C20 Meeting Another Disciple.

"No way!" Lee Yiran and Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed in unison.

"No, what gives you the right to demand Master take you on as a disciple? Absolutely not!"

Su Xiaoxiao spoke as though someone had snatched away her most treasured possession, her voice tinged with indignation.

"No, teaching one disciple is already a headache. If I take on another, when will I ever have time for anything else?"

"Then I'll just cry to death right here, and let everyone know that it's you two bullying me, hmph!"

Chung Lan clutched at the clothes of Su Xiaoxiao and Lee Yiran, feigning tears once again.

Overwhelmed by Chung Lan's relentless pestering, Lee Yiran struggled to cope. He had always been averse to seeing girls cry, and now he was caught between the defiant Chung Lan and the fuming Su Xiaoxiao.

Lee Yiran considered that having the two of them learn together might not be such a bad idea. They could motivate and challenge each other, which could be particularly beneficial for Su Xiaoxiao. Reflecting on the recent oddities with the Scarlet Flame, an excellent strategy came to mind.

"Hmm, let me think this over... I could take you on as my disciple, but there are conditions. You must pass three challenges. Xiaoxiao, you've already cleared the first one."

"What? How did she clear any challenges? She didn't do anything!" Chung Lan cut in, her confusion evident.

"Cough, cough, little miss, why so nosy? Take care of your own matters. Well, Chung Lan, I'll consider you've passed the first challenge too. To avoid further complications, you'll both face the same next two challenges.

Now, for your second challenge: observe any unusual occurrences at this academy, particularly anything concerning your principal. Report back to me immediately if you discover anything."

With that, Lee Yiran produced two jade frogs and handed them to the girls, explaining,

"These are Communication Frogs. When you get home, drop your blood on them to claim ownership. If you come across anything, just tell it, and I'll be informed as well."

"Ugh, why is this frog so hideous!" Chung Lan exclaimed with distaste, and Su Xiaoxiao also seemed reluctant.

"Hey, you two are being too much. Others have begged me for these, and I haven't given them away. You're being choosy when you should be grateful. Ahem, remember, the value is in the utility, appearances are just illusions."

Lee Yiran then gave Chung Lan a butterfly necklace identical to Jing's, instructing her to wear it without removing it casually. And with that, Jing gained a new companion.

"Okay, from now on, you'll call me senior sister and follow my commands," Jing said, her spirits lifting once again.

"Why should I call you senior sister? We haven't even had a formal apprenticeship ceremony. For all we know, you might not pass the test, and the Master might choose only me as a disciple!" Chung Lan shot back, not willing to back down.

"Because I'm older than you!"

"In what way are you older than me?"

"I'm older than you in every way!"

...

Lee Yiran, unfazed by their bickering, brought the two girls back to Ye Mansion and introduced them to Red Flame:

"Foolish Bird, ahem, this is Brother Su's daughter, Jing, and this is Chung Lan, our newest disciple as of today. I brought them here to get acquainted, and little Qin Lan, this one—refer to him as your Martial Uncle. Despite his nickname, he's got a good nature."

Having previously witnessed Red Flame's abilities, Jing showed no hesitation, and neither did Chung Lan, despite his obvious identity as a demonic beast. They both stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Martial Uncle!" "Hi there, Martial Uncle. I'm Chung Lan."

"Why have you suddenly brought them here?" Red Flame grumbled, clearly displeased.

"Haha, it's nothing serious. Just wanted you to meet them. I'll be away for a few days soon, so I'm counting on you to look after them."

"Fine, I got it. Now take them away; I need to rest!"

"Don't mind him; that's just your uncle's way. Come on, I'll take you back to the academy. Aren't there classes this afternoon?"

"I won't be attending. We're just having one class this afternoon before the holiday starts. Master, could you please excuse my absence? I need to head home first."

Chung Lan explained to Lee Yiran, eager to discover the wonders of the gift he had given her.

As it happened, Jing wanted to stay at the academy to review her lessons, so Lee Yiran escorted her back and also arranged for Chung Lan's leave.

Chung Lan raced home, and as her mother was stepping out, she called to her daughter.

"Hold it right there, young lady. What's with all the running? Look at you. And why are you home so early today?"

"Ah, Mother, are you heading out? Where to?" Chung Lan chuckled nervously.

"No changing the subject. Did you skip class again? If your father hears about this, you're in for it."

"Ouch, Mother, not the head! I'll get dumb if you keep that up. Hehe, the teacher had to cancel this afternoon, so the academy let us out early."

"Really? Don't try to fool me. I'll check with the academy later."

"Ah! The academy's closed for the holiday, you won't find anyone to ask. Besides, didn't you have something urgent to do? You should probably get to that."

Chung Lan's mother smacked her forehead, almost forgetting the pressing issue at hand. That rascal Cheng Ming had gotten himself into trouble again, detained by the authorities, waiting for her to bail him out. What a headache.

She noticed Chung Lan's puffy eyes and worried her daughter might have been bullied, but seeing her seemingly cheerful, she decided to let it go for now. Better to return to it later.

Once her mother was out of the way, Chung Lan sent the servants away, locked her room from the inside, and laid out two items on the table.

She picked up the butterfly necklace and the unsightly frog. The butterfly was exquisitely beautiful, and after fiddling with it for a while and testing it with her spiritual energy to no avail, she set it aside.

Then she turned her attention to the jade frog. Ugly thing, but the jade itself was quite nice, smooth to the touch. That's right, Chung Lan remembered her Bad Martial Master's instructions about blood-binding to claim ownership. With a grimace, she took a knife, cut her finger painfully, and let a few drops of blood fall onto the frog.

"Ow, that stings. Why does it have to be blood to claim it as mine?" Chung Lan winced, sucking on her wounded finger.

The blood was swiftly absorbed by the jade frog, which then began to ripple on its surface. The frog's eyes moved, and to Chung Lan's astonishment, the jade frog sprang to life, hopped up, and actually began to speak.

"Hey there, little miss, you're in my crew now!"

"Whoa, the ugly frog can talk!"

"Mind your language, please. Refer to me as Chief Frog Number Three. And for the record, I didn't choose to be ugly—that's on the jerk who botched the job and squished me into this."

"Haha, that jerk must be my Bad Martial Master. So, Mr. Ugly Little Frog, got any cool tricks up your sleeve? Show me what you can do."

"I am offended and will not respond to any inquiries."

"Hehe, you sure are touchy, little frog. Fine, fine, I won't call you 'ugly frog' anymore. How about 'Qiao Qiao' from now on?"

"I am male!"

"With frogs, it's not about male or female, just male and female. Well, that settles it. Since I'm your owner, 'Qiao Qiao' it is."

"You, you, you... ugh, you're infuriating... Call me whatever you like."

Chung Lan scooped up the frog and cradled it in her palm, caressing its sleek skin as she chuckled:

"See, I'm over your looks. Now spill, what can you do?"

Resigned, Qiao Qiao grumbled, "Given your current level, you've only unlocked a few basic features: communication, scanning, invisibility, and telepathy."

"Really? It's tied to my strength? Tell me more about these features."

"Communication means you can talk to me, or another Communication Frog, in real-time. Scanning allows for a rough assessment of a creature's spiritual energy level. Invisibility enables me to activate a cloaking spell, making us undetectable to some. And telepathy means we can converse mentally, no need to speak aloud."

"That's incredible! Let me try calling Su Xiaoxiao; she has a Communication Frog too."

"Su Xiaoxiao's Frog Number Two hasn't been activated yet; it likely hasn't accepted a master."

"Then connect me to my Bad Martial Master!"

"Big Brother Frog is refusing to chat, only sent a message telling you to not bother him unless it's important."

Chung Lan felt deflated but decided to test the other abilities. She was amazed to find that Qiao Qiao could accurately gauge her spiritual energy as eighth-grade.

The invisibility feature would be handy for carrying him around. Next, Chung Lan had Qiao Qiao help her turn invisible too, and they went outside to playfully startle the maidservants—whispering in one's ear and tapping another on the shoulder.

The maidservants were convinced they had seen a ghost, their cries of terror echoing through the halls. Meanwhile, Chung Lan, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but stifle her laughter at the playful chaos she'd caused.