Fleece the Investor? Fleece Him!

"This was naturally excellent."

Lin Fan saw no problem with it.

You looked down on the strength of our Moon Embracing Sect, so you did not even mention having us help if you ran into trouble?

After all, we were still weak. Nothing wrong with that.

As long as it benefited us without harming us, what was wrong with agreeing?!

An Angel Investor!

He could accept the investment too, then each side could take what it needed.

In truth, Lin Fan had been considering this matter as well.

For now, the five elders could still keep them supplied by grinding in the wild. At the very least, they could provide the spiritual herbs Xiao Ling'er needed. But what about later?

As Xiao Ling'er continued to "level up," the things she needed would definitely become harder to obtain, and more numerous as well.

Not to mention Fan Jianqiang.

He currently claimed he wanted nothing. Lin Fan guessed that fellow simply did not want to become entangled in too much karma.

But after some time, once he felt the Moon Embracing Sect was worthy of entrusting himself to, there was no telling what he might ask for. How would they supply him then?

Besides, the elders needed to cultivate too. They could not spend every day grinding in the wild, could they?

And there were unexpected situations!

Like tonight. Who knew how many times something like this would happen in the future? Could they really leave no elders behind to guard the sect?

Furthermore, if the elders were injured and their essence blood damaged, they would need to recover, would they not?

All of that took time.

Cooperating with the Liu Family, especially when they had agreed to his conditions, could not have been better.

If they encountered a major crisis, they could call in people from the Liu Family.

If there was no major crisis, they could also fleece the Liu Family, buying all sorts of spiritual herbs and materials on credit.

The Liu Family was now vast and wealthy. Gathering such things was far easier for them than for the Moon Embracing Sect.

"Then, should both sides establish a Dao Heart Oath?" Liu Xun suggested.

"That would be proper." Lin Fan nodded.

Cooperation was not something that could be settled with mere words. Words carried no binding force.

They needed to establish a Dao Heart Oath.

"However, there is one more matter."

Liu Xun added, "If the Moon Embracing Sect encounters danger and sends word, my Liu Family will naturally offer our full support. But if the enemy is too powerful, so powerful that even if my Liu Family pays any price, we still cannot resist them, then you cannot blame my Liu Family for failing to act..."

"Reasonable."

Lin Fan nodded again.

Yet inwardly, he felt somewhat rueful.

This was why you were such an ordinary Angel Investor!

You did not have even a fraction of the Ice Emperor's all-in boldness.

Still, it was indeed reasonable.

If they truly encountered an enemy they could not defeat, the Liu Family could not possibly drag their entire clan out to be buried alongside the Moon Embracing Sect.

"Then, happy cooperation."

Liu Xun smiled.

Afterward, both sides established a Dao Heart Oath.

Its contents matched the agreement they had just made, with the addition that neither side's people could kill one another. Any violators had to be severely punished.

As for the punishment for breaking the oath, it was simple.

The soul would be extinguished, and one would never be reincarnated for all eternity... that was all.

Actually...

Liu Xun felt that he had gotten the worse end of this oath.

After all, he was a fifth-layer Pointing Profound Realm cultivator. And Lin Fan? A mere Mysterious Origin Realm cultivator!

Though he was the master of a sect, how many people did the Moon Embracing Sect even have?

But since he was responsible for this matter, he had no choice but to see it through.

So there was nothing more to say.

With the cooperation settled, smiles appeared on both sides' faces.

The five elders also heaved sighs of relief.

They had been worried all along that Liu Xun's group of three might suddenly turn hostile!

If a fight truly broke out, they would not be able to stop them.

Not even if they risked their lives.

Now that Liu Xun had established a Dao Heart Oath, they naturally no longer needed to fear that the other side would suddenly turn hostile.

They had been tense and vigilant moments earlier, but now that they relaxed, the First Elder's and Second Elder's faces instantly turned deathly pale, nearly devoid of blood.

Lin Fan hurried over to soothe them, then had the Third Elder take them away to recover.

The seven mascots naturally went off to "play" by themselves.

Xiao Ling'er, however, was kept behind.

After all, she needed to make a list for Liu Xun to bring back. Only then could the spiritual herbs be delivered in the shortest possible time, allowing her to begin refining pills.

Both sides were rather anxious about this matter.

Before long, they finished discussing the details.

Xiao Ling'er also drew up the list.

Liu Xun took it and looked it over. The items listed at the beginning were fairly ordinary.

They were merely the spiritual herbs and materials needed for Core Condensation Pills, Profound Origin Pills, and Cave Heaven Pills...

Hm?

Cave Heaven Pills?

He looked at Xiao Ling'er. "You can refine Cave Heaven Pills?"

There was only one tier between Profound Origin Pills and Cave Heaven Pills, but the gap was far from small.

In theory, cultivators of the Fourth Realm could already establish sects.

If one had only just broken through into the Cave Heaven Realm, one naturally would not be qualified to establish a third-rate sect. But creating an unranked minor sect would not be a problem at all.

In other words, in this remote backwater, Fourth Realm cultivators already counted as experts!

If she could refine high-quality Cave Heaven Pills, it would also be an immense boon to the Liu Family!

After all, what the Immortal Martial Continent lacked most were high-quality pills.

There were simply too many cultivators.

Though the Liu Family was powerful, there were countless forces stronger than the Liu Family.

The moment high-quality pills appeared, they would be fought over in a frenzy. That was precisely why the Liu Family had been willing to "lower their status" and cooperate with the Moon Embracing Sect, even purchasing at market price.

It seemed like they were taking a loss, but as long as either Xiao Ling'er or Fan Jianqiang grew up, with this connection in place, the Liu Family would have made an enormous profit.

Market price was not a loss. In truth, they would still be profiting~!

Originally, they had thought they would have to wait several years, perhaps even decades, before Xiao Ling'er could refine high-quality Fourth Tier pills. The Liu Family could afford to wait.

But now, looking at this, could it be?!

Liu Xun was secretly delighted.

Yet Xiao Ling'er merely smiled and shook her head. "I only wish to try and improve myself. That is why there are very few materials needed for Cave Heaven Pills—this is merely an attempt, some practice."

"We will cover the cost of the herbs, right, Sect Master?"

She lightly blinked at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan understood at once. "Naturally!"

"If alchemists do not practice, how can they refine high-quality pills?"

"Fellow Daoist Liu, we will have to trouble you with this matter."

Liu Xun: "..."

Fine, that was reasonable too.

He nodded in agreement, but then his brow furrowed slightly. "These spiritual herbs... they seem to be required for refining Healing Pills?"

"The First Elder's and Second Elder's essence blood has been damaged. Naturally, they need some Healing Pills."

Lin Fan answered directly.

Liu Xun could find no issue with that, so he nodded and took his leave.

After the three of them left, Xiao Ling'er lowered her head and moved close to Lin Fan. "Master, this disciple has made a mistake."

"Oh?"

Lin Fan looked at her with a smile. "What mistake?"

"This disciple..."

Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "This disciple has actually obtained a few opportunities. I have always used ancient pill formulas to refine pills, which require fewer herbs than modern formulas."

"But what this disciple wrote down were the herbs required by modern pill formulas..."

"It is not that this disciple is greedy for profit and forgetful of righteousness. It is simply that our Moon Embracing Sect currently..."

"Sigh, you have suffered."

Lin Fan sighed softly. "If our Moon Embracing Sect were prosperous, why would you need to act this way?"

"This is not your fault. It is your master who is incompetent."

"Absolutely not."

Xiao Ling'er grew anxious. "Master, you have already..."

"Enough. There is no need to say more. Go back and rest. Tonight, there should be no further trouble."

Lin Fan directly sent her away.

Mainly because...

He was afraid he would not be able to hold back his laughter.

She had dug them a tiny little pit?

So what?! Besides, the herbs had to be bought with money too!

The pills they sold them were priced according to "current market prices," so there was certainly a small price difference involved. But that difference had been earned through "technology."

At most, they had only barely fleeced a little wool.

But what was wrong with that?

Nothing!

Wasn't an investor's wool meant to be fleeced?