My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1417 Oath
Her voice was weak, but full of power.

Inside the Golden Palace, a standoff was about to unfold. Zhou Xing stood in the center of the hall, his gaze fixed firmly on the emperor on the dragon throne. He publicly tore open an old scar on his shoulder, revealing the birthmark unique to royalty.

The entire court was astonished and knelt down to pay their respects. However, Zhou Xing walked towards Ling Xue behind the curtain. In front of everyone, he vowed, "I will marry no one but you in this life."

On their wedding day, eighty palanquins carrying the dowry paraded through the city, causing a sensation throughout the capital. As the sedan curtains fluttered slightly, Zhou Xing caught a glimpse of the gauze hidden beneath Ling Xue's phoenix crown. It was the scar from when she shielded him from an arrow.

He was deeply moved and secretly vowed to take good care of this woman for the rest of his life.

After the new emperor ascended the throne, he abolished the system of social stratification. Ling Xue stood in front of the soup kitchen, watching the homeless children wolf down their steamed buns, and her heart was filled with comfort.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared behind her. Zhou Xing, dressed in casual clothes, walked up to her. He held a fresh plum blossom between two fingers and offered it to Ling Xue's temple.

"Is it pretty?" he asked with a smile.

Ling Xue smiled happily and nodded. "It looks beautiful."

On New Year's Eve, every household was brightly lit. Ling Xue and Zhou Xing skipped the grand banquet in the palace and went to the streets. They mingled with the crowd, looking at and guessing lantern riddles, having a great time.

Suddenly, Zhou Xing produced a rabbit lantern as if by magic. "Do you remember the lantern we ruined in the woodshed back then? This is a new one I made for you," he said gently.

Ling Xue accepted the rabbit lantern, her heart filled with emotion. She leaned against Zhou Xing's chest, savoring the warmth and happiness.

On Thousand Lantern Lake, the water shimmered. Twin lotus lanterns drifted away with the current, each containing a blood-stained marriage proposal for a marriage alliance. Envoys from two nations arrived to discuss the marriage, when Zhou Xing, at the bow of the boat, suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted, "Look! A shooting star!"

Ling Xue followed his finger and saw a shooting star streak across the night sky, disappearing in an instant. Just then, Zhou Xing secretly threw the letters from the envoys of the two countries into the lake.

"With you here, that's enough," Zhou Xing said affectionately, looking at Ling Xue.

On this dimly lit night, their love story continues, like a brilliant shooting star illuminating each other's lives.

In a tranquil village in the Great Abyss Kingdom, sunlight streamed across the golden rice paddies, creating ripples of waves. Ten-year-old Ling Xue, with two messy braids, squatted by the stream, intently searching for snails. Her little hands groped in the water when suddenly, her foot slipped, and she fell into the stream with a "plop."

The stream wasn't deep, but Ling Xue was still somewhat panicked. She struggled in the water, splashing water everywhere. Just then, a figure rushed into the stream—it was Zhou Xing. He was a year older than Ling Xue, and like a little adult, he scooped her out of the water.

Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue, who was soaking wet, and laughed heartily, "How can you be so clumsy? You even fell into the water while trying to touch a snail." Ling Xue ignored his teasing; her gaze was drawn to the half-jade pendant hanging around Zhou Xing's neck. It was a piece of warm, white jade, with exquisite patterns carved on it.

"Your jade pendant is so beautiful," Ling Xue said enviously. Zhou Xing shook his head proudly: "This was left to me by my mother, isn't it amazing?" As he spoke, he waved the jade pendant in front of Ling Xue.

Not long after, Zhou Xing's father passed away due to illness. The atmosphere in the mourning hall was somber and oppressive. Zhou Xing knelt before his father's coffin, his eyes vacant and filled with sorrow. Ling Xue secretly ran in and stuffed the eggs she had been saving for a long time into Zhou Xing's hand.

"Don't be sad, I'll play with you from now on," Ling Xue said softly. Zhou Xing looked at her, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. He took the eggs, but accidentally stained his mourning clothes with muddy handprints. A relative nearby saw this and couldn't help but scold, "You unlucky girl!" Ling Xue was startled and hurriedly left with her head down.

When winter came, a heavy snow covered the entire village. Ling Xue's thatched hut swayed precariously in the cold wind, letting in drafts from all sides. Zhou Xing felt a pang of pity upon seeing this. Under the cover of night, he secretly piled up the firewood he had gathered at the base of Ling Xue's house.

Moonlight spilled onto the ground. Just as Zhou Xing was about to leave, he suddenly noticed clear footprints in the snow. He was startled, realizing that Ling Xue had discovered his actions. At that moment, Ling Xue came out of the house, and seeing Zhou Xing and the pile of firewood, her eyes were filled with emotion.

"Thank you, Zhou Xing," Ling Xue said. Zhou Xing scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "You're welcome. We're neighbors, it's only natural to help each other." From then on, their relationship became even closer.

At the age of fifteen, Zhou Xing began learning carpentry from the village craftsman. He was skillful and quickly mastered some basic woodworking techniques. One day, he secretly cut down his own locust tree and spent several days making a crooked dressing case.

On Qixi Festival, Zhou Xing placed a dressing case on Ling Xue's windowsill while she was away. He wanted to surprise her, but little did he know that she had already seen his gesture. Ling Xue was deeply moved when she saw the dressing case, which, though not particularly exquisite, was full of heartfelt sentiment. She pretended not to see it, but secretly hid a dried wild rose at the bottom of the case.

However, the good times didn't last long. A drought struck the village, and the crops failed completely. To make a living, Ling Xue had no choice but to work as a tea picker for a landlord. The landlord's young master was a spoiled brat who, seeing Ling Xue's pretty face, harbored evil intentions and began to grope her.

Upon learning of this, Zhou Xing was enraged. He grabbed a wood-chopping knife and stormed into the tea plantation. When he saw the young master harassing Ling Xue, he rushed over without a word and gave the young master a sound beating. The young master's nose bled profusely, staining Ling Xue's coarse cloth clothes red.

The matter escalated, and Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were taken to the ancestral hall. The elders ordered them to be punished by being drowned in a pig cage to uphold village rules. Just when everyone thought they would obediently accept the punishment, Zhou Xing suddenly gripped Ling Xue's hand tightly.

“Let’s elope!” Zhou Xing whispered. Ling Xue looked at his determined eyes, feeling a little hesitant. But thinking of the situation in the village, she nodded. So, the two of them escaped from the village under the cover of night.

On their elopement journey, they encountered a group of bandits. The bandits, armed with sharp weapons, menacingly approached them. Zhou Xing tightly protected Ling Xue, wielding his wood-chopping knife with ferocious skill. Although he possessed some martial arts skills, he gradually found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of bandits.

Just as a robber's knife was about to strike Zhou Xing, Ling Xue suddenly rushed forward and took the blow for him. Blood stained her clothes, and she developed a high fever due to shock and injury. Zhou Xing carried the unconscious Ling Xue and hid in a dilapidated temple. He wrapped her in his own clothes, trying to keep her warm. Inside the temple, Zhou Xing found a moldy copy of the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) under the offering table. To heal Ling Xue's wounds, he studied the book day and night, using incense ash from the temple to stop her bleeding and brewing medicine from wild herbs to reduce her fever.

Ling Xue's fever finally subsided, but Zhou Xing's left hand was badly cut and ulcerated. Ling Xue looked at Zhou Xing's hand, her heart aching. She took off her red hair tie and carefully bandaged Zhou Xing's wound.

"Does it hurt?" Ling Xue asked softly. Zhou Xing shook his head: "It doesn't hurt. As long as you get better, I won't feel pain." The two relied on each other for survival in the dilapidated temple, and their feelings for each other deepened in this difficult environment.

After a period of recuperation, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue gradually recovered. They arrived in a small town and set up a wonton stall with the little money they had. Zhou Xing was in charge of rolling out the dough, and Ling Xue was in charge of filling it; the two worked together very well.

However, business wasn't going well. One day, a drunkard came to the stall and deliberately caused trouble. He not only smashed the stall but also groped Ling Xue. Zhou Xing saw this and was furious. He grabbed a stool and smashed it down on the drunkard. The drunkard was hit on the head and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Zhou Xing thought he had committed a grave offense and prepared to flee with Ling Xue. However, he didn't expect that the drunkard was actually the son of a wealthy merchant in town. The merchant sent people to investigate and discovered that although Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were of ordinary status, they possessed diligence and kindness. Therefore, the merchant decided to let them open a restaurant at his dock.

The food stall was doing increasingly well, and Zhou Xing was constantly researching new dishes. One day, he tried using snake wine mixed with coarse salt as a hot compress to treat his old injury in the kitchen. Ling Xue saw him secretly drinking and assumed he was drowning his sorrows, which made her a little angry.

"What are you doing? Do you want to get drunk again?" Ling Xue said angrily. Zhou Xing smiled and explained, "This isn't ordinary wine. It's a medicinal wine I made by soaking snakes in water. It can treat my injuries." Ling Xue was skeptical, but she still helped him apply the hot compress.

On a stormy night, the wind howled, and the roof tiles rattled. Zhou Xing, worried that Ling Xue might be scared, held her tightly as they fell asleep. Nestled in his arms, Ling Xue listened to his strong heartbeat, feeling a deep sense of security.

Outside the window, the sound of tiles falling was like the rhythmic clatter of chess pieces. The two spent a long night in this warm embrace.

One day, while sorting through his mother's belongings, Zhou Xing unexpectedly discovered a treasure map from a previous dynasty hidden on half a jade pendant. This was an astonishing discovery; if the treasure truly existed, their fates would be completely altered.

However, their movements were also being watched by a mysterious figure. One night, a group of men in black broke into their home. To protect Ling Xue, Zhou Xing pushed her into a tunnel. He then grabbed a machete and engaged the men in black in a fierce battle.

More and more men in black appeared, and Zhou Xing gradually found himself struggling to keep up. He was wounded in several places, his clothes stained with blood. But the thought of Ling Xue waiting for him in the tunnel spurred him on, and he gritted his teeth and continued fighting.

Ling Xue was frantic inside the tunnel. She heard the sounds of fighting and Zhou Xing's shouts outside, and her heart was filled with worry. Suddenly, she saw a gunpowder barrel in the corner. A thought struck her, and she came up with a plan.

She lit the fuse of the gunpowder barrel and then threw the ancestral bronze mirror. The gunpowder exploded, scattering light everywhere. The government troops rushed to the scene and were stunned to see the words "Loyal and Brave Marquis's Residence" engraved on the mirror. It turned out that Ling Xue's ancestors were founding heroes, and this mirror was a symbol of the family's glory.

At the imperial wedding banquet, the capital was brightly decorated and bustling with activity. Ling Xue, dressed in a magnificent phoenix coronet and wedding gown, looked like a fairy descended from heaven. However, she felt a little uneasy.

Zhou Xing took her hand and slowly walked towards the wedding hall. When they reached the steps, Zhou Xing suddenly stopped. He took out the half of the jade pendant from his pocket and gently placed it in Ling Xue's palm.

"You said you'd keep it as your dowry, and now it's returned to its rightful owner," Zhou Xing said affectionately. Ling Xue looked at the jade pendant in her hand, her eyes filled with emotion. She held the pendant tightly, as if holding onto their love of so many years.

After their marriage, they lived in a large mansion in the capital. One moonlit night, Ling Xue found a rusty iron plow in the storeroom. She recalled plowing the fields in the village when she was a child, and a feeling of warmth welled up in her heart.

Zhou Xing became interested when he saw the iron tool. He and Ling Xue experimented with the improved waterwheel irrigation method in the yard. They were working up a sweat, but their faces were filled with happy smiles.

On New Year's Eve, a grand banquet was held in the palace. Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were also invited to attend. During the banquet, the emperor bestowed upon them many gold and silver treasures. However, Ling Xue felt that these things were too extravagant and unsuitable for their status.

She secretly slipped the golden melon seeds she had been given as a reward into the red envelope of her dowry maid, and then she and Zhou Xing slipped out of the palace banquet. They came to the streets of the capital and watched the fireworks blooming in the sky, as if they had returned to their childhood days in the village.

"So beautiful!" Ling Xue exclaimed. Zhou Xing held her hand tightly: "Yes, as long as I'm with you, everywhere is beautiful." The two embraced under the fireworks, their love shining brightly in the bustling capital city, just like the dazzling fireworks.

The Land of Clouds is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, exuding a vibrant charm. Ling Xue is an ordinary washerwoman in the Land of Clouds, whose daily work involves washing cloud brocade by the stream.

On this sunny day, Ling Xue was busy by the stream as usual. The brocade in her hands was gently washed in the water, its delicate texture and brilliant colors shining even more brightly in the sunlight. Suddenly, a warm jade pendant fell from the sky, landing in the water with a "plop," splashing up ripples.

Ling Xue stopped what she was doing out of curiosity and reached out to retrieve the jade pendant from the water. The pendant was warm to the touch and exquisitely carved with dragon patterns, clearly indicating its high value. Just as she was wondering about it, a figure hurried over.

The man who arrived was Zhou Xing, the son of a wealthy merchant. He had come for a walk by the stream today and accidentally left behind the jade pendant his mother had given him. Seeing the jade pendant in Ling Xue's hand, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Miss, I lost this jade pendant by accident. I hope you will return it to me."

Ling Xue sized up Zhou Xing and, seeing his magnificent attire and extraordinary bearing, handed the jade pendant back to him, saying, "Young master, please take good care of it and don't be so careless again."

Zhou Xing accepted the jade pendant, and a feeling of goodwill towards Ling Xue instantly arose in his heart. He watched Ling Xue drying her brocade by the stream, the brocade swaying gently in the wind, like a dream. At this moment, his gaze was drawn to one of the brocades embroidered with twin lotus blossoms.

“Miss, the embroidery on this brocade is truly exquisite. Would you mind selling it to me?” Zhou Xing asked.

Ling Xue hesitated for a moment. This brocade was the result of her hard work washing silk, and she had originally intended to keep it to exchange for some money to supplement her family's income.