Chapter 1307 - 1273: Faceless Statue
[Ancient God]Town, nine years ago
"Tina, you’re already ten years old this year. I’ll take you to a place later."
Frank held a little girl’s hand and walked down the town’s streets, saying:
"Once we get there, remember not to make a fuss, understand?"
The still young and obedient Fatina nodded her head and said:
"Yes, Tina understands."
But this also piqued Fatina’s curiosity:
"Father, can Tina ask where we are going later?"
Frank seemed to have anticipated Fatina’s question long before and seriously said:
"That’s our family’s ancestral shrine, where the highest leader of our family is worshipped."
"Do you remember the ’Ancient God’ I told you about?"
Upon hearing this, the little girl’s eyes suddenly lit up:
"Is father talking about the ’Ancient God’ who can do anything, go through heaven and earth?"
For some reason, Frank stopped and didn’t continue.
The little girl looked curiously at her father.
But her obedient nature stopped her from asking further, she just followed silently beside him.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the town center, at a forbidden area they were told never to step foot in since childhood.
It was the only building in town made of redwood, full of solemnity and seriousness.
A row of stern guards stood around the house.
Just standing there, these guards could use their gaze and aura to keep you at bay.
When Frank and the little girl approached, a guard in leather armor stepped forward, deliberately or inadvertently blocking Frank’s way:
"Sir, what brings you here?"
Frank wasn’t angry and simply said:
"My little girl just turned ten today, bringing her to worship the ancestors."
The guard, hearing this, didn’t doubt him.
He promptly stepped aside and said to Frank:
"Please, sir."
Frank nodded slightly, then led the curious little girl into the place she had been intrigued by for a long time.
Frank led the little girl to stop at the steps in front of the ancestral shrine’s door and then knelt on both knees:
"Tina, kneel."
The young girl, bewildered, followed Frank’s instructions and knelt beside him, her big eyes wide with wonder.
Frank now faced the direction of the shrine’s door, speaking reverently:
"Frank, the 36th descendant of the Celestial Clan, comes today with the 37th descendant to recognize their ancestors."
Then he bowed his head three times loudly.
When Frank finished bowing, Fatina clearly saw a bit of blood seeping from his forehead.
Before the little girl could react, Frank spoke sternly:
"Tina, bow."
The little girl hurriedly replied:
"Oh, oh~"
She didn’t yet know what this meant, only mimicking Frank and bowing three times.
But before the first bow, the fearful little girl consciously avoided touching her forehead to the ground.
Just as she thought she could get away with it, a large hand suddenly pressed her head down, making contact with the ground.
The little girl didn’t have time to shout in pain before Frank resumed sternly:
"Again."
The little girl endured the pain of her tender skin rubbing against the ground, continuing with the second and third bows.
By the end of the third bow, the little girl’s delicate forehead, like Frank’s, was dotted with spots of blood.
But Frank indifferently pulled the little girl to her feet:
"Let’s go."
The little girl instinctively wiped her forehead with her hand and quickly followed Frank.
When Frank pushed open the heavy door, a scent that made the little girl uncomfortable wafted over.
As if startled, the little girl instinctively touched the milky white round pearl hanging on her neck.
This was her sole memory of her biological mother since she could remember.
Because this seemingly simple necklace, resembling a pearl, was the only item her mother left her before she disappeared.
So whenever the little girl felt scared, she would instinctively reach for it.
As if her mother were beside her.
But neither Frank nor the little girl noticed this.
When the little girl reached to touch the pearl, some blood from her hand now dropped onto the pearl.
The barely noticeable blood was immediately absorbed by the pearl.
The shrine’s interior wasn’t as terrifying as the little girl imagined.
Frank led the little girl into the main hall.
At the center of the hall’s entrance was a statue resembling a floating-robed figure.
The statue, standing nearly two meters tall, held a three-foot longsword, with long hair bundled in a crown, facing the heavens outside the door.
What was strange, though.
The statue surprisingly lacked facial features, making it seem quite eerie.
Evidently worried his child might be scared, as Frank was about to comfort her, he found the little girl’s eyes growing ever brighter.
What startled Frank was her direct question:
"Father, who is this big brother?"
Big brother?!
Frank looked at the featureless statue and was stunned.
How did she see a big brother there?
Moreover, why wasn’t she scared?
He remembered being brought here at ten and having nightmares for several days.
Seeing the sparkle in the little girl’s eyes, Frank couldn’t help but ask:
"Tina, aren’t you afraid?"
"Why should I be afraid?"
The little girl tilted her head, looking at Frank, full of confusion:
"Big brother doesn’t look scary at all."
"And his smile is so lovely."
The girl’s words sent chills down Frank’s spine.
Realizing something, he incredulously asked:
"Tina, can you see the ancestor’s face?"
Now it was the little girl who was surprised.
She looked at her father, confused:
"Can’t father see it?"
Seeing the genuine expression on the little girl’s face, Frank immediately rose to close the shrine’s door.
Then led the little girl in front of the statue, curiously asking:
"Then Tina, can you tell father what the big brother looks like?"
This question puzzled the little girl.
With her limited vocabulary, she stammered a reply:
"Big brother’s smile is lovely."
...
...
"Give it back to me..."
As Frank was about to attack Lin Yi and snatch back the necklace from Lin Yi’s hand,
Fatina unexpectedly appeared, spreading her arms to block Frank, her voice trembling slightly:
"Father, no."
Fatina’s appearance brought Frank some regained sanity from his impending loss of reason.
But soon he roared again:
"Tina, move aside!"
"This item is extremely important, it cannot be..."
When Frank reached this point, Fatina threw out a bombshell:
"Ancestor?!"