My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1304 Firm

At the border between the ancient realm of illusion and Ling State, there are countless mysterious and moving legends. Among them, the most popular one is the story of Zhou Xing and Ling Xue - a legendary love that transcends identity and fantasy.

Zhou Xing, a boy with an ordinary background but extraordinary talent for illusion, has been obsessed with illusion since childhood. By chance, he got a book of ancient illusion secrets, and since then he has embarked on the road of pursuing the pinnacle of illusion. After years of hard study and practice, Zhou Xing's illusion skills have reached a superb level. He can control light and shadow at will, create illusions, and even temporarily travel through the cracks of time and space to peek into the mysteries of the past and the future.

Ling Xue, the eldest princess of Ling State, was born with eyebrows as far as the distance, eyes as clear as autumn water, and she was smart and kind. She received strict etiquette education in the palace since she was a child, and was proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but deep in her heart she always longed for freedom and adventure. Although Ling State was a big country in the Central Plains and powerful, the surrounding countries were eyeing it covetously, and there were undercurrents in the government, which made Ling Xue's childhood not as peaceful as it seemed.

The gears of fate began to turn in that spring when flowers were in full bloom. The Ling Kingdom's palace held a grand Flower Festival, which attracted envoys and nobles from surrounding countries to attend. Zhou Xing heard that Ling Kingdom had a grand celebration, and out of curiosity, he decided to perform some magic tricks, transforming himself into a rare bird and sneaking into the palace to find out what was going on.

The palace was decorated with lights and was bustling with activity. Princess Lingxue stood on a high palace building, overlooking the crowd below. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and surrounded by pearls and jade, but she could not hide a trace of loneliness in her eyes. Suddenly, a smart bird came into her sight. The bird had a graceful figure and colorful feathers. It shuttled and jumped among the crowd, as if it had some mysterious magic. Lingxue was deeply attracted by the bird and could not help but ask her maid to bring it into the palace.

When Zhou Xing's transformed bird fell into Ling Xue's hands, he felt the delicateness and warmth of the princess' skin, and a ripple appeared in his heart. Ling Xue stared at the bird in her hand, her eyes full of surprise and tenderness, and said softly: "Your bird is so special, it must be extraordinary. I will keep you by my side, okay?" Zhou Xing was startled, worried that the princess would see through him, but he couldn't bear to leave, so he nodded slightly to indicate his agreement.

From that day on, Ling Que became a frequent visitor to Ling Xue's palace. Whenever Ling Xue had free time, she would tease Ling Que and talk to it to relieve her boredom. Zhou Xing was also gradually moved by the princess's innocence and kindness during his interactions with Ling Xue. He began to carefully maintain his identity as Ling Que, but at the same time he longed to appear in front of Ling Xue in his true form one day.

As time went by, the relationship between Ling State and its neighbors became increasingly tense. The shadow of war loomed over Ling State, and the ministers in the court were divided into two factions, one advocating peaceful negotiations, and the other advocating war to deter neighboring countries by force. Ling Xue's father, the king of Ling State, was also hesitant between the two.

Zhou Xing learned about Ling State's plight through his spies in the palace. He knew that once a war broke out, there would be great suffering. So he decided to use his magic to find a ray of hope for Ling State.

On a dark and windy night, Zhou Xing quietly left the palace and came to the border area. He performed a large-scale illusion to create the illusion of tens of thousands of troops, bluffing the neighboring country into thinking that Ling State was fully prepared for war. Seeing this, the neighboring country was frightened and took the initiative to propose peace talks with Ling State. This move successfully resolved the crisis of Ling State and also earned Zhou Xing a high reputation in Ling State.

However, the good times did not last long, and Zhou Xing's true identity was eventually discovered. It turned out that there was an old maid in the palace who was jealous of Princess Ling Xue's favor and accidentally discovered some strange things about the sparrow. She secretly observed it for a long time and finally determined that the sparrow was transformed by magic. The old maid reported this to the king of Ling State, who was furious and thought that Zhou Xing dared to deceive the royal family. He ordered Zhou Xing to be arrested and punished.

When Ling Xue learned that Zhou Xing's identity was exposed, she was extremely anxious. She went to the prison where Zhou Xing was imprisoned despite her father's objection. In the dark and damp cell, Ling Xue saw Zhou Xing, who was covered in bruises. She was heartbroken and said with tears streaming down her face: "Zhou Xing, I am sorry for you. I shouldn't have leaked your secret, and now you have suffered such a great punishment because of me."

Zhou Xing weakly raised his head and looked at Ling Xue who was crying, his heart full of guilt and reluctance. He forced a smile and said, "Princess, don't feel sorry for me. I did all this voluntarily. I don't want to see Ling Country fall into war. But I didn't expect that it would implicate you."

Ling Xue held Zhou Xing's hand tightly and said firmly: "I will not let you be executed like this. I will plead with my father and tell him that you are innocent and you are a hero of Ling Country."

In the days that followed, Ling Xue rushed around to rescue Zhou Xing. She told the ministers about Zhou Xing's achievements and publicized his heroic deeds to the people. At the same time, she also went to the temple to pray in person, hoping that God would bless Zhou Xing to be safe and sound.

However, Ling Xue's efforts were not immediately rewarded. Although the king of Ling State appreciated Zhou Xing's contribution to Ling State, he could not tolerate Zhou Xing's behavior of deceiving the royal family. In his opinion, Zhou Xing must pay the price for his actions.

Just when Zhou Xing was about to be sentenced to death, the neighboring country suddenly provoked trouble again. Taking advantage of the internal chaos of Ling State, they sent a large army to invade the border of Ling State. For a time, the whole country of Ling State fell into panic.

When Zhou Xing heard the news, he felt a strong sense of responsibility. He said to the jailer who was guarding him, "Please take me to see His Majesty. I have a plan to defeat the enemy."

The jailer brought Zhou Xing to the king with doubt. Zhou Xing knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I am willing to redeem myself and defeat the enemy with magic. I can create illusions on the battlefield to disrupt the enemy's morale and create opportunities for the Ling army."

The King of Ling looked at Zhou Xing's sincere eyes and hesitated in his heart. He knew that Zhou Xing's illusion was indeed powerful, but it was a difficult decision for him to let a person of low status play a role on the battlefield.

At this time, Ling Xue also came to plead for Zhou Xing. She said to her father: "Father, now that Ling State is facing a powerful enemy, it is time to need talented people like Zhou Xing. Please give him a chance, and also give Ling State a chance."

The king of Ling State pondered for a long time and finally agreed to Zhou Xing's request. He appointed Zhou Xing as a general and led an army to the border to meet the enemy.

Zhou Xing was ordered to lead the army of Ling State to the battlefield. He stood on a high place, staring at the enemy camp, and secretly cast an illusion in his heart. Suddenly, countless phantoms of heavenly soldiers and generals appeared above the enemy camp. They held sharp blades and shouted as they rushed towards the enemy. The enemy was terrified, thinking that the gods had descended, and they fled in all directions.

Zhou Xing took advantage of the victory and commanded the army of Ling State to launch an attack. With the help of magic, the army of Ling State was in high spirits and fought bravely, defeating the neighboring army. This battle not only successfully repelled the enemy, but also made Zhou Xing famous.

When Zhou Xing returned triumphantly, the whole country of Ling was filled with jubilation. The people regarded him as a hero and were grateful to him. The king of Ling also rewarded Zhou Xing generously in the court and apologized to him in public, saying that he had wronged him before.

Zhou Xing did not hold grudges for what happened before. He said modestly: "Your Majesty, I have only done my little bit. It is my honor to serve Lingguo." After experiencing this life-and-death test, the relationship between Zhou Xing and Ling Xue became deeper. Ling Xue was no longer just the high-ranking princess. She showed her true and gentle side in front of Zhou Xing. And Zhou Xing was no longer the unknown illusionist. His talent and courage were recognized by everyone.

However, their love story was not smooth sailing. Some nobles in the Ling Kingdom's court still had prejudices against Zhou Xing's background. They thought that Zhou Xing was just a street artist who knew some magic tricks and was not worthy of the princess of Ling Kingdom. So, they secretly planned a conspiracy to try to break up Zhou Xing and Ling Xue.

These nobles bribed some assassins to assassinate Zhou Xing when he was out. One day, when Zhou Xing was walking in a remote alley, he was suddenly attacked by a group of assassins. The assassins were highly skilled in martial arts and their moves were deadly. Although Zhou Xing had magic to protect himself, he still looked a little embarrassed under the sudden attack of the other party.

In the fierce fight, Zhou Xing was accidentally injured, and his clothes were stained with blood. He fought and retreated, and with his familiarity with the terrain, he finally got rid of the killer's pursuit.

But the killers did not give up. They followed Zhou Xing's blood trail and found his hiding place. Zhou Xing knew that he was in danger. He did not want Ling Xue to worry about him, so he decided to leave alone. He wrote a letter and asked someone to bring it to Ling Xue, then quietly left the capital of Ling State.

After Ling Xue received Zhou Xing's letter, she was extremely anxious. She rushed out of the palace desperately and looked for Zhou Xing's whereabouts. She visited all the places Zhou Xing had been to and asked everyone who might know his whereabouts. In the process, Ling Xue encountered many difficulties and setbacks, but she never gave up.

Finally, in a remote town, Ling Xue got news about Zhou Xing. It turned out that Zhou Xing came to this town to recuperate after escaping from the capital. He wanted to come back to Ling Xue after his injuries were healed, but he was afraid of getting her into trouble.

When Ling Xue saw Zhou Xing, who looked haggard, tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged Zhou Xing tightly and said with sobs, "Why did you leave? Why did you leave me? We have been through so much."

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue distressedly and said helplessly: "Princess, I don't want you to be in danger because of me. Those nobles will not let me go. They will only continue to hurt you because you are with me."

"I don't care." Ling Xue said firmly, "I only care that you are by my side. No matter how many difficulties and dangers there are, I am willing to face them with you."

Zhou Xing was deeply moved by Ling Xue's words. He knew that he could never leave her again. The two hugged and cried, as if they wanted to integrate each other into their lives.

However, their reunion did not quell the anger of the nobles. When the nobles learned that Zhou Xing was still alive, they once again pressured the king of Ling to execute him. This time, they made up more lies, saying that Zhou Xing was a spy sent by a neighboring country and that everything he did was to subvert the rule of Ling.

The king of Ling State was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he was well aware of Zhou Xing's achievements and his feelings for Ling Xue, but on the other hand, he was under pressure from the nobles. After careful consideration, he decided to hold a trial meeting to give Zhou Xing a chance to defend himself.

The trial was held in the palace square of Ling State. The square was crowded with people, and the people wanted to know the result of this bizarre case. Zhou Xing was taken to the trial platform, and he looked at the people and nobles below the stage without any fear in his heart.

At the trial, the nobles listed Zhou Xing's "evidence" one after another, trying to prove that he was a guilty person. But Zhou Xing refuted their accusations one by one, and he told about everything he had done for Ling State, including using illusions to resolve war crises and bravely killing enemies on the battlefield. He also took out evidence of his peace talks with neighboring countries and his meritorious service records on the battlefield to prove his innocence.

Ling Xue also testified for Zhou Xing at the trial. She looked at Zhou Xing affectionately and said, "He is my hero and the person I love the most. He did nothing wrong. The so-called crimes are all lies made up by the nobles for their own selfish interests."

After hearing what Zhou Xing and Ling Xue said, the people in the audience applauded and cheered for them. They believed that Zhou Xing was innocent and had made great contributions to Ling State.

Under the call of the people, the king of Ling finally made a fair judgment. He declared Zhou Xing not guilty and restored his official position and status. At the same time, he also punished the nobles who falsely accused Zhou Xing, dismissing them from their posts or expelling them from the capital.

After this ordeal, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue's relationship became even more solid. They no longer cared about the opinions and interference of the outside world and decided to spend the rest of their lives together.

However, their love journey is still full of challenges. Because Zhou Xing's illusion ability is too strong, it attracts the attention of some mysterious forces. These mysterious forces attempt to snatch Zhou Xing's illusion secrets for their own use. They send batches of masters to assassinate and kidnap Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing and Ling Xue had to start their life on the run. They hid their identities and wandered around the world, avoiding the pursuit of mysterious forces. In the process, they experienced countless hardships and obstacles, but they always supported each other and never left each other.

Once, they encountered an ambush by a mysterious force in a deserted valley. There were many enemies, and each of them was highly skilled in martial arts. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were in a desperate situation. Zhou Xing knew that it would be difficult to escape this time, so he said to Ling Xue: "Princess, it seems that we can't escape today. Don't worry about me, just go."

"No." Ling Xue said firmly: "I want to be with you, even if I die, I will die with you."

The two of them fought back to back with the enemy. Zhou Xing used all his magic power to create various phantoms to confuse the enemy. Ling Xue took up a weapon and fought hand-to-hand with the enemy. Although they fought hard, the enemy's attacks became more and more fierce.