On his way to acquire small flower demons, Chen Guan made a stop at the city's teleportation station and contacted Duan Shulin, asking him to transfer some of his money, as much as he could spare, right away.

"Brother Guan, is there a money-making opportunity? Count me in. You decide how we split it, anything is fine with me," Duan Shulin immediately sensed the scent of money.

"It might not make money. It's just a guess for now. If I'm wrong, it could mean losing everything, a complete loss. Think it over carefully." Chen Guan said.

"No worries, if we lose, we lose. Business, especially big money ventures, always involves risk. Just include me in the deal. I can currently spare three million, half for you, and the other half as my investment. If it succeeds, just give me a fair share. As for the rest of your share, we'll split it after I sell that unparalleled pet for a good price," Duan Shulin transferred the money without even asking what Chen Guan intended to do.

"Don't blame me for not warning you; this deal is very risky, and it might turn into a complete loss. Are you sure you want to gamble?" Chen Guan was somewhat surprised that Duan Shulin trusted him so much.

"Yes, gamble," Duan Shulin replied with certainty.

"Didn't you always say a businessman doesn't gamble?" Chen Guan asked with a smile.

"It looks like gambling, but it's not, because I trust your capabilities. I know the kind of person you are and what you're capable of. You won't cheat me; if there's profit, we'll earn it; if not, that's just normal risk. So this is called venture capital, not gambling in the strict sense. This is just one of many investments I have; with venture capital, earning is rare, and losing money is the norm. Since I want to make big money, I naturally have to bear the risk of loss."

"Well said, just don't blame me if it ends in a complete loss." Chen Guan chuckled.

"Come on, let's try to earn a bit at least, alright? Earning money is hard for me too," Duan Shulin's expression changed as he quickly inquired, "Is the risk really that high?"

"Very high. It's hard to say exactly how much, but I myself am not very confident. You can still back out now," Chen Guan said.

"Are you joking? I helped my family clinch a big deal at the age of one, earned my first pot of gold at two, monopolized the kindergarten lollipop business at three, and dared to sell raincoats in the desert at thirteen. Is there any business I wouldn't invest in? Go ahead and use the money, I'm committed to this deal... By the way, Brother Guan... what exactly is the business we're in here...?"

"Acquiring small flower demons."

Duan Shulin almost choked, asking in a strange tone, "Brother Guan, you mean the small flower demons from the Beimang Mountain Blessed Land that feed on peony pollen?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What's our acquisition price then?" Duan Shulin asked cautiously.

"20."

Duan Shulin took a deep breath: "Brother Guan, you're going wild with this business. The value of small flower demons is at most 10 bucks; there'd be many eager sellers at 10, and you could probably get them for a few bucks. Offering 20 seems too extravagant, don't you think?"

"I don't have time to collect slowly, so it needs to be quick. People wouldn't bother making a special trip to sell to me for a few bucks, but 20 bucks is enough for a family of three to have a decent meal at a good diner, so they'll come to sell," Chen Guan explained.

"True, but what do you plan to do with the small flower demons?" Duan Shulin wondered, unsure what Chen Guan's intentions were. Small flower demons, as Secret Spirits, aren't very useful outside of Incense Masters, and they don't particularly favor small flower demons, as their Fragrant Wind skill comes with a bad odor that affects the fragrance, making other aroma-capable Secret Spirits better options.

Although he couldn't figure out why there was profit to be had with small flower demons, and Chen Guan wouldn't say, Duan Shulin still decided to follow Chen Guan's lead.

"Rest assured and collect them. Need my help?" Duan Shulin offered.

"No need, I can handle it myself. While small flower demons are common, they aren't as plentiful as imagined, and we should keep this low-key to avoid trouble. Let's keep this between you and me, don't leak it to anyone," Chen Guan reminded Duan Shulin.

Since Chen Guan mentioned it, he already had a plan to respond if word got out.

With the money in hand, Chen Guan returned to the Beimang Mountain Secret Realm to continue his small flower demon acquisition journey.

"Buddy, what are you using these small flower demons for?" A man squatted in front of Chen Guan's stall, grinning as he asked.

In the past few days, countless people had asked Chen Guan this question.

"Trade secret," Chen Guan replied directly.

"Are you interested in just regular small flower demons, or do you want high-quality ones as well?" the man inquired further.

"I'm interested in both," Chen Guan didn't even lift his eyelids, thinking it was just another person fantasizing. There had been quite a few of these in the past days, all ending with nothing.

"I have a unique small flower demon here; what price can you offer?" the man continued.

"A unique small flower demon?" This time, Chen Guan looked up at the man, noticing he wasn't too old, around his early twenties, and was somewhat plump.

In this era, a plump person was a rather terrifying sight.

Due to the cultivation of Secret Techniques, people's metabolisms were excellent, making it hard to gain weight under normal circumstances. Those still overweight today generally practiced some special Secret Technique that altered body shape.

Such Secret Techniques usually had some substance to them, and even if they weren't of very high quality, they'd possess certain special traits.

Seeing Chen Guan observing him, the chubby man continued to grin: "Yes, a unique small flower demon. If your offer is good, I can let you have it."

"Let me see its attributes first, so I can offer a price," Chen Guan thought for a moment and said, as the man seemed not to be digging for information.

Over the past few days, he had acquired over ten thousand small flower demons and hadn't seen even a single rare one, let alone a unique one. Less than twenty were of rare quality.

It's very difficult for such low-level Secret Spirits to show up as high-quality anomalies.

The chubby man summoned his small flower demon, and indeed, it looked somewhat different from the regular small flower demons.

Ordinary small flower demons wore fairy skirts in colors such as pink, jade green, milky white, pale yellow, dark purple, and blue, with peach blossom petal wings. This one, however, was dressed in a rare bright red fairy skirt.

Its redness was vivid, majestic, and luxurious, with a velvet-like texture. Its wings shared the same color and texture, making it look noble and elegant. Had it not been for the pustules on its face and the foul smell it emitted, it would have been a very beautiful Secret Spirit.

Unfortunately, its exposed skin was covered with pustules, emitting an unpleasant odor.

However, the color and texture of its fairy skirt reminded Chen Guan of that Celestial Immortal Peony on Peony Mountain.

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