1RomanceEB Chapter 47! A blind date! The bride price is 388,000!
Chapter 47! A blind date! The bride price is 388,000!
Caw...!
Fang Yuan squatted on the eaves, his eyes fixed on what was in front of him.
All that could be seen were dilapidated ruins, collapsed walls, and long shadows cast by the setting sun.
But Chen Tieshan, Nan Nan, Lu Feng, and the dozen or so martial arts school disciples seemed to have seen some magnificent treasure land. They walked into the air with smiles on their faces and chatted happily.
Correct.
It stepped into the air.
Fang Yuan saw it clearly—they pushed open a "door," crossed a "threshold," and then disappeared into some unseen space in that ruin.
But Fang Yuan couldn't see a trace of what kind of door they pushed open or what kind of threshold they crossed.
It's just like……
It was as if an invisible curtain had swallowed them up.
quack!
What...what the hell is this thing?!
The internal energy had already adhered to his eyes, but he still couldn't see anything! This is fucking wrong! It's completely different from the strange encounter he had at the pond in Lujia City!
Fang Yuan's hind legs tensed, and his muscles trembled slightly.
His mind was racing.
Nan Nan is inside.
Chen Tieshan is inside.
Lu Feng was also inside.
So here's the question—
What should I do?
Should we rush in to save them?
Or... should I run away?
Fang Yuan remained silent for a moment.
To be honest, if it were someone else, he might have chosen to run first to save his life, and then try to get help.
But Nannan is different.
That little girl was the one who picked him up from the grass, the one who fed him every day, and the one who treated him like family.
and……
quack...
Fang Yuan exhaled a long breath, two streams of white mist shooting out from his nostrils. He had made up his mind and was ready to take action.
"Hey buddy, are you here to watch the fun too?"
But at that very moment, a shrill voice, tinged with a hint of flattery, suddenly rang in Fang Yuan's ears.
!
Fang Yuan froze.
He suddenly turned his head—
Less than three meters away from him, there was a... frog.
No, to be precise, they were a group of frogs.
A female frog, slightly larger in size, with dark green skin and some patterns on her back, was looking at him sideways in an extremely human-like posture.
Behind her followed four or five male frogs, slightly smaller in size, but also staring at Fang Yuan with a strange, scrutinizing look.
"..."
Fang Yuan was stunned.
Quack?
What... what's going on here?
"Hey buddy, you're new here, aren't you? You look unfamiliar." The female frog continued, her voice high-pitched and enthusiastic. "Let me tell you, this old town is really deserted now. It wasn't like this before! It used to be so bustling here! Look at that restaurant over there, it used to be one of the top restaurants in the city, brightly lit and lively every night!"
As she spoke, she pointed with her front paws in the direction of the ruins.
Fang Yuan followed her paw and looked over—
The place remained in a state of ruin.
There were no restaurants, no lights, only broken walls and dry wells.
But the female frog seemed to have really seen something, her eyes filled with a nostalgic look.
"Yes, yes, this place used to be so lively." A male frog chimed in, its voice rough. "I remember back then, every New Year, this street was packed with people, selling candied hawthorns, New Year pictures, monkey shows, roasted frogs... Sigh, now it's all gone."
"That's right." Another male frog sighed, "Now there's not a soul in sight here, only us old residents left."
……
Ribbit... Hey you, the one roasting the frog, do you know you're a frog too?
Fang Yuan stared wide-eyed at the group of frogs who were discussing "how prosperous the old city was" using human language, human logic, and human emotions.
quack...
Do you fucking think I'm an idiot?!
I am a frog, that's true, but do frogs even talk? I don't even know that! Do frogs eat roasted frogs? I don't understand!
Can frogs have such high intelligence?
Even if you're using illusions or trying to deceive people, at least create some targeted visuals!
These things...
It can only be some kind of eerie being disguised as a frog.
Fang Yuan's pupils contracted slightly, and he subconsciously tensed his muscles, ready to erupt at any moment.
But at that moment—
The female frog suddenly came closer.
She began in an extremely warm, enthusiastic, familiar, yet chillingly so tone:
"Hey young man, you're not young anymore, are you? What do you do for a living?"
Fang Yuan remained silent.
"How's your income? How much do you earn in a month?" the mother frog continued, her eyes sparkling as if she had seen some treasure.
Fang Yuan remained silent.
"Have you found a girlfriend yet?" The female frog's tone grew increasingly excited, even patting Fang Yuan's shoulder with her paw. "You're a handsome young man, quite dashing, though you look a bit simple-minded, but that's alright! These days, honest men are popular! Let me tell you, I know several girls who are still single! Want me to introduce you to some?"
!!!
Fang Yuan's eye twitched violently.
Caw! ?
Damn!
I've already been transported to another world, and I still manage to run into people like this!? ...Hmm, this kind of frog!?
What the hell?!
Is this...right?
Is this...is this a blind date?!
Even after he's turned into a frog, he's still being interrogated about his marital status by a fake female frog on the edge of a bizarre illusion!
What kind of script is this?!
"Come, come, young man, don't be in such a hurry to leave." Seeing that Fang Yuan didn't speak, the female frog assumed he was shy and moved closer even more enthusiastically. "Let me tell you, my nieces are all wonderful girls! Let me introduce them to you—"
"There's one who owns a shop in the west of the city. He has three rooms and ten acres of land. He's a little overweight, but he's very capable! Extremely capable!"
"There's another one working in the yamen (government office). It's a low-ranking official, but it's stable! His income is guaranteed regardless of circumstances! He just has a bit of a temper, but you're so honest, you can definitely handle him!"
"And there's more—"
Fang Yuan felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.
No way, you can spit out English like that?!
This is some kind of alternate world, how could there possibly be English?!
Fang Yuan stared intently at the chattering female frog in front of him, with only one thought in his mind:
What the hell is this weird thing?!
Why would someone do something like this?!
Could it be that this stupid illusion is actually a pre-programmed sequence that automatically triggers once the conditions are met, and then creates a scene based on the person's characteristics that is most common in their daily life?
That's why there was this kind of...forced marriage-style conversation!?
Hard!
Fang Yuan's fist hardened.
To be precise, its claws have hardened.
But Fang Yuan still tried his best to restrain himself and remain calm.
He cannot act rashly.
What if we alert them? What will Nan Nan and the others do?
If this illusion senses something amiss, it will immediately...
Fang Yuan dared not think any further.
He could only squat stiffly in place, letting the female frog chatter on and on in his ear.
"...So, buddy, you'd better hurry! Good girls are rare these days. If you don't look now, you won't be able to find one later!"
As the mother frog was speaking, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned around and called out to those behind her:
"Cuihua! Cuihua, come here for a second!"
Fang Yuan's heart tightened.
Then he saw—
A female toad with a well-proportioned body, smooth skin, and some kind of shimmering powder on its back jumped out from under the eaves next to it.
On her front paw, she was even wearing a "ring" made of grass.
On her face, she had applied a layer of red and green "makeup" with some kind of substance.
That appearance...
It's just like a single woman in her late thirties in human society who dresses up carefully and prepares for a blind date.
"Cuihua, come here, let Auntie introduce you to someone." The female frog greeted her warmly. "What do you think of this young man? He seems honest and has a good appearance!"
Cuihua came skipping and hopping over.
She struck what she thought was an elegant pose, turning her body to the side in an extremely affected manner, and then spoke in a high-pitched, cringe-worthy voice:
"Oh dear, I'm not ready yet~"
"..." Fang Yuan remained expressionless.
"Hi, handsome!" Cuihua blinked, her beady green eyes even sparkling with a hint of anticipation. "Auntie told me you haven't found a boyfriend yet? That's great! I'm single too!"
"..." Fang Yuan remained expressionless.
"However..." Cuihua's tone shifted abruptly, her voice suddenly becoming somewhat sharp, "I'm not just any frog, you know~ If you want to marry me, you'll have to show some sincerity~"
"Sincerity..." Fang Yuan finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, "What sincerity?"
"Of course, it's the bride price!" Cuihua said matter-of-factly, then stretched out her hand and began counting on her fingers, "First, you need a house, at least three rooms, with a yard. Then, you need land, at least twenty acres. And you need savings, at least..."
She paused, her eyes darting around, then said with a smile:
"At least 380,000 taels of silver!"
"..."
"How about it, little brother? This condition isn't too much, is it? She's a well-known young lady from a prominent family in the city~ It's your good fortune that she's taken a liking to you~" Cuihua said smugly, and deliberately twisted her body, striking what she thought was a very charming pose.
Fang Yuan remained silent.
He kept his head down, and his large eyes revealed no emotion.
The surrounding "frogs" also quieted down, seemingly waiting for Fang Yuan's answer.
The air seemed to freeze.
one second.
two seconds.
three seconds.
Then--
Snapped! ! !
A crisp slap echoed across the silent rooftop!
I fucking swear!
Fang Yuan's thick, muscular forepaw, powerful enough to shatter a person's skull, slammed hard into Cuihua's face!
No.
To be precise, he flattened her entire body!
In that instant, Cuihua didn't even have time to make a sound. Her entire body burst open like a punctured balloon, turning into a thick green mist that dissipated into the air.
"..."
Fang Yuan retracted his claws and flicked them expressionlessly.
croak.
Three hundred and eighty thousand?
Why the hell don't you just rob someone?
Oh, so you were just robbing me anyway.
That's fine.
The surrounding "frogs" were all stunned.
They stared wide-eyed at Fang Yuan, at the lingering green mist that hadn't completely dissipated.
The air froze again.
But this time, the solidification process was different.
Fang Yuan could clearly feel that the surrounding space was beginning to... distort.
It's not a distortion in the physical sense, but a more bizarre distortion, like a program lag.
The movements of those "frogs" suddenly became stiff.
Their expressions also began to look out of place.
Some mouths are still smiling, but their eyes are crying.
Some bodies were still squatting, but their heads were tilted to an impossible angle.
Even their voices began to become intermittent, as if the cassette tape had jammed:
"You...you...how...how..."
"No...it's impossible...it's impossible..."
Then, everything stopped.
Those "frogs" seemed to have been paused, frozen in place, completely still.
And the scene before Fang Yuan's eyes began to change.
The once empty ruins began to show some blurry shapes.
Those shadows gradually became clearer and more solid.
Eventually, it was transformed into a magnificent and luxurious restaurant.
Is this the restaurant that Chen Tieshan and his group of people who had already shown signs of abnormality saw and entered?
Red lacquered doorposts, carved window frames, upturned eaves, and two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance.
The plaque bears three large, gilded characters:
【Zuixianlou】
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes.
quack...
So, my slap just now... caused a bug in this illusion?
wrong.
This illusion has been bugged ever since those stupid frogs appeared!
And at that very moment—
The restaurant doors slowly opened.
A figure walked out from inside.
That was a... person.
At least, judging from its appearance, it is a person.
But Fang Yuan only glanced at it and was certain—it was definitely not human.
Because no normal person would look like that.
The figure was abnormally long and narrow.
It's like a normal person being stretched to twice their normal length, but the width remains unchanged.
His entire body was so thin that it resembled a dried-up corpse, his skin was ashen and clung tightly to his bones, and even the shape of his ribs was clearly visible.
His face was so thin that only bones remained.
His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were high, his lips were chapped, and his yellow teeth were showing.
But the strangest thing was his eyes.
Those eyes had no whites, only pitch black.
It's like two bottomless holes, leading straight to some unknown abyss.
He stood there at the entrance of the restaurant, tilting his head and staring intently at Fang Yuan with his dark eyes.
The air froze again.
Fang Yuan's muscles tensed subconsciously, and his internal energy began to circulate within his body.
He was ready for battle.
But the figure did not make a move immediately.
He simply tilted his head and slowly spoke in a tone of extreme surprise, shock, and even disbelief:
"you……"
His voice was very soft, yet it seemed to resonate directly in Fang Yuan's mind, carrying a chilling aura.
"How did you...?"
"Breaking free from my illusion?"
Fang Yuan remained silent for a moment.
Quack?
Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell it's an illusion, right?
Your frog needs 388,000 yuan for a wedding dowry.
Your frog is doing things like humans?!
Don't you have any self-awareness?!
Then, his wide, frog-like mouth slowly opened, revealing an extremely human-like, ironic smile.
"Quack."
"..."
The figure froze.
"Quack?"
He also made a puzzled croaking sound, looking at Fang Yuan with some confusion.
He seemed to vaguely realize that something was wrong, and tried to lower his head, then lower it again.
Then, he looked at Fang Yuan.
It seems... nothing's wrong.
He stared at a frog with a puzzled look, and then uttered that word again, still confused.
"Quack?"
"What does this mean?"
He seemed completely unaware that Fang Yuan was a frog, and completely unaware that Fang Yuan didn't have a human form at all.
He seemed completely unprepared for such an answer.
His head was tilted, remaining at that angle, and for the first time, a certain emotion appeared in his dark eyes.
That was... confusion.
"Forced marriage...?" he muttered to himself, his voice filled with deep confusion. "Dowry...?"
"Isn't this normal?... My... my illusion... how could this be..."
He seemed to have fallen into some kind of self-doubt.
Fang Yuan looked at his appearance and sneered inwardly.
croak.
It's nothing really that strange!
His illusions likely work by capturing the entrant's cognition, memories, and desires, then constructing a plausible false world that leads people to unknowingly fall into its trap.
But the problem is—
Fang Yuan is not human.
He is a frog who has traveled through time and possesses a human soul.
His cognitive system is unlike anything else in this world.
Therefore, when the illusion attempts to assimilate him, the information it reads is likely to be a jumbled mess.
Ultimately, the illusion could only be constructed based on Fang Yuan's appearance—a frog.
Thus, the absurd scene of "frogs going on blind dates" came about.
Damn it!
Even if I'm going on a blind date, you can't just give me a female toad! At least get me a fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged girl!
Really!
Fang Yuan thought angrily.
"Croak." Fang Yuan cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds. "Since the illusion has been broken, there's nothing more to say."
"Hand them over."
"otherwise……"
"Today, I will tear down this dilapidated restaurant of yours." Although Fang Yuan spoke harshly, he was not as relaxed as his words suggested!
This guy is definitely weird!
Although it doesn't seem very intelligent, it's not human after all! Who knows what kind of anomalies might occur!
Fang Yuan had barely finished speaking...
The figure fell silent.
His dark eyes were fixed on Fang Yuan, and the emotion in them gradually changed from confusion to... anger.
"You...you're asking for it."
His voice became low and cold.
The next moment, the magnificent restaurant began to tremble violently.
One after another, pitch-black, extremely thin hands suddenly reached out from the restaurant!
Dangerous!