My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1405 Attention
Zhou Xing didn't pay any attention and took the wine pot and drank a few mouthfuls.

Late at night, Zhou Xing was preparing to rest when he suddenly heard a noise on the roof. Alert, he grabbed a dagger and quietly climbed onto the roof. There stood Ling Xue, tossing a piece of silver in her hand, trading with a man in black. Upon closer inspection, Zhou Xing noticed that the silver was covered in Demon Sect tracking powder.

The two returned to the study, where Zhou Xing used cinnabar mixed with fish glue to repair the flaws in the petition. Ling Xue, meanwhile, used a kitchen knife to carve twelve wooden plaques, each engraved with a different law. She handed the plaques to Zhou Xing, saying, "These might come in handy."

While Ling Xue was busy in the restaurant kitchen, she noticed that the soles of the waiter's shoes were stained with black lacquer used by the government. A thought struck her, and she secretly added a mute-inducing drug to the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup.

Just then, Zhou Xing rushed over with a post-mortem report. He frowned and said, "There is indigo dye under the deceased's fingernails, which may be related to some conspiracy." Ling Xue nodded and said, "My mute medicine powder bucket has the Haoqing Sect's hidden pattern printed on the bottom. Perhaps we can start from there."

However, their actions attracted the attention of the prefect. The prefect sent men to search the restaurant, and Ling Xue slipped the account book into the statue of the Kitchen God. Zhou Xing, on the other hand, engraved his defense statement on the back of the ancestral tablet.

Not long after, the prefect hosted a banquet to "thank" Zhou Xing. During the banquet, the prefect, with a smile that concealed a dagger, repeatedly urged Zhou Xing to drink. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue outwardly complied, but secretly remained wary. Ling Xue suddenly pretended to be drunk and knocked over a bowl of soup. The scalding soup burned the prefect's hand, and his secretary quickly rushed forward to bandage it, revealing a tattoo on his wrist. Zhou Xing, with his sharp eyes, recognized the tattoo as the mark of a spy from the Demonic Sect.

Zhou Xing carefully examined the clues he brought back from the restaurant and discovered that all the deceased had eaten jade shrimp. Ling Xue's poison pills, however, could dissolve the green pigment. The two decided to investigate the dock warehouse at night.

They sneaked into the warehouse and saw a merchant ship unloading cargo. Each crate was sealed with a "Special Supply to Haoqing Sect" seal. Zhou Xing was startled; could this be related to the Haoqing Sect?

The atmosphere in the courtroom was tense. Zhou Xing threw out Ling Xue's specially made vinegar-braised pork ribs, and a bone got stuck in the magistrate's throat. Taking advantage of the situation, Ling Xue smashed the evidence box with a spatula, revealing the heroin inside.

The villainous elder appeared, sneered, and crushed a wine cup. At that critical moment, Ling Xue flicked out chili oil, temporarily blinding the elder. Zhou Xing brandished his petition, tearing the elder's sleeve. The two faced the twelve bronze warriors back-to-back.

The battle reached a stalemate when Ling Xue suddenly realized the truth that "human fire can break black iron." She detonated the wine cellar, and flames roared. Zhou Xing threw the Codex into the fire, burning out the four characters "明镜高悬" (a phrase meaning "a bright mirror hangs high").

Ling Xue was severely wounded in the battle. Before dying, she gave Zhou Xing half a peppercorn. Zhou Xing swallowed the peppercorn and immediately felt his five senses become clear. He could see the three thousand strands of affliction in the void, and the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand transformed into a judge's pen.

When their souls returned to the upper realm, the Haoqing Sect gained the "World's Culinary Recipes" and the "Ten Commandments for Lawyers." The sect leader stroked his beard and sighed, "The tribulations of love conceal the tribulations of the mortal world."

Having survived this ordeal, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue returned to Haoqing Sect. They discovered that the sect had gained a deeper understanding of human nature due to this experience.

Zhou Xing wrote down his experiences in "The World's Culinary Recipes," recording the stories and insights behind various delicacies. Ling Xue compiled "The Ten Commandments of Lawyers," providing guidance for sect disciples when facing similar calamities.

During a sect gathering, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue smiled at each other. They knew that more tribulations awaited them on their path to ascension, but they were no longer afraid. Because in the process of overcoming these tribulations together, they not only improved their strength but also strengthened their resolve to stay together.

Days passed, and Haoqing Sect remained peaceful and serene. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue often studied recipes and legal codes together, anticipating the next calamity, believing that as long as they worked together, no difficulty was insurmountable. Their story spread throughout Haoqing Sect, becoming a legend among the disciples.

Zhou Xing slowly awoke, finding his surroundings utterly unfamiliar. He found himself in a dilapidated wooden hut, the air thick with the pungent stench of blood. Looking down, he saw calluses covering his calloused hands, and at his waist, a heavy butcher's knife hung slung across his back.

A commotion arose outside. Zhou Xing frowned, got up, and pushed open the door. He saw a bustling crowd on the street, with a notice board surrounded by a group of people pointing and whispering. Zhou Xing went over to take a look and saw that the notice read, "Demons are causing chaos. All butchers must offer three sacrificial animals daily."

Zhou Xing was startled. What kind of rule was this? Looking around at the people, everyone looked terrified. At this moment, a neighbor sighed and said, "This Blood Moon Calamity has been going on for three days now. Monsters are running rampant. Only by offering three kinds of sacrificial animals every day can we temporarily keep everyone safe."

As Zhou Xing was pondering this, he suddenly heard a clear, ringing bell. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a female shopkeeper standing across the street. The shopkeeper was dressed in a plain-colored dress, with a cool and aloof expression. A medicine pouch hung at her waist, embroidered with the cloud pattern of the Haoqing Sect. Zhou Xing's heart skipped a beat; he was all too familiar with that cloud pattern—it was the symbol of the demonic Haoqing Sect.

Ling Xue also saw Zhou Xing. She was slightly taken aback, then turned her head away without making a sound. Zhou Xing looked at her, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but in this unfamiliar world, he couldn't just recognize her.

As night deepened, Zhou Xing was preparing to rest when he suddenly heard a noise outside the door. Alarmed, he grabbed his butcher knife and quietly approached the door. He saw Ling Xue's figure flash past in the moonlight and disappear at the end of the alley. Curious, Zhou Xing quietly followed her.

Ling Xue walked to the end of the alley, took out a pill from her pocket, and put it into the butcher's well. Zhou Xing hid nearby, full of doubts. After Ling Xue left, he quietly drew a bucket of water and found a strange layer of green algae floating on the surface.

The next day, Zhou Xing secretly observed and discovered that the butcher who drank the well water had surprisingly not contracted the monster's plague. He suddenly realized that Ling Xue was using elixirs to stop the spread of the plague. But why was she acting so secretly? Zhou Xing decided to find an opportunity to talk to her.

Zhou Xing slaughtered livestock every day, but lately he had been preoccupied with Ling Xue's matter. One day, while he was butchering a wild boar, he suddenly noticed that the boar's tusks were emitting a black aura. He was startled and carefully cut open the boar's belly, only to find an undigested demon core inside.

Just then, Ling Xue, disguised as a customer, walked into the butcher shop. She glanced at Zhou Xing and said casually, "A mixture of cinnabar and iron filings can ward off evil spirits." Then she turned and left. Zhou Xing's heart skipped a beat; Ling Xue was hinting at a solution.

However, Ling Xue's unusual behavior attracted the attention of others. Spies from the fabric shop across the street were watching her and discovered that Ling Xue was using a rouge box as a cover to actually deliver exorcising powder. Soon, the village head arrived with his men to search the shop.

Upon hearing the news, Zhou Xing's heart tightened. He feigned anger, stormed into the grocery store, and overturned the shelves. Taking advantage of the chaos, he stuffed the bloodstained pieces of meat into a hidden compartment in the cellar. Ling Xue understood and used the confusion to evade the search.

The two met secretly at the City God Temple that night. Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue and said in a deep voice, "Since we are fellow disciples, we should join hands to overcome this tribulation. I suspect that this pig demon is being controlled by evil magic, and we need to break the core of the demon beast illusion array." Ling Xue nodded, a resolute glint in her eyes.

After discussing it, the two decided to find a way to break the illusion array of the demonic beasts. Ling Xue took out the Corrupting Heart Pill she had refined and handed it to Zhou Xing, saying, "This Corrupting Heart Pill can make you fake your death and disappear. You can infiltrate the funeral procession to investigate the demonic beasts' lair."

Zhou Xing took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation. Soon, his breath became weak, like that of a dead man. The funeral procession carried him towards the mass grave. Ling Xue, meanwhile, continued to deal with the spies at the general store. She sold mugwort mixed with realgar to the midwife, cleverly using the midwife's hands to have the baby's cries distract some of the pursuers.

Zhou Xing followed the funeral procession to the mass grave, secretly observing his surroundings. He discovered a pile of bones, and with a determined effort, he unearthed a bronze ritual vessel. Just then, the core of the illusion array revealed the Demon Sect's two-headed eagle totem. Zhou Xing was overjoyed; it seemed he had found the key.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ling Xue used gunpowder to destroy the granary and began setting up magical artifacts to break the formation. However, their actions alerted the demonic beasts, and a group of them gave chase. The two fled to a secret chamber in the slaughterhouse, where Zhou Xing swung his butcher knife and ruthlessly severed the chains binding the sacrificial artifacts.

After a fierce battle, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue successfully broke through the demonic beast's illusion array. However, before they could even catch their breath, they simultaneously received a communication jade slip from the Haoqing Sect. The jade slip indicated that this calamity was related to the "Tribulation of Love," and one must sever the seven emotions to ascend.

Just then, Ling Xue was unfortunately poisoned by the demonic poison and fell unconscious. Zhou Xing was extremely anxious. He bit his wrist and fed Ling Xue his demonic blood. Strangely, Ling Xue's condition did not improve; instead, she began coughing up black blood.

Zhou Xing suddenly remembered an old remedy from the mortal realm. He applied frozen pork to Ling Xue's forehead, hoping to lower her fever. While caring for Ling Xue, Zhou Xing confessed that he had secretly watched Ling Xue practice swordsmanship three hundred years ago when he first entered the sect. Ling Xue listened, a slight smile appearing on her face.

To sever her ties with her lover, Ling Xue decides to fake a marriage with someone else. On the day of the wedding, Zhou Xing, wielding a butcher's knife, storms into the wedding ceremony to abduct the bride. Just as everyone is stunned, Ling Xue suddenly pulls out a silver needle from her leg bindings and pierces Zhou Xing's Fengchi acupoint. Zhou Xing is instantly immobilized and can only watch helplessly as Ling Xue is carried away.

The high priest demanded that the butcher sacrifice ninety-nine animals to quell the monster's rampage. Zhou Xing knew this was a trap, but he also understood that disobeying would cause even greater trouble. So, he secretly carved a reversal spell into the pig's hoof, preparing to deflect the monster's power.

Ling Xue worked through the night at the general store sewing a hundred copper coin darts. She secretly hid talismans under her wedding dress, preparing to lend a helping hand at a crucial moment.

The atmosphere on the altar was extremely tense. Zhou Xing plunged his butcher knife into the center of the altar, and in an instant, the villagers, transformed from the demon beast, began to materialize. Ling Xue threw a copper coin dart, precisely severing the spirit-binding rope. The two stood back to back, engaging in a bloody battle with the demon beast.

Just when they were in dire straits, Ling Xue suddenly threw the medicine pouch at Zhou Xing and shouted, "Check on Shangjie Chunxue for me!" Zhou Xing felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew that Ling Xue was going to sacrifice herself to buy him time.

Zhou Xing gripped the butcher's knife, staring at the monstrous beast before him. His heart was filled with rage and grief, and he suddenly realized the truth: "To slaughter heaven and earth and all living beings is not as good as to slaughter oneself." He plunged the blade into his own heart, and blood gushed forth.

Just then, the rain of blood transformed into the ice-crystal barrier of the Haoqing Sect, and the demonic beasts vanished under its power. Ling Xue was also severely injured at this time. Before she breathed her last, she gave Zhou Xing half a copper plaque from the general store, which was engraved with the words "Three thousand calamities fill the day, cooking smoke and white hair."

Zhou Xing held Ling Xue's body, tears streaming down his face. When their souls returned to the upper realm, they discovered that the Haoqing Sect's library had added the "Book of Slaughter" and the "Compendium of One Hundred Things." The sect leader stroked his beard and sighed, "The tribulations of love are the most deceitful."

Having gone through this ordeal, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue understood many things. They knew that more tribulations awaited them on their path to ascension, but they were determined to overcome them hand in hand until they reached the upper realm.

Zhou Xing felt a sudden dizziness, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself in a dilapidated study. He had become a poor scholar, sitting at a table, studying "Strategies" by the dim light of a candle.

Outside the window, wind and snow raged, and the whole world seemed shrouded in a cold curtain. Zhou Xing rubbed his stiff hands, trying to warm them up. Just then, he discovered a note hidden at the bottom of the inkstone, which read, "The examination hall will catch fire in three days."

Zhou Xing was startled. Before he could think further, he suddenly heard a slight noise coming from the roof. He looked up warily and saw a young girl hovering gracefully in mid-air, one foot hooked around the eaves, like a nimble swallow. The silver needles at the girl's fingertips gleamed coldly in the wind and snow, instantly reflecting seven eerie shadows.

The girl was Ling Xue. She noticed that Zhou Xing had discovered her, so she lightly leaped and landed in front of him. She pressed a silver needle against Zhou Xing's throat and whispered, "Young Master Zhou, don't make a sound. I'm doing this to help you."

Zhou Xing looked at the girl before him, feeling both doubt and gratitude. He nodded, signaling Ling Xue to continue.

Ling Xue put away the silver needles and said, "I know it's not easy for you to come to the capital for the imperial examination. The examination hall will catch fire in three days. If you are not prepared, you may perish in the flames. I can help you, but you need to promise me one thing."

Zhou Xing asked, "What is it?"

Ling Xue said, "At the right time, we will reveal some of the secrets of the Prime Minister's residence."

Zhou Xing's heart stirred. He knew that the Prime Minister's mansion wielded immense power in the court. If he could expose the secrets of the Prime Minister's mansion, he might be able to secure a glimmer of hope for himself and the people of the world. Therefore, he agreed to Ling Xue's request without hesitation.

Ling Xue nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll help you get through this ordeal. This is the 'Ice Soul Pill,' which can save your life in a critical moment." As she spoke, she handed a pill to Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing took the pills, but before he could thank her, he suddenly heard a commotion outside. It turned out that the night watchman had passed by and discovered the traces Ling Xue had left on the roof.

Ling Xue's expression changed, and she said, "Oh no, we've been discovered. You hide quickly, I'll distract them."

Zhou Xing asked worriedly, "What will you do?"

Ling Xue said, "Don't worry, I have a plan. You should quickly hide in the cellar and not come out."

Zhou Xing had no choice but to obey Ling Xue's arrangement and hide in the cellar.