Sima Jian slowly raised his hand and gently wiped the saliva from his face with his sleeve, as though it were an unbearably heavy task.
His movements were sluggish, as if he were deliberately stalling for time, while also conveying profound remorse and guilt.
His voice was low and heavy, laden with unmistakable regret:
"Brother Shen, this was my fault! I failed to protect little sister Shen Rong and the others. I am utterly ashamed."
As Sima Jian recalled what had happened, his tone grew even heavier:
"When we were pursuing the Demon Race, we were all together at first, hot on their heels.
But those demons were terribly cunning. They suddenly scattered and fled, forcing us to split up in pursuit.
That was when we became separated from little sister Shen Rong and the others."
He furrowed his brow and continued:
"I felt right away that splitting up like that was dangerous, and I specifically stressed that we should pursue them together.
But little sister Shen Rong and the others were extremely stubborn. They refused to listen to my advice and insisted on splitting up.
There was nothing I could do. I could only go along with their wishes."
Sima Jian sighed and went on:
"To ensure their safety, I even assigned ten extra people to accompany them.
But who could have imagined they would meet with such a calamity?"
At this point, an anguished expression appeared on Sima Jian's face, and he reproached himself:
"It's all my fault for not standing firm and sticking to my judgment.
If I had been a little more forceful then, perhaps none of this would have happened.
This is all my fault. Brother Shen, if your anger still isn't quenched, beat me up. It's what I deserve!"
With that, Sima Jian