Chapter 196 Hero or Coward
In Cox Village, the villagers fled back in panic, looking disheveled and miserable.
Many were already terrified by the horrific scene, their eyes vacant as they collapsed in the snow. The cries of the wounded echoed, and some were mourning their deceased loved ones.
The women who stayed at home were frightened by the sight.
They had expected to welcome back heroes and a bounty of spoils. But to their surprise, the once grand procession returned in utter disarray. And the number of people had nearly halved!
"Where's my son? Where is he?" "John, John!" "Wait, where's my husband? Is he okay?" The women frantically searched for their fathers, husbands, and sons.
Both the survivors and the widows were heartbroken.
Earl stood in the snowy square, feeling particularly uneasy as he looked at the villagers' plight.
"I clearly warned them." Earl sighed and quickly returned to his home.
He didn't want to face these grieving villagers.
But it wasn't long before someone barged into his house.
"Earl! What are you doing hiding here?" His cousin, George, grabbed his arm anxiously and said, "Come quickly. Grandfather is dying! He wants to see you!"
Hearing that Jared was dying, Earl was startled and hurried to Jared's house.
By the time he arrived, panting and dragging his plump body, the entrance to Jared's house was already crowded with people.
When they saw Earl, their eyes were filled with complex emotions.
Those looks made a chill wash over Earl's spine.
In the villagers' eyes, Earl saw no gratitude, only blameand even disgust!
A fellow tribesman spat on the ground.
A woman, wiping her tears, gritted her teeth and said, "Earl! I heard you didn't go this time. Why didn't you go?"
"Our Cox family is lucky to have you with extraordinary abilities. When something happens, you don't think of leading the charge but hide at home. Do you know how many people in our Cox family died because of you?" She shifted the blame onto Earl.
Earl broke out in a cold sweat; this woman was always strong-willed, and he was very afraid of her.
"I... I didn't tell them to go. I warned them!" Earl said softly.
But the others either didn't hear him or didn't care.
The tragic loss of so many family members, with nearly every household mourning the absence of male loved ones, naturally gave rise to a profound sense of resentment.
A group of people started pointing fingers at Earl, criticizing him. "If you had been there, you could have used your ability to control ice and snow to do something, and we wouldn't have been blown up by bombs!" "What were you thinking?"
Earl felt a surge of anger and wanted to shout, "It was not me who told you to go! It's not my fault!"
But he was used to being obedient, and even if he had those thoughts to retort and defend himself, he couldn't be disrespectful in front of the family elders.
At this moment, an elderly man with glasses and a scholarly demeanor stepped out. "Enough!"
As soon as the old man spoke, the other family members restrained their words, but their eyes still glared at Earl.
The old man glanced at Earl and said meaningfully, "Go in. Jared is calling you!" This was Gavin of the Cox family, Jared's younger brother, a respected and successful figure in the Cox family.
Earl lowered his head and walked past the crowd into the house.
The house was built by him using ice and snow.
Following the relentless snowfall that engulfed the surrounding homes, he employed his remarkable skills to construct shelters for every family. Utilizing the ice and snow, which possessed exceptional windproofing and insulating qualities, he managed to create living conditions that were surprisingly comfortable.
The only drawback was that fire pits or candles inside would melt the ice, requiring frequent repairs.
On the bed in the ice house lay the dying Jared.
He was already very old.
The recent shock had caused him to have a mental breakdown, and his body had suffered as well.
Seeing Earl come in, Jared showed a look of guilt on his face. "Earl, you're here!"
Earl quickly walked to the bedside, "Grandpa!"
Jared weakly said, "It's all my fault for not listening to you! Otherwise, so many of our Cox family members wouldn't have died."
Earl's nose tingled with emotion. He felt indescribably wronged by the accusations of the villagers.
Fortunately, Jared understood him.
Jared continued, "I was foolish, thinking that after the snow disaster, since we hadn't lost any battles with the surrounding villages, no one could be our match."
"But now I realize that our village is strong because of you. We're just a bunch of farmers and fishermen, thinking we're invincible. And now, we've lost our lives because of it!" he said with great regret.
When a person was about to die, their final words often contained kindness.
Jared had a sudden realization, but it was too late.
He looked at the simple and honest chubby boy by the bed, holding his hand, and said, "I've already talked to the family about this. If they want to blame someone, they should blame me. This isn't your fault. We ordinary people can't compete with those powerful Psychics."
He went on, "They've lost their family members and might say unpleasant things to you. I hope you won't blame them! After all, we're all family, and we need to support each other to survive."
Earl was touched by these words.
He nodded and said, "Grandpa, I understand. I won't take it to heart!"
Jared forced a smile. "I'm about to die. Before I go, I'm just worried about the future of the Cox family. So, Earl, I have one last request before I die. I hope you can protect the Cox family!"
Earl was shocked and quickly held Jared's hand tightly, "Grandpa, what are you saying? You're in good health!"
Jared's smile was a bit strained.
At a certain age, people became very aware of their bodies.
They could even foresee their own death.
"Earl, I'm dying. The future of the Cox family is in your hands." After saying this, Jared waved his hand at Earl. "Alright, you can go now. I'm tired and want to rest."
With that, Jared slowly closed his eyes.
Earl felt something was wrong and called out "Grandpa" several times.
"Don't call me. Don't call me...I'm tired, so let me sleep for a while." Jared left these words as if in a dream, then tilted his head and passed away.
Earl quickly called the people outside.
The Cox family members rushed in and saw Jared with his eyes closed, and they immediately burst into tears.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Earl walked out dejectedly.
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