My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1409 Peach Grove
Ling Xue took the key, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Not long after, Ling Xue led her iron cavalry to crush the Northern Frontier Royal Court. On their return journey, they were ambushed by demonic cultivators. Zhou Xing descended from the sky, his sword energy transforming into the bright moon they had seen at the imperial tomb years ago.

After the battle, the two returned to the thatched hut. At night, the firelight illuminated the "Shared Life Spell" on Ling Xue's palm. Zhou Xing suddenly tied the Haoqing Sect's life tablet to her wrist and said, "Remember to wait for me next time you undergo tribulation."

The alarm for the completion of the Nine Thousand Tribulations resounded through the sky, and Zhou Xing stood alone on the edge of the Ascension Platform. Ling Xue tore open a rift in the void, revealing the peach grove they had planted with their own hands in the small world.

Each peach tree was engraved with a number indicating its calamity, and the newest one had a blood-stained ribbon wrapped around its branch. Zhou Xing looked at the peach grove, his heart filled with memories.

Just then, Ling Xue turned back amidst the karmic flames and chuckled, "Your Highness, you dare not jump?" Zhou Xing looked at her, smiled, and leaped down. As they fell, their palms touched, and three hundred and forty-six memories of past lives bloomed simultaneously like fireworks.

Finally, they landed under the original peach tree in front of the Haoqing Sect's mountain gate. Ling Xue picked up Zhou Xing's broken life tablet and found that the back was newly engraved with: "Though this body perishes, the soul remains bound to nine thousand."

Just then, the first thunderclap of tribulation lightning echoed from afar. Ling Xue looked at the fate tablet in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. She knew their story was far from over…

Zhou Xing slowly woke up, feeling sore all over. He looked down at himself, dressed in coarse cloth, a rag still clutched in his hand. He looked around and found himself in a dilapidated inn, where he had become the innkeeper.

At this moment, a scarred man walked into the inn, slammed a bag of rice heavily on the counter, and said, "This is this month's protection fee. If you dare to pay less, you'll lose your life." Zhou Xing was displeased, but he knew it was not the right time to clash with these people, so he could only suppress his anger and take the bag of rice.

Late at night, as Zhou Xing was wiping tables and chairs in the inn's lobby, he suddenly noticed a blood-red line appearing on his palm. Immediately afterward, a line of blood-red characters appeared in his mind: [The 347th Tribulation]. A familiar yet strange feeling welled up inside him; he knew this was yet another tribulation.

Meanwhile, Ling Xue, disguised as a mute girl, was tending the fire in the inn's kitchen. She appeared calm as she tended the fire, but secretly used a demonic sect technique to test the bloodlines of those around her. She discovered that the bloodlines of these martial artists all contained trace amounts of demonic energy, which made her wary.

Suddenly, a poisoned needle burst from the firewood beside the stove, heading straight for Ling Xue's throat. Ling Xue reacted quickly, feigning unconsciousness. Just as the needle was about to strike her, Zhou Xing's rag suddenly flew out, catching it. The two exchanged a glance through the steam; a hint of surprise flashed in Ling Xue's eyes, while Zhou Xing nodded slightly.

Ling Xue deliberately knocked over the oil pan, splashing scalding oil towards Zhou Xing. Zhou Xing dodged the splash. Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Xue used the hilt of her knife to tap out Morse code: "Backyard Well." Zhou Xing's heart skipped a beat; he knew Ling Xue must have discovered something important.

The two arrived at the well in the backyard and dug out a former shopkeeper who had been turned into a corpse puppet by a demon. While searching the body, Zhou Xing found half a parchment labeled "Lunar Eclipse Night, Sacrifice to the East of the City" in the lining of the corpse's underwear. The two realized that a huge conspiracy must be hidden behind this.

To uncover the truth, the two pretended to be a married couple and traveled with a merchant caravan. Ling Xue used a kitchen knife to cut the weapons of the bandits blocking the road, while Zhou Xing used the inn's ledger as bait to extract information. That night, by the campfire, Ling Xue suddenly spoke up: "The soup in your pot is poisoned."

Zhou Xing was startled. He pretended to test the poison, then secretly poured the poisoned soup on the ground. At that moment, the ground instantly corroded, creating a deep pit. The two looked at each other, realizing they were caught in a dangerous situation.

Back at the inn, Zhou Xing discovered a hidden demonic altar in the attic. Ling Xue had been injured by the formation while scouting the location, and black energy was spreading from her shoulder. Zhou Xing was extremely anxious; he knew he had to find an antidote as soon as possible.

He used the Haoqing Sect's inner cultivation technique to expel the poison, but due to overuse of spiritual power, he bled from all seven orifices. Ling Xue looked at him, her eyes filled with heartache. She tore her clothes to stop his bleeding and said, "Don't die, you haven't returned the jade hairpin I stole."

Soon after, rumors began to circulate in the city that "all the diners are outlaws." Zhou Xing and Ling Xue knew this was a scheme by the demonic cultivators to sow discord. Ling Xue chopped off the right hand of the gang leader in the street, while Zhou Xing smiled and handed him some hemostatic medicine, saying, "The customer bleeds, so the restaurant owner is responsible." The crowd watched their actions and whispered among themselves.

On the eve of the lunar eclipse, the two set up a double killing array in the inn's cellar. Ling Xue forged a kitchen knife into a Soul-Devouring Blade, while Zhou Xing used abacus beads as the array's core. They held each other's hands tightly, both knowing that tonight would be a fierce battle.

On the night of the lunar eclipse, a hundred demonic cultivators besieged the inn. Ling Xue swung a pot, smashing the blood skull array, and as boiling oil spilled out, the demonic tattoo on her waist was revealed. Zhou Xing waved his ledger, which transformed into an ice wall, and the numbers strung together formed chains to bind the enemy's head.

The battle was exceptionally fierce, with demonic cultivators surging in like a tidal wave. Ling Xue and Zhou Xing stood back to back, fighting bravely. However, the demonic cultivator leader was powerful, and they gradually found themselves in a difficult situation.

Just then, the heavily wounded demonic cultivator leader grinned and revealed, "Do you know how the Haoqing Sect slaughtered my entire clan three hundred years ago?" Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were shocked, but they had no time to think about it. Zhou Xing crushed the jade hairpin to release his natal sword spirit, while Ling Xue simultaneously detonated three hundred explosive flame talismans hidden in the food.

As the flames engulfed the inn, the two embraced and plunged into the underground river. The river washed away the blood, revealing identical Rebirth Curse marks on their wrists. They knew that this ordeal was far from over.

The two seriously injured men hid in a cave to heal. While picking wild fruit for Ling Xue, Zhou Xing noticed a stray white hair at her temples. Ling Xue sneered, "Every tribulation devours lifespan, are you afraid?" Zhou Xing silently ground the fruit into a healing medicine, saying, "I'm afraid you'll die before me."

While shopping at the market, Ling Xue was mistaken for a wanted criminal. Zhou Xing suddenly kissed her forehead in the street, shouting, "Caught in the act!" He then dragged her into a manure cart and fled in the chaos. When Ling Xue punched his chest, he coughed up blood, staining her clothes red.

The two returned to the ruins of the inn and erected a wooden sign that read "Closed for Renovation." As Zhou Xing was carving a new stove, Ling Xue suddenly hugged him from behind and said, "Could you not choose the martyrdom ending this time?" Zhou Xing held her hand, which was adorned with a jade hairpin, and whispered, "Okay."

When the alarm sounded for the completion of the Nine Thousand Tribulations, Zhou Xing was teaching Ling Xue how to knead dough. She suddenly pushed him away and said, "I mixed Forget-Me-Not grass into the flour." When the two rushed into the Ascension Platform, they saw that the small world of the Three Hundred and Forty-Seventh Tribulation had transformed into a giant hot pot, with ingredients formed from the memories of past tribulations floating in the broth.

Zhou Xing smiled and sprinkled in the last handful of salt, saying, "It's time to taste the consequences of your actions." Ling Xue took a bite of the cooked, hairpin-shaped noodles, her eyes reddening: "So every wound you have carries the taste of Sichuan peppercorns."

The two sat beside the boiling soup pot, taking turns eating noodles. The world around them seemed to swirl beneath their feet like a condiment dish, and their figures gradually blurred into the smoky, bustling atmosphere…

Zhou Xing slowly awoke, feeling sore all over. He looked down at himself and saw that he was dressed in a brocade robe and sitting in a luxurious gambling den, where he had become the owner. At that moment, a spoiled young master walked into the gambling den, slammed a bag of gold coins heavily on the gambling table, and said, "Boss, come and play a few rounds with me." Zhou Xing was displeased, but he still suppressed his anger and sat down.

As he shook the dice, Zhou Xing suddenly noticed a blood-red line appearing on his palm. Immediately afterward, a line of blood-red characters appeared in his mind: [The 347th Tribulation]. A familiar yet strange feeling welled up inside him; he knew this was yet another tribulation.

Meanwhile, Ling Xue disguised herself as a musician and performed in the palace. On the surface, she played her zither quietly, but secretly she used a secret technique of the Demonic Sect to test the bloodlines of those around her. She discovered that the bloodlines of these high-ranking officials and nobles all contained trace amounts of demonic energy, which made her wary.

Suddenly, a string snapped, nearly severing Ling Xue's throat. Ling Xue reacted quickly, feigning panic as she covered her neck. Just then, Zhou Xing's dice came to a stop. The two exchanged a glance across the crowd; a hint of surprise flashed in Ling Xue's eyes, while Zhou Xing nodded slightly.

Ling Xue deliberately played the wrong note in "The Willow Branch Song," and Zhou Xing immediately understood. He used the pretext of inspecting gambling dens to sneak into the inner palace, where he met Ling Xue by the dry well in the Cold Palace.

Ling Xue used her zither pegs to carve magical runes and secret codes on the well wall, while Zhou Xing responded by arranging dice into a formation. The two exchanged their discoveries, realizing that a huge conspiracy must be hidden behind this.

To uncover the truth, the two disguised themselves as master and servant and attended a palace banquet. While Ling Xue played the zither, Zhou Xing observed the reactions of the crowd. Suddenly, a silver needle flew from Ling Xue's sleeve, aimed directly at Zhou Xing. Zhou Xing was prepared and pretended to be struck by the needle and fall to the ground. Ling Xue seized the opportunity to search his body and found a forged secret letter treasonous with the enemy.

Back at his lodgings, Zhou Xing discovered he had been poisoned by a Gu poison. Without hesitation, Ling Xue cut her wrist and fed him her blood, saying, "Your life must be spared to lure the snake out of its hole." Zhou Xing felt a warmth in his heart; he knew Ling Xue was gradually beginning to trust him.

The two discovered a map of the dragon veins of the previous dynasty in a secret room of the gambling den, and Ling Xue recognized that it contained the hidden sword technique of the Haoqing Sect. As Zhou Xing was carving the map with demonic flames, the sound of eunuchs' footsteps suddenly came from outside the window.

In a moment of quick thinking, Ling Xue suddenly kissed Zhou Xing, their silhouettes reflected in the window. The eunuch, seeing this, assumed they were being intimate and hurriedly left.

Not long after, the emperor bestowed a marriage upon Ling Xue and the Prince of Rong. On their wedding day, as the bridal sedan chair approached the gambling den, Zhou Xing suddenly overturned the dice table, revealing ninety dice arranged in a trapping pattern. Ling Xue tore off her veil and used her phoenix crown as a hidden weapon to knock down an assassin.

The two fled deep into the imperial tomb, where Zhou Xing used gambling chips to open a mechanism. Ling Xue looked at the altered memories of their past lives on the stone wall and laughed angrily: "So we died on our wedding nights three times."

After emerging from the imperial tomb, Ling Xue was forced to play a forbidden piece at the palace banquet. The music drove the officials into a frenzy, creating utter chaos. Zhou Xing feigned losing all his wealth, disguising the Demon Sect's most precious treasure as an ordinary jade pendant and presenting it to the general.

Suddenly, Ling Xue's zither string snapped, and Zhou Xing's dice accurately shattered the assassin's crossbow bolt. The two faced their pursuers back to back, Ling Xue's blood staining Zhou Xing's long robe, revealing an inner garment embroidered with the same incantation.

Trapped in the burning palace, Zhou Xing poured the last half-pot of wine onto the gambling table, creating a water mirror. Through the mirror, the two saw a truth that had been erased three hundred years ago—the founder of the Haoqing Sect was actually the current imperial advisor.

When the emperor offered poisoned wine, Zhou Xing suddenly laughed and drank it all. Ling Xue lunged forward, grabbing the emperor's throat, only to find that the dragon throne had transformed into a demonic puppet. Zhou Xing spat out a blood-stained die, the six points illuminating the regicide blade hidden beneath Ling Xue's zither.

The two fought their way out and reached the top floor of the gambling den. Zhou Xing piled all the gold coins into an altar. Ling Xue cut the strings of her zither and bound their wrists together, saying, "This time, I'm betting my life on the Twin Curse."

As the karmic fire engulfed the gambling den, Zhou Xing handed the last half of the jade pendant to Ling Xue, saying, "Remember to wait for me on the Wheel of Reincarnation." Ling Xue looked at him, her eyes filled with determination, and said, "We'll die together."

The alarm for the completion of the Nine Thousand Tribulations resounded through the sky, and Zhou Xing stood alone on the edge of the ascension platform. Ling Xue tore open a rift in the void, revealing the gamble they had jointly set up in the small world.

Two jade pendants lay in the blood-stained dice cup, each crack marked with a calamity number. A zither string was lodged in the newest crack.

As Zhou Xing leaped into the sea of ​​fire, Ling Xue spread her arms wide amidst the flames. As they fell, their fingers intertwined, and three hundred and forty-seven ways to die flashed simultaneously in their palms.

Finally, the wheel landed beneath the peach tree in front of the Haoqing Sect's gate. Ling Xue picked up Zhou Xing's shattered life tablet and discovered a new inscription on the back: "This game is not over; let's try again." Just then, the first thunderclap of tribulation lightning echoed from afar. Ling Xue looked at the life tablet in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. She knew their story was far from over…

The purple clouds surged furiously, and the dark tribulation clouds resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, enveloping the main peak of the Haoqing Sect. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue stood facing each other, their bodies shimmering with light, forming a stark contrast with the terrifying tribulation clouds.

"The 347th Tribulation, the Shu Kingdom World, take care." Their eyes met, their simple words filled with mutual trust. Then, the Ninefold Purple Heaven Divine Lightning roared like a giant dragon, crashing down upon them.

Zhou Xing felt a sharp pain as his soul was swept away by the lightning and plunged into the vortex of reincarnation. During the fall, he vaguely glimpsed fragments of Ling Xue's memories. He saw her clad in silver armor, galloping across the battlefield, her spear slaying enemy generals. Her heroic figure stirred a ripple in Zhou Xing's heart.

When Zhou Xing regained consciousness, he found himself on the dragon throne in the Golden Palace. He felt heavy all over, his spiritual power was sealed, and his dantian felt as if it were being crushed by a huge rock, completely blocked. He raised his hand to touch his body and found a fat, greasy lump of flesh around his waist. Looking at the bronze mirror outside the palace, he saw a strange and confused face reflected in it.

At this moment, the officials below knelt and shouted, their voices clamorous. Zhou Xing frowned, trying hard to recall his mission. It turned out that his current identity was Liu Che, the emperor of Shu, and he needed to maintain the dynasty's fortune in order to survive this calamity.

Meanwhile, Ling Xue's situation was also dire. Reborn as a female general in the Zhenbei Army, she was currently leading her troops in battle against the Xiongnu. On the battlefield, smoke filled the air, and the shouts of battle were deafening. Ling Xue, riding her steed and wielding a long spear, fought fiercely. However, the enemy had set a trap, and she was caught off guard and surrounded by enemy forces.

In her desperate situation, Ling Xue remembered her mission. She gritted her teeth and activated the Heart-Protecting Mirror with her life essence. The mirror emitted a dazzling light, dispelling the surrounding enemies. Just then, an image of Zhou Xing trapped in the palace suddenly flashed into her mind, and her heart tightened.

Ling Xue returned from her campaign in place of her brother, her armor still stained with blood. Her expression was resolute as she strode into the Golden Palace. Zhou Xing, seated on the dragon throne, looked at Ling Xue below, a strange unease rising within him.