"We thought it was dissatisfied with the grave, so we found a better one the next day, but in the blink of an eye, it was back in front of us!"
"No matter where we go, it follows us, and we can't shake it off."
"It definitely doesn't want to forgive us!"
The couple looked at Lu Fei with eager eyes.
"Manager Lu, is there any other way?"
This was indeed strange.
Lu Fei observed the golden toad in the jar and pondered.
"If the golden toad refuses to let you go, your bodies should not have recovered. But it allowed you to regain your human form, yet it still follows you..."
"What does this mean exactly?"
Lu Fei thought for a while and came up with a guess.
"Could it be that it has unfinished business?"
"Unfinished business?"
The couple was stunned.
What kind of unfinished business could a toad have?
Hu Zi guessed without much thought, "Could it be that it's lonely and wants a companion?"
"A golden toad is extremely rare. Where can we find another one?" The couple was full of worry.
"That's easy. Just find a paper craftsman and have them make a paper toad! Not just one, even ten or a hundred wouldn't be a problem, as long as it accepts it!"
Hu Zi's suggestion, though absurd, had a hint of reason.
"Would this work?"
The couple was stunned, feeling very unreliable.
"Manager Lu, what do you say?"
"Wait a moment, I'll ask."
Lu Fei took the jar and walked into the backyard, taking out the black umbrella.
How could someone possibly know what a toad is thinking?
Instead of guessing blindly, it's better to just ask directly.
He activated his magical power.
The tip of the umbrella touched the toad.
"Communicate with the spirits!"
On the black umbrella, a bewitching red flower bloomed.
In an instant, fragments of scenes that did not belong to him filled Lu Fei's mind.
Flowing water, lotus fields, and a water cave.
Deep within the cave, there seemed to be a chest...
Five minutes later.
Lu Fei, holding the glass jar, returned to the shop.
"Mr. Lu, what exactly is its wish?"
Mr. and Mrs. Lai hurriedly approached.
"Mr. Lai, was there a large lotus field where you caught this golden toad?" Lu Fei didn't answer but instead asked a question.
Mr. Lai thought for a moment and said, "That seems to be the case! I remember seeing many blooming lotuses when I went to get the golden toad."
"Its wish is very simple: to go home." Lu Fei smiled and handed the glass jar back to Mr. Lai, "I see that this golden toad is still quite young. In human terms, it's still a child."
"It must have been caught by someone while it was out playing without permission."
"So that's how it was..."
The couple looked at the tiny golden toad in the glass jar, and thinking that it was still just a child, they finally felt a twinge of guilt.
"What a great sin! It's such a misfortune!" Mrs. Lai sighed deeply, "We must send it back home!"
"Mr. Lu, could you come with us? I'm afraid there might be some mishap again."
Mr. Lai insisted persistently, determined to get Lu Fei to go with them.
"Alright, I'll come and take a look too."
Lu Fei thought about the strange scenes he saw in the golden toad's memories, feeling that this little golden toad was not simple, and his curiosity piqued, so he agreed to their request.
Fortunately, the place was not far away.
They arrived after half a day's drive.
This is a small village.
Aside from the lush green crops, there are also many lotus fields.
Under the sunlight, vast expanses of lotus flowers bloom, giving this village a utopian feel.
Mr. Lai first went to find the farmer who caught the small golden toad. When he arrived at the family's courtyard, he saw white cloth hanging and a mourning hall set up.
A funeral was in progress.
His heart sank, and upon inquiring, he learned that the farmer had died.
And it was particularly mysterious!
"They said that the man was walking along the field path just fine, but for some reason, he suddenly fell into the lotus field. His head plunged into the mud like an upside-down scallion, and he couldn't pull it out. He suffocated to death!"
Despite the blazing sun, Mr. Lai shivered with cold.
If he did not return the small golden toad to its home soon, he feared that he and his wife would meet the same fate.
"Manager Lu, what should we do? That farmer has died, where can we find the little golden toad's home?"
"Don't worry, I remember there is a small bridge nearby. Let's look around." Lu Fei increasingly felt that this little golden toad was not simple.
Everyone quickly took action.
They followed the field ridges, searching for a place with a small bridge.
The sun was blazing.
Mr. and Mrs. Lai were drenched in sweat, and Hu Zi's clothes were also soaked, looking quite disheveled. Only Lu Fei, holding a black umbrella and carrying a small black dog, strolled leisurely among the lotus fields.
"Boss, is that the bridge?"
Before long, Hu Zi made a discovery.
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.
Behind the dark green lotus fields, there was a faintly visible small grayish-green bridge.
"It should be around there, let's go!"
The outline of the small bridge matched the scene in Lu Fei's memory, and he nodded.
Everyone hastened over.
A little stream rippled through the lotus fields.
A curved stone bridge was arched over the shimmering river, complemented by blooming lotuses; at first glance, the scenery was picturesque.
But upon a second look, something was amiss.
This stone bridge was rather old, with its mottled, blackened stones covered in moss. From its ancient, simple design, it was evident that this was definitely not a modern structure; it had to be at least a hundred years old.
This must be an ancient bridge.
Of course.
There was nothing particularly unusual about the ancient bridge itself.
The problem lies under the bridge.
Lu Fei stood on the embankment, squinting and looking around.
Right in the center below the bridge, something seemed to be hanging.
A sword!
Hanging beneath the arched bridge was a sword that appeared as ancient as the bridge itself.
"So this is a Sword-Hanging Bridge!" Lu Fei nodded.
"What is a Sword-Hanging Bridge?"
Mr. Lai wiped the sweat from his face, curiously looking around.
"As the name suggests, a Sword-Hanging Bridge is a bridge with a sword hanging underneath it. There are two explanations for why the sword is hung there."
Lu Fei, holding a black umbrella, slowly explained.
"The first explanation is that this sword is called the Dragon-Slaying Sword, designed to slay flood dragons."
"For a flood dragon to become a true dragon, it must undergo the process of 'walking the dragon.' This process can cause floods. By hanging the Dragon-Slaying Sword under the bridge, the flood dragon can be slain when it brings a flood, thus preventing a disaster."
"Another explanation is that it wards off evil. In ancient times, people believed that large-scale construction would disturb the spirits and malicious entities underground."
"Hanging a sword to suppress them ensures the bridge will not collapse and that those who cross it will be safe."
Lu Fei finished speaking.
Mr. and Mrs. Lai felt their horizons broadened.
"This sword is so powerful. Hanging it here so openly, aren't you afraid someone will steal it?" Mrs. Lai asked curiously.
"Who would dare to steal the Dragon-Slaying Sword? Afraid they live too long, perhaps!" Lu Fei shook his head with a smile, then pointed at the area under the bridge, "The little golden toad's home should be in the water under the bridge."
"Under the bridge?"
Mr. Lai became excited and picked up the glass jar covered with a black cloth.
"If we put it in the water, will that be enough?"
"No, it must be delivered to its doorstep, and its home is in some mud hole under the water."
Lu Fei looked at the pitch-black river under the bridge, where sunlight could not reach, his expression becoming serious.