noveldepot Chapter 42 Croak! Everything's normal! Everything's normal! ?
Chapter 42 Croak! Everything's normal! Everything's normal! ?
"You...you can talk?!"
Inside the room, the candlelight flickered.
The giant, dark green frog, about half a meter tall, squatted in front of Nan Nan and slowly turned its enormous head.
In those bright, beady green eyes, a hint of...disdain flashed—a truly human-like expression.
"Quack."
nonsense.
This frog is a genius. It has put in so much effort and sweat, how could it not be able to speak?
Fang Yuan rolled his eyes at him.
"What's the big deal? I am the reincarnation of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. What's so strange about me speaking a few human words? It's you who came in without knocking, disrupting your sister's training rhythm. You have no manners."
clam?
The Monkey King? Reincarnation?
What kind of nonsense is this?!
"Big brother! What brings you here?"
Nan Nan only then realized what was happening. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her little face flushed, and ran over excitedly, showing off her treasure as if presenting it as a gift:
"Big brother, big brother! Look! I've learned it! Little Frog... no, I've mastered the 'Mountain-Shaking Force' that Great Sage Fang Yuan taught me!"
Lu Yong stiffly turned his neck to look at his sister. He hadn't noticed at all that the frog's name had changed from Little Frog to Fang Yuan the Great Sage...
He only heard three words.
"The Power to Shake Mountains"
Wasn't that what Lu Feng told him about—the internal energy training they learned at the martial arts school that afternoon?!
How come Nannan has already learned it?!
This……
Is it reasonable?
"What...did you say?" Lu Yong took a deep breath and stared at Nan Nan.
"The Mountain-Shaking Force!" Nan Nan took a step back and assumed a fighting stance.
With feet firmly planted on the ground, knees slightly bent, and spine arched like a dragon.
"drink!"
Nan Nan took a deep breath, her small chest puffed out, and with a delicate shout, she threw a punch!
Snapped!
A crisp, loud explosion suddenly erupted in the air!
That was the sound of power flowing through the body and sleeves fluttering. Although it was still very immature, the way the power was exerted, the coordination of breathing, and even the indomitable momentum were clearly the hallmarks of the most authentic internal energy cultivation.
?
A mere few years old at the Inner Qi Realm?
No...no...normal martial arts training should involve first training the body for more than ten years, and then generating internal strength from the outside in, right?
What, what are you doing...?
Lu Yong was completely dumbfounded.
Nan Nan just came back from the martial arts gym!?
How long has it been?
Two hours? Three hours?
Nan Nan has mastered it?
And...who taught them?
Lu Yong's gaze once again involuntarily drifted towards the giant frog.
Fang Yuan was lazily scratching his belly with his hind legs when he felt Lu Yong's gaze. He yawned, and his gaping maw opened, revealing a pink oral cavity inside.
"Quack. Your aptitude is passable, barely enough to catch my eye."
Fang Yuan commented casually, his tone befitting a grandmaster.
Well ~
It was worth it for him to add three extra points to the [Teaching] skill.
[Teaching (Elementary Level 3)]: A good teacher produces excellent students. Your understanding of the techniques can be directly instilled in the student through language, actions, and even intention. It can also, to a certain extent, correct the student's muscle memory, helping them avoid detours.
Is this the true value of support skills?
quack!
That's an amazing skill!
He only gave a few casual pointers, and just now he had demonstrated by using his paw to adjust Nan Nan's spine position. The little girl seemed to have suddenly grasped the power generation technique of "Shaking Mountain Force".
This frog is truly a genius! No, a polymath!
Not only can he fight, he can also teach! From now on, he'll be called Dao Ancestor Fang Yuan!
"Big brother, look how amazing I am!" Nan Nan stopped her stance and looked at Lu Yong with anticipation.
Lu Yong opened his mouth and let out a few meaningless "hehe" sounds.
He looked at Nan Nan, then at the giant frog that spoke human language and was the size of a bench.
Reason told him that this was impossible.
Common sense told him that this was absurd.
But the facts speak for themselves.
A frog taught his six-year-old sister an extremely difficult skill in one afternoon. This frog could also talk and called itself the Monkey King.
Lu Yong took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
This can't be true.
He must be too tired.
Since Lu Jiacheng's accident, he has experienced so many bizarre things in the past few days. His father disappeared, the entire city vanished, he was ambushed on the road, and his limbs were severed...
His mind must have been stretched to its limit long ago.
He needs to rest.
Otherwise, how could such a hallucination appear before my eyes?
Otherwise, how could I have heard such absurd things?!
"Fake."
Lu Yong suddenly muttered to himself, a stiff smile even appearing on his lips.
"It must be fake."
"I was too tired... my wound hurt too much, and the sedative the doctor prescribed was too strong... that's why I had this ridiculous dream."
As he spoke, he turned around very slowly and stiffly.
"Big brother?" Nan Nan called out with some concern.
"It's alright, Nan Nan." Lu Yong waved his hand with his back to her, his voice ethereal, "Big brother will go back to sleep now. A good night's sleep will make me feel better. When I wake up, the frogs won't talk anymore, and you won't have mastered the divine skill... Hmm, it was all a dream, all a dream..."
He staggered out of the room like a lost soul.
They even thoughtfully closed the door for Nan Nan.
"Squeak—"
The door closed.
The room returned to silence.
Nan Nan blinked and looked at Fang Yuan: "Little Frog... what happened to Big Brother?"
Fang Yuan pursed his lips and exhaled two puffs of white breath from his nostrils.
cut!
Isn't it just about frogs talking and teaching Nan Nan how to cultivate internal energy?
What's the big deal?
"Quack. A mere mortal, inexperienced and unsophisticated. His character is too flawed; he'll never amount to anything."
He shook his head dismissively, then grabbed another chicken leg and took a big bite.
"Never mind him. Nan Nan, keep practicing! Quack!"
"Yes, Great Sage!"
……
The next morning.
Sunlight pierced through the thin mist and shone into the Lu family's courtyard.
Lu Yong suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in bed.
He was panting heavily, his undershirt soaked with cold sweat. He subconsciously touched his wrists and ankles, the throbbing pain telling him the injuries were real.
"call……"
Lu Yong let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his face.
I glanced outside.
Good, there were no frog croaks, and I didn't hear any strange noises either.
"So it really was a dream...?"
He gave a wry smile. The scenes he witnessed yesterday evening were far too real, too absurd. Giant frogs, talking, mastering divine skills in an afternoon… how could that be possible?
He shakily dressed, pushed open the door, and walked into the yard.
The courtyard was quiet.
Nan Nan was squatting by the well washing up.
Lu Yong subconsciously looked to her side—but didn't see the frog.
Nan Nan's head was empty, and the dark green figure was nowhere to be seen.
That's more like it!
Maybe the Lu family has never raised frogs?
quack!
How could such absurd things as frogs talking and people cultivating internal strength overnight possibly happen?
Lu Yong's heart finally settled back into his stomach.
"It really was a dream..." He felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
That's true. Even if frogs could really talk, how could a frog possibly grow to the size of a bench?
Maybe what I heard before, that Lu Feng was saved by a frog, was also false!
The Lu family never raised frogs!
It must be a hallucination caused by his unconsciousness!
Yes, that must be it!
Thinking of this, Lu Yong felt a huge weight lifted from his heart, and he felt much easier to breathe and his chest lifted more confidently.
……
"Good morning, brother!"
After washing her face, Nan Nan looked up and saw Lu Yong, and immediately greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, Nan Nan." Lu Yong was in a good mood, and his face had regained some color. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Sleeping so soundly!" Nan Nan skipped over and grabbed Lu Yong's sleeve. "Big brother, big brother, quickly have second brother take me to the martial arts school! I want to find that Master Chen!"
Lu Yong was taken aback: "What are you going to the martial arts school for? You really want to practice that Mountain-Shaking Strength thing?"
"Why don't you want to?" Nan Nan asked, slightly puzzled, but then she raised her chin triumphantly and said, "I already learned it yesterday! Of course I want to practice! Not only do I want to practice, but I also want to show that Master Chen what I'm made of, and let him know that I'm not someone to be trifled with! I want him to take back everything he said yesterday!"
Lu Yong's smile froze on his face.
"You...you've learned it?"
"That's right!" Nan Nan let go of his hand and, right in the middle of the courtyard, in front of Lu Yong, took a stance.
"drink!"
A punch was thrown.
Snapped!
That familiar, crisp, powerful explosion rang in Lu Yong's ears once again.
Lu Yong: "...?"
???
No?
Wasn't it supposed to be a dream?
Lu Yong felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost lost his balance.
This force...this sound...it's exactly the same as in my dream!
No, this isn't a dream! This is real!
Nan Nan really learned it!
But... what about the frog? What about that giant talking frog?
Lu Yong looked around in alarm, but still couldn't see Fang Yuan.
"Nannan... how did you learn that?" Lu Yong asked in a trembling voice, "Who... who taught you?"
Nan Nan was stunned for a moment.
Is Big Brother still half asleep? Didn't he watch Little Frog teach him yesterday?
"Of course it is..." Nan Nan was about to say Xiao Gua, but then she remembered Xiao Gua's instructions before going to bed last night—to keep a low profile.
And the eldest brother looks really scary right now, like he's about to faint again.
Nan Nan's eyes darted around, and she changed her tune, saying, "Of course I learned it myself by reading books! I'm a genius!"
Learned it from reading books?
call……
That's alright... that's alright.
At least the frog didn't speak, and at least the frog didn't know martial arts.
As long as it's not a frog, it's fine.
Lu Yong breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately realized the other party's cultivation time.
An afternoon?
Caw! ?
Lu Yong couldn't help but croak like a frog!
Is this a person?
Lu Yong felt that he had wasted more than 20 years of martial arts training.
But he couldn't care less about the consequences at that moment. He only knew one thing: if Nan Nan really learned the "Mountain-Shaking Strength," especially without Chen Tieshan's formal instruction...
What's this called?
That's called stealing someone's skills!
Although you've paid tuition and received the manual, according to the rules of the martial arts world, it's taboo to practice it privately before formally becoming an apprentice and receiving the master's approval!
Moreover, if Chen Tieshan knew that Nannan had mastered his proudest skill in just one afternoon, where would that old scoundrel put his face?
"No! This can't be done so hastily!"
Lu Yong came from a prominent family, and although his mind was still a bit muddled, the concept of rules was ingrained in his bones.
He grabbed Nan Nan's shoulder and said seriously, "Nan Nan, listen to your older brother. No matter how you learned it, even if you're a genius... since this skill belongs to the Hanshan Martial Arts School, we have to follow the rules."
"Right now, have your second brother take you to the martial arts school! To become an apprentice! Make sure the remaining tuition fees are paid! Make sure Master Chen accepts you in public, and seals this position! Otherwise, this will become a source of trouble later!"
"Huh? We have to give him a gift? Didn't you say it was okay once we paid the money? Besides, we have a bet, why should we give him a gift! I've already learned how to do it!" Nan Nan said reluctantly.
"You absolutely have to go!" Lu Yong said decisively. "And quickly! Before anyone knows you've learned it, hurry up and solidify your status! That way, even if you show talent later, it will be because Chen Tieshan taught you well. He'll be too happy to blame you!"
"Xiaofeng! Lufeng! Wake up! Get up and take Nannan to the martial arts gym!"
……
at the same time.
Hanshan Martial Arts School, training ground.
The morning sun shines on the bluestone slabs, and dozens of strong men have already begun their morning exercise.
Shouts rose and fell, and the air was thick with heat.
Chen Tieshan, with his hands behind his back, patrolled the field as usual. He held a rattan cane in his hand, and if anyone's movements were not up to standard, he would strike them.
But today, Chen Tieshan felt that something was wrong.
I feel so choked up.
It was as if he had forgotten something.
He walked to the southeast corner of the training ground, where several thick wooden stakes stood for practicing impacts.
This place would normally be the liveliest at this time of year.
But today, this place is deserted.
Chen Tieshan frowned, and a nameless anger suddenly surged up.
"Where are those two brats?"
He whirled around and yelled at the empty corner:
"Wang Daniu! Lao Li! Where have you two bastards been?! The sun's already high in the sky and you're still not practicing?! Want a whipping?!"
His shout was so powerful that it silenced the entire training ground.
All the disciples stopped what they were doing and looked at Chen Tieshan with blank expressions.
No one answered.
Only echoes reverberated in the empty training ground.
"Wang Daniu! Old Li!"
Chen Tieshan shouted again, this time with a hint of anger in his voice, "Get the hell out here!"
Still no one.
A slightly bolder disciple cautiously approached and asked in a low voice, "Master... Master, who are you calling?"
"Who are you calling? I'm calling those two lazybones..."
Chen Tieshan stopped mid-sentence.
He stared blankly at the disciple, then looked at the empty corner.
Wang Daniu... Old Li...
The two names circled on his lips, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.
In that instant, an extremely intense, nauseating sense of dizziness suddenly struck.
Chen Tieshan swayed, feeling that the scene before him was somewhat distorted.
and many more.
Who did I just call out to?
Wang...what? Lao...what?
Why do I feel like there should be someone in that corner?
That area has always been used to store miscellaneous items.
Chen Tieshan shook his head vigorously and pressed his hand against his throbbing temples.
"Strange..." he muttered to himself, "Did I not sleep well? Why does it feel like... someone's missing?"
He turned his head and looked at the disciples who were looking at each other in bewilderment.
"What are you all standing there for? Aren't you supposed to be practicing?! Gather together! Count off!"
The disciples dared not delay and immediately lined up.
"one!"
"two!"
"three!"
……
"sixteen!"
The counting stopped.
Sixteen people.
Chen Tieshan stood at the front of the line, his brows furrowed.
Sixteen?
That doesn't seem right.
He remembered... there should have been eighteen, right?
His eyes scanned the queue, trying to find the missing spot. But every face was familiar, every position was full, the line was neat and orderly, without any gaps.
"Why are there only sixteen?" Chen Tieshan asked subconsciously.
The eldest disciple looked completely bewildered: "Master, there have always been sixteen of us in this batch."
It's always been... sixteen?
Chen Tieshan was stunned.
Somewhat disbelieving, he turned and ran into the inner room, pulling out the thick roster.
Splash, splash.
He flipped through the pages roughly, pointing to each name with his finger.
Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu...
One, two, three...
Until the last name.
Sixteen.
It was written in black and white, crystal clear. There were only sixteen names.
There were no signs of alteration, and no pages were torn out.
At that moment, Chen Tieshan felt as if a layer of fog was slowly closing in on his mind.
That sense of unease and anxiety is fading away at an astonishing rate.
Just like a beach after the tide has receded, everything becomes smooth and natural.
There have always been sixteen.
"Oh... sixteen."
Chen Tieshan blinked, the doubt on his face gradually disappearing, replaced by a calm that seemed perfectly natural.
"Yes, there are sixteen. I remembered wrong."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly and closed the roster.
"Looks like I'm really getting old; my mind isn't working as well anymore. I'm only forty, how come I can't even remember people's heads?"
He shook his head, banishing the inexplicable unease from his mind, and strode back to the training ground.
"Alright! Stop standing there like idiots! Keep practicing! Anyone who dares to slack off today, I'll skin them alive!"
"yes!"
The disciples responded in unison, and the training ground was once again bustling with activity.
Everything is normal.
No one wondered who Wang Daniu was, nor who Lao Li was, or why Chen Tieshan called them.
……
Just then, the door of the martial arts school was pushed open.
Lu Feng led Nan Nan in, somewhat nervously.
Nan Nan changed into a neat set of training clothes today, and her hair was tied up high. Xiao Gua was not with her today, mainly because Xiao Gua had grown so big that it could no longer sit on her head.
"Master Chen!" Lu Feng quickly clasped his hands in greeting as he entered. "We're late, we're so sorry!"
Chen Tieshan was already irritable because of the inexplicable inability to remember things earlier, and his face darkened even more when he saw the brother and sister.
"It's you again?"
He glanced at the sun. "It's past dawn. I'm late."
"Master Chen, please calm down!" Lu Feng quickly pulled out a thick stack of silver notes from his pocket, which Lu Yong had specially prepared. "This is the remaining tuition fee, and also the tea money for the senior brothers. My younger sister is young and was tired yesterday, so she got up a little late this morning. Please be lenient with her."
Looking at the stack of silver notes, Chen Tieshan's expression softened slightly.
Although he has a bad temper, he has no grudge against money.
"Hmph, this won't happen again."
Chen Tieshan grabbed the silver note and stuffed it into his pocket. He was in a bad mood and had no interest in testing whether the little girl had actually practiced or not; he just wanted to get rid of these two eyesores as soon as possible.
"Alright, now that you've paid, go in and practice."
Chen Tieshan waved his hand impatiently, his gaze sweeping around the room, subconsciously wanting to find someone to mentor this little girl.
This kind of chores, like teaching newcomers, is usually assigned to the most honest and diligent disciple.
That person's name was on the tip of my tongue.
"Hey you!"
Chen Tieshan immediately shouted, "Wang Daniu! Where the hell have you been? Come here and take this girl to practice standing meditation!"
"Okay, coming, coming!" A young man dressed in coarse cloth shorts, with a somewhat sallow complexion, chuckled and ran over sheepishly.
"Um, what's your name? I'll teach you how to move mountains...&% strength!" His voice was a little hoarse and somewhat indistinct, as if it contained saliva, like he was muttering, but the voice was quite loud.
He smiled sheepishly.
"By the way, the rest of you fifteen, don't just sit around doing nothing. Practice your martial arts properly! Understand?!" Chen Tieshan glared at him with displeasure, but didn't continue to care about Nannan.
After all, what is there to care about a little girl?
"Yes!" Fifteen loud replies echoed from the training ground.
Everything is as usual.