The settlement did not return to normal immediately.
Even after the cultivators left, the silence remained.
People moved again, but slowly.
Carefully.
Their eyes still lingered on Xu Tian.
No one approached.
No one spoke.
Xu Tian didn't mind.
He stepped away from the center of the settlement and found a quieter spot near the edge.
A simple wooden structure stood nearby, half-broken but enough to block the wind.
He stopped there.
Then lowered himself slightly, adjusting the children in his arms.
The boy stirred faintly.
His breathing was weak, but stable.
Xu Tian looked down at him.
"…You held on," he said quietly.
The girl was awake.
Her eyes were clear, watching him without fear.
As always.
Xu Tian met her gaze for a moment.
"…You're not normal either," he thought.
But he didn't say it out loud.
Instead, he adjusted the cloth around them, shielding them from the cold.
For the first time since leaving the ruins, he allowed himself to sit.
The ground was rough.
But steady.
The tension in his body slowly faded.
The fight was over.
For now.
Xu Tian exhaled quietly.
"…Stronger," he murmured.
Not just the opponent.
Himself.
He could feel it clearly now.
The energy inside him no longer felt foreign.
It moved naturally.
Like it had always belonged there.
Xu Tian raised his hand slightly, then clenched it.
The response was immediate.
Controlled.
He lowered it again.
"…Not enough," he said softly.
The world outside the mountain was already proving that.
If that man was only one of many, then stopping here meant nothing.
Xu Tian's gaze shifted toward the distant path.
"…I need more."
The wind passed through the settlement again.
Colder this time.
But it didn't bother him.
The girl shifted slightly in his arms.
Her small hand reached out, lightly gripping his sleeve.
Xu Tian paused.
Then looked down at her.
She didn't speak.
But she didn't let go either.
Xu Tian remained still for a moment.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"…You don't trust this place," he said quietly.
Or maybe…
She didn't trust anyone else.
Xu Tian looked around the settlement again.
The people.
The distance.
The caution.
"…You're right," he added.
This wasn't a place to stay.
Not for long.
But leaving immediately wasn't an option either.
The boy needed time.
Even if only a little.
Xu Tian shifted his position slightly, making it more stable.
"…We leave soon," he said.
The girl didn't react.
But her grip didn't loosen.
Xu Tian looked at the sky.
The light was fading slowly.
Time was passing.
And with it-
So was his brief moment of rest.
Because deep down, he already knew.
The people who left earlier…
Would not forget.
And next time-
They wouldn't come alone.