Huang Taichen's entire body shuddered like a leaf in a storm, hot tears tracing fiery tracks down his reddened cheeks.
The betrayal cut him deepest because it came from someone he thought he could trust, the only ally he thought he had.
"I was stupid," he said.
"But still, I refused to acknowledge the truth. I went back to the forest to find that tree. I wanted to see the carcass with my own eyes.
It had already disappeared by the time I arrived, leaving only a huge patch of blood on the soil underneath. I... I..."
Huang Taichen pressed both palms against his face.
"I am so sorry," he wailed. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean it. I didn't know... I killed a beast but somehow it was not a beast but Sect Leader Shang himself. I don't know what happened..."
