Old-time musicians

"?? Say it again, lick... what are you licking?"

Fan Ning suspected that he had heard Luna wrongly, but recalling what Masenegu said about "those idiots", he gradually realized that he might have heard correctly.

He tried hard to search for the knowledge of occultism in his mind.

In order to find out the secret ritual of some secret organization, you need to perform the "licking the toad" action.

Something similar makes sense.

When he saw business coming to his door, the stall owner with squinting eyes enthusiastically lifted a cage and approached the two of them.

"A big Gorado toad costs just one and a half penny a bite. It is professionally raised, descaled and cleaned daily, so you can lick it with confidence and it will reach the sky in 20 seconds."

Fan Ning's body froze for several seconds.

"...Can't the penny be divided in half?" He had done his best by raising this question.

With narrowed eyes, the stall owner twisted the position of the metal wire to open a gap, and the smile on his face became wider:

"So it's usually two licks for three pennies."

"..."

The dark red bumps on the toad's body were trembling, his cheeks were bulging, and his emotionless eyes met Fan Ning's eyes:

"Quack!"

Fan Ning began to sweat on his forehead.

Luna quickly waved her hand and then pulled him aside.

She pointed to a sticker on a small desalination tower next to her.

Fan Ning, who came closer, was sweating more and more on his face.

This promotional material is signed "United Principality of Feyton Gift Authority".

Black text on white paper, large size, and large font.

The giant bilingual title in Janus/Lange at the top is even more shocking:

"Don't lick the toad!"

"The "Fanghui Poet" has given many gifts to the South, but not everything is a direct entrance! For example, you have never seen slugs and unfamiliar mushrooms... If you see a big toad squatting on the ground with glowing green eyes in the dead of night , please don’t lick it!”

"Any commercial profit-making behavior related to toad licking is not advocated!"

"Be a civilized Feton!"

Looking at Fan Ning's curious reading expression, the little girl's face was filled with helplessness "I knew it". She held an umbrella in one hand and her hands on her hips, and her small shoulder bag swayed in the sea breeze.

Obviously, the many "traditional arts" of the southern people had some shock to Mr. Scheler's mind.

She felt this was the first time, but it wouldn't be the last.

"You guys! Close the stall!"

"Turn it over! Turn it over!"

There was loud shouting in the street.

"Damn it, why are you always there in every move? Hurry up and call the people inside him."

"As you command, boss."

Several men who looked like police officers, leading a group of people in uniforms, crowded the small stall to the brim.

Without saying a word, the stall owner stepped over the hurdle and abandoned the stall.

All that was left was a dashing figure running away with a bucket.

The team looked helpless and divided into three groups. The two picked up the remaining toad cages and continued to check the surrounding stalls. Several more people rushed into the small rooms inside.

"Quack!" The water under the barbed wire was poured out.

Not long after, a dozen young men and women wearing shorts, slippers and simple shirts from the hut inside were also kicked out.

They were laughing and joking all the way, their steps were brisk, their faces were comfortable, and some of them shared cigarettes with the police in a friendly manner.

It's not that he encountered something beautiful that only happened in ten years, so he couldn't make this expression.

In the mess, Luna helplessly explained to Fan Ning:

"The production of several kinds of berries and mushrooms with strong hallucinogenic effects in the South is extremely rare and the price is extremely expensive. Therefore, many degenerate people who cannot afford it have set their sights on the toads that inhabit the Gorolado salt water basin. , from time to time I would catch one in my hand and lick it... I can't always imagine what the first person who discovered this alternative method did to the toad..."

"The pimples near their heads may secrete some special substances. It is said that one lick can make people feel cool and pleasant, as well as bring strong hallucinations and pleasure. The quality is stable and the effect is quick, taking just 20 seconds. It works... However, this thing is poisonous! It can cause anxiety, vomiting or epileptic convulsions at least, or it can directly kill people on the spot. It is not used like this at all. The "flower-touched people" in the church only use it to practice. Make some mysterious potions..."

...A compound similar to 5-methoxydimethyltryptamine that can bind to neurotransmitter receptors?

Certain structural formulas and functional groups flashed through Fan Ning's mind, as well as extremely dirty environments such as field ridges and mire where toads lived, and he asked in a very strange tone:

"Putting aside the hallucinogenic harm, they are not disgusting with dirt, bacteria and parasites?"

"The latter is the reason why someone can turn it into a business." Luna curled her lips, "When you want to take a lick and the need comes unexpectedly, but you have to pay more or less attention to hygiene, someone will help you catch it in advance. The Gorado Toads that grow bigger, have more stamina, and are cleaned more cleanly become something worth paying for..."

"I think washing the mop is cleaner than it." Fan Ning stared at the muddy water dripping from under the wire cage and shook his head, not realizing that this had deviated from the focus of the problem.

"I told you they are already 'decent people'." The little girl continued to curl her lips, "Two bites to lick off a full meal, this is not something everyone is willing to pay. When we leave the town and cross the coastline and the saltwater river, you can pay attention to how many people are looking for toads in the ridges and licking them like coconuts..."

Fanning: "..."

The "patrol and rectification team" composed of the United Principality Police and the Gift Management Bureau is still sweeping the market. Fanning saw more people busy cleaning up the stalls.

The toolbox confiscated by the police opposite was full of nails, hammers, drills, knives and other things. The name of the stall was "Professional Skull Drilling Surgery".

Before Fanning had time to digest the information, the whole family next door picked up the wooden basin and ran away.

The full mushrooms and fungi were scattered all over the street.

The styles are bizarre, some are made of hollow red cages, some are in the "death color" combination of green + purple + red, some have blue glowing mycelium, some look like a cup filled with several stones, some look like a pile of mashed potatoes with countless ketchup...

"Are these also for 'eating'?" Fanning was amazed by the strange mushrooms on the ground.

Some people have already picked them up.

"In theory, they are used as 'food', but only in theory." Luna said.

"Due to the hot weather and abundant rainfall, there are many mushrooms in the southern continent, and the deliciousness is endless. As one of the many gifts of the 'Fragrant Poet', theoretically any kind of mushroom can be eaten, as long as you find the right medicinal materials and cooking methods..."

"But you know, this 'suitable' is often prone to problems. The processing methods of some poisonous mushrooms are often fatal if the proportion of medicinal materials or the heat is wrong. Especially some extremely rare mushrooms, not only are they difficult to find, but they also require a kind of 'cleansing spirit' with mysterious factors and subtle differences to cook safely. Even the upper class cannot often enjoy this top-notch deliciousness..."

Looking at Fanning's thoughtful look, the little girl's expression became a little worried.

She pointed her finger at the promotional material again and said solemnly: "Mr. Scheller, licking toads is really not advisable. In addition, the deliciousness of several common mushrooms is not low. You must not be misled by these people's words..."

Misleading?

Fanning then discovered that under the main text of "Don't lick toads!", there were countless messy messages:

"I won't lick toads on weekdays. Please don't ruin my Sunday."

"Are you my dad? You're not. Are you Toad's dad? You're not. Then why do you care about me?"

"These guys never use their brains when they do things. I didn't know about this at first, but now I'm on my way to find toads. Thank you."

"You even care about toads. Are you going to take action on slugs and mushrooms next?"

After a long time, Fanning sighed in admiration:

"There's a reason why you have so much land and so few people here."