Starting with the frog, he has ruled for eternity.

Chapter 24 Croak! Run! Call for help from Hidden Sun City!

"Ah—!! My eyes!! My eyes!!!"

Zhao Wu's mournful howl was extremely shrill.

His once fierce eyes, filled with murderous intent, were now just two bloody black holes.

The excruciating pain, like a red-hot iron, churned wildly inside his brain.

It hurts!

Ouch!! Damn frog! You deserve to die!

Bang!Bang!Bang!

Having lost his sight, Zhao Wu completely went mad.

His longsword was no longer wielded with any method, but was instead swung and swept wildly according to instinct.

The sturdy tree trunk was snapped in half, and sparks flew from the shattered rocks on the ground.

"Ah!! Die! All of you, die!!!"

Having lost his eyesight, Zhao Wu descended into utter madness, his longsword transforming into a chaotic, deadly hurricane.

The iron blade cleaved through the air with a chilling groan, severing a tree trunk as thick as a person's embrace, sending splinters and dirt flying everywhere.

This last-ditch counterattack was the most terrifying; even though he was blind, every strike was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks!

"Little frog, get out of the way!" Nan Nan screamed, trying to grab the green shadow back.

Fang Yuan was even faster. He pushed off with both legs, drawing a rapid arc in the air, and landed precisely on Nan Nan's little head.

"It hurts!" Nan Nan exclaimed.

Fang Yuan gripped Nan Nan's two small braids tightly with his two forepaws, and pulled her back sharply like an experienced jockey controlling a wild horse.

The pain of her hair being pulled made Nan Nan instinctively lean back, barely dodging a sharp, sweeping blade. As the blade whistled past, the severed strand of Nan Nan's hair was shredded into dust in mid-air.

"Croak!!"

Run!

Fang Yuan tugged at the left braid again, guiding Nan Nan to dodge the flying pebbles, then pressed his webbed hand forward forcefully.

That's urging.

Although Nan Nan was being pulled until her eyes were filled with tears, she instantly understood what Fang Yuan meant.

Or rather, even without needing to understand, she knew what she should do at this moment!

run!

Run to Hidden Sun City!

Run away with my second brother!

Ignoring the mud on her face, she stumbled and rushed toward Lu Feng, who lay in a pool of blood.

"Second Brother! Get up! Little Frog told us to run!"

Lu Feng was staring intently at the little frog standing on his sister's head, like a commander.

Is this reasonable?

Is this... is this still the world he knows?

Is this frog really a spirit?

Are tales of gods, ghosts, and monsters real? Do monsters truly exist in this world?

He was momentarily confused, unsure of what was real and what was fake, whether he was still alive, or what he was supposed to do.

But his survival instinct forced him to suppress the pain in his body.

He trembled, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with shattered organs, and miraculously, leaning on the broken knife, he staggered to his feet.

"Run... let's go! To Hidden Sun City!"

Lu Feng's voice was incredibly hoarse.

He grabbed Nan Nan with one hand, and the two of them and the frog crashed into the dense bushes in a disheveled but resolute manner. Using the scattered rocks and shadows of the trees, they fled frantically towards Yinyang City, five miles away.

Behind them, only Zhao Wu's roar, like that of a trapped beast, and the booming sound of his long sword chopping through trees echoed for a long time.

……

At the Luoshui Bridgehead, the atmosphere had frozen to the extreme.

Lu Yong held his long sword horizontally, and the blade emitted a faint hum as he channeled his inner energy into it.

The three figures in front of him did not reveal any flaws because of his delay; instead, they formed a semi-circular encirclement, each step they took carrying the unique, chilling rhythm of the military.

"Young Master Lu, don't bother." The scarred, bald man spat out the dry grass in his mouth, fiddling with the crossbow in his hand, his eyes revealing an indifferent air. "Your Lu family's 'Tiger Roar Blade' is indeed powerful, but so what?"

Lu Yong took a deep breath; he could feel the indelible roguishness of these men.

These are no ordinary bandits; they are likely deserters.

But it's unknown where these deserters came from.

"Brothers, why must you push things to the extreme?"

Lu Yong's voice was steady, but his breathing was rapid: "My father, Lu Ye, and Lord Zhang, the town garrison commander of Yinyang City, are sworn brothers. At this moment, the scouts of Yinyang City should already be on their way. If you kill us, you won't be able to take the treasure, and you'll leave your lives on the riverbank."

"Lord Zhang?"

The striped-faced robber sneered, a mocking, sinister laugh: "Do you think he can make it this far?"

"You'd be better off worrying about your younger siblings. You don't actually think they can outrun Zhao Wu, do you?"

He sneered, took a step forward, and lowered his body slightly—a standard military charging stance.

"Young Master Lu, we advise you not to waste your time. Just end it quickly and commit suicide as soon as possible to avoid wasting our energy and to make your death more dignified."

"Besides, although Zhao Wu is a coward, he's always ruthless when he kills, and he's the fastest runner among us. Don't expect your younger siblings to come back alive!"

The scarred bald man raised his crossbow again, the sights locked on Lu Yong's brow. "Judging by the time, those two kids are already dead. Young Master Lu, please continue your journey."

Lu Yong's eyes were bulging with anger, and a surge of rage rose within him.

"kill!!!"

With a loud shout, he transformed into a blur and charged toward his opponent.

……

At this moment, Nan Nan, carrying Lu Feng on her back, had already rushed to the end of the official road.

The outline of Yinyang City's walls, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, resembled a sleeping behemoth.

"Second brother, I see it! The city gate is over there!"

Nan Nan gasped for breath; with each step she took, it felt like her lungs were being cut by a knife.

Lu Feng had fallen into a semi-comatose state, clinging to life only with a strong will to survive.

Fang Yuan lay on Nan Nan's head, sensing that the violent aura behind them had disappeared, presumably Zhao Wu had ultimately failed to catch up.

That's true, how could they catch up if they were blind?

Quack, we've finally arrived.

The guards stood watch on both sides of the official road. There were few people on the road. It was the height of summer, not early morning. Nan Nan and Lu Feng were particularly conspicuous because they were injured.

"Halt! Who dares to trespass on the official road!"

"Help...help me..."

Nan Nan collapsed, exhausted, in front of the stone bridge over the moat.

The guards surrounded them in astonishment.

"This is!" a guard exclaimed. Although he didn't recognize her, he could tell from her clothes that she was no ordinary person.

"Quickly! Open the side gate! Take him to the garrison headquarters! Notify Lord Zhang immediately!"

"Quick, quick, this person is dying! Get him to the clinic! Zhao Qian, come and help me!" A guard shouted, rushing over to take the weak and powerless Lu Feng from Nan Nan's body.

"Zhang Tao! Go and inform them of the shift change!"

In an instant, the entire west gate of Yinyang City was in chaos.

The guards hurriedly lifted Lu Feng, some went to lead the horse, and soon others gathered around Nan Nan, squatted down, and smiled kindly, hoping not to frighten the little girl in front of them.

"Young lady, what's your name? I'm the garrison commander of Yinyang City, in charge of city defense. Don't worry, no matter what kind of bad guys you are, you'll be safe here!"

"I, my name is Lu Nan, please save my second brother and my eldest brother!" Nan Nan shouted quickly, her voice strained as she tried to hold back her sobs.

Shouzheng was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed drastically!

Damn it! It's the Lu family!! How did the Lu family end up like this!?

This magistrate, surnamed Zhou, received a personal edict from Lord Zhang of the garrison this morning, instructing him to be on the lookout at the west gate to receive his family members who were to be sent into the city to settle down.

In his mind, the Lu family was a prominent clan in the area, and even if they didn't enter the city with a large entourage of carriages and armored guards, they should have arrived in a respectable and peaceful manner. But he never expected to be met with such a tragic scene.

The second young master, Lu Feng, was ashen-faced and being carried onto a stretcher by several guards, his breath barely audible. Meanwhile, the eldest young lady, Lu, who was usually pampered, had actually run away from her brother to the city gate.

If Lord Zhang finds out about this, what will he think of him?!

Damn it, where did these thugs come from, daring to be so bold?!

Zhou Shouzhen's mind went blank for a moment, and he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to his head.

On the official road outside Yinyang City, some ruthless bandits dared to so openly rob and kill a nobleman. The city's defense forces have truly lost face.

Despite his fierce anger, Zhou Shouzhen tried to soften his tone so as not to frighten the trembling child: "...Who on earth dared to commit such a heinous act? Where are they?! How did you escape?"

Nan Nan clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her lips moving, her eyes brimming with tears. She had just experienced a brush with death, and now that she had seen her savior, her urge to pour out her heart, a feeling born of a near-death experience, almost burst forth.

"Uncle Zhou... bad guys, several bad guys, they robbed us over on that bridge..."

Nan Nan was about to begin explaining in detail...

But it was at this moment...

"Croak!"

Fang Yuan suddenly called out.