Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Vol 2 Ch 45: No More Hiding

"Smart choice!"

After a brief hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. He planned to see just how many people were tempted by the bounty of 59 million Source Coins and resolve everything in one go.

If they were scheming to kill him for the reward, he’d strike first and wipe out this group of scum. In the end, it’d be clear who was the mantis stalking the cicada, and who was the oriole behind it all.

With a light press of his palm against the opponent’s abdomen, the Source Pool of the so-called expert shattered. His cultivation was rendered useless in an instant. Ignoring the man’s screams of pain, Zhang Xuan casually tossed him to the ground.

“Speak. Who’s behind the plot to kill me?”

“It’s…” The man’s face was drenched in cold sweat, his eyes trembling as he noticed Zhang Xuan’s icy gaze. Realizing that silence might cost him his life, Li Yue’an dared not conceal anything. “It’s Elder Feng Zhaoting…”

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan sneered, nodding.

In Hanyuan City, the one most desperate to kill him was undoubtedly Feng Zhaoting.

Competing for the position of Vice Hall Master, killing Feng Zhaoting’s younger brother, dismantling the Bu Xu Hall, and framing him—any one of these was a grudge that couldn’t be overlooked. It was a miracle Feng Zhaoting hadn’t acted sooner.

“Lead the way!”

After confirming the rendezvous location, Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered to say more. He threw Li Yue’an into the carriage like a sack of grain.

“What about him?” Fu Yingying pointed to Fan Xing, who lay injured on the ground.

While dealing with Li Yue’an, Zhang Xuan had caught Fan Xing attempting to escape and effortlessly dragged him back. As someone at the peak of the Divine Soul Realm, Zhang Xuan’s strength easily overwhelmed the Organs Easing Realm cultivator.

“Cultivating in defiance of fate, colluding with his master to harm others... Keeping him alive is just inviting more trouble. He deserves to die.”

“Don’t kill me! I’m willing to serve you, do whatever you want!” Fan Xing’s pale face was devoid of its former arrogance.

“Serve me? How could I trust you not to betray me?”

Uninterested in further conversation, Zhang Xuan lightly slapped him. The Organs Easing Realm cultivator couldn’t even react before his life was snuffed out.

Just like Yu Qingyu, this man had been an accomplice to evil. Such people didn’t deserve mercy.

As the carriage trundled along, Fu Yingying stared at the unassuming Ling Buyang beside her, unable to hold back her curiosity.

“Elder Ling is someone I’ve met before. He’s a bit of a lecher, somewhat cowardly, and his strength is only in the Roaming Realm. There’s no way he could be a match for Li Yue’an. Who are you, really? Could you have used a portrait skin from the Painting Gate to disguise yourself as him?” Ɽ

She had her doubts from their first meeting, but after the recent events, she was now certain.

People can change, but not to such an extreme!

Zhang Xuan gave her a puzzled look instead of answering. “Painting Gate?”

“It’s an organization similar to the Myriad Manifestations Gate, founded by a Destiny Master proficient in painting arts. Their works are so lifelike they can fool anyone. Their portrait skins can transform someone into another identity entirely, even deceiving close relatives. Earlier, Li Yue’an used one of these to trick me,” Fu Yingying explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

The Painting Gate seemed to resemble the painting arts of the Master Teacher Continent, but with a twist. While the latter focused solely on artistry, the Painting Gate appeared to incorporate disguise techniques.

His interest piqued, Zhang Xuan asked, “So, if someone painted a donkey or a horse, could the wearer of the skin turn into one?”

Fu Yingying nodded. “Naturally, they’d become a donkey or a horse.”

“That’s incredible!” Zhang Xuan exclaimed in awe.

In the Master Teacher Continent, one’s disguise abilities needed to reach the peak to mimic animals. Yet here, a simple painting could achieve the same effect. The Painting Gate was far more terrifying than he’d initially thought, and their Destiny Painting Arts were extraordinary.

“You don’t seem to know much about the Painting Gate. How did you come by a portrait skin?” Fu Yingying asked curiously.

Zhang Xuan shook his head, cutting her off. “Don’t overthink it. I’m Ling Buyang. My previous lack of strength was why I seemed so timid. Now that my cultivation has advanced, there’s no need to act the same way.”

Naturally, he couldn’t admit the truth. Whether she believed him or not, this identity was too useful to abandon just yet.

“Is that so?” Fu Yingying smiled slyly and leaned closer, pressing her soft figure against his arm and shoulder. “If you’re really Elder Ling, surely you haven’t forgotten what we did before? Should we… relive those moments? I’m ready anytime and have been waiting for you…”

“Relive what?!” Zhang Xuan flicked her forehead with a finger.

If he didn’t know Ling Buyang’s true character, he might’ve fallen for her ruse.

“You…”

Rubbing her forehead, Fu Yingying looked annoyed. Her seduction techniques seemed utterly ineffective on this man.

“Wait, are you cultivating the Fox Charm Destiny?” Zhang Xuan suddenly realized.

“How do you know that?” Fu Yingying’s expression changed instantly, her entire body stiffening in fear.

Her Destiny was a closely guarded secret. Not even Li Yue’an, who had followed her for years, knew about it. Yet Zhang Xuan had identified it in one sentence.

“You know my foundations, so naturally, I can uncover yours,” Zhang Xuan replied mysteriously. Then, he asked curiously, “For your type of Destiny, what’s required to break through your current limits?”

Fu Yingying hesitated before batting her lashes flirtatiously. “To charm powerful individuals into serving me. The stronger the target’s cultivation, the greater the benefits upon success.”

“So that’s how it works…” Zhang Xuan mused, finding that it aligned with his guess. “What counts as a successful charm?”

“When they’re completely willing to obey me, to follow my every command as if I were their master,” Fu Yingying explained.

Zhang Xuan pressed on. “Is that how you controlled Mo Xiaosheng and failed to realize he was Li Yue’an in disguise?”

Fu Yingying’s face turned red with embarrassment.

She had prided herself on her unparalleled charm techniques but ended up being duped instead.

Ignoring her awkwardness, Zhang Xuan pondered aloud. “So, if someone verbally agrees to follow you, it doesn’t matter whether they’re truly sincere. Go ahead and try to charm me.”

“Charm you? But it didn’t work last time…” Fu Yingying frowned.

“Just try,” Zhang Xuan said firmly.

Reluctantly, Fu Yingying moved closer, her robe slipping off her shoulder to reveal an alluring curve. Her voice softened, brimming with seductive undertones, enough to sway any man.

But despite her efforts, Zhang Xuan’s previous resistance seemed unshaken.

Just as Fu Yingying prepared to give up, Zhang Xuan’s expression suddenly changed. His gaze grew blank, and he murmured hesitantly, “Miss Fu, I’m willing to do anything for you…”

Fu Yingying was stunned.

Did her charm… succeed?

Her heart raced as she clenched her fists excitedly.

Zhang Xuan, who had effortlessly defeated Li Yue’an with his extraordinary strength, was now enchanted by her? If so, who could possibly stand against her?

“You’d really obey me? Serving me won’t be easy, you know…” Fu Yingying pushed her charm to the limit, her voice like a whisper of temptation.

Just as she reached her peak, she heard Zhang Xuan’s subdued voice.

“Stop babbling. Hurry and see if you can break through!”

Fu Yingying froze in disbelief.

So… he was faking it all along?

What was the point of all this?

Though exasperated, she decided not to waste the opportunity. Channeling her energy, she connected to the heavens.

A flow of Heaven’s Fate Energy descended upon her.

“It really works!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes sparkled as he absorbed the energy greedily.

While the amount wasn’t immense, every bit counted. Even the tiniest gain was worthwhile.

But as the flow diminished, Zhang Xuan turned to Fu Yingying. “Keep charming me! We need more!”

Speechless but compelled, Fu Yingying continued her seduction routine, her body trembling from exhaustion as she poured every ounce of her energy into the effort.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan played along, bowing repeatedly. “I’m willing to do anything for you…”

After repeating the process seven or eight times, Fu Yingying finally collapsed, drenched in sweat. Her cultivation, strained to its limits, faltered as she coughed up blood.

Zhang Xuan looked awkward.

“Well, I guess that was worth a try,” he muttered, marveling at his haul of over 3,000 strands of Heaven’s Fate Energy.

For Fu Yingying, though, the ordeal was a nightmare.

“What the hell are you even doing?” Fu Yingying demanded, glaring at him. Her voice trembled with frustration as she wiped her mouth, the blood staining her sleeve a testament to the backfire of her failed seduction attempts.

Zhang Xuan chuckled nervously, scratching his head. “It’s nothing. Just something I wanted to test. And now I know how it works.”

He offered no further explanation. Even if he did, she wouldn’t believe him.

Normally, Heaven’s Fate Energy linked to different Destinies was exclusive to their owner. But thanks to his Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan was like a walking bug in the system, able to absorb any energy as if it were his own.

This ability defied all common logic, and there was no way Fu Yingying could accept such an absurd truth.

While they were conducting their peculiar "experiment" in the carriage, outside, Li Yue’an was close to tears.

He’d never been so thoroughly humiliated.

Initially confident that his breakthrough would allow him to kill Ling Buyang, he now found himself acting as a mere coachman for this former pushover.

Worse yet, the sounds from inside the carriage—"Ah! Ah!"—filled with strange moans, made his head spin.

He’d always heard rumors about Elder Ling being lecherous, but he never expected this level of shamelessness. Doing something like that on the road? With no concern for decency?

Clenching his fists, Li Yue’an tried to block out the sounds and focus on driving.

But the humiliation festered. Each crack of the reins felt like another slap to his pride.

Author's Note