My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1164 Attendance
The first rays of sunlight in the morning penetrated the mist and sprinkled on every corner of the town. Zhou Xing, a burly butcher with a simple face, was busy at his stall. His hands were like those of a skilled artist, making precise cuts on the pork, and each cut looked so crisp and neat.

Not far away, Ling Xue was standing in front of her fish stall, holding a shiny kitchen knife in her hand, skillfully handling fresh fish. Her movements were light and graceful, as if she was performing a silent dance.

Although the two of them set up stalls in the same market, they rarely interacted with each other. However, an accidental opportunity brought about a subtle change in the trajectory of their lives.

That day, a customer hurried to Zhou Xing's stall and wanted to buy some pork for emergency. Unfortunately, Zhou Xing's pork was sold out that day. Seeing the disappointed look in the customer's eyes, Zhou Xing couldn't bear it, so he casually mentioned Ling Xue's fish stall, saying that the fish there were also very fresh.

The customer listened to Zhou Xing's suggestion and turned to Ling Xue's fish stall. Zhou Xing also saw this scene. He began to pay attention to this usually unknown fishmonger and found that she actually had a pair of very smart eyes. Whenever someone approached her stall, she would always look up and greet with a smile.

Since then, Zhou Xing has paid more attention to Ling Xue. He found that Ling Xue was not only beautiful, but also very hardworking and capable. She was the first one to arrive at the market every morning and the last one to leave at night. Her fish stall was always well organized, and every fish was well taken care of by her.

Gradually, Zhou Xing found that he had a special feeling for Ling Xue. He began to look forward to seeing her and hearing her voice every morning. Ling Xue seemed to feel Zhou Xing's gaze and sometimes looked up and smiled at him.

In this way, two strangers quietly developed feelings for each other in the bustling market. Their story also began - a symphony about the interweaving of butcher knives and fish scales was about to be played.

As time goes by, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue become closer and closer. They begin to share the little things in life together and face the ups and downs of the market together. In this small town full of fireworks, their love flows slowly like a clear stream, nourishing each other's hearts.

However, the road of love is never smooth. Just when their feelings were gradually heating up, a sudden change broke the peace...

One evening, when the market was about to close, a group of people in black suddenly broke into the market. They rushed to Zhou Xing's stall aggressively, cursing. It turned out that these people were thugs sent by a large local supermarket. They wanted to monopolize the meat business in the market, so they hated Zhou Xing, a small vendor.

Facing these sudden villains, Zhou Xing did not flinch. He tightly grasped the butcher knife in his hand and prepared to defend his rights. However, two fists could not defeat four hands and he was soon surrounded by the group of people and fell to the ground in a very critical situation. At this time, Ling Xue suddenly rushed out. She bravely stood in front of Zhou Xing with a kitchen knife in her hand and shouted at the villains to get out of the way.

Those people were frightened by Ling Xue's momentum and dared not to step forward for a while. But soon they reacted and began to verbally insult Ling Xue, and some even wanted to hit her. Zhou Xing was furious when he saw this. He used all his strength to stand up and rushed towards those people waving the butcher knife in his hand.

A melee was about to break out. At this moment, other vendors in the market also came to support them. Some held brooms, some held mops, and some joined the battle empty-handed. Soon they formed an advantage in numbers and surrounded the villains.

Faced with so many people's resistance, the villains gradually felt powerless and began to retreat and try to escape the scene. But the people in the market did not let them go and chased them all the way until they were driven out of the market.

After this melee, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue's relationship became closer. They supported each other and overcame the difficulties together. Others in the market also looked at them with new eyes and praised them as heroes.

Afterwards, Zhou Xing felt that his strength was insufficient and he decided to become stronger so that he could better protect Ling Xue and his stall. So, he began to practice martial arts diligently, getting up early every day to run and practice boxing by the river, and at night he would dance with a butcher knife under the moonlight to exercise his skills.

Ling Xue was also not idle. She used her wisdom to help Zhou Xing improve the layout and management of the stall, making their business more prosperous. She also often stewed some supplements for Zhou Xing to help him recover his physical strength and spirit.

With the joint efforts of the two, their stall gradually became one of the most popular places in the market. And Zhou Xing became more and more confident and strong with the support and encouragement of Ling Xue.

However, just when they thought everything was going to be on track, fate played a joke on them again...

One night when Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were busy packing up their stall and preparing to go home, the sky suddenly became overcast and a heavy rain poured down. The two had no choice but to hide in a nearby abandoned warehouse to avoid the rain.

In the warehouse, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue sat side by side, listening to the sound of rain outside and talking about their past and dreams. Zhou Xing told Ling Xue that when he was a child, he dreamed of becoming a martial arts master and traveling the world with a sword; while Ling Xue said that she had always longed for a free and easy life and hoped to open her own seafood restaurant.

The more they talked, the more they got along, as if they had found a confidant. At this moment, Zhou Xing suddenly held Ling Xue's hand tightly, looked into her eyes affectionately and said, "Ling Xue, I love you! I am willing to protect you with my whole life!"

Ling Xue was touched by Zhou Xing's sincerity. Her eyes were wet and tears slid down her cheeks. She also held Zhou Xing's hand tightly and whispered: "Zhou Xing, I like you too! I am willing to face the difficulties and challenges of the future with you!"

At that moment, their hearts were so connected that it seemed as if the whole world had stopped. They hugged each other and cried in the warehouse, promising to stay together for life and death.

However, the good times did not last long. Just when they were immersed in happiness, a greater disaster was quietly approaching...

A few days later, one night when Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were sleeping soundly, they were suddenly awakened by a rapid knock on the door. They opened the door and saw several men in black standing outside the door, saying gloomily, "Zhou Xing, your stall is too popular and it affects our boss's business. We are ordered to teach you a lesson tonight!"

After that, those people rushed into the house and beat Zhou Xing and Ling Xue crazily. Although Zhou Xing had practiced martial arts, he was unable to resist under the siege of so many people and was soon knocked to the ground. Ling Xue was weak and sick and could not resist at all, so she could only watch Zhou Xing being beaten.

Just when Zhou Xing was about to lose consciousness, he suddenly remembered his promise - to protect Ling Xue for his whole life! This thought instantly filled him with strength. He suddenly opened his eyes and struggled to stand up. He waved the butcher knife in his hand and rushed towards the men in black. Although his body was covered with scars, his eyes were extremely firm.

The men in black were so frightened by Zhou Xing's aura that they forgot to attack. Ling Xue took the opportunity to pick up a wooden stick and joined the fight. Although she didn't know martial arts, she managed to knock down several men in black with her fierceness.

Finally, after the two fought desperately, the men in black were driven away. But Zhou Xing fell to the ground unconscious due to his serious injuries. Ling Xue cried and rushed to his side, holding his hand tightly and begging him not to leave her alone.

After this disaster, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue's relationship became deeper. They supported each other and went through this difficult time together. Zhou Xing's injuries gradually improved under Ling Xue's careful care.

However, they did not know that this disaster was just the tip of the iceberg and a bigger crisis was waiting for them...

As night fell, the lights in Chang'an City gradually lit up. General Zhou Xing, who commanded a large number of troops, inspected the military camp, but his heart was full of doubts. During the morning court today, he noticed that the "Emperor" Ling Xue, who was sitting on the dragon throne, looked nervous and his eyes flickered. Zhou Xing felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong. "General, is everything going well?" Deputy General Li Feng asked softly.

Zhou Xing looked back at Li Feng and said in a deep voice, "Li Feng, don't you think His Majesty was a little strange during the court session today?"

Li Feng was slightly surprised: "What's so strange about this, Your Majesty?"

"He looks nervous, as if he is hiding something." Zhou Xing seemed to be thinking, "Go and find out if there are any unusual movements in the palace recently."

That night, Zhou Xing returned to his house, and the scene of the morning court kept appearing in his mind. Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through his mind: "Could it be that the 'Emperor' was actually an imposter? Has the real emperor been assassinated?"

The next day, Li Feng brought news: "General, there are indeed some abnormalities in the palace these days. I heard that a woman has disappeared recently and has not been found yet."

After hearing this news, Zhou Xing's doubts deepened. He decided to investigate the matter secretly.

A few days later, Zhou Xing sneaked into the palace and hid in the dark to observe. He saw the "Emperor" Ling Xue reading the memorials alone in the study, still looking nervous. At this moment, a palace maid quietly entered the study and whispered: "Your Majesty, the body of the woman in female clothing has been dealt with."

Ling Xue nodded, waved away the maid, and showed a look of relief on her face. Zhou Xing frowned, it seemed that his guess was correct, the emperor in front of him was indeed a fake. But who was so bold as to pretend to be the emperor? And why did he do this?

Zhou Xing decided to speed up the investigation. He sneaked into the palace through a trusted eyeliner to try to find more clues. Soon after, he found some clues that pointed to a place called "Jinluge".

Jinluoge is a secret attic deep in the palace, which is rarely visited. Zhou Xing realized that this might be the key to solving the mystery. One night, he took advantage of the guard's negligence and quietly entered Jinluoge.

In the attic, Zhou Xing found some secret letters and clothes. Among those clothes, there was a complete dragon robe, which was obviously a woman's size. At this time, Zhou Xing was basically certain that the "emperor" in front of him was a woman in disguise.

Just as Zhou Xing was about to leave, he heard footsteps outside the door. He quickly hid in the shadows and saw two guards escorting a woman in gorgeous clothes in. The woman was the current "Emperor" Ling Xue.

Ling Xue entered the attic, looked around, and after confirming that no one was there, she took out a delicate little box from a hidden corner. She opened the box, and inside was a gold hairpin engraved with a special mark. Ling Xue looked at the hairpin and murmured to herself: "Wait a little longer, the truth will soon be revealed."

Zhou Xing held his breath and tried to remain silent. After Ling Xue left, he quickly left the attic and returned to the mansion. At this time, he was basically certain that there must be a huge conspiracy behind the fake emperor Ling Xue.

The next day, Zhou Xing met Li Feng and briefly informed him of his findings. Li Feng was shocked but also expressed his full support for Zhou Xing's investigation.

After several days of undercover investigation, Zhou Xing finally got more evidence and gradually figured out Ling Xue's true identity - a princess who lost power due to a coup. In order to protect her family, she had to disguise herself as a man and look for opportunities for revenge. However, in the process, she unexpectedly found herself falling in love with the position of general.

Zhou Xing felt sympathy for Ling Xue's experience, but he also understood that as a general, he had the responsibility to maintain the stability of the country. So he began to secretly plan how to reveal the truth while avoiding causing greater turmoil.

Late one night, Zhou Xing summoned a group of trusted generals and arranged a secret operation. Their goal was to ensure that the true royal bloodline would be restored to the throne and to catch the mastermind behind the scenes.

On the night of the operation, Zhou Xing personally led the elite soldiers to surround Jinluo Pavilion. Ling Xue seemed to have noticed it long ago. When Zhou Xing led his men in, she had been waiting for a long time. The two of them looked at each other, and Ling Xue's eyes revealed a complex emotion.

"Zhou Xing, you know I have no way to retreat." Ling Xue's voice was low and calm.

Zhou Xing approached step by step, his eyes determined: "Miss Lingxue, as long as you hand over the real power, I am willing to protect you."

Ling Xue smiled bitterly: "Security? I carry not only hatred, but also the fate of my entire family."

As the two sides confronted each other, the mastermind behind the scenes appeared - the real culprit, a greedy uncle, attempted to use Ling Xue's identity to usurp the throne. Zhou Xing joined forces with Ling Xue and eventually defeated the uncle and his followers.

After the battle, Zhou Xing ordered his men to take Uncle Wang to prison to await the court's trial. Ling Xue took off her disguise and returned to her female form. She knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face: "General, thank you."

Zhou Xing gently helped Ling Xue up: "The past cannot be undone, but we can start over in the future."

Ling Xue nodded and decided to remain anonymous and stay away from court disputes. Zhou Xing continued to assist the new king and protect this land.

A few months later, at the coronation ceremony of the new emperor, Zhou Xing stood beside the new emperor and looked at the rising sun in the distance. He knew that he not only kept the country stable, but also helped a princess troubled by hatred find herself. Although the road ahead is unknown, just like the rising sun that day, the future is always full of hope.

Zhou Xing, wearing a dragon robe, walked calmly on the corridor of the palace. His eyes were deep and firm, as if he had foreseen the future changes.

At this time, Ling Xue was standing in the courtyard of the general's mansion.

(End of this chapter)