Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Vol 2 ch 20: Impersonating Ling Buyang

"You mean Ling Buyang was killed, and Xu Xin not only didn’t report it but chose to flee alone?"

Unlike the shock on the other two’s faces, Zhang Xuan sensed something off.

"A Fate Guardian’s duty is to protect Destiny Masters. Now that the person he was protecting has died, a severe dereliction of duty like this leaves him with no choice but to run for his life," Yu Longqing explained.

Zhang Xuan frowned. "So, no one knows that Ling Buyang is dead?"

Yu Longqing nodded. "Aside from us two, only he knew, and Liu Tianzheng, who also knew, was killed on the spot by him!"

Zhang Xuan was surprised. "Liu Tianzheng is dead?"

Despite repeatedly causing trouble for him, Liu Tianzheng was still Liu Mingyue’s father and the head of his clan. Now, he had been killed in silence. As expected, great risks accompany great rewards, but in his case, there were no rewards, only the complete ruin of his family and his own death—how tragic.

"Wait, no one knows about Ling Buyang’s death… isn’t that beneficial for me?"

Pretending to be a scion of a noble family or finding a "teacher" to back his claims could temporarily deceive others but would be exposed under scrutiny. However… what if he assumed the identity of Ling Buyang?

Ling Buyang’s background was well-documented; he had a legitimate status and position as a Destiny Master. More importantly, he hailed from the Zouyi Dynasty, where Kong Shi had once been hunted and fled into a certain **Destiny Divine Domain** for safety.

If Zhang Xuan could take on Ling Buyang’s identity, all the problems he currently faced would be resolved!

After considering the plan several times in his mind and confirming that impersonating Ling Buyang was safer than pretending to be a noble scion, Zhang Xuan felt more confident. This strategy would not only solve the identity investigation issue but also completely conceal Ling Buyang’s death, ensuring no one would discover it.

However, there was a prerequisite: he needed confirmation beforehand. Acting without verification would be disastrous, akin to walking into a trap.

With this in mind, Zhang Xuan looked at the two. "Take me to Xu Xin. I need to ask him something."

"Alright!"

Yu Longqing said no more and led the way. Soon, the four of them reached a secluded room in the City Lord’s Mansion. There, they saw Xu Xin chained up, his expression dazed and dejected. The former arrogance and insolence were gone, replaced by sheer terror.

"It’s you? You killed Lord Ling. I’m doomed, and you won’t fare well either. The Destiny Hall will never let this go…"

Recognizing Zhang Xuan, Xu Xin’s eyes glimmered with false bravado.

"You knew I was a noble family’s disciple out on trial, yet you dared to attack. If the Destiny Hall knew how Ling Buyang sought death, how do you think they’d react?"

Zhang Xuan smiled, meeting his gaze.

Xu Xin snorted. "This isn’t an ordinary Destiny Master; he was Lord Mo Baiye’s direct disciple. The Destiny Hall will thoroughly investigate your background. If you truly come from an untouchable lineage, they might drop it. But if your backing is weaker than Lord Mo’s, no matter what you say, you’ll face retribution."

Zhang Xuan nodded. "That’s fair."

"Fair?" Xu Xin was taken aback.

"Indeed, those with greater power are not challenged. The weaker ones inevitably face trouble—survival of the fittest," Zhang Xuan remarked. "Did you really think that by escaping, the Destiny Hall wouldn’t know Ling Buyang had died?"

"I ordered the Liu family to stay away from the room. As long as I didn’t speak, no one would find out for a while. By then, I’d be somewhere unreachable!"

Xu Xin’s eyes filled with resentment as he glanced at Yu Longqing. "It’s all your fault! Otherwise, I would have already escaped!"

Zhang Xuan’s brow furrowed. "So if no one discovers it, they won’t know? Does the Destiny Hall not have something like a life token that signals when someone dies?"

In the Master Teacher Continent, powerful figures would often leave life tokens imprinted with their soul auras. When the original body perished, the token would shatter, signaling their death. This was Zhang Xuan’s concern regarding the Source World.

"Of course, there are life tokens!" Xu Xin replied. "However, I’ve followed Lord Ling for many years and know he never left such items. Imprinting a soul trace makes it easy for others to deduce your fate and, consequently, control it. Only noble family descendants use them to confirm life or death, as having such tokens allows others to predict and control their fate. Who would willingly do that?"

"I see…" Zhang Xuan exhaled in relief.

If he impersonated Ling Buyang, and others were unaware of his death, then this wasn’t stepping into a trap but seizing an opportunity.

"Now that I know this, you’re no longer needed…"

With a sigh, Zhang Xuan approached Xu Xin, placing a finger on his forehead.

"What are you doing?" Xu Xin shouted, panic-stricken. "Young Master Zhang, I was wrong. I was just following Ling Buyang’s orders. He wanted to kill you; it had nothing to do with me… Please, spare me! I’ll give you the thirty million Source Coins and the three Destiny Disks I have!"

Facing danger, Xu Xin, who lacked resolve, surrendered instantly.

"With you dead, these will be mine regardless."

Zhang Xuan’s expression was calm as a vast mountain range within his soul world ignited. Instantly, Xu Xin’s memories were extracted.

This was the unique technique of a Soul Oracle—memory extraction!

A skill from the Master Teacher Continent that required burning a segment of the new world to activate.

Assimilating the memories into his own, Zhang Xuan learned many things, including intricate details about the Destiny Hall of the Hanyuan Dynasty. He exhaled deeply, reassured that Xu Xin’s statements had been truthful. Moreover, to impersonate Ling Buyang successfully, he needed more insights about him.

Previously, using the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan discerned flaws but lacked specific details. Now, having absorbed Xu Xin’s memories, he gained sufficient knowledge of the Destiny Hall, enough to avoid stumbling blindly.

"Who are you? Why am I here? I’m hungry…"

Stripped of memories, Xu Xin’s gaze turned blank, his mind seemingly wiped.

"Seems the energy I used wasn’t enough…" Zhang Xuan sighed, slightly embarrassed.

Normally, using his power for memory extraction wouldn’t harm the target. However, because he needed to burn the new world’s resources, the result lacked precision, leading to significant damage.

Still, leaving Xu Xin as an imbecile was more merciful than death.

"Let’s go to the Liu family."

Finished extracting Xu Xin’s memories and collecting the thirty million Source Coins and three Destiny Disks, Zhang Xuan walked out.

"Teacher Zhang, should we… kill him?" Yu Longqing asked, shocked by Xu Xin’s transformation into a drooling fool. It was clear that Zhang Xuan’s so-called peak of the Jade Bone Realm was mere disguise.

"Leave him for Liu Mingyue to deal with," Zhang Xuan waved dismissively.

As flawed as Liu Tianzheng was, he was her father. Let her decide his fate.

"Understood," Yu Longqing nodded.

With the City Lord and Dean Lu personally leading the way, they soon arrived at the sealed hall of the Liu family. Inside, they found Ling Buyang’s stiff corpse seated at the center of an array, with Liu Tianzheng’s heart-pierced body lying nearby.

Yu Longqing and Lu Mingrong wore solemn expressions at the scene.

A Destiny Master at the Dharma Aspect Realm had died so silently! This meant the person before them must have surpassed that level, reaching unimaginable heights.

Zhang Xuan approached Ling Buyang’s corpse, touched it lightly, and with a "whoosh," it vanished into his inner world. The next moment, a series of cracks resounded from Zhang Xuan’s bones, and his appearance transformed completely.

"You… you…"

The eyes of the two experts widened in speechless shock.

Zhang Xuan now looked exactly like Ling Buyang, from his appearance to his aura and even the impression his soul conveyed—there was not the slightest discrepancy.

Could it be that Zhang Xuan had mastered advanced disguise techniques? Such a skill required recognition by Fate itself.

Otherwise, such perfect mimicry would be impossible!

The more they interacted with Zhang Xuan, the more enigmatic he appeared—like a deep, unfathomable pool, impossible to see through or understand.

"Is Teacher Zhang planning to… impersonate Ling Buyang to cover up his death?" Lu Mingrong quickly grasped the plan.

It was a clever approach. If "Ling Buyang" returned to the Destiny Hall, White Roc City and everyone involved would be safe. As for when "he" might die in the future—that would be up to Zhang Xuan.

With special preservation methods, the body would not decompose quickly, allowing this ruse to last for some time.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Realizing this, Yu Longqing’s expression turned despondent. He bowed deeply. "Teacher Zhang, if I don’t survive, please take care of Xia

oyu. She’s your student and knows nothing of this."

Lu Mingrong added, "I have no family or burdens. I only ask that, as a teacher and elder of White Rock Academy, you look after this place."

"Die?"

Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan understood their thoughts and shook his head. "You’re overthinking. I only ask that you keep this a secret and don’t let it spread."

Yu Longqing and Lu Mingrong were stunned.

The implications were enormous. Xu Xin had killed Liu Tianzheng directly, leaving them no hope of survival. Yet Zhang Xuan simply asked for their silence and showed no intention of harming them.

"Why?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Yu Longqing finally asked.

Author's Note