My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1344 Breaking in
Zhou Xing escorted the silk fleet and sailed on the vast ocean for a long time before finally arriving at the port on the border of Ling State. The sea was filled with fog, like a layer of gauze, making everything around seem hazy and mysterious.

As soon as the fleet docked at the dock, it encountered a group of pirates disguised as merchants. The pirates had fierce eyes and held sharp blades, approaching the fleet. Zhou Xing was shocked, but his years of experience in overseas made him calm down quickly. He held a special astrolabe, and the gems inlaid on the astrolabe flickered faintly in the mist. Just as the pirates approached, Zhou Xing turned the astrolabe, and the refracted strong light instantly dazzled the pirates' eyes. At the same time, the mechanical sails were automatically raised, and the sailboat broke through the siege like an arrow from a string.

However, in a panic, Zhou Xing accidentally dropped half of the jade pendant with the word "Zhou" engraved on it. This half of the jade pendant rolled on the stone pavement of the dock and finally stopped.

Ling Xue was disguising herself as a man, patrolling the port incognito. Her sharp eyes noticed the jade pendant in the chaos, and she leaned over to pick it up. Looking at the delicate "Zhou" pattern on the jade pendant, Ling Xue felt a little curious. At this moment, she glanced around and found that Zhou Xing was talking to a seriously injured Lingguo sailor. The sailor spoke in a difficult foreign dialect, but Zhou Xing could respond fluently, which surprised Ling Xue secretly. She observed Zhou Xing calmly, and she became interested in this man.

Late at night, in a quiet clinic, the atmosphere was somewhat tense. Ling Xue deliberately exposed her identity to test Zhou Xing. She knew that imperial merchants often had inextricable ties with the court, and Zhou Xing might be a spy sent by the enemy country. When the poison arrow brushed past Ling Xue's ear, Zhou Xing used his body to block the second arrow without hesitation. The arrow hit his arm, and blood instantly dyed his sleeve red.

Zhou Xing endured the severe pain, smiled and showed the dragon scale tattoo unique to imperial merchants on his arm, and said: "Your Highness, this is my identity proof. I am definitely not a spy." Ling Xue looked at the tattoo, and the doubts in her heart dissipated a little, but there was still vigilance in her eyes.

Zhou Xing's caravan encountered trouble in Ling State and was mistakenly believed to be carrying contraband. After Ling Xue learned about this, she came to interrogate Zhou Xing. She asked someone to present the seized goods, and when they opened them, they found that they were glass jars filled with fresh water. Ling Xue was about to get angry and question Zhou Xing why he carried these seemingly ordinary things, but she heard Zhou Xing explain: "Your Highness, there is a compass hidden at the bottom of this jar. This item is very important to sailors and is definitely not contraband."

Ling Xue was skeptical, so Zhou Xing dismantled the cargo on the spot and showed the design of the improved watertight compartment. He explained in detail how this design could ensure the safety of the ship at sea, which made Ling Xue look at his talent with new eyes.

Not long after, Ling Xue boarded Zhou Xing's flagship "Cang Ming" in the name of purchasing. She looked around the ship and found a secret room. The walls of the secret room were covered with route maps, and the circled island marks matched the three islands in Dongjiang that the border guards were missing. Ling Xue was shocked and asked Zhou Xing: "What is your purpose? What do these marks mean?"

Zhou Xing calmly took out the red-lettered iron certificate bestowed by the late emperor and said, "Your Highness, my Zhou family has been royal merchants for generations and we are loyal and devoted. These route maps are for better maritime trade and have no malicious intent at all." Ling Xue looked at the iron certificate and her doubts were alleviated again.

The two of them played chess on the deck, with the sound of waves in their ears. Zhou Xing deliberately let Ling Xue discover the gunpowder in the side of the ship, and Ling Xue drew her sword, and the atmosphere was tense. At this moment, the sound of the enemy's warship's lookout came from a distance. Zhou Xing said calmly: "Your Highness, if we take action now, it will only make our loved ones sad and our enemies happy. Let's deal with the enemy's warship first." Ling Xue looked at his calm appearance and actually believed him a little.

The autumn hunting ground was a lively scene. Ling Xue rode her horse through the woods. Suddenly, an arrow shot out from behind a tree and headed straight for Ling Xue. In a flash, Zhou Xing rode his horse in front of Ling Xue. The arrow hit his shoulder, and blood stained his clothes.

Ling Xue's heart tightened, and she hurriedly tore open Zhou Xing's clothes to stop his bleeding. The moment she tore open his clothes, she found that Zhou Xing was wearing the pearl earrings she had lost three years ago. Ling Xue's heart was full of doubts and moved. Looking at the unconscious Zhou Xing, her heart trembled for the first time.

When Zhou Xing was talking in his sleep due to a high fever, he revealed the story of how he saved a princess in distress in the desert of the Western Regions. Ling Xue listened to his dream talk and gradually understood everything. It turned out that Zhou Xing saved her when she was in danger in the Western Regions many years ago, and the pearl earring might have been accidentally lost at that time.

At this time, someone in the court accused the imperial merchants of collaborating with the enemy, and Ling Xue was under tremendous pressure. In order to prove Zhou Xing's innocence, she broke into the prison at night and took Zhou Xing to break into the tribute ship inspection ceremony that was being held.

At the inspection site, the atmosphere was very tense. Ling Xue demonstrated the fireproof silk that Zhou Xing had improved. When the torch was close to the silk, it only smoked slightly, but there was no sign of burning. Everyone was amazed. At this time, a crossbow arrow shot from the dark attacked Ling Xue. Zhou Xing subconsciously caught the arrow with his bare hands, and his palm was cut, and blood dripped on the tribute coral tree. This scene made everyone see Zhou Xing's loyalty and bravery.

In order to balance the power, the emperor forced Ling Xue to marry. When the imperial edict was passed to Ling Xue, she was struck by lightning. Zhou Xing was extremely anxious when he learned about this. He went to the ancestral temple and begged the emperor to change the imperial edict, betting on the overseas intelligence network accumulated by the caravan for a hundred years.

Zhou Xing knelt in the ancestral temple for three days and three nights, his forehead was broken and blood stained the floor red. He kept saying: "Your Majesty, the Zhou family has been a royal merchant for generations and is loyal. The overseas intelligence I have can be used by the Ling Kingdom. I beg Your Majesty to withdraw your order."

However, the emperor sent someone to deliver a cup of poisoned wine. When Ling Xue learned about it, she was disheartened. She asked Zhou Xing to meet her at the edge of the cliff, and the two played "Zhe Liu Qu" across the canyon. The melodious flute and piano sounds echoed in the canyon, as if they were saying their final farewell to each other.

Ling Xue threw the jade pendant into the furnace. Zhou Xing saw this and jumped to grab the pendant without hesitation. His palm was burned, but he held the jade pendant tightly. Ling Xue looked at the seriously injured Zhou Xing with determination in her eyes. She swung her sword to cut off half of her sleeve, threw it to Zhou Xing, and said, "We are going a thousand miles away, take care of each other." After that, she turned and left.

On the way to the marriage, Ling Xue was attacked by the rebels. The rebels trapped her in the city, and the situation was very critical. At this time, the smoke signal agreed by Zhou Xing suddenly rose from the top of the city.

It turned out that after Zhou Xing learned that the marriage team was in danger, he led the caravan to defend the pass. They used modified catapults to fire poisoned ceramic bullets, repelling the rebels' attacks time and time again. The battlefield was filled with smoke and the shouts of killing were deafening.

On a rainy night, the battle continued. Ling Xue kicked open the locked city gate and rushed out. She saw Zhou Xing fighting with the rebel general, so she rode her horse and charged at the rebel general. The collision caused her to fall off the horse, and Zhou Xing hurriedly protected her behind him.

The two of them huddled behind a wall of dead soldiers, and Ling Xue bandaged Zhou Xing's wounds while trembling. She found that Zhou Xing was holding a jade pendant that had been burned in two pieces, and her heart ached. On this bloody battlefield, they felt each other's heartbeat and warmth.

At dawn, the reinforcements finally arrived. When Zhou Xing returned the bloodstained princess seal, Ling Xue inserted the broken blade into his palm and said, "Zhou Xing, I want you to live to witness the new policy of Lingguo's sea border." Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue's determined eyes, and a surge of strength surged in his heart. He held Ling Xue's hand tightly and nodded. After some twists and turns, Ling Xue and Zhou Xing's feelings deepened. The two of them took a modified keel warship to patrol the East China Sea. The water wheel drive device on the warship made a loud noise, and waves splashed on the bow.

Ling Xue stood at the bow, looking at the distant horizon, her heart full of hope. Zhou Xing stood beside her, pointed at the horizon and said, "Princess, that will be the starting point of the new route." Ling Xue looked at him, her eyes full of trust and expectation.

In the court, Zhou Xing presented the "Four Seas Geomancy Map" that he had spent ten years drawing. He slowly pushed the golden seal representing the imperial merchant to Ling Xue and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to do my best for the maritime trade of Ling State." In front of all the civil and military officials, Ling Xue inserted the princess's seal into her palm and said, "From now on, you and I will jointly control the maritime borders of Ling State."

On the wedding day, the fleet fired salutes. Double-wing sails embroidered with the Zhou family emblem and the Ling Kingdom totem were raised on both sides of the ship. The sun shone on the sea, sparkling. Ling Xue and Zhou Xing stood at the bow, looking at each other, their hearts full of happiness. From now on, they will work together to rule the country and open a new chapter in Ling Kingdom's maritime trade.

Although life in the space station is full of challenges and loneliness, Ling Xue always maintains an optimistic and positive attitude, because she believes that there are always some wonderful things waiting for her in this vast universe.

Zhou Xing felt sorry for Ling Xue's experience, and he gave her strength and support with his warmth and care. In addition to his busy work, he would take time out to chat with Ling Xue and watch movies with her. He would also write some warm little notes for her and leave them at her workplace as a little surprise for her.

Ling Xue also gradually opened up her heart as she got along with Zhou Xing. She confided her deep fears and anxieties, as well as her expectations and visions for the future, to Zhou Xing. She knew that Zhou Xing was a trustworthy person, and she would show him her truest side.

Once, the space station held a small cultural evening party and invited all staff members to attend. At the party, everyone performed their own talent shows and the atmosphere was very lively. Zhou Xing was invited to perform a show on stage, and he walked onto the stage a little nervously.

On the stage, Zhou Xing took a deep breath and began to sing a classic love song. His voice was deep and infectious, and every note seemed to be telling of his feelings for Ling Xue. Ling Xue, who was sitting in the audience, listened quietly, with tears of emotion flashing in her eyes. She knew that Zhou Xing was singing this song for her, and it was their declaration of love in the universe.

After the party, Ling Xue walked over to Zhou Xing and hugged him gently: "Zhou Xing, your singing voice is so beautiful. I think this is our story, playing our own melody in the universe."

Zhou Xing hugged Ling Xue tightly and whispered in her ear: "Ling Xue, you are the most beautiful melody in my life. No matter what difficulties and challenges you will encounter in the future, I will always be with you and protect you."

However, their happiness did not last long. Soon after, the space station received a more difficult mission - to explore a distant, undiscovered planet. This planet is located on the edge of a mysterious galaxy, and according to preliminary observations, it has the potential to be suitable for life. This is a major breakthrough for human interstellar exploration, but it also comes with huge risks.

As one of the key members of the team, Zhou Xing must participate in this mission. He faces a difficult choice: on the one hand, this is an important opportunity in his career and he can make a huge contribution to the interstellar development of mankind; on the other hand, he is worried about Ling Xue, worrying that she will feel lonely and helpless after he leaves.

Ling Xue saw Zhou Xing's hesitation and contradiction. She didn't want Zhou Xing to give up this rare opportunity because of her. She said to Zhou Xing firmly: "Zhou Xing, go ahead. I know what your dream is, and I can't let you give up because of me. I will wait for you here, and you must promise me that you will come back safely."

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue's determined eyes, feeling touched and guilty. He hugged Ling Xue tightly: "Ling Xue, you are the most important person in my life. I will definitely come back, don't worry."

During the time before departure, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue cherished every minute and every second. They recalled the past and imagined a better life in the future. Zhou Xing prepared a special surprise for Ling Xue - a ring engraved with their names and cosmic coordinates. He put the ring on Ling Xue's finger and said affectionately: "Ling Xue, no matter how far away I am, this ring will represent that my heart will always be with you."

Ling Xue nodded with tears in her eyes: "Zhou Xing, I will always wear it and wait for you to come back."

Finally, the day of departure arrived, and Zhou Xing led the expedition team on the journey to the mysterious planet. During the flight, they encountered various unexpected difficulties and dangers. Problems such as interstellar storms, gravitational anomalies, and insufficient energy supply followed one after another, and the entire team fell into trouble.

But Zhou Xing always kept Ling Xue's encouragement and support in his heart. With his tenacious will and outstanding professional knowledge, he led the team out of danger time and time again.

Zhou Xing was escorting the silk fleet when they encountered a storm at sea. The wind was howling, and the waves were rising like mountains, hitting the fleet hard. Zhou Xing calmly commanded the crew and tried to stabilize the ship, but the storm was too powerful and the fleet was still dispersed.

When the storm finally subsided, Zhou Xing's ship had deviated from its route and drifted to the border port of Ling State. The ship was damaged in many places, but fortunately everyone was still alive. Zhou Xing and several crew members dragged their exhausted bodies off the ship.

As soon as they entered the port, they were surrounded by a group of Ling soldiers. The leading general shouted at them, thinking they were spies from the enemy country. Zhou Xing hurriedly explained, but the language barrier made the two sides deadlocked.

At this time, a woman came slowly on horseback. She was dressed in a tight outfit and looked heroic. It was Ling Xue, the eldest princess of Ling State. Ling Xue was proficient in many languages. After she got off the horse, she saluted gracefully.