Regret

Yun Lintian let out a sigh and said, "Yao Huang, it's not too late. You can still choose a different path. You don't have to die here. You don't have to be consumed by the darkness. I can help you."

It wasn't that Yun Lintian was naïve and forgot everything Yao Huang had done, but he rather didn't want to continue this cycle of destruction. It must be stopped somewhere.

For a moment, Yao Huang's expression softened, his eyes flickering with something akin to hope. But then he shook his head, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "You're too kind, Yun Lintian. Too naïve. But that's why you'll never understand. This world... it doesn't reward kindness. It rewards strength. And if I can't be strong enough to survive, then I'd rather die than live as a weakling."

Yun Lintian took a deep look at Yao Huang. He could see that Yao Huang's mind was made up, that there was no convincing him otherwise. But he couldn't give up. Not yet.