The river wind surged mightily.
Old Toad stood at the prow, pacing around the deck on his hind flippers with sighs and groans. Every so often, he would look up at the sky and recite a line of poetry.
"Why is Frog Duke so restless?" Long E Ying asked.
Leaning against the rail, Liang Qu tapped it with his hand. "Smoke lies thick at the alley's mouth, candles burn dim beyond the window. At first sight, the heart turns timid. How could I again earnestly pour out the sorrow of parting?"
"Lord Liang is feeling poetic again, isn't he?"
Liang Qu closed his mouth and said nothing.
"I think..." Long E Ying brushed aside the hair beside the ear. "It isn't merely because he is timid upon nearing home, is it?"
Hearing this, Liang Qu nodded.
"Perhaps the frog in his heart has already passed away."
"..."
After earning another glare from his own wife, Liang Qu remained unconcerned. "The truth is often unpleasant to hear."
Setting aside innate aberrations like the Treasure Toad, the lifespans of the Demon Race and humankind each had their own strengths and weaknesses, varying in length.
Ice Jade Toads lived in Blue Lake, their clan grounds all Ice Crystal Palaces. They were born with cold constitutions and slow metabolisms, making them a minor aberrant species; it was perfectly normal for them to live somewhat longer. Yet Dragon Lord had vanished a full century ago. If she had failed to break through to True Image, then by now, she had most likely become nothing more than a grave mound.
Even if she had advanced into a Great Demon, she would have long since married and become a frog wife. There was no reason for her to remain a lone frog. How could she still remember