Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Vol 2 ch 12: Lord Ling Has Arrived

“Yes, it's him! The teacher arrived and treated him with a series of techniques, not only saving his life but also completely cleansing the deadly poison from his body.”

Vice-Principal Wu described the scene in detail.

After hearing the explanation, Lu Ming's eyes widened. “Are you saying he not only brought the dead back to life but also cured an ailment countless doctors couldn’t solve? Since when did his medical skills become so exceptional?”

Reviving the dead and healing broken bones were legendary feats he never believed possible until now—and done by someone known for creating miracles.

“How would I know!” Wu Yunzhou sighed bitterly and shook his head. “Not only that, after handling those cases, Teacher Zhang immediately rushed to the garden. The Luoyuhua flowers had inexplicably withered, beyond any gardener’s ability to save. He simply poured a bottle of liquor over them and pruned the yellowed leaves. The plant soon flourished again.”

“Is this... herbal mastery?” Lu Ming’s eyes widened.

Wu Yunzhou nodded. “Yes. After that, he went to the Fragrance Pavilion and apprehended the notorious thief Luo Qingkong after a fierce battle. Then, he proceeded to Cold Willow Alley to guide Master Hua Long in weapon forging, resulting in the creation of a supreme-grade divine weapon.

“Later, he visited Liudeng Street and unlocked the Lingyun Secret Lock, which had confounded countless experts for decades. Along the way, he even solved the legendary chess puzzle left thirty years ago by Elder Duju.”

The more Lu Ming listened, the more astonished and confused he became. Unable to contain himself, he said, “These tasks all had high bounties attached to them.”

“Exactly. Teacher Zhang seems to be earning rewards. In less than half a day, he must have earned at least ten million Source Coins!” Wu Yunzhou said, chuckling.

“So you’re saying that these problems, which have troubled countless experts in White Roc City and even the imperial capital for years, were all resolved by him in a short time just for some extra money?”

Lu Ming’s eyes widened with disbelief.

These challenges were legendary, ones he had heard of since childhood. Their fame and lucrative rewards had drawn not only local experts but even masters from neighboring cities and the imperial capital, only for all of them to fail!

Typically, solving just one of these issues would make someone famous citywide. But Zhang Xuan resolved them all, as if he were racing from one to the next, effortlessly collecting bounties.

“This isn’t solving problems; it’s a money-making spree!” Lu Ming thought, stunned.

“Yes! Not only did he solve them all, but each solution was flawless...” Wu Yunzhou nodded. “That’s why I suspect this Teacher Zhang isn’t just an educator. His talent in medicine, chess, forging, tracking, and botany must be unparalleled.”

Lu Ming couldn’t speak, overwhelmed.

He thought he had overestimated Zhang Xuan, only to realize he had still underestimated him. This man was like an inexhaustible gold mine, revealing new treasures at every turn and leaving everyone shocked and captivated.

While Zhang Xuan was busy figuring out how to make money, Lu Ming and others stood stunned, not understanding. Outside the Liu family mansion, Liu Tianzheng and various elders waited quietly by the gate.

Even Xu Xin had stopped his usual antics, standing still with anxious eyes darting around as if expecting someone.

Indeed, today was the day the imperial Destiny Master, Lord Ling Buyang, was to arrive.

Whether Zhang Xuan was truly a Chaotic Fate Practitioner or a Destiny Master, once Ling Buyang arrived, there would be no more hiding.

“Caw!”

After an unknown amount of time, the sky resounded with the cry of an eagle. Everyone looked up to see a massive Black-scaled Phoenix Eagle, with wings spanning over seven meters, flying in with incredible speed.

The Black-scaled Phoenix Eagle, a Source Beast at the Divine Soul level, was known for its strength and swiftness, capable of covering tens of thousands of miles in a day. It was one of the most common flying mounts in the Hanyuan Dynasty's imperial capital.

“It’s Lord Ling!” Xu Xin’s eyes lit up as he quickly stepped forward, bowing with cupped hands toward the eagle in the sky. “Fate Guardian Xu Xin awaits Lord Ling!”

“Hmm,” came a faint voice, as a middle-aged man stood up on the eagle’s back.

About forty years old, his presence commanded respect at first glance, exuding a sense of profound soul power.

His cultivation was likely far beyond that of experts like Yu Longqing, who had reached the Dharma Aspect Realm. For Destiny Masters who sought to control fate, an extraordinarily strong soul was essential. In fact, to become a Destiny Master, one needed at least to be at the Divine Soul Realm.

Ling Buyang had been a Destiny Master for an unknown number of years, making him even more formidable.

Ling Buyang leaped from the eagle, his eyes landing on Xu Xin. “What have you found out about this Zhang Xuan?”

Taking a deep breath, Xu Xin pulled out a book from his pocket and handed it over. “Reporting to Lord Ling, there are many suspicious points. This is the information I've compiled over the past few days. Please have a look.”

Ling Buyang flipped through the notes, his brow furrowing deeper with each page.

“Students taught by him have increased their power a hundredfold within days, reaching the Energy Storing Realm peak; taming thirty horses in an hour; draining all the Heaven’s Fate Energy from a Destiny Disk in just a quarter of an hour... This is beyond the capability of any normal Destiny Master, even with unparalleled talent.”

Destiny Masters could indeed learn many abilities, outperforming the average practitioner. Yet Zhang Xuan’s feats bordered on the miraculous, defying conventional wisdom.

Seeing Ling Buyang’s expression grow stern, Xu Xin asked cautiously, “Lord, what do you think?”

Closing the book, Ling Buyang’s eyes glinted. “A Chaotic Fate Practitioner isn’t just unparalleled in teaching, enabling students to progress rapidly. The key point is their mastery across many fields, each with extraordinary proficiency. Although I haven’t met this Zhang Xuan, based on your report, even if he isn’t a Chaotic Fate Practitioner, he must be closely related to one.”

“Then... what should we do?” Xu Xin asked nervously.

“Given that his cultivation is only at the Jade Bone level, we should act swiftly and capture him to prevent unforeseen consequences. Leave no room for error!” Ling Buyang said coldly.

Xu Xin’s face turned serious. “But... what if we’re wrong?”

“Wrong?” Ling Buyang shook his head. “Once we act, it won’t matter if he is or isn’t. There is no such thing as a mistake.”

The Destiny Hall of the Hanyuan Dynasty was not a monolith. Various factions vied for dominance, none willing to submit. If he was correct, Ling Buyang would outmaneuver Elder Feng and ascend to the long-coveted position. But if he was wrong, years of work could be undone.

Thus, there was no ‘mistake,’ only victory or defeat.

A dead man wouldn’t care about right or wrong.

“I understand!” Xu Xin’s face hardened.

Seeing Xu Xin's resolve, Ling Buyang nodded approvingly and looked at Liu Tianzheng. “You must be the head of the Liu family. You’ve done well these past years.”

“Rest assured, serve me faithfully, and you will be rewarded. The Liu family will soon rise to be the first in White Roc City!”

Liu Tianzheng’s face lit up, and he bowed. “Thank you, Lord Ling, for your favor!”

Ling Buyang instructed, “Surround Zhang Xuan’s residence. If word leaks out and he escapes, your entire Liu family will pay the price.”

Liu Tianzheng bowed lower. “We dare not disobey. However... there’s something I must confess beforehand.”

Ling Buyang frowned. “Speak.”

Liu Tianzheng explained, “My daughter, Liu Mingyue, for some reason has been swayed by Zhang Xuan and taken him as her teacher, even going so far as to sever ties with me. I hope Lord Ling will show mercy and spare her when capturing him.”

Ling Buyang’s expression turned cold. “Chaotic Fate Practitioners are adept at manipulating minds. In the Zouyi Dynasty, a similar practitioner recruited over a hundred disciples within three days, including princes and commoners, none of whom could be dissuaded. That allowed him to escape, and he still hasn’t been caught. Your daughter is only sixteen; it’s normal for her to be influenced. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Thank you, Lord...” Liu Tianzheng sighed in relief.

“Prepare to move! If Zhang Xuan resists, eliminate him on the spot!”

Ling Buyang commanded sharply.

“Understood!” Liu Tianzheng nodded, eyes showing a hint of regret.

If he had known Ling Buyang’s attitude, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to gift Zhang Xuan three Destiny Disks a few days ago. But it didn’t matter. If they captured Zhang Xuan, those items would remain his.

At the City Lord's Mansion, Yu Longqing was reviewing documents when Adviser Liao Shiquan rushed in.

“City Lord... trouble!”

Liao Shiquan’s brow was deeply furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Longqing looked up, puzzled.

“Just now, our spy at the Liu family reported that the Destiny Master Ling Buyang has arrived and is in discussions with the Liu family head

and elders,” Liao Shiquan said.

Yu Longqing nodded calmly. “We already knew Ling Buyang secretly supports the Liu family. If he visits without bothering us, we can pretend not to know.”

Despite being the City Lord, he could not afford to offend a Destiny Master. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.

“If it’s just for trading Destiny Disks, we can overlook it...”

Liao Shiquan's hands clenched as he met Yu Longqing’s eyes, his voice tight with urgency. “But if they’re planning to ambush Teacher Zhang Xuan, do we intervene or not?”

“Ambush Teacher Zhang Xuan?” Yu Longqing stood up abruptly, his face full of disbelief.

“Why?”

Author's Note