Starting with the frog, he has ruled for eternity.

Chapter 20 Croak! Ready to go!

"Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound"!?

Is it really "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound"?

Grandpa Lu stood under the moon gate, looking at the frog.

It crouched on the bluestone slab, its dark green back gleaming with an oily sheen in the afternoon sun.

He's definitely grown big; he's as wide as two of his hands.

The most striking feature was his eyes—bulging, like two deep pools of water reflecting shimmering light.

That is……

Its brilliance shines through.

That was the gleam in his eyes that came from the depths of his eyes, a result of his internal energy being cultivated to a certain level and becoming uncontrollable.

Master Lu practiced "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound" for twenty-three years, and only a few years ago did he barely touch the threshold of "external brilliance".

That was the manifestation of the abundant internal energy of the five internal organs naturally overflowing from the seven orifices. When he washed himself in front of the mirror in the morning, he could occasionally see a trace of it in his eyes.

But in the frog's eyes... the light was even more solid than its own! ?

How...how is this possible?!

Frogs don't even have meridians! How could they possibly cultivate the Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound technique?!

"Father?"

Nan Nan's voice pulled him back to reality.

The little girl had somehow appeared in front of him, looking up at him with her hand still clutching the thin twig she used to teach frogs.

The other children in the garden also quieted down and stared at him. Wang Xiaopang took a half step back, and Li's girl hid the needle and thread behind her back. Although they were young, they could tell that Master Lu's expression was off.

Master Lu took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. His face regained its usual composure, though his brows remained furrowed.

Now is not the time to discuss frogs.

There are also different levels of internal energy. A pound of meat can nourish more internal energy than an ounce of meat. The internal energy of a large person is much stronger than that of a small person.

He was so much bigger and nearly a hundred times heavier than the frog; even if something really happened, the frog wouldn't be a match for him.

The most important thing right now is...

Strange things are happening in the city!

Thinking about this, Master Lu lost all interest in how the frog cultivated its internal energy.

Anyway, this frog is special!

"Nannan, come with your father." Master Lu stopped looking at the frog and gave the order directly.

"But Little Frog is still learning embroidery..." Nan Nan looked back at the frog, somewhat reluctant.

"Come now, and bring the frog with you. As for the rest of you, you can play here for a while, and I'll have someone take you all home in a bit."

Master Lu gave an order.

None of the other children dared to object.

Nan Nan pouted, but still obediently put down the branch in her hand, ran to the frog, put the frog on her head, and then ran back to Master Lu, tugged at his sleeve, but made a face at her friends where Master Lu couldn't see.

Hmph~ Little Frog is hers~!

Now only she can play with Little Frog! He won't be able to play with him anymore, hehe!

Wang Xiaopang pouted.

Who cares?

……

Grandpa Lu led Nan Nan in silence as they walked through the corridor.

The footsteps on the bluestone slabs were sometimes heavy, sometimes light; the heavy ones were solid, while the light ones were bouncy.

As he walked along the road, the image of that frog kept replaying in his mind—its gripping posture, the gleam in its eyes, and its unusually large size.

"Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound"... Did it really learn it?

How is that possible?

But the light in their eyes doesn't lie.

At this crucial moment, he should be thinking about how to stay in the city, how to deal with the strange occurrences within the city, and how to hold up the collapsing sky...

But the image of that frog just wouldn't leave his mind!

That's internal energy...

Master Lu himself practices this, so it can't be wrong.

"Nannan," Master Lu suddenly spoke, "when did your older brother teach you and the frogs internal energy cultivation?"

"Just a few days ago," Nan Nan counted on her fingers, "Before you left, Daddy, my older brother came to teach you. He said you promised."

Master Lu remembered. That's right. Back then, he sent Lu Yong to coax Nan Nan and retrieve the booklet of "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound." He also sent Lu Yong to teach Nan Nan and the frog martial arts, thinking it was wishful thinking that the frog could learn internal energy.

Looking back now... he's the one who's making a fool of himself.

"That frog... Little Frog, how's it doing with its training?" Master Lu tried to keep his voice as casual as possible.

"Little Frog is so smart!" Nan Nan perked up immediately, chattering away, "Big Brother taught it how to breathe, and it learned it after just two listens! The next day, I heard it making a loud 'cooing' sound, like thunder!!"

Thunder Sound...

Why is it a gurgling sound instead of intestinal rumbling?

Perhaps Nan Nan couldn't tell the difference and mistook it for someone else!

Lu Ye's heart sank again.

When first practicing the "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound," one will experience a rumbling in the intestines. This is the initial generation of internal energy, causing a disturbance within the internal organs. He practiced for a full nine months before reaching this stage.

That frog... two days? Or one day?

"And there's more!" Nan Nan exclaimed, getting more and more excited. "Little Frog can jump so high now! Yesterday it even leaped all the way from the artificial hill to the rocks across the pond—that far!"

She stretched out her arms wide to gesture.

That's about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), while an ordinary frog would be considered quite large to jump six or seven chi (approximately 3.3-4 meters)...

Grandpa Lu didn't say anything, but he tightened his grip on his daughter's hand.

The two turned past the screen wall, and the front hall came into view. The hall door was open, and a few people had already gathered inside. The First Madam sat in the head chair on the left, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, her face filled with worry. Her eldest son, Lu Yong, stood beside her, dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes, clearly having just come from the martial arts training ground. The Second Son had also arrived and was whispering something in Lu Yong's ear.

The servants stood under the eaves outside the hall, hands at their sides and heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

As soon as Master Lu stepped across the threshold, the hall fell silent.

"Master," the lady stood up, "what's the matter that you summoned everyone so urgently?"

Grandpa Lu released Nan Nan's hand, letting her go to her mother's side. He walked to the armchair in the center but didn't sit down. Instead, he turned around and glanced around.

"Is everyone here?" he asked.

The steward entered from outside and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Master, all the people in charge of the household are here. The servants from each courtyard are also waiting outside."

Master Lu nodded. He pondered for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. The hall was so quiet that the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard outside.

"This time I went out," he finally spoke, his voice low but each word clear, "I went to the Zhao family and also to the Hu family village in Qingmao Mountain."

The lady stopped playing the Buddhist prayer beads. Lu Yong and Erlang exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming serious.

"You must have heard something about the Zhao family's affairs," Master Lu continued. "The entire family, even the guard dog, are all dried-up corpses. They've been drained of blood, just skin and bones, and they don't look like they were killed by humans." He paused, "...like they were killed by humans."

Several gasps rippled through the hall. A maid outside, her legs buckling, was helped up by someone nearby.

He walked to the table, picked up the now-cold teacup, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand.

"Something happened at Hujia Village too. Not mummified corpses, but three people are missing: two men patrolling the village and a newlywed bride. Footprints were found around the village, but they weren't human or bear footprints."

Lu Yong couldn't help but ask, "Father, that's..."

"I don't know what it is," Lu interrupted him. "Old Master Hu told me he'd never seen anything like it. The village hired a Taoist priest and performed a ritual, but it didn't work."

He placed the teacup back on the table with a crisp sound.

"We can't stay in Lujiacheng any longer."

These words caused a stir in the hall. The lady's prayer beads fell to the floor with a clatter, but she didn't pick them up, only staring blankly at her husband. Erlang blurted out, "Father, our family business is all in the city, this…"

"Which is more important, family business or human life?" Master Lu glanced at him.

Erlang choked.

Lu Yong stepped forward: "Father means, the whole family should move?"

"Yes." Master Lu said decisively, "I have a villa in Yinyang City, a three-day journey away. It's a bit remote, but quiet. Pack your things and we'll set off early in three days."

"Three days?" The lady finally came to her senses, her voice trembling. "Master, that's too rushed. There are so many things in the manor, and the shops and farmland in the city..."

"Take your valuables and important items. Let the shopkeepers look after the shops for now, but continue collecting rent from the land." Master Lu had clearly thought things through. "It's not too late to come back when things are calmer outside."

"But what if... what if things don't stay peaceful?" Jiro asked in a low voice.

Master Lu remained silent for a moment.

"Then I won't come back," he said. "It's better than staying here to die."

These words were harsh, and the hall fell silent again. Outside, a servant began to sob softly, but the steward quietly silenced him.

Nan Nan, who had been clinging to her mother, suddenly spoke up: "Daddy, what about Little Frog? Is Little Frog coming with us too?"

Grandpa Lu looked at his daughter, then remembered the frog with gleaming eyes in the back garden.

"Take it," he said decisively. "If you like it, take it."

Nan Nan finally smiled a little.

Master Lu then looked at Lu Yong: "Eldest son, you arrange the guards. Pick thirty good men, bold and careful. The road ahead might be... not safe."

Lu Yong's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your son understands."

"Erlang, help me check what we need to bring. Account books, land deeds, gold, silver, and valuables—don't forget anything."

"Yes, Father."

"Madam," Master Lu turned to his wife, his voice softening, "calm down the people in the inner courtyard. Those who want to go, go with them. Those who don't, give them an extra three months' wages and let them stay in this house. I will go with them."

The First Madam was stunned, her eyes reddening, but she still nodded: "This concubine understands."

Master Lu then gave a few more instructions on trivial matters before waving his hand: "Go and prepare. Meet at the mansion gate at dawn three days from now."

Everyone gradually left the hall. The First Madam led Nan Nan towards the backyard, wiping away tears as they went. Lu Yong and Erlang whispered something to each other and hurried towards the accounting office.

Only Master Lu and the butler remained in the hall.

"Master." The butler stepped forward, hesitating to speak.

"explain."

"That frog... are we really going to take it?" the butler asked in a low voice. "I think something's not right with it. It's growing too fast, and... it seems like it's really learned kung fu. It might not be safe to take it on the road."

Master Lu walked to the window and looked at the courtyard outside, which was beginning to bustle with activity. Servants were spreading the news, and guards were assembling and forming ranks, creating a scene reminiscent of an impending storm.

"I know something's wrong with it," said Lu Ye. "That's precisely why I need to bring it."

The butler was taken aback.

Master Lu turned around, his gaze deep: "Old Zhao, how many years have you been with me?"

"Twenty-seven years, sir." The butler bowed.

"Twenty-seven years." Master Lu nodded. "Have you ever seen a toad that can learn martial arts?"

"No...no."

"I've never seen it before either," said Master Lu slowly. "But it just happened to know how. I asked Lu Yong to teach it, just as a joke to coax Nan Nan. Who would have thought... it would actually learn it."

He walked back to his desk and tapped his fingers lightly on the surface.

"I practiced 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound' for twenty-three years before reaching the 'Outward Manifestation of Brilliant Light' level. That frog, at most, practiced for less than ten days." Master Lu paused. "Tell me, why is that?"

The butler opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He doesn't know martial arts, how would he know?

He had never heard of that frog becoming a fully-fledged Inner Qi Realm expert... If he could have seen it, he would have reported it the moment Master Lu returned home today!

"Either it's a once-in-a-century wonder," said Grandpa Lu, "or...it's not a frog at all."

These words sent a chill down the butler's spine.

"Does the master mean... demons, evil spirits?"

Grandpa Lu shook his head: "I don't know. Its eyes seem clear to me, not like an evil creature. But in this world, who can say for sure?"

He looked at the butler: "Take it with you. Take good care of it on the road, but keep a close eye on it. If it really does something strange... we can deal with it then."

The steward understood. The master wanted to use this opportunity to observe the frog closely. If it was truly an auspicious omen, it might be of help; if it was evil, it could be eliminated in time.

"Understood," the butler bowed. "I'll make the arrangements right away."

"Wait a minute," Master Lu called out to him again, "Don't let Nan Nan know about this. She's just a child; let her be treated like a pet."

"Yes."

The butler finally left.

Only Lu Ye was left standing there.

but……

Is that frog really that simple? What if the ordinary guards can't defeat it?

Suddenly, a thought popped into Lu Ye's head.

But then he found it funny.

A group of guards, unable to defeat a frog...? How absurd!

But in Lu Ye's mind, there was a picture: a frog beating a group of guards to a pulp, sending them running for their lives...

If that's really the case...

The image of the frog playing happily with a group of children reappeared in Lu Ye's mind...

That might not necessarily be a bad thing.