Li Shen's fists tightened as he watched Tian Bao's serene expression. The man spoke of reuniting with Ming Yue as if discussing a pleasant evening stroll rather than his own death. Behind those peaceful words lay a depth of pain Li Shen could barely fathom.
Yu shifted uncomfortably beside him, the young prince's face a mirror of Li Shen's own conflicted emotions. They both recognized the truth beneath Tian Bao's noble sacrifice - this was as much about escape as redemption.
Blood stained Tian Bao's hands, the lives he'd taken while corrupted by dark specters weighing heavy on his conscience. Now free of their influence, he faced the full horror of his actions. The man who stood before them was no longer the monster who'd terrorized villages, but neither could he be the person he was before. That Tian Bao had died with Ming Yue.