In the distant seaside, there is a legend of three toad spirits. These three brothers are naturally ferocious and specialize in feeding on human flesh. In the daytime, they transform into three sorrowful little women, pretending to cry and lure passersby to take the bait. Once they succeed, their true form is revealed and they devour the person. Over time, this place became a forbidden area that no one dared to set foot in.
One day, Jiang Ziya passed by this place due to the matter of enfeoffment, and from a distance, he saw the demonic aura lingering by the seaside, which made him suspicious. He then walked to investigate. Coincidentally, the three demons had not tasted human flavor for three days. Seeing Jiang Ziya coming alone, they repeated their old trick and pretended to be pitiful. Jiang Ziya, with a keen eye like a torch, saw through his trickery at a glance and slowly stepped forward, pretending to be concerned: “Who’s so sad? At noon, why don’t you go home and help your mother-in-law take care of the household
Upon seeing this, the three demons twisted forward and coquettishly complained, “Old Master, we have been kicked out of the house by the wicked mother-in-law and are homeless. I beg for your mercy and help us.” Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya calmly took a few steps back, lightly waved the fan in her hand, and drew an invisible barrier around her body, preventing the fairies from approaching. The three demons wailed incessantly outside the barrier, while Qituola pulled Jiang Ziya, but was repeatedly bounced back. Jiang Ziya smiled slightly and said, “Let me take a look, what kind of divine beings are you?” After speaking, he blew a light breath and used his immobility technique. The three demons instantly revealed their true forms – three huge toads, kneeling down and begging for mercy.
Jiang Ziya shook his head and sighed, “I still have the heavy responsibility of enfeoffment on my shoulders, and I have no time for him to take care of it.” After finishing his words, he turned around to act. Upon hearing the mournful cries of the three demons, my heart felt a sense of compassion, and then I blew another breath to break the curse. Upon seeing this, the three toad spirits quickly blocked the way and said, “Since I have granted titles to the gods, please also give us a place!” Jiang Ziya seemed regretful and said, “Since you want to change your ways, you will each take on your own duties. The first is to protect the sea god, guarding the sea and feeding on fish and shrimp; the second is to protect the field god, specializing in eating mosquitoes and insects; the youngest is to protect the water god, cleaning up polluted water bodies.” After finishing his sentence, he first threw his eldest brother into the sea and transformed into a toad fish, with a big mouth and wide belly, feeding on fish and shrimp. When fishermen catch, they often find fresh fish and shrimp in his belly.
The second brother and the younger brother were given special clothes, one turned into a green frog, the other into a black toad covered in blisters, and each lived in peace. Although the three brothers are separated by distance, the second and third brothers often gather together. When talking about their eldest brother, they all shed tears and hope that the rainy day can connect the sea and the fields, and there is hope for reunion. However, as time goes by, the day of reunion is far away. Since then, during the rainy season, the croaking of frogs and the croaking of toads intertwine, as if calling out to a distant elder brother: “Brother! Brother!” However, the toads in the sea can only silently swim and cannot respond to this longing that crosses the water.
