Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

“Tell her I have urgent matters to attend to and we can discuss it at home later.”

Understanding that a meeting would risk exposing his identity, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and strode out quickly.

Before he could leave the Destiny Hall, he spotted Xie Feng approaching a young woman who appeared to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, radiating youthful energy.

A young concubine in her twenties... it seemed Ling Buyang’s private life was even more complicated than he had thought.

Using a special method, Zhang Xuan contacted Sun Qiang and soon met him.

With sufficient funds, the steward had already secured a residence covering several acres, spacious and well-appointed.

Seeing Zhang Xuan arrive, Sun Qiang stepped forward: “Young Master, should we consider hiring some servants?”

“Not for now,” Zhang Xuan shook his head, summoning Dao Li with a thought. “If there’s anything needed, assign it to him. He’s fast on four legs...”

Given that Zhang Xuan planned to alternate between his real identity and Ling Buyang’s, having household staff could increase the risk of exposure.

“Heh-heh... heh-heh...” Dao Li nodded solemnly, as if in agreement.

“Everyone, come out too!”

With a flicker, Nie Lingxi, Zhao Ya, and others appeared before him.

They had all adapted to the Source World after training in the Xuan World, so their sudden arrival didn’t seem to faze them; instead, they were curious.

“No wonder it’s called the origin of myriad worlds; the space here is indeed more stable, and the pressure is stronger!” Nie Lingxi remarked after sensing their surroundings.

Although she had once been an Empress in the Firmament, here she felt no different from an ordinary person. Even running a few steps left her short of breath.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “Here are identity tokens I prepared for you.”

Distributing tokens obtained from Yu Longqing, he added, “Stay and train here for now. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me anytime. If I’m in seclusion, Sun Qiang can help.”

The group nodded in unison.

Since leaving Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhao Ya and the others had grown used to following their teacher’s arrangements, while Nie Lingxi simply smiled without comment.

The Little Chick, on the other hand, darted around with boundless curiosity.

The Source World’s intense pressure had caused the creature to revert from human form back to its original bird shape.

Instructing Dao Li to show everyone around, Zhang Xuan summoned Sun Qiang again. “You have two days. Find out how many Destiny Masters there are in the Destiny Hall and how many branches exist in Hanyuan City, along with their affiliations.”

If he were to convincingly impersonate Ling Buyang, ignorance wouldn’t do; he needed at least a basic grasp of the city’s political landscape.

“Leave it to me, Young Master...” Sun Qiang grinned.

Gathering information was his specialty. No matter the place, he could quickly locate sources and extract the desired details.

With everything in place, Zhang Xuan retreated to a room to train in peace.

Using the new world’s soul energy would provoke the Source World’s Heaven’s Path, so he could only rely on the power within his body to progress.

For three days, he cultivated until he reached the peak of the Divine Soul Realm before pausing.

The Divine Soul Realm didn’t appear to be constrained by the Heaven’s Fate Lock. Most cultivators capped at 200 horsepower at its peak, but Zhang Xuan achieved 500, with soul energy pure enough to extend up to 10,000 meters.

Ordinary cultivators in the same realm could only reach a range of 1,000 meters—just a tenth of his reach.

With this power, he could now contend with someone in the second level of the Dharma Aspect Realm’s Wandering stage.

In other words, even without burning the new world’s energy, his strength now rivaled Ling Buyang’s former level. Mimicking him would be even more seamless.

Returning to seclusion after reaching the Divine Soul peak, Zhang Xuan decided it was time to reappear. Remaining hidden too long could render “Ling Buyang” irrelevant.

As he stepped outside, Sun Qiang approached, handing over a sheet of paper: “Young Master, here is what I found; it’s all recorded.”

Zhang Xuan scanned the contents quickly.

Sun Qiang, reliable as always, had compiled all the information Zhang Xuan needed within just three days.

The Destiny Hall of Hanyuan City had 19 Destiny Masters. Ling Buyang ranked among the top five in terms of cultivation, with only a few, such as Han Xiao, being stronger.

“The Elder Liu must be Liu Bingshan mentioned here...”

Of the 19, only two had the surname Liu, and one was clearly in his thirties—not a match.

Of course, details about the bet couldn’t be unearthed, but knowing the name was already progress.

“Feng Zhaoting...”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes fell on another elder whose strength rivaled Ling Buyang’s.

This must be the Elder Feng Han Xiao had mentioned.

According to Sun Qiang’s findings, both Feng Zhaoting and Ling Buyang had significant chances of becoming the next vice-principal of the Destiny Hall, each with a faction of supporters. Liu Bingshan was one of Ling Buyang’s backers.

“Could it be that Ling Buyang bet and essentially gifted his concubine to secure Liu Bingshan’s support?”

After absorbing the information, Zhang Xuan speculated: “The merits and favors Han Xiao mentioned are likely linked to the vice-principal competition. His behavior upon hearing Ling’s return makes sense now.”

This was merely conjecture, albeit reasonable.

As for branches, most Destiny Masters ran their own halls to teach their fate cultivation. The most notable ones were White Cloud Hall, Cold Night Hall, Worry-Free Hall, and Cloud Mountain Hall. Their affiliations, however, remained unclear.

The findings left Zhang Xuan puzzled.

Wasn’t fate singular, kept secret, never to be revealed? If so, how were these Destiny Masters openly spreading their methods to others?

...

In the most famous medical hall of Fuyuan Trading House, Yu Fei stood nervously before an elderly physician.

This man, Feng Jin, was well-known throughout the dynasty for his medical expertise. The diagnosis that only Red Leaf Grass could save Yu Fei’s child came from him.

“Physician Feng, how is he?” Yu Fei asked anxiously.

The search for the herb had nearly cost the lives of his entire family, but they had been saved by an unknown hero.

“Don’t worry. With Red Leaf Grass, I can assure you he will be fine...” Feng Jin nodded.

“Thank you so much, Physician Feng...” Yu Fei’s relief was palpable as he paid the fee. After a moment’s thought, he produced a portrait: “Physician, I need your help with one more thing. Have you seen this person?”

Curious, Feng Jin accepted the drawing and opened it, revealing a lifelike portrait of a middle-aged man in his forties.

The level of detail was impressive, indicating the artist’s skill.

“Why are you looking for this man?” Feng Jin asked, not yet answering.

Yu Fei explained how his family had been hunted in the mountains by No Need Hall and were saved by this mysterious man.

Feng Jin’s expression turned strange. “You mean... someone from No Need Hall was chasing you, and this man killed the attackers to save you?”

“Exactly. He’s our savior. We are prepared to repay him, no matter the cost, if only we can find him,” Yu Fei confirmed earnestly. “If you know who he is, we would be deeply grateful.”

“I do recognize him, but I doubt you’ll believe me if I tell you...” Feng Jin sighed with a wry smile.

“Please, Physician Feng, tell us! Whether we believe it or not, we’ll judge for ourselves.”

His wife, Xiaoying, also implored: “Physician Feng...”

“Fine, I’ll tell you. If the portrait is accurate and I’m not mistaken, this man is none other than the hall master of No Need Hall—Ling Buyang!”

“He... is Ling Buyang?”

Yu Fei stood frozen in shock.

The leader of the hall that had hunted them had come to their rescue with no expectation of reward... What could this mean?

For a moment, everyone in the room was dumbstruck.

Author\'s Note