whether Lin Fan was truly foolish or merely putting on a show.

In the end, he could not be bothered to think about it anymore.

Since he had already brought it up, he would simply see it through to the end. Whether you're playing dumb or truly dumb, I'll lay everything out for you. Let's see how you keep acting!

"Hehe, Sect Master Lin, you jest."

"Perhaps the Moon Embracing Sect's current strength is not much to speak of, but... why belittle yourselves and claim the entire Moon Embracing Sect is worthless?"

"Have you forgotten, Sect Master Lin? At the Alchemy Tournament in Hongwu Immortal City not long ago, Miss Xiao Ling'er of the Moon Embracing Sect took first place!"

Liu Xun looked at Xiao Ling'er and nodded with a light smile, then turned to Fan Jianqiang. "Besides..."

"The second-place winner also joined the Moon Embracing Sect, did he not?"

"Our cooperation can be quite simple."

Liu Xun had no intention of giving Lin Fan a chance to 'play dumb.' He would lay everything out clearly himself and spare himself the aggravation!

"The Liu Family and the Moon Embracing Sect will watch out for each other. Should the Moon Embracing Sect encounter trouble, my Liu Family certainly will not stand idly by."

"And the Moon Embracing Sect need only provide the Liu Family with high-quality pills."

"What does Sect Master Lin think?"

I've made myself this clear. Try playing dumb again!

However...

Before Lin Fan could say anything, Fan Jianqiang jumped in.

"My senior sister is naturally an exceptional alchemist, but please don't count on me. I'm not up to much, just this." He raised his pinky finger and gave an awkward grin. "It was all luck, just blind luck."

"All luck. Luck."

Lin Fan: "..."

Liu Xun: "..."

You think I don't know that?

He was speechless.

Liu Xun had always thought Fan Jianqiang had little real ability and that it was all luck. Being able to refine a Ninth Grade Profound Origin Pill was definitely the result of absurdly good fortune, the kind that traded away years of his life!

But damn it, his father believed that good luck was part of one's strength. What could he do?

He was desperate too.

As for Duan Qingyao and the other five elders, they were all deeply suspicious.

They did not know Fan Jianqiang's exact circumstances.

Xiao Ling'er's eyelids, however, twitched wildly.

"This Junior Brother Fan Jianqiang really is..."

For a moment, aside from 'greedy for life, afraid of death, and cowardly,' she could not think of any other words to describe him.

You didn't want to step up, so you pushed me out instead?!

Well, damn!

Others might think it was all luck, but could I be wrong?!

Even if I were wrong, could my teacher be wrong?

Even if your alchemy skills are inferior to mine, they still far surpass those of most alchemists, all right? You are more than qualified for this job.

Yet the moment you opened your mouth, you shoved everything onto me?

Although Xiao Ling'er was usually extremely patient with her own people, she felt a little upset now.

Liang Danxia even said, "I thought this boy's greed for life and fear of death had already reached the pinnacle of human nature. Who would have thought he would also be so timid as a mouse? Whose soldier is this, exactly..."

"He's from our Moon Embracing Sect," Xiao Ling'er silently muttered to herself.

Liang Danxia: "..."

While everyone was quietly grumbling, Lin Fan said with 'delight' written all over his face, "That would naturally be wonderful. Our Moon Embracing Sect is poor. When the elders dig up spirit herbs in their daily lives, they use them for pill refinement.

If there are any left over, we would have planned to sell them anyway. If we can cooperate with the Liu Family, then naturally, we can prioritize selling them to the Liu Family."

"It is only that I know their alchemy skills rather well. Their ability to refine Ninth Grade pills involves a great deal of luck, so if the Liu Family wants Ninth Grade pills, I fear..."

Liu Xun lowered his gaze.

Lin Fan's words sounded sincere, but in truth, they revealed several key points.

First, you want pills? Fine. Pay with Origin Stones or trade good items. Don't even think about getting them for free.

Second, we will only sell you what we cannot use ourselves.

Third, forget about Ninth Grade pills. Even if there are any, there will only occasionally be one or two.

Fourth, we lack spirit herbs. You had best take the initiative to provide them. Otherwise, forget Ninth Grade pills—even slightly higher-grade pills will be unavailable for you to buy.

Naturally, Liu Xun understood all four points. Yet in his view, none of them was a problem.

Get them for free?

They had never intended to do that. Given the Moon Embracing Sect's current size, trying to take advantage of them for free... They would probably drain the sect dry after only a few times, which did not fit the plan he and his father had made!

Only the surplus would be sold?

That was normal too. No matter how small the Moon Embracing Sect currently was, it was still a sect. Of course its pills would first be supplied to its own members. Only what they could not finish using, or what they had no other choice but to sell, would be put on the market.

Anyone, any sect, would do the same.

As for Ninth Grade pills...

Did they think Ninth Grade pills were cabbages, something that could be refined whenever they pleased?

In the eyes of Liu Xun, the two Liu Family elders, and indeed nearly all cultivators, Ninth Grade pills were supposed to be extraordinarily rare and precious.

Although Xiao Ling'er and Fan Jianqiang had previously produced Ninth Grade Profound Origin Pills, which were of enormous benefit in nurturing the Liu Family's younger generation, there had surely been elements of exceptional performance and luck involved.

Otherwise...

You wanted two little Core Condensation Realm cultivators to refine Profound Origin Pills, and you were insisting that they had to be Ninth Grade?

Listen to yourself. Did that sound remotely reasonable?!

Liu Xun felt he could not even bring himself to say such words aloud.

The fourth point was even more perfectly reasonable.

With the Moon Embracing Sect's size, its handful of people, and its tiny territory—not to mention those few pitiful little Spirit Fields—what could they possibly accomplish?

How many spirit herbs could they obtain? What a joke!

The elders could go out and forage, but surely they could not spend every day foraging instead of cultivating?

Besides, providing spirit herbs was not the same as giving them away for free. It was entirely reasonable!

Therefore, all four conditions could be accepted. It did not matter.

It sounded like a lengthy exchange, but in truth, it took only an instant.

Liu Xun smiled. "Perfectly reasonable."

"Sect Master Lin..."

"What do you think of cooperating in this manner?"

"We will watch out for each other. If the Moon Embracing Sect encounters trouble, my Liu Family will send people to support you."

"Beyond that, the Liu Family will allocate a batch of spirit herbs for your sect's alchemists to refine into pills. Afterward, the Liu Family will purchase high-quality pills at market price."

"As for the cost of the spirit herbs, it can be deducted from the purchase price of the pills afterward."

I accept your terms~

We can even advance you a batch of spirit herbs on credit.

But do not think of fobbing me off with ordinary pills. They must be Seventh Grade or above! Otherwise, we will not take them, and you will still have to pay for the spirit herbs.

Our Liu Family is not afraid of you running away. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, we can still destroy you.

As for the Moon Embracing Sect helping if the Liu Family faced trouble, he could not even be bothered to mention it.

Just obediently serve as a logistics department, supplying pills for the Liu Family and helping it prosper day by day. That was your entire mission~!