My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1447 Bald words
Just as she was serving tea, the old lady suddenly launched into an attack, accusing her of overstepping her bounds by the embroidered patterns on her sleeves. The sound of the glass cup shattering was particularly jarring in the silent hall, and shards of porcelain cut Ling Xue's palm, dripping blood onto the blue bricks. However, Zhou Xing, standing to the side, remained silent, simply watching everything unfold.

A few days later, Zhou Xing ordered Ling Xue to tidy up the study. This was both an opportunity and a challenge for Ling Xue. At the bottom of the bookshelf, she found a tattered military treatise, with half a tiger tally tucked between the pages. Just as she was examining it closely, ink accidentally splattered onto her skirt. In her haste, she knocked over a paperweight, revealing a secret letter hidden in a compartment. The handwriting was strong and vigorous, reading "The 16th of August."

At the autumn hunting grounds, horses galloped, dust billowing. An unexpected incident occurred: someone disturbed the imperial carriage. Before anyone could react, a cold arrow was already flying towards the emperor. In that critical moment, Ling Xue instinctively threw herself on Miss Cui, shielding her with her own body. The arrow grazed her temple and embedded itself deeply in the sandalwood carriage shaft. Zhou Xing rode up, witnessing this scene, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He tossed his blood-stained cloak to Ling Xue, coldly saying, "A meritorious act of protecting the master."

Back at the Marquis's residence, a heavy rain began to fall that night. Zhou Xing interrogated the assassin's accomplices at his bedside, the atmosphere tense and oppressive. Ling Xue, serving tea nearby, overheard him muttering in his sleep: "...The Cui family cannot be trusted..." Her hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the teacup. Looking up, she met his lucid gaze, a gaze as sharp as an icy blade from the depths of a frozen pool, sending chills down her spine.

The Lantern Festival was bustling with activity, and the streets were adorned with all sorts of lanterns. Miss Cui was engrossed in solving riddles, but inadvertently lost her personal sachet. Ling Xue was ordered to search for it and found Zhou Xing standing alone by the lotus pond. He held a silver needle, testing the water for poison. Moonlight shone on him, creating a lonely scene.

Just then, the guards appeared and attempted to take away a noblewoman. In her struggle, the noblewoman tore off half of her veil, revealing a terrified face. Seeing this, Zhou Xing casually used his folding fan to cover the bloody scene, then turned to Ling Xue and ordered, "Escort this young lady out of the city." Ling Xue dared not disobey and quickly did as she was told.

On a night when a torrential downpour struck, the Marquis's residence received an urgent military report. Zhou Xing needed to draft a strategy in his study overnight, with Ling Xue preparing ink and writing on his brush. The calming incense on the desk rose gently, mingling with the stench of blood that filled her nostrils. She inadvertently glimpsed the sealing wax seal on the secret letter, which bore the Cui family crest, and countless questions welled up in her mind. The ink in the inkstone gradually congealed into strange shapes, just like her chaotic emotions at that moment.

The day for the spring ancestral worship ceremony had arrived. According to custom, the principal wife was required to preside over the elaborate rituals. However, Miss Cui suddenly claimed illness and was unable to attend, so the old lady asked Ling Xue to do it in her place. As she knelt to worship the ancestral tablets, Zhou Xing suddenly grabbed her wrist and whispered, "Don't touch the third tablet on the left." The white chrysanthemums on the offering table shed their petals, as if foreshadowing the coming storm.

Soon after, a merchant accused the Cui family of embezzling charitable funds. Zhou Xing publicly burned the account books to prove his innocence, but a half-sheet of salt remaining in the ashes caught Ling Xue's attention. Late at night, she secretly sneaked into the accounting room to investigate, but was discovered by the night patrol guards. Just at the critical moment, Zhou Xing appeared to save the day: "I sent her."

Miss Cui was finally pregnant, and the entire household carefully cherished this good news. However, after drinking a bowl of ginseng soup, she began bleeding from all seven orifices and was in critical condition. The imperial physician arrived and, after examining her pulse, his expression changed drastically: "This is a rare poison from the Western Regions!" All eyes turned to Ling Xue, the one responsible for preparing the medicine. Zhou Xing drew his sword and held it to her neck, his eyes icy as he asked, "Who ordered you to do this?"

The dungeon was dark and damp, filled with a putrid stench. Ling Xue had been imprisoned here for three days and three nights. She used shards of porcelain to carve sundial marks on the wall, her heart filled with despair and resentment. Before dawn on the fourth day, Zhou Xing came carrying a lantern. In the interplay of light and shadow, he unlocked her shackles and said, "Come with me." Bloodstained footprints snaked across the ground, their destination unknown.

They raced all the way to the city gate. As the guard checked the tokens, a sudden volley of arrows rained down; it turned out someone had laid an ambush. Zhou Xing drew his bowstring taut and fired three arrows in quick succession, shooting down the hidden soldiers. He turned to Ling Xue and shouted, "Giddy up!" The carriage sped past the corner tower and the flying eaves, and behind them came the splash of pursuers falling into the moat.

While fleeing to a dilapidated temple for temporary refuge, Ling Xue tore open her blood-stained sleeve to reveal the Cui family's secret mark on her shoulder—exactly the same as the embroidery on Zhou Xing's inner garment. The campfire illuminated his complex face: "Three years ago, your father should have died at Yanmen Pass..." He coughed violently before finishing his sentence. It turned out that all of this was part of a deeper conspiracy.

Life in the secluded villa was peaceful and tranquil. Ling Xue opened the window at dawn and saw two sets of footprints walking side-by-side in the snow, leading to the plum tree. Turning around, she bumped into Zhou Xing, who had sheathed his sword, and a steaming bowl of barley porridge sat on the stone table. He said calmly, "The doctor said the remaining poison in your body hasn't been cleared."

News arrived from the capital that the Cui family had been convicted and their property confiscated. Zhou Xing crushed a teacup and sneered, "If I hadn't secretly switched the poisoned wine..." His words trailed off. Ling Xue picked up a shard and cut off a lock of her long hair: "From now on, there will be no more Cui women in this world." The severed hair drifted into the brazier and turned into a wisp of smoke.

On the day the new emperor ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty, someone knocked on the door and delivered a faded dowry bundle. Zhou Xing unfolded the old, moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) he had worn before, its lining embroidered with half a tiger tally, tightly fastened. Outside the window, snow fell silently, piling up on the eaves, much like the flickering red candlelight stains of their wedding night. The two looked at each other and smiled; all the past grievances and grudges vanished in that moment.

The eerie old house was shrouded in a thick fog, and moonlight struggled to pierce through the clouds, casting its light on the mottled walls. Ling Xue huddled beside the carved beams and pillars of the corridor, her wedding dress long faded, the gold thread embroidering spider lilies faintly gleaming with a blood-red light in the dim glow. Her wrists were tightly bound by a chain, the other end fixed to a stone pillar, making a crisp yet mournful sound with every slight movement.

Suddenly, a commotion shattered the deathly silence. A group of players burst into the ancient mansion, their laughter and chatter contrasting sharply with the eerie atmosphere around them. Leading them was a young man named Lin Che, longsword in hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. As they approached Ling Xue, her dialogue mechanics were triggered: "Gentlemen, you have come from afar…would you be willing to listen to me play a tune of 'Phoenix Seeking its Mate'?" Her voice was ethereal and distant, as if it came from another world.

New player Su Xiao screamed in fright and hid behind her teammates. Veteran player Zhao Xuan, however, became excited and shouted, "Wow! Hidden storyline!" He then pulled out his phone to record it. Just then, Zhou Xing appeared like a ghost at the top of the spiral staircase, the silver patterns on his black robe rising and falling with his breath as if alive. The entire scene instantly became extremely oppressive; the air seemed to freeze.

A flicker of panic crossed Ling Xue's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She secretly slipped a withered leaf into the nearest player's inventory; an escape route map was drawn on the leaf in dark red paint. However, this subtle movement didn't escape Zhou Xing's notice. He lightly waved his folding fan, creating a gust of cold wind that swept the map away. "Welcome to my territory." Zhou Xing slowly descended the stairs, each step carrying an oppressive aura. The players retreated, some even trembling. "From now on, you must abide by the rules here." His voice was deep and magnetic, irresistible.

The players were forced to split into two groups to explore. Lin Che's team mistakenly entered a hall filled with bronze mirrors, each reflecting a different tragedy from a different era: a hanged bride, a headless scholar... These horrifying images sent chills down their spines. Su Xiao was horrified to discover that in one of the mirrors, she was wearing the same wedding dress as Ling Xue, and was slowly raising her hand towards her. She closed her eyes tightly, unable to look any longer.

At the same time, Zhao Xuan triggered a mechanism, opening a secret door to the hidden chamber. Inside were an ancient book and several medicine bottles. Curious, he opened the book, which stated, "Only love can break the curse." The medicine bottles beside it were labeled "Heartbreak Powder" and "Heart-Connecting Pill." Just as they were discussing their choice, Zhou Xing appeared in the mirror world, sneering, "One wrong step and you'll be buried here forever."

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ling Xue leaned close to Lin Che and whispered, "What I need is under the third floor tile in the west wing." Then she vanished into the darkness. Lin Che watched her retreating figure with skepticism, deciding to investigate. Sure enough, he found half a jade pendant in the designated spot, inscribed with the words, "I would rather betray the world than betray you." The moment he picked up the pendant, the surrounding environment changed, as if some power had been awakened.

At midnight, the banquet hall was brightly lit, and long tables were laden with delicacies. However, the food emitted a nauseating stench. Zhou Xing announced the banquet and invited everyone to take their seats; the dishes were all shaped like human organs. Su Xiao had just picked up a piece of "braised pork" when she saw half a finger joint embedded in the meat fibers, and she immediately vomited uncontrollably.

Ling Xue was forced to sit in the main seat and play the pipa piece "Ambush from Ten Sides." The strings produced a stirring yet tragic sound under her plucks. Each string was soaked in a deadly poison; if it broke, it would trigger a chain reaction. Blood was already seeping from her fingertips, but she persisted in playing. Beads of sweat slid down her forehead, dripping onto the instrument and emitting a faint glow.

Lin Che sensed something amiss and secretly examined the markings on the bottom of the tableware, discovering tiny talismans on the bottom of every bowl. A chill ran down his spine; he realized this was a trap. Feigning drunkenness, he knocked over a wine jug, setting it ablaze to create chaos, and seized the opportunity to flee with the unconscious Ling Xue. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire banquet hall in flames.

Zhou Xing watched the fleeing figure without giving chase, but instead crushed his wine glass and sighed softly, "Fools will never understand what deep affection is." His gaze pierced through the flames and looked into the distance, as if he were recalling something.

Lin Che carried Ling Xue into a secret chamber of the library. There, they accidentally activated a dream-like device. The scene flashed back a hundred years: Zhou Xing, originally an ordinary scholar, had plundered an ancient tomb to obtain forbidden scriptures in order to save the critically ill Ling Xue. On the night he cast the spell, amidst thunder and lightning, he willingly sacrificed his physical body, transforming into a vengeful ghost to grant her immortality. Fragments of memories surged forth like a tide, allowing everyone present to feel the profound love he had shown.

In reality, Ling Xue broke free of her chains for the first time and threw herself into her husband's arms, sobbing uncontrollably: "The eternity you gave me is nothing but a prison!" Tears streamed down her pale face. Zhou Xing gently stroked her hair, comforting her: "Only in this way can I protect you." The two embraced and wept, finally resolving years of misunderstanding.

At that moment, a system notification blared: "[Ultimate BOSS Awakening Mode Activated]," and the old house began to collapse. Stones rained down, crashing to the ground with deafening noises. Lin Che, in a moment of quick thinking, sealed the two souls into his jade pendant and shouted, "Run!" The others followed him towards the exit.

Upon returning to reality, the surviving players discovered that all the game pods were damaged and could not be re-entered. However, small characters in vermilion ink appeared on the palms of each player's hands—protective incantations left by Ling Xue. Whenever the night was still and quiet, the distant sound of a flute could be heard, as if someone was telling unfinished stories.

Three months later, a mysterious cosplay duo appeared at a comic convention: a man wearing a bronze mask always held the hand of a woman in a wedding dress as they walked through the exhibition area, scattering petals scented with datura. Someone recognized them as the boss couple from that horror game years ago—Zhou Xing and Ling Xue.

Many years later, while cleaning out his old belongings, a veteran gamer discovered a small inscription engraved on the inside of the faded game coin: "Thank you for teaching me to let go." Outside the window, the sycamore trees rustled, as if someone was walking on leaves towards the moonlight, gradually fading into the night…

Nestled amidst towering mountains, Donglu Academy's morning bells and evening drums intertwine with the birdsong of the forest, creating a melodious tune. The buildings, with their blue tiles and white walls, are scattered gracefully on the mountainside, surrounded by lush ancient trees, resembling a delicate ink painting. As the sun rises, golden rays pierce the thin mist and spill onto the stone paths in the courtyard, shimmering like rippling water. Here, students from all over gather, carrying their dreams, to absorb knowledge in this hallowed hall of learning. And in this place filled with the fragrance of books, there is a special presence—Ling Xue, the academy's cook.

Ling Xue rises at dawn every day, quickly washes up, and heads to the kitchen. Slender yet exuding an air of competence, she ties on her indigo apron and begins preparing three meals a day with methodical ease. The flames in the stove leap merrily, illuminating her focused face. Fresh vegetables and meats are laid out on the cutting board, swiftly transformed into uniform shapes under her knife. The cleaver, used for many years, seems to come alive in her hands; the sound of it cutting is rhythmic, like a unique morning melody. She excels at transforming ordinary ingredients into extraordinary flavors. Whether it's steamed fish or braised pork, her cooking always releases an enticing aroma, leaving a lingering fragrance on the palate.

On this day, the newly appointed Master Zhou Xing stepped into the academy. He wore a plain robe, his posture as upright as a bamboo shoot, his brows exuding an air of refined elegance. His jet-black hair was tied into a high crown, further emphasizing his refined and otherworldly appearance. His arrival was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Zhou Xing was erudite, quoting classical texts and drawing upon a wide range of sources during his lectures. The students were captivated by his talent, listening with rapt attention. In class, he passionately and eloquently expounded on the ways of the sages.