Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Chapter 83: White Roc Trading House

The Destiny Disks from the Destiny Hall could only be obtained by academies with the necessary qualifications. Small trading houses could only acquire used disks, and even then, competition was fierce.

The Liu family had paid a fortune every year to secure the rights to these items, including tens of thousands of Source Coins this year alone. Yet, all they got in return was this broken piece of junk?

"This year's assessment lasted two full days. There's no way this was the only disk, and it’s shattered at that..." Liu Tianzheng couldn’t help but ask after his initial fury subsided.

"Of course, there wasn't just one!" Dean Lu Mingrong nodded, his face sincere. "There were three in total!"

"That's more like it!"

Liu Tianzheng's tense expression relaxed into a smile, but it quickly froze when he saw the other two disks. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he exclaimed, "Dean Lu, are you playing a joke on me?"

Just moments ago, Wu Yunzhou had handed over two more used disks. Like the first one, they were both shattered into multiple pieces, with not a trace of Heaven's Fate Energy left—nothing, not even a shred.

In all their years of cooperation, this was the first time Liu Tianzheng had seen the disks so thoroughly depleted.

"Master Liu, you're overthinking this. Why would we play a joke on you? This year's students were numerous, and there were many geniuses among them, so they consumed a bit more Heaven's Fate Energy than usual. It's not unusual. Unfortunately, all three disks have been completely exhausted, with no energy left," Lu Mingrong explained, shaking his head.

"This is impossible! I specifically investigated. This year, 9,465 students came to White Rock Academy for the assessment, with 2,593 failing to absorb even a single strand of energy. Among the 6,872 successful students, over ninety percent absorbed only one strand. I calculated the total, and all together, they shouldn't have consumed more than 9,000 strands of energy. One disk should have sufficed. How could three disks be drained like this?" Liu Tianzheng argued.

Dean Lu replied calmly, "But that is the reality."

Liu Tianzheng's calculations were accurate—other students hadn't consumed enough energy to deplete even one disk. However, there was that one person who drained all three... but this was not something Dean Lu could reveal.

"Master Liu, the dean speaks the truth. If you don’t believe us, you can ask the other elders. We have no reason to deceive you. Moreover, you can see the disk fragments yourself—whether they are real or fake is clear at a glance," Wu Yunzhou added.

After carefully examining the fragments in his hand, Liu Tianzheng realized there was no point in arguing further. He took a deep breath and said, "Dean Lu, I know that White Rock Academy applies for two Destiny Disks from the Destiny Hall each year. Under normal circumstances, only one is used, so the academy should have a significant stockpile. Could you sell me one? Otherwise, with just these fragments, I'm afraid the Source Pool assessments at the trading house won't be able to proceed this year..."

He had already sold many slots for the assessments, and without a Destiny Disk, the trading house might as well close down.

The academy did indeed apply for two disks each year, but the Destiny Hall didn't always grant that many. Plus, the academy's yearly consumption...

Dean Lu didn't deny it, saying, "There are indeed a few left, and I can sell you one, but the price might be a bit steep."

"Price is negotiable!" Liu Tianzheng quickly nodded, smiling.

"Since Master Liu is so eager, how about this? I won’t ask for an unreasonable amount—200,000 Source Coins for one," Dean Lu offered. "You should know that even the academy has to pay a hefty price to purchase these disks from the Destiny Hall."

Knowing that Dean Lu wasn’t lying and that the price wasn’t too outrageous, Liu Tianzheng clenched his fists. After a long pause, he let out a breath of relief. "Fine, deal!"

A single Destiny Disk could store about 10,000 strands of Heaven's Fate Energy. The cultivators coming to him for the assessment would each need to pay at least 200 Source Coins. According to past experience, about half would fail to absorb any energy, while over ninety percent of the successful ones would absorb only one strand.

By purchasing the disk for 200,000 Source Coins, Liu Tianzheng was confident that he could earn more than that in profits. It was a highly lucrative deal.

"Good, bring Master Liu a new disk," Dean Lu said, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand.

Without further ado, Wu Yunzhou left and quickly returned with a pristine Destiny Disk.

After carefully inspecting the disk several times to ensure it was brand new, Liu Tianzheng finally relaxed. "I’ll personally deliver the Source Coins tonight."

"We trust Master Liu's integrity," Dean Lu responded with a wave of his hand.

As long as the Liu family remained, they weren’t worried about being cheated.

...

White Roc Trading House was bustling with activity.

As Zhang Xuan looked at the imposing building before him, he awkwardly turned to City Lord Yu Longqing. "City Lord, I just feel that my Source Pool hasn’t fully stabilized yet. I want to find some Heaven's Fate Energy to see if I can absorb more. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself further. If a distinguished figure like you accompanies me, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings."

Yu Longqing nodded, "You're right; I should have considered this earlier."

His reputation in White Roc City was high—while the people might not recognize Dean Lu or the Chen family head, they certainly knew the city lord.

If he escorted Zhang Xuan into the trading house and tended to him personally, even a fool would notice something was amiss.

If that happened, how could Zhang Xuan keep his genius hidden?

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Longqing took out a token. "Teacher Zhang, I won’t accompany you, but you must accept this token. If you find something you want but don’t have enough Source Coins, you can use this to charge it to the City Lord’s Mansion. Furthermore, if anyone deliberately causes trouble, this token will allow you to summon the city guards to deal with the problem."

"This... It’s too valuable for me to accept without merit!" Zhang Xuan quickly refused, his eyes full of doubt. "City Lord, I'm just an ordinary teacher. Even though I'm honored to have taught Miss Yu, isn’t this a bit too much?"

Although Zhang Xuan didn't know the exact value of the token, he could tell from its ability to charge purchases and mobilize the city guards that it was extraordinary. Even if he was Yu Xiaoyu’s teacher, wasn’t it a bit excessive to give him something like this?

Frowning, Zhang Xuan thought back carefully.

His interactions with Yu Longqing had mostly been limited to taming the Cangback Eagle and accepting Yu Xiaoyu as a disciple. As for igniting the furnace, that had been achieved using the blood of a Qingguang Beast—an exceptional achievement, but not overly impressive...

All this time, Zhang Xuan had hidden his abilities well and hadn't exposed any issues, so logically, Yu Longqing shouldn't have any suspicions.

Realizing his actions might have been too forward, Yu Longqing awkwardly smiled and explained, "It's like this... Xiaoyu was a bit inattentive during her lesson today, so I was hoping, Teacher Zhang, that you could give her some private guidance."

Zhang Xuan sighed in relief, silently admiring Yu Longqing's deep love for his daughter. He nodded and said, "If she completes the tasks in the scroll tonight, I will certainly guide her tomorrow. You have my word, City Lord."

A parent's love for their child was boundless.

The esteemed City Lord went to such lengths, even accompanying Zhang Xuan and offering a City Lord’s Token, all for the sake of helping his daughter. It truly wasn’t easy.

"Of course!" Yu Longqing was equally relieved that his explanation was accepted. He cupped his fists and said, "In that case, I won't disturb you any further, Teacher Zhang. Farewell!"

After speaking, he turned and began to walk away. A few steps later, he saw the young man waving goodbye, so he smiled and returned the gesture. To his surprise, the horse under Zhang Xuan—Dao Li—also lifted a hoof and waved it in farewell.

A horse waving goodbye? Was this animal serious?

"Alright, stop showing off..."

Zhang Xuan gave Dao Li a light slap on its side and dismounted.

This horse was good in every way except for its love of showing off. It wanted to impress everyone it met... It needed to learn to be as low-key and reserved as its owner!

Seeing that the trading house didn't refuse to accommodate the horse, Zhang Xuan led Dao Li inside.

Having already asked for directions, Zhang Xuan bypassed several stalls and soon arrived at a spacious hall.

Outside the hall, a large crowd had already gathered—at least a hundred people, all of whom were independent cultivators here for the Source Pool assessment. They varied in age, the youngest being at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight, while the oldest were in their sixties or seventies.

Cultivation offered not only the potential for an extended lifespan but also the opportunity to earn more money, a temptation few could resist.

"Everyone, please be patient. The steward has already informed Master Liu, who has gone to White Rock Academy to obtain a Destiny Disk! Those who haven't registered yet, please come forward to pay the registration fee and prepare to enter..."

An overseer noticed the growing noise and called out to the crowd.

Zhang Xuan approached the overseer.

Most of the hundred people had already pre-registered. Few, like Zhang Xuan, were here for the first time, so there weren’t many ahead of him in line.

As he waited, Zhang Xuan felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning, he saw Dao Li nuzzling his arm with its large head.

"You want to try too?" Zhang Xuan was surprised.

Dao Li was a creature he had successfully awakened with the Spirit Awakening Technique and had fully tamed. It could communicate with him normally.

The massive head of Dao Li nodded in response.

"That makes sense!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Although I've helped you find your Source Pool and sorted out your meridians, you haven’t actually undergone an assessment yet. Since there's Heaven's Fate Energy available here, you should try to absorb some."

Dao Li let out a pleased snort, clearly excited.

Without further delay, Zhang Xuan joined the line and soon reached the front. He took out 400 Source Coins, handed them over, and said, "I'd like to register for two."

The overseer glanced at him with a hint of confusion. "The second person... They need to be here soon, as the assessment is about to start. Once it begins, no refunds will be issued."

"They're already here!" Zhang Xuan smiled and patted Dao Li. "It's this horse. It wants to participate as well."

The overseer was momentarily stunned, then broke into a strange smile. "You want a horse to take up a slot in the Source Pool assessment?"

Zhang Xuan nodded. "Yes! Is that possible?"

The overseer chuckled. "As long as you pay, you could bring a whole herd of horses if you like! But I should warn you, horses are large animals and will take up the space of about four people, so it’ll cost four times the regular price."

"That's fine!" Zhang Xuan agreed.

"Someone with money to burn..." the overseer muttered under his breath, but he didn't try to dissuade Zhang Xuan any further. Instead, he explained, "Our trading house offers different levels of assessment—Inner and Outer Circles, each with three tiers: Inner One, Two, Three, and Outer One, Two, Three. Which level would you like to purchase?"

"Different levels?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"Of course. The closer you are to the Destiny Disk, the denser the Heaven's Fate Energy, which increases your chances of a successful assessment. If you can afford it, you should definitely go for the better spots," the overseer elaborated.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

It was like attending a concert— the closer you were to the stage, the higher the ticket price, and some seats could even be resold for exorbitant amounts.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan asked, "How much for a spot in the Inner One Circle? I’d like one for myself and one for Dao Li."

Back at the academy, he had been stuck in the outer circle, barely absorbing any energy. Now that he had the option to purchase the best spot, he wasn’t going to miss the chance.

The overseer replied, "Inner One is the best and most expensive—1,200 Source Coins per person. Since your horse will take up four spots, it’ll be 4,800 Source Coins for it, making the total 6,000 Source Coins."

Zhang Xuan glanced at Dao Li and, though it pained him slightly, he eventually nodded. "Let's go with that."

After he paid, the overseer handed him two tokens. "These are your entry tokens. Wait over there, and someone will guide you inside shortly."

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan accepted the tokens and led Dao Li toward the gathering crowd.

"Manager Qin, letting a horse take part in the assessment—has that ever happened before? Won't you get in trouble for allowing it?" a staff member approached the overseer, concern evident in their voice.

In all the years of Source Pool assessments, people had struggled to get a spot. Never before had anyone brought in an animal, especially one as large as this.

"Trouble? Why would I get in trouble for generating profit for the family?" Overseer Qin sneered, looking at the staff member as if they were foolish. "You don't really think a horse can absorb Heaven's Fate Energy, do you?"

"Of course not!" The staff member had a sudden realization. "Horses are just ordinary animals, not Source Beasts. They can't cultivate at all. By letting it in and charging four times the fee, you'll ensure that not a single strand of Heaven's Fate Energy is consumed. It's pure profit..."

"Exactly!" Overseer Qin nodded. "This fool just wants to show off by bringing a horse. If that's the case, we'll gladly take his money and indulge him."

If they had any ambition, they would have become Source Warriors long ago at their age. Why would they need to come to a trading house for an assessment?

"Manager Qin, you're truly wise!" The staff member nodded in agreement. Then, after taking another look at Zhang Xuan and Dao Li, something clicked. "Wait, why does that horse look so familiar?"

"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen it somewhere before too..." Manager Qin paused, then suddenly realized, "That horse... it looks like the young lady's Dao Li!"

"Yes, it's definitely Dao Li! How did it end up with that man? And why is he bringing it here for a Source Pool assessment?"

Both of them were stunned upon recognizing the horse.

"Isn't the patriarch supposed to come by later?" After a moment of silence, Manager Qin turned to ask.

"I heard he's coming this afternoon to personally oversee the assessment," the staff member replied with a nod.

"Good. If it really is the young lady's Dao Li, we'll know for sure when the patriarch arrives. As servants, we just need to report what we see."

Manager Qin smiled confidently.

"Understood!" The staff member didn’t ask any further questions.

After a while, more people came to register, and about half an hour later, Liu Tianzheng, the patriarch of the Liu family, strode into the trading house.

Elder Liu Tianming, who was in charge of the trading house, quickly greeted him. Liu Tianzheng handed over the newly purchased Destiny Disk and finally let out a sigh of relief.

With so many people registering, if there were no Heaven's Fate Energy available, the reputation the Liu family had built over the years would be ruined in an instant.

Seeing that the patriarch was momentarily free, Manager Qin hurried over. "Patriarch!"

"You must be Qin Lu, right? Do you need something from me?" Liu Tianzheng recognized him.

"Thank you, Patriarch, for remembering my name," Qin Lu's eyes brightened as he quickly bowed. "It's like this—someone just brought a horse to undergo a Source Pool assessment, and the horse looks like it might be young lady's Dao Li."

Liu Tianzheng was taken aback. "Where is he?"

Qin Lu pointed. "Right there, near the center of the arena..."

Liu Tianzheng looked up and indeed saw Zhang Xuan standing calmly in the middle of the crowd, holding the reins of a tall horse that was waiting quietly for the assessment to begin.

"What is he doing here?" Liu Tianzheng was puzzled.

While he didn't know the exact extent of Zhang Xuan's strength, he knew it was beyond the Energy Storing Realm; otherwise, he wouldn't have been capable of teaching his daughter.

Such strength indicated that his Source Pool should have stabilized long ago. Why would he come to a trading house for a Source Pool assessment now? It didn't make any sense.

And bringing a horse for the assessment...?

After pondering for a moment, Liu Tianzheng's expression darkened. "There aren't many slots available for the Source Pool assessment, and letting him bring a horse that takes up several spaces is pure nonsense!"

Qin Lu quickly responded, "I thought of that, Patriarch, so I charged him four times the usual fee for the horse!"

"Four times? 4,800 Source Coins?" Liu Tianzheng was surprised, then burst into laughter. "Well done, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders."

A horse couldn't possibly absorb Heaven's Fate Energy, so charging that much was pure profit. And to top it off, it was that same guy who had forced his daughter to sell Dao Li. The more Liu Tianzheng thought about it, the more he appreciated Qin Lu’s initiative. He decided to keep an eye on him for future promotion.

"Thank you for your praise, Patriarch!" Qin Lu was elated and quickly bowed in gratitude.

Just then, a faint humming sound echoed from afar as the Destiny Disk, newly obtained from Dean Lu, was activated. Strands of Heaven's Fate Energy immediately began to descend.

Liu Tianzheng stopped talking and looked up at the platform. Everyone had already taken their seats, eyes closed in meditation.

Even Dao Li had closed its large eyes, and its tall figure stood out conspicuously among the seated crowd.

Spending 4,800 Source Coins to have a horse participate in a Source Pool assessment—did this guy really think that just because some people respected him, he could do anything? If that horse manages to cultivate, I'll smash my head against the wall...

Just as Liu Tianzheng was about to turn away and find a place to rest, something caught his eye, and he froze in his tracks.

"What? This... This is impossible!"

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