Pan Long did not agree with Shang Man, but he could at least understand this talk of "saving face."
People might live a hundred years, but in the end, death came for everyone. No matter how domineering they had been in life, once they were dead, others would have the final say about them.
For most people, what they did while alive and the name they left behind after death amounted to their entire lives.
Strictly speaking, Shang Man had little reason to be dissatisfied with his life. Born an orphan, he had once fallen into the dust, as low as dirt and mud. Yet through his own effort and courage, he had seized an opportunity, risen up, and ultimately made something of himself.
Taken as a whole, his life was inspiring enough to serve as a model for later generations.
His achievements might have been modest, but given where he had started, they were impressive. Most people in the world would never accomplish as much in their entire lives.
Having come this far, he cared about his reputation after death.
Revenge was not inherently wrong. Even in the communist society of Pan Long's previous life, settling a grudge and righting a wrong had society's approval. Some peoples with fierce traditions even revered warriors who did so.
There had once been a woman whose child went camping in the mountains and was eaten by wolves. Furious, she went into the mountains alone. After more than half a year, she finally found the two wolves that had killed her child and killed them.
That Russian auntie had even made a video explaining how she had determined those two wolves were the ones she sought. As for how the grudge began and how she took her revenge, she had glossed over both.