0178 - Inner Demon or Outer Demon?

His knees grew weak as the full weight of his actions crashed down on him. Lu Sheng stumbled backward, eyes locked on Lu Hanli's motionless body.

"No... no, this can't be happening," he whispered, his voice trembling. Denial washed over him like a tidal wave. "He's just unconscious. That's it. He'll wake up any moment now."

But as the seconds passed and Lu Hanli remained still, the harsh truth began to settle in. Lu Sheng's breath came in short, panicked gasps.

"This isn't my fault," he muttered, anger rising in his chest. "If he hadn't pushed me, if he hadn't looked down on me..." His fists clenched, knuckles white. "It's his fault! He brought this on himself!" He tried to justify his actions, to shift the blame.

But even as the words left his mouth, he knew they sounded hollow. The anger deflated as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a gnawing guilt.