Chapter 48: The Unveiling of the Goddess

Twenty minutes earlier.

Inside the Zhang family’s grand hall,

It was mid-afternoon, and the Zhang family’s patience had dwindled considerably from their initial eager anticipation. Everyone, save for Zhang Wu and Zhang Xiuxin, was gradually growing restless.

The number of people who had left due to impatience was steadily rising. From nearly a hundred early this morning, fewer than fifty now remained willing to wait.

Zhang Shuhan, Zhang Wu’s cousin, was considered one of the more patient among the younger generation. Yet, even she began to suspect that her cousin and uncle might have been played for fools.

Unable to contain herself, she walked over to Zhang Wu and patted him on the shoulder.

“Hey, big brother, do you think we’ve been tricked? We’ve waited so long, and there’s still no news.”

“No, she might already be here, just testing us, just like in many novels. Yes, it must be so,” Zhang Wu replied without turning his head, his gaze fixed on the main entrance.

‘Oh, dear.’

‘Her big brother might be beyond saving, to believe someone he’d only met once so readily.’

“Big brother, were you really dead back then?” Zhang Shuhan pressed on.

“Yes, didn’t Father already tell you all?”

“But… is that truly possible? It’s so unscientific.”

“Precisely why she is a goddess! Wasn’t it the same with the A Nation incident last time? She truly is a goddess, an existence we mortals can barely fathom…”

Watching her big brother grow increasingly excited, clearly resembling a fanatical devotee, Zhang Shuhan could only sigh and rub her forehead.

“Speaking of which, is she very beautiful?”

“Yes!” Zhang Wu answered without a moment’s thought.

“Compared to me?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wu looked up at his cousin, who wore an expectant expression, then replied without hesitation:

“Don’t. Comparing yourself to her would only be inviting humiliation.”

Zhang Shuhan: ‘…You idiot. At least pretend to hesitate!’

Just then, an untimely voice echoed through the hall. The elderly family butler, trembling, rushed into the hall and cried out, “This is terrible! Little Tian, the caregiver, inexplicably fainted, and the patriarch’s room, for some reason, cannot be opened!”

At this, everyone immediately rushed toward Old General Zhang’s room. Even Zhang Wu, who had been eagerly anticipating Lin Ling’s arrival, left the living room; after all, his grandfather held considerable weight in his heart.

Suddenly, the entire living room was devoid of a single soul.

****

Now,

“Why won’t it open? This door shouldn’t be so sturdy!”

“Should we try guns and cannons?”

“Fool! Do you want to blow up the Old General?”

… (Amidst the clamor)

…

In the past twenty minutes, the arguments had been ceaseless. However, their agitation was understandable, as most were simply frantic with worry. Such an abnormal situation occurring with the Old General’s room naturally caused them immense concern.

The door seemed cursed; no matter what they tried, it remained utterly unscathed. Had Zhang Xiuxin not known it was originally crafted from ordinary huadiao wood, he would have suspected it was made from giant beast scales. It was simply too incredibly tough.

Just as everyone was practically jumping with anxiety, a snap of fingers sounded from within the room.

‘Huh?’

‘A snap of fingers from a room that had been silent all this time?’

For some reason, Zhang Xiuxin sensed a profound mystery. A bold conjecture surged through his mind. He pulled the doorknob, and sure enough,

The door opened.

The surrounding crowd, overjoyed, vied to be the first to pour into the Old General’s room.

Though they were unsure what had transpired, entering first to confirm the Old General’s safety was paramount.

The scene that greeted them left everyone speechless, frozen in place.

Two things, in particular, utterly stunned them.

Firstly, the Old General, who had been paralyzed for a month with no signs of waking, was now sitting up by the bed, looking remarkably spirited!?

Even more unbelievable was the silver-haired girl seated beside him. How she had entered was no longer important; the crucial question was, why was she so incredibly beautiful?

Although they had heard Zhang Wu describe her appearance, seeing her in person left them utterly overwhelmed.

Zhang Shuhan: ‘So, big brother wasn’t exaggerating. No wonder he was so utterly captivated.’

Watching his unruly descendants stand there dumbfounded purely because of the girl’s looks, completely forgetting the etiquette and image he had taught them for years, Old General Zhang felt utterly helpless. Though he wanted to scold them, their reaction seemed somewhat excusable.

But to continue standing there foolishly, what kind of decorum was that!

“You little rascals, have you forgotten how I usually teach you?”

It seemed Old General Zhang’s authority remained potent. With just one shout, everyone immediately snapped back to reality, then rushed to his side to inquire about his health.

‘I should leave before these guys surround me,’ Lin Ling thought, rising to depart.

The Zhang family members didn’t approach her for conversation, partly because they didn’t know how to address Lin Ling, and partly because Lin Ling’s aura was currently too powerful to approach.

However, a few individuals were an exception.

After greeting his grandfather, Zhang Wu immediately noticed Lin Ling walking out. He hastily rushed to her side.

“Miss Luo, when did you arrive? We had prepared a welcome banquet for you in the hall.”

‘I hate that kind of formalism, which is why I snuck in by myself,’ Lin Ling grumbled internally.

“I only agreed to help treat your grandfather, but I never said I would attend a banquet or anything of the sort.”

‘Ah,’ Zhang Wu scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. ‘That’s right, how could such an exalted personage appreciate worldly customs?’

“Um, Miss Luo, thank you for saving my brother and grandfather!” A clear, crisp female voice rang out from behind Zhang Wu.

Lin Ling then shifted her attention to the young girl who had been hiding behind Zhang Wu. She was tall with a delicate face, her long black hair tied into a side ponytail, embodying the image of a lively girl next door.

“You’re welcome,” Lin Ling responded naturally, meeting her gaze and offering a smile.

At the instant their eyes met, the girl’s face flushed visibly, seemingly flustered by the sudden eye contact and smile, her gaze darting to the floor in avoidance.

‘She’s quite cute, isn’t she?’

However,

Feeling a peculiar fluctuation in the spiritual power space within her chest, Lin Ling was somewhat surprised. The Water Star Origin actually reacted to this girl? That was rather unexpected, as there had been no reaction just moments ago.

Thinking this, Lin Ling subtly released some spiritual power, performing a delicate ‘physical examination’ on the girl.

‘It seems that because the attribute compatibility is too low, it’s undetectable unless there’s a significant emotional fluctuation.’

‘That truly is a pleasant surprise.’

Zhang Shuhan, having gradually regained control of her emotions, bravely looked up to meet Lin Ling’s gaze. “I apologize, that was rude of me. My name is Zhang Shuhan. This might be a bit sudden, but… do you have WeChat or QQ? Could we add each other as friends?”

At these words, the entire room instantly fell silent, every eye fixed on Lin Ling and Zhang Shuhan. ‘So, you all were secretly paying attention to what was happening here?’

Zhang Wu, standing nearby, was also dumbfounded by his sister’s astonishing request.

‘Good sister, if you get it, don’t forget your brother!’

“I apologize, but I don’t intend to disclose that information at the moment,” Lin Ling gently declined. However, seeing the girl’s rapidly crestfallen expression, Lin Ling added, “If you wish to be friends, I can come find you in the future.” This message was directly transmitted into Zhang Shuhan’s mind.

‘Since she’s the first suitable candidate I’ve encountered, I should interact with her later.’

Zhang Shuhan, receiving this message, first froze, then immediately broke into a brilliant smile, her joy evident. This left Zhang Wu utterly bewildered; rejected, yet so ecstatic?

“Hahahahaha!” A boisterous, unrestrained laugh instantly shattered the room’s silence. After briefly discussing the situation with his son, Zhang Xiuxin, Old General Zhang strode toward Lin Ling.

“Miss Luo, please forgive my family’s behavior.”

Old General Zhang then called out to the crowd behind him, “Why are you all standing there dumbfounded? Thank Miss Luo!”

At Old General Zhang’s command, the Zhang family members quickly bowed in thanks. Although Lin Ling sensed that some were not entirely sincere, and a few harbored ill intentions, she bothered little with it; after all, it was their family matter.

After the formal expressions of gratitude concluded, Old General Zhang approached Lin Ling. Seeing this, the two juniors, Zhang Wu and Zhang Shuhan, wisely moved away.

“Miss Luo, I still need to consider the matter of assistance, but before that, I have a request.”

“Speak freely,” Lin Ling replied, already having a rough idea of what he would say.

“Before we cooperate, I hope Miss Luo can prove her connection to the giant beasts, and whether those beasts still pose a threat to society.”

“That’s not difficult. I’ll give you two to play with when the time comes, and you’ll understand.”

Old General Zhang: ‘????’

…

After fielding a series of Old General Zhang’s questions, Lin Ling had no intention of lingering further. Just as she was about to leave, an untimely figure blocked her path.

An eighty-year-old man in uniform, followed by a retinue of guards.

“Miss Luo, hello. We are from the National Security Bureau, and there are some matters we’d like to discuss with you.”

‘As expected… a little annoying.’

‘I don’t want to be constrained.’

Knowing their intentions, Lin Ling had no desire to communicate with them; more words would be futile.

She simply disintegrated her body into specks of silver light under the elderly man’s astonished and angry gaze.

Such a disrespectful act naturally infuriated these individuals, who were on the verge of cursing her out.

‘To have waited all morning only to be met with this outcome?’

‘How could this be acceptable? This silver-haired girl is so ungrateful!’

At that moment, a calm, authoritative voice, carrying a hint of threat, entered the old man’s mind, word by word:

“You cannot control me.”

A profound fear and oppressive sensation from the depths of his soul caused the old man to collapse to his knees, much to the incomprehension of his guards.

His trembling body took a long time to calm.