It is said that every single River Swallowing Toad's stomach carries a river.
Fang Yuan did not use the River Swallowing Toad in his previous life, but he has a strong impression of this Gu, because of one person.
A normal person, a family servant.
Around two hundred years later in his previous life, a very special Gu Master will appear— Jiang Fan.
His existence shocked numerous Gu Masters, and his story would be spread around by the mortals.
Once he appeared, he became a legend.
His entire success was attributed to a River Swallowing Toad.
Jiang Fan was a mere family servant, single-handedly taking care of a fishery for his master. One day, a River Swallowing Toad arrived at the coast with its belly side up, lying in the water, asleep the entire time.
Jiang Fan was initially scared and shocked, but slowly, he felt that this toad was dead, why was it not moving at all?
The "toad corpse" blocked the upflow of the river water, and this caused many problems for Jiang Fan who was taking care of the fishery.
Jiang Fan tried many different methods and ways to move this "toad corpse" away. But he was just a mere mortal, how could he move something as heavy as the River Swallowing Toad?
His master was stingy and cruel, and if he could not meet the monthly quota, his head will be decapitated. Jiang Fan did not dare to report it, as someone not too long ago did not manage to fulfill his quota and reported it with a proper reason, but ended up getting killed on the spot.
Seeing that the due date was getting closer, and the corpse still remained there blocking the water, it greatly affected his revenue. Gradually, Jiang Fan became more frightened, and his temper became more abusive and frustrated.
Although he knew that he could not move this corpse away, he would still go to it everyday, to punch and kick the "toad corpse", crying and making a din. Letting go of all the fear and anger he had in the face of death.
But one day, the River Swallowing Toad woke up, and with its half-opened eyes, stared at Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan's legs went soft from the shock.
The River Swallowing Toad was half asleep and half awake, but it still laid there like it was a "corpse". After some time, Jiang Fan regained his composure.
He was not afraid, he was going to die anyway, what is there to be afraid of?
He climbed to the top of the River Swallowing Toad's belly, and lied down face up. Staring at the sky, "Toad, oh toad. You are the same as me, with only one last breath left in you, you're about to die too huh?"
He did not know about the characteristics of the River Swallowing Toad. Looking at its half dead state, he thought that it was going to die. After saying so, Jiang Fan's face flooded with tears.
The River Swallowing Toad squinted its eyes, listening to Jiang Fan's words while staring at the sky.
For the next few days, he continued to lie on the River Swallowing Toad's white and soft belly, crying while talking, complaining about the pain and the repressed feelings of a mortal.
Finally, the deadline was here. The person-in-charge came down from the village to the fishery to collect the fish.
Where could Jiang Fan find fish to meet the quota? Left with no choice, he could only give an excuse that he needed to do some packing, and ran to the River Swallowing Toad to bid farewell.
He patted the River Swallowing Toad's belly, "Old toad, to think that I'm going to die first. It must be affinity that led to me knowing you. I hope that in your remaining days, you will have a better life."
At this moment, the River Swallowing Toad started move.
Jiang Fan was taken aback. Seeing that the River Swallowing Toad's actions were becoming larger, he quickly jumped off.
Plop!
The River Swallowing Toad turned around, with its belly side down and back facing upwards. It had fully woken up.
Jiang Fan's body was drenched, and on having seen this scene he became angry and stomped his foot, "Old toad, oh old toad, so you can still move? Ahhhh, you have caused my death, if you had moved a few days ago, I would not have to die!"
The River Swallowing Toad ignored his words, it had just woken up and felt hungry.
Half of its body was submerged into the water as it opened its mouth, starting to suck in the river water in order to sate its hunger.
Seeing this, Jiang Fan was dumbfounded. He shockingly saw that the water level was receding, dropping at an observable pace, rapidly falling.
Large amounts of river water were swallowed into the toad's belly, but its belly did not even expand a bit, it was almost like a bottomless hole.
A moment later, the River Swallowing Toad stopped its meal. The river water had already dropped to an extreme level, and the bedrock was exposed. If a person stood in the river, the water would only reach their knees.
Jiang Fan stood at the coast, at a lost for words.
The River Swallowing Toad glanced at him and suddenly burped. Its stomach expanded and contracted, its mouth opening wide as it and it vomited out a large amount of seafood.
Fish, prawn, turtle, crab, snails, eels, everything!
The River Swallowing Toad only ate water as its food, but did not consume these seafood, hence it vomited all of them out.
At this point, it seems like it was raining seafood.
In the blink of an eye, the seafood gathered into a mountain, and Jiang Fan upon seeing this, was overwhelming exhilarated. He screamed loudly, "I'm saved, I'm saved! These seafood is enough for me to hand up for three months. Old toad, oh old toad, it is all thanks to you!"
He packaged those seafood, and quickly handed them to the person-in-charge.
The person-in-charge was both shocked and suspicious, how could there be so much? He quickly reported it, and the Gu Masters in the village also found out that the water level had changed drastically.
After investigating, they found out about the River Swallowing Toad's existence.
It was a Rank five Gu!
The village fell into a panic and they formed into large groups, trying to expel the River Swallowing Toad.
Jiang Fan did not want the River Swallowing Toad to be harmed; these days he had treated the River Swallowing Toad as his only friend.
He kneeled in front of the Gu Masters and pleaded hysterically. But why would Gu Masters care about a mere mortal? They kicked him aside and were about to murder him.
But at this moment, the River Swallowing Toad arrived.
Nobody knew if it had treated Jiang Fan as its friend, or felt that being with Jiang Fan was interesting and could cure boredom.
The point is, it struck.
It carried Jiang Fan and vomited out a stream of river water that engulfed the whole village and drowned half the hill.
This battle startled the entire southern continent!
Thereafter, Jiang Fan's name spread throughout the one hundred thousand mountains. With the River Swallowing Toad staying by his side, it meant that he owned a Rank five Gu worm!
After all, even a Rank five Gu Master, might not have a Rank five Gu worm.
Rank five Gu Masters were rare, even in the Gu Yue clan's history, there were only two people—the first generation clan leader and the fourth generation clan leader.
But he Jiang Fan did not have an awakened aperture, yet as a mere mortal he had a River Swallowing Toad.
His existence stunned the entire Gu Master world.
After that, Jiang Fan built a hamlet at the village's location. He was endearing to people and sympathized with mortals, aspiring to reach equality among all people. It was a village without oppression.
He became a flag, and the mortals in the surrounding villages came to him and wanted to depend on him.
But eventually, he was still assassinated.
With just a River Swallowing Toad, it could not make him truly powerful. He was not a Gu Master after all, and after his death, the River Swallowing Toad left.
Gu Masters razed his hamlet to the grounds, and slaughtered the mortals who dared to oppose them.
With his mortal self, Jiang Fan challenged the entire system of society, and that brought forth the rage of the Gu Masters.
"I wonder if Jiang Fan will still appear this time after my influence." After his recollection, Fang Yuan laughed.
But Chi Shan could not laugh.
His face was grim as he returned.
The villagers at the mountain foot were waiting for the Gu Masters to deal with this problem.
But the great Gu Yue Chi Shan arrived and still could not solve the issue. This caused the villagers to panic, and the panic spread and reached a high point.
They dragged their families, brought big and small bags, and rushed up to the village. They naturally did not dare to step inside, thus more and more villagers kneeled outside the village's doors, begging the Gu Masters to have mercy and let them in.
In the hall.
"What? These lowly commoners dare to surround the main gate. Atrocious, they are getting more and more daring, kill, kill them all!" The punishment hall clan elder screamed.
Medicine hall's Gu Yue Yao Ji's face was also grim, "Although these lowly commoners deserve death, killing a few is enough to threaten the rest and chase the group away, but it would be like a joke for the other villages to observe."
Gu Yue Chi Lian said, "The important thing now is not this. If even Chi Shan cannot wake this River Swallowing Toad, who else in our clan can? It seems we have to get reinforcements, the Xiong clan specializes in strength." He sighed and continued, "for the safety of the clan, we should get them to do it. Even if we have to pay a price, it is worth it."
These words got the consent of the other clan elders, and even clan leader Gu Yue Bo was moved.
"Clan leader and the other clan elders, this junior has something to report." Gu Yue Chi Shan had been standing in the hall, listening to the clan elders, but suddenly he bowed and said spoke.
Gu Yue Bo nodded, he had an appreciative attitude towards Gu Yue Chi Shan, "Chi Shan, if you have any ideas, you might as well say it."
Chi Shan asked instead, "Elders, to push this River Swallowing Toad awake, does it really need one person's strength?"
Gu Yue Bo said, "According to the previous clan leader's words, the River Swallowing Toad has a mild temper and loves to sleep. Even if it is awakened by someone pushing it, it would not rage. Thus, we asked you who has the greatest strength in the village to wake it. But it ended in failure."
Chi Shan said, "Then can clan leader grant me a Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu? With one bull's strength and my inborn strength, I would be able to push this River Swallowing Toad awake."
"You definitely cannot use a Gu worm's strength." Just as Chi Shan finished speaking, a clan elder denied his request, "A Gu worm's aura will invite the vigilance of the River Swallowing Toad. If this causes it to feel threatened and rampage about, who would face the consequences?"
"That's right." Gu Yue Bo nodded, "By using a Gu worm, even if we wake up the toad, we cannot get its approval. It has to be a single person, using his own strength to wake it and get its approval."
Gu is the spirit of heaven and earth, but it behaved more like wild beasts. Wild beasts have their territories, and roaming wild beasts when encountering the king of a territory, would have a battle. The victorious takes the territory and the loser roams.
The formation of a beast tide is also based on this wild beast instinct. Strong beast groups will invade and conquer neighbouring land. Weaker groups would be exiled and this forms the beast tide.
To chase the River Swallowing Toad away, they have to abide to its habits.
River Swallowing Toad has a mild temperament, not enjoying conflict, and as long as the territory's "beast king" can be recognised, it would leave.
Thus, using Gu worms is a no-no, the Gu worm's aura will be sensed and cause the River Swallowing Toad to take unpredictable actions. Using everyone's strength was not possible too. Once there are many people, even if it is moved, the toad would not leave.
That is because everyone acting together was not fair, and would not be recognised by it.
Thus, the clan leader got Chi Shan to go ahead, as he had the greatest strength in the village.
"So that's it, I understand." Chi Shan finally understood the situation, he cupped his fists, "In that case, I will recommend someone to the clan elders, he has greater strength than me."
"Oh, who?"
"There's such a person, why did we not know?"
"Chi Shan, don't keep us waiting, quickly say it!"
"This person, is Gu Yue Fang Yuan." Chi Shan said a name.