"Da Pang, Er Pang, are you ready?"
"Coming, coming."
Water roared as two great frogs leaped out, followed by a whole host of Frog Clan generals landing one after another.
Dream White Fire in the clam shell panicked, but the barrier held it fast. There was no escaping their control.
"Da Pang, go over there! Er Pang, come over here! Big Green Skin, you go there! I didn't tell you to stand around—stretch out your neck! Stretch out your neck!"
Neck?
The green-skinned great frog touched the round, drooping line of its jaw.
"What are you standing there for? Stretch it out!"
"Oh, oh!"
The green-skinned great frog hurriedly lay flat and strained to lengthen its neck.
Old Toad squatted atop a lotus leaf, directing the whole operation.
All the great frogs extended their heads according to position and order, leaving gaps between them.
"Mm, good, good. Exactly this spot. Remember it all—don't move around! Stretch your necks, don't squeeze your bodies together! Da Pang! What are you doing? Didn't I tell you not to move?"
"Elder, that's not it—the people seem to be here!" Da Pang pointed a webbed finger at the water.
"They're here?"
Old Toad kicked off the water with both feet and hurried to the surface. A Treasure Ship rode the wind and broke through the waves, Liang Qu standing at its prow!
"Frog Duke!"
"Liang Qing!"
"Croak, did you bring all the money?"
"Rest assured, Frog Duke!"
On the deck, Xiang Fangsu and the others dragged out the boxes containing the remaining payment one by one for inspection.
Old Toad opened and checked them tirelessly. Once he confirmed that money and goods were both accounted for, his face split into a grin, and he waved his webbed feet warmly. "Come, come! Everything's arranged. We've been