The aftermath was exhaustion. Corpses burned, blood frozen crimson against white snow. Cries rebounded of grief—but also of unimaginable relief.
For the first time, Coldwater Village had resisted its oppressor.
Men clasped Tian's arm, voice thick. "We thought you weak, boy. Now we see—you are the spine of this village."
Children whispered his name with reverence. The elder watched with tears, murmuring, "Perhaps heaven truly tests only the worthy."
Tian only collapsed into Yuexin's arms that night, trembling with shock, blood loss, and relief. She wept silently against his chest.
"You'll kill yourself one day with this path," she whispered desperately.
"If my death builds them stronger," Tian rasped, "then let it be so."
Yet for the first time, his influence spread wider than family. Coldwater people began calling him not useless Tian, but Frost Teacher or Guardian of Snow.
And in the void unseen, the Eternal Tome shimmered faint new lines:
First Battle Leadership Engraved.
Heritage Influence: Local. Root status: Sprouting.
The clan seed was taking firmer root.
🔥 End of Chapter 24