He covered his mouth, seemingly unwilling to let the little beggar beside him see blood. Yet crimson still trickled through his fingers, staining the beach with a smear of red...
He staggered down onto the beach, facing the sea and sky like a battered man drenched in blood.
The little beggar beside him said nothing, as if she had been stunned.
"Sorry... you should go." Lu Baoyou spoke weakly. "Maybe... I'm better off alone."
Before Lu Baoyou had finished speaking, the little beggar crouched beside him. A tissue touched the back of his hand and gently wiped away the blood. His hand trembled slightly.
"I'm not leaving." The little beggar said earnestly, "When you killed that monster right in front of me back then, I wasn't afraid... You're our hero. How could I be afraid of you?"
The scene from years ago resurfaced in Lu Baoyou's mind, but his eyelids grew ever heavier...
"Mm..." he murmured. "Then... stay here with me for a while... Just a little while."
The little beggar gave a soft mm and sat shoulder to shoulder with him. The breeze lifted several strands of black hair, brushing across his blood-covered palm...
The dim yellow sun gilded the horizon in pale gold. The two sat quietly on the beach without speaking.
"Can I ask you something?"
After an unknown amount of time, the little beggar spoke softly.
Lu Baoyou's eyes had already closed beyond his control. With his head lowered, he gave a quiet mm.
"You're obviously such a kind person... so why do you call yourself a demon?"
Lu Baoyou did not answer.
His last trace of vitality gradually dissipated into the air with the sea breeze. The final shred of consciousness he possessed could no longer answer the little beggar's question. His whole body seemed