My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1406 Relief
He heard fighting and shouting outside from inside the cellar, and he became very anxious.

After a while, the sound gradually faded away. Zhou Xing cautiously walked out of the cellar and found that Ling Xue was gone. He felt a little disappointed, but he also knew that Ling Xue had done it for his own good.

Ling Xue arrived at the Prime Minister's residence under the cover of night. She skillfully avoided the guards and returned to her room.

The room was dimly lit. Ling Xue lit a candle and looked at the spider tattoo on her collarbone in the bronze mirror, a bitter feeling rising in her heart. This was the "coming-of-age gift" given annually by the Prime Minister's stepmother, seemingly a sign of her importance, but in reality, it was a ploy to kill her.

Each time the poison flared up, Ling Xue needed to use golden needles to seal her meridians and alleviate the pain. She skillfully picked up the golden needles, inserted them into her own body a few times, and then began to prepare the antidote.

To help Zhou Xing, Ling Xue decided to steal the account books detailing her father's collusion with the salt merchants. Under the cover of night, she sneaked into her father's study and found where the account books were kept.

However, just as she was about to take the ledger, she suddenly heard footsteps. It turned out that the captain of the guards was coming on night patrol.

Ling Xue was startled and quickly hid behind a screen. The captain of the guards entered the study, looked around, and found nothing amiss.

Taking advantage of the guard captain's inattention, Ling Xue secretly took the account book. Just as she was about to leave, she accidentally bumped into a vase. The vase fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Upon hearing the noise, the guard captain immediately headed towards where Ling Xue was hiding. Ling Xue inwardly cried out in alarm. Without thinking, she kicked over the candlestick. The candlelight quickly spread, plunging the study into chaos.

Upon seeing the flames, the commander of the guards rushed to put them out. Ling Xue seized the opportunity to escape from the study.

The next day, Zhou Xing learned that the examination hall had indeed caught fire. Remembering Ling Xue's warning, he deliberately coughed in the fire. The chief examiner heard his cough and had someone bring him a bowl of ginger soup.

Zhou Xing pretended to drink the ginger soup, but actually cut his palm with a shard of porcelain. He hid the blood-stained "Ten Strategies for Famine Relief" that he had prepared beforehand in his bosom, waiting for the right opportunity.

Ling Xue, disguised as a charcoal seller, encountered Zhou Xing on the street. She pretended to casually chat with Zhou Xing, hinting that the Prime Minister's residence was investigating impoverished scholars for the imperial examinations.

Zhou Xing was startled, but he quickly understood Ling Xue's meaning. That very night, he "unexpectedly" saved the Vice Minister of Revenue who was being attacked by refugees.

The Vice Minister of Revenue was very grateful to Zhou Xing and had a good impression of him. Zhou Xing took the opportunity to chat with the Vice Minister of Revenue, trying to learn more about the situation in the imperial court.

Not long after, Ling Xue, under the guise of admiring plum blossoms, led Zhou Xing into a secret underground chamber in the Prime Minister's garden. The stone walls of the chamber were covered with inscriptions of officials' private secrets, evidence collected by the Prime Minister's residence over the years.

Ling Xue circled three key figures with rouge and said to Zhou Xing, "These three people are key to our breakthrough. You can start with them."

Zhou Xing nodded and said, "I understand. However, we must be careful and not let the people from the Prime Minister's residence find out."

However, just as Zhou Xing was preparing to leave the capital to investigate the salt tax, he was suddenly stopped by the Eastern Depot. It turned out that the people in the Prime Minister's residence had already noticed Zhou Xing's actions and had sent people to monitor him.

Upon learning the news, Ling Xue was frantic with worry. She bit her fingertip and wrote a letter in blood on the inside of Zhou Xing's prison cart. The letter guided Zhou Xing to the Resurrection Cave in the mass grave south of the city.

After seeing the blood-written letter, Zhou Xing followed Ling Xue's instructions and went to the mass grave in the south of the city. There, he found the escape tools and some clues that Ling Xue had prepared for him.

The atmosphere at the imperial examination was tense and oppressive. Zhou Xing sat calmly in the examination hall. He refuted the "natural disaster theory," pointing out that the disasters in various places were actually man-made.

He unfurled the "Map of Mountains and Rivers," using the Demonic Sect's tracking technique taught by Ling Xue to reveal the corrupt network across the twelve provinces. An uproar erupted in the imperial court.

Upon seeing this, the eldest son of the Prime Minister's mansion drew his sword and stabbed at Zhou Xing. Just then, Ling Xue suddenly appeared and used golden thread to wrap around the hilt of the Prime Minister's mansion's sword.

Ling Xue tore open her skirt, revealing her calves covered in scars. She shouted, "These were all inflicted by my father with torture instruments. Today, I will avenge my mother!"

Everyone was stunned by Ling Xue's actions. Just then, the emperor suddenly fainted. Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Xue slipped the forged imperial edict into the hands of the Imperial Observatory official.

Zhou Xing then publicly severed the banners of the Prime Minister's residence and loudly proclaimed, "Today I will seek justice for the poor and needy across the land!"

Just when everyone thought it was all over, the Ninefold Tribulation suddenly descended. Purple lightning raged like a dragon, as if it would destroy the entire world.

Within the lightning, the incomplete figures of 341 fellow disciples from past generations emerged. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue knew that this was part of the 9,999 tribulations they would have to endure when they ascended to the upper realm.

Ling Xue used her hairpin to cut open her palm and drew a tribulation-crossing array with the forbidden blood of the Demonic Sect. She shouted to Zhou Xing, "Come quickly, let's get through this tribulation together!"

Without hesitation, Zhou Xing leaped into the center of the formation. Their souls intertwined amidst the thunder and fire, forming a yin-yang symbol. They felt each other's power and their resolve.

Just then, black mist surged from beneath the examination hall. It turned out that the spirits of the dead from past generations had transformed into ink, writing the words "Slay the Demon." These spirits were attracted by the aura of the Demonic Sect and wanted to destroy Zhou Xing and Ling Xue.

Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were not afraid. They held each other's hands tightly and fought against the wandering spirits together. In the fierce battle, their souls gradually became more resilient.

After the tribulation, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue returned to Haoqing Sect. However, they discovered that the sect had expelled them and regarded them as traitors.

Zhou Xing sneered, and with a wave of his sleeve, three thousand steps were frozen solid. He shouted, "Today we have returned, and we will make this sect remember us again!"

With that, the two shattered the protective mountain array and entered the depths of the sect. In the sect's forbidden area, they discovered three hundred and forty calamity tablets recording the deaths of their comrades. Each tablet was inscribed with the four characters "The Extermination of Demons is Not Yet Complete," as if telling the story of their past suffering.

Unable to contain his rage, Zhou Xing was about to destroy the sect. Ling Xue quickly grasped his trembling hand and said, "These are nothing but projections of inner demons."

Just then, their swords resonated, pointing towards the true 9,999th tribulation cloud. They smiled at each other and walked hand in hand towards the unknown challenge. As they leaped onto the tribulation cloud, Zhou Xing looked back at the lights of the mortal realm, his heart filled with countless emotions. He said, "When I rewrite the sect rules, I will definitely carve your name on the mountain gate."

Ling Xue smiled and transformed the jade hairpin in her hair into twin lotus blossoms, saying, "Then it's settled, I'll wait for you to come back."

The roar of the 343rd tribulation lightning bolt echoed from afar. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue exchanged a smile, then walked hand in hand towards the new challenge, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance amidst the lightning…

Zhou Xing felt a sudden dizziness. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw dark clouds covering the sky, with lightning like silver dragons raging within them. He was on the execution platform, surrounded by blood and chaos.

The 341st lightning tribulation of Haoqing Sect's ascension tribulation unexpectedly threw him into a strange little world. His soul possessed an infant in swaddling clothes, and this infant was none other than the son of the great general who was falsely accused of treason.

On the execution ground, blood stained the earth red as the general and his entire family were led to their execution. Zhou Xing, still an infant, stared in terror as his loved ones fell one by one into pools of blood. Suddenly, a loyal servant, Uncle Yi, rushed over, scooped up Zhou Xing, and vanished into the crowd amidst the chaos.

Uncle Yi led Zhou Xing to a secluded cave. To evade pursuers, he made a shocking decision—to switch Zhou Xing with a baby who had died in the slums. From then on, Zhou Xing became the "younger brother" of an orphan girl named Ling Xue.

Time flies, and seven-year-old Zhou Xing and Ling Xue have been living in the slums for several years. Zhou Xing pretends to be mentally challenged, secretly observing everything in the world. He discovers that Ling Xue often secretly draws military camp deployment maps, which makes him somewhat suspicious.

One night, soldiers suddenly stormed into the slums and began a massacre. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue hid in a dark corner, watching the horrific scene outside, too afraid to even breathe. Only after the soldiers left did they cautiously emerge.

At this moment, Zhou Xing finally noticed the unusual thing about Ling Xue drawing the military camp deployment map. In a dimly lit corner, Ling Xue took out a complete border map from her bosom. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's identities—they were also from the Haoqing Sect, and this tribulation was for each other to overcome their tribulations.

To pay for her "younger brother's" medical treatment, Ling Xue infiltrated the Prime Minister's residence as a maid. By chance, she discovered secret correspondence between the current powerful minister and an enemy state. Ling Xue was startled, realizing this was a golden opportunity.

She deliberately let Zhou Xing "accidentally" obtain the secret letter, and Zhou Xing, relying on his wisdom and eloquence, successfully deciphered its contents. Subsequently, he orchestrated the death of the real young master from poisoning, and then took his place.

After entering the Prime Minister's residence, Zhou Xing quickly gained the old Prime Minister's favor thanks to his memories from his previous life and his intelligence. In a civil service examination, he amazed everyone with his essay "Ten Policies to Reduce the Power of the Feudal Lords," successfully entering the core of the court's power.

While caring for Zhou Xing, Ling Xue secretly monitored his daily life. One night, she detected a slow-acting poison in Zhou Xing's tea. It turned out that the old prime minister harbored suspicions about Zhou Xing, this suddenly emerging "genius," and wanted to test him with poison.

Zhou Xing was not alarmed upon learning of this. He feigned illness, coughing up blood and falling into a coma before altering the imperial edict. The political landscape instantly shifted dramatically. After the new emperor ascended the throne, in an effort to win over Zhou Xing, he arranged a marriage between him and Ling Xue.

On their wedding night, Zhou Xing crushed the nuptial wine cup in his hand and said coldly, "It's time to close this game."

Using his power, Zhou Xing began to suppress the old guard. However, his ambitions did not stop there. He secretly groomed Ling Xue to become a royal merchant, and used the power of the royal merchant to annex the six major salt and iron families.

At an auction, Ling Xue deliberately inflated grain prices, triggering a riot. The people were outraged, and society descended into turmoil. Just when everyone was at a loss, Zhou Xing led the Ironclad Guards to quell the rebellion, successfully bringing the situation back under control.

Enemy spies had been watching Zhou Xing's every move. They discovered that a hidden compartment in Zhou Xing's study contained fragments of the Haoqing Sect's martial arts manual. Therefore, they sent a group of assassins to infiltrate the Prime Minister's residence in an attempt to steal the manual.

Upon learning the news, Ling Xue set fire to the Hidden Martial Arts Tower, creating chaos. In the chaos, she and Zhou Xing combined their swords to slay enemy assassins. However, their cooperation displeased the Heavenly Dao, and a bolt of lightning struck, missing its target and hitting the imperial mausoleum.

At this time, the new emperor also became wary of Zhou Xing's power. He joined forces with the old nobles and attempted to impeach Zhou Xing. Zhou Xing was prepared; he presented evidence of their corruption and instead punished them.

Ling Xue tearfully recounted her experience of being coerced in the imperial court, which resonated with the wives of high-ranking officials. They all pleaded for Ling Xue, allowing Zhou Xing and Ling Xue to temporarily escape the crisis.

By chance, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue simultaneously witnessed overlapping images of two worlds in a secret chamber of the palace. They discovered that the so-called "treason case" was actually a scheme set up by the elders of the Haoqing Sect to weaken their fortune.

Zhou Xing was filled with rage, and he decided he would no longer sit idly by and wait for his fate. He activated the eighteen demonic beast statues on the border, releasing ancient ferocious beasts. In an instant, the border region descended into chaos.

Ling Xue led a caravan transporting materials for sealing the demonic beasts, attempting to control the situation. However, their actions were betrayed by the Protector General. To protect Zhou Xing, Ling Xue shielded him and was severely wounded.

On the verge of death, Ling Xue plunged the sword of a Haoqing Sect disciple into Zhou Xing's heart. This seemingly fatal blow awakened his memories from before his ascension. Zhou Xing unleashed tremendous power, tearing apart the kill orders cast by the elders with his bare hands.

Just then, the Heavenly Dao unleashed nine layers of purple lightning. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue embraced each other, using a secret technique of the Demonic Sect to devour the lightning tribulation. The mountains and rivers of the small world began to crumble, unable to withstand their immense power.

Having survived the ordeal, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue returned to the Haoqing Sect. However, they discovered that the sect had expelled them and considered them traitors.

Zhou Xing sneered, and with a wave of his sleeve, three thousand steps were frozen solid. He shouted, "Today we have returned, and we will make this sect remember us again!"

With that, the two shattered the protective mountain array and entered the depths of the sect. In the sect's forbidden area, they discovered three hundred and forty calamity tablets recording the deaths of their comrades. Each tablet was inscribed with the four characters "The Extermination of Demons is Not Yet Complete," as if telling the story of their past suffering.

Unable to contain his rage, Zhou Xing was about to destroy the sect. Ling Xue quickly grasped his trembling hand and said, "These are nothing but projections of inner demons."

Just then, their swords resonated, pointing towards the true 9,999th tribulation cloud. They smiled at each other and walked hand in hand towards that unknown challenge.

With the double calamity striking, time and space froze. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue saw each other's silhouettes from 340 reincarnations in the void. In each reincarnation, they endured hardships in different small worlds, yet remained inseparable.

Ling Xue smiled gently, transforming her hairpin into a ferry, and said, "This boat can carry three souls and seven spirits, but one must relinquish one emotion."

Without hesitation, Zhou Xing crushed the oar and said, "Then let's dismantle this damn boat."

The two, with their demonic bodies, fought against the chains of heaven. In the fierce battle, their figures gradually shattered and reformed. Finally, the calamity clouds dissipated, and the two sat on the ruins, taking stock of their spoils.

Zhou Xing took out the magical treasures he had collected from various worlds, piling them up into a small mountain.