Chapter 17: I Buy More When Others Are Fearful

In truth, Zhao Xuhe was well aware that the Substitute Yin Puppet had become a complete bubble, liable to explode at any moment and cause a total collapse.

However, he believed that with his keen intuition, he would certainly be able to exit the market in time.

Therefore, when Lyu Yang contacted him to say he had already exited and wanted to repay the loan of 2,000 contribution points, Zhao Xuhe actually felt sorry for him.

"Rash! Junior Brother, you are far too rash!"

"Didn't you see that the price of the Substitute Yin Puppet is still rising? This is before the war has even started. Once the fighting truly begins, there will be a genuine shortage."

"Before the price rises too excessively, I suggest you buy them back immediately."

Faced with Zhao Xuhe's earnest persuasion, Lyu Yang remained rational.

Although he was also envious of the skyrocketing prices of the Substitute Yin Puppets and even regretted selling so early, he understood Zhao Xuhe's motives perfectly.

Caring for him?

Don't be foolish; he wanted to lure someone into the market!

After all, the more people entered, the better his chances of cashing out and exiting.

"I'll hold back. I'm in no rush."

"I'll observe the situation in this life and confirm the peak price. I'll repeat the same operation in the next life. That will be my true opportunity to make a fortune..."

With the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes], I will only profit; I will never lose!

Thinking of this, Lyu Yang's mood instantly balanced out. He settled the loan with Zhao Xuhe and went straight into seclusion, ignoring the outside world.

While Lyu Yang was in seclusion, the price of the Substitute Yin Puppets continued to soar.

This was because the Primordial Saint Sect had indeed taken preparations for war!

Large numbers of disciples received transfer orders and left the sect one after another, their destinations unknown... Under such circumstances, it was naturally impossible for the price of the Substitute Yin Puppets to drop even slightly.

No matter how expensive they became, those about to head into the Great War between Righteousness and Demonic Paths had no choice but to grit their teeth and buy.

After all, money could be earned again, but one only had one life.

Under these conditions, more and more people chose to enter the market. Most of them were not even ordinary disciples, but true scions of great families.

Compared to ordinary disciples, these scions came from wealthy clans; their elders were, at the very least, Foundation Establishment cultivators. The contribution points they could mobilize were undoubtedly far greater than those of ordinary disciples. Consequently, after they entered the market, the price of the Substitute Yin Puppets, which had shown signs of slowing down, took off once again.

Three thousand, four thousand, five thousand...

Clearly, this price was no longer on the same level as the actual value of a Substitute Yin Puppet. Some people, driven by fear, even began to exit the market.

In this situation, the price of the Substitute Yin Puppets naturally experienced a dip.

A similar panic gradually spread, yet even more people—especially those who had experienced the first dip—remained full of confidence.

"Don't panic! This is just a technical correction!"

"Selling off? It's far too early for that!"

This time, Zhao Xuhe felt he had learned his lesson.

Previously, he had exited too early, and his second attempt to enter resulted in a small loss rather than a profit. How could he possibly suffer the same loss twice?

"The Great War hasn't even started yet. There is still plenty of supply of Substitute Yin Puppets on the market, so it looks like the price has hit its ceiling for now. But once the fighting starts, the consumption of Substitute Yin Puppets will inevitably skyrocket, and there are no other substitutes. Everyone will come back to buy them!"

"When that time comes, the price will inevitably undergo a third surge!"

"What is a mere five thousand contribution points? Seven thousand, or even ten thousand is possible! When it's a matter of life and death and supply is non-existent, people will sell everything they own just to buy them!"

Zhao Xuhe felt his analysis was flawless.

"So, while those fools are selling out of fear... I'm going to double down!"

Thinking this, Zhao Xuhe not only poured in all his savings but even went into debt, borrowing a massive sum based on the credit of the Sanhe Society.

He went all-in.

Zhao Xuhe was certainly not the only "smart person." Others made the same judgment and began to take advantage of the situation to sweep up goods in the market.

Influenced by this, the prices that had just dipped began to climb again.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe, who had been feeling somewhat uncertain, felt as if he had swallowed a sedative. He felt his decision to go all-in was truly brilliant.

Then, early the next morning.

A voice rang out directly from the Sacred Fire Cliff, instantly spreading throughout the Primordial Saint Sect.

"Recently, the Sect Leader has personally made arrangements. On the surface, we have mobilized disciples to show a posture of war preparation, but in secret, we have sent personnel to launch a surprise attack on the Jiangnan Ten Thousand Graves."

"Therefore, it is my great pleasure to announce to all disciples..."

"Just yesterday, the Jiangnan Ten Thousand Graves were personally reclaimed by the Sect Leader. At the same time, the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion has contacted the Sect Leader and expressed a willingness to negotiate peace with the Saint Sect."

It exploded.

Literally. The moment the news spread, the sound of an explosion erupted from a certain cultivation cave, as if someone had suffered a cultivation deviation and self-detonated.

Immediately following that, there was a deathly silence.

The vast Primordial Saint Sect, which only yesterday was a scene of vibrant life and burgeoning growth, was now left with a suffocating, terrifying stillness.

Because everyone understood: the reclamation of the Jiangnan Ten Thousand Graves meant the supply of Substitute Yin Puppets would no longer be short; the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion's initiative to negotiate peace meant the Great War was far off in the distance. More importantly, this news was released via disciple tokens, making it an official announcement.

Therefore, it could not be false.

The bubble known as the Substitute Yin Puppet burst violently at that moment. As a result, its price began a free-fall from its peak of seven thousand.

Five thousand, three thousand, one thousand, two hundred.

A price that had taken over a month to climb had now plummeted back to its original value in just fifteen minutes, and it was still falling!

Everyone wanted to sell, but no one was willing to buy.

Especially those who had stockpiled large quantities of Substitute Yin Puppets; they could only watch helplessly as the price crashed through the floor and their wealth evaporated.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

That night, deafening explosions could be heard from within the Primordial Saint Sect at almost regular intervals. It was impossible to say how many people had suffered broken Dao hearts because of it.

Inside his cave, Zhao Xuhe had long since fainted.

When he finally opened his eyes, his expression was dazed, as if in a dream: "How terrifying... I actually dreamed that the price of the Substitute Yin Puppet dropped, hahaha..."

Then, he glanced at the price of the Substitute Yin Puppet.

100 contribution points per unit.

"...I must have misread it."

After a moment of silence, Zhao Xuhe turned off his disciple token, took a deep breath, and then with trembling hands, turned it back on to check the price again.

50 contribution points per unit.

"Pfft!!!"

Zhao Xuhe sprayed a mouthful of blood on the spot. His face turned a dark, bruised purple, and his vital energy plummeted to rock bottom, mirroring the price of the puppets.

"I hate...!"

Zhao Xuhe had no time to think. He desperately suppressed the violent thoughts in his heart, regulated his breathing, and smoothed his true qi, narrowly avoiding a true cultivation deviation.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside his cave.

"Senior Brother Zhao, Lyu Yang has come to visit."

"Lyu Yang?"

Zhao Xuhe froze for a long while before remembering his junior brother. Then he thought of how the other had exited early and repaid his loan, while he was now left with nothing...

"Pfft!"

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhao Xuhe walked out of the door unsteadily, only to see Lyu Yang standing there looking refreshed and invigorated, waving at him enthusiastically

"Senior Brother, how much money did you make today?"

*Bang!*

With a sudden sound, Zhao Xuhe's teeth clenched tight. True qi surged uncontrollably throughout his body, causing cracks to appear under his skin and seep with blood.

Lyu Yang immediately looked horrified: "Senior Brother!? Are you alright?"

"...I am fine."

Zhao Xuhe managed to squeeze out a smile: "By the way, Junior Brother Lyu, I recently discovered an ancient cultivator's cave. There seem to be many good things inside."

As he spoke, a murderous glint appeared in Zhao Xuhe's eyes, and he squeezed the words through his teeth: "I wonder if you would be interested, Junior Brother?"