Old Guo stood to the side, watching this scene unfold. His aged eyes softened, and he quietly wiped away a tear that had unknowingly formed.
Zhang Ba, however, did not laugh for long.
As he looked at his daughter more closely, he noticed how her face had become slightly thinner, her once lively cheeks losing some of their fullness. The warmth in his eyes slowly gave way to a trace of determination.
The thought of the contract shown to him earlier by a city official resurfaced in his mind.
His expression gradually grew serious and made a decision.
Suddenly, Little Lin puffed her cheeks and spoke with a seriousness that did not match her age. "Don't think Lin is a fool just because I am young. I know there is a shortage of food in the village, and that is why Father had to go out."
Her words caught everyone off guard.
Old Guo's expression stiffened, and he stammered slightly, "…Little Lin…"
However, she did not stop.
Looking at all of them with clear, determined eyes, she continued, "Why don't we ask for help from Spirit Hall? They say the Angel Goddess can create miracles. If we pray sincerely, maybe she will help us."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Zhang Ba's expression changed subtly, and the warmth from earlier faded into something more complicated. He looked at his daughter and said in a low voice, "Lin… Spirit Hall will not help us."
Little Lin's eyes widened, and she immediately retorted like an enraged kitten, "How can you say that?"
Her small fists clenched, and before anyone could react, she jumped down from Zhang Ba's arms and turned around.
"I will go pray to the Angel Goddess myself!"
With that, she ran toward the Spirit Hall branch in the village, her small figure moving with stubborn determination.
Zhang Ba instinctively stepped forward, intending to stop her, but Old Guo reached out and held his arm.
"Let her go," Old Guo said quietly.
Zhang Ba turned to look at him, confusion and hesitation visible on his face.
Old Guo sighed, his gaze following the direction Little Lin had run. "It is better for her to understand this cruel world sooner rather than later. The Spirit Hall only values Soul Masters. What worth do ordinary civilians like us have in their eyes?"
His voice was calm, but there was a trace of bitterness hidden within it.
"The so-called benevolent Angel Goddess… her light will shines upon those chosen by power and talent. Not on people like us who live in some forgotten corner of the world."
While the village elders had heard from travelling merchents about the various miracles of the Angel Goddess, he did not believe that the great Angel Goddess will help his unknown little village
"Do you really think she would care about a few starving villagers?"
----
Meanwhile, Little Lin's small figure continued to run toward the Spirit Hall, her heart filled with a simple and unwavering belief—
Little Lin ran toward the Spirit Hall branch with her short legs, her breathing uneven but her determination unwavering. The small building stood quietly at the edge of the village, its doors slightly worn from years of use, yet still carrying an air of solemnity.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
At the center stood a tall, cross-shaped monument. Its structure was simple, yet the design carried an inexplicable sense of mystery. In the middle of the monument was an eye—half shut, half open—as if it were observing and yet not observing at the same time. From behind it extended twelve sculpted wings, spread outward in a grand display that gave the otherwise modest hall a faint sense of divinity.
Little Lin stood there for a moment, her small figure appearing even more fragile in front of the towering structure.
This Spirit Hall branch was not like the ones in cities. Because of the village's remoteness, there was no stationed deacon here. The place was used once a year for the awakening of martial souls among the children or if anyone is devout enough to pray to Angel Goddess come here.
Little Lin slowly walked closer, her eyes filled with awe as she looked up at the half-open eye.
After a moment of hesitation, she began to speak.
"You know… Father told me that five years ago, there was a miracle performed by you. He said you drove away the darkness and brought light to everyone…"
Her voice was soft at first, almost uncertain, but as she continued, it carried more sincerity.
"Can you help us too?"
She clasped her small hands together, her eyes fixed on the monument.
"Our village doesn't have enough food… everyone is hungry… Father is working very hard…"
Her voice began to tremble.
"The Almighty Angel Goddess..."
"Can you please solve our problem?"
Silence answered her. The monument stood still.
Time passed slowly.
To Little Lin, it felt much longer. Her eyes gradually reddened, and tears began to form.
At first, she tried to hold them back.
But when nothing happened the tears fell. Lin wiped her face with the back of her hand, but the disappointment had already settled in her heart.
In the end, she turned around and ran out of the hall, her small footsteps echoing faintly before disappearing into the distance as she headed toward the outskirts of the village.
However—what she did not know—was that at the very place she had been standing just moments ago—
There was a faint silhouette of someone wrapped in an aura that seemed both real and illusory.
It did not possess a clear form, as if it existed between dreams and reality. The silhouette was listening in silence to all the grievances the little girl spoke of.