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Story context

[LORE] justifiable self-defense | A legal principle in many jurisdictions where a person is not held criminally liable for using force to protect themselves from immediate harm. In China, it is often a key factor in court rulings, but the bar for proving "excessive" versus "necessary" force is high and context-dependent. In this scene, Li Huowang uses it as a cold calculation to guarantee legal cover for his violence.

Why it matters

This chapter is a *cruel* emotional pivot. Li Huowang's joy at the ambush—his relief at finally having proof—is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the modern-world arc. The translator's note on page 1 (Li Huowang's joy as "fragile, almost childlike relief") is spot on: he's not celebrating violence; he's celebrating the *validation of his own mind*. The fall that follows—the police's disbelief, the null footage—is even worse than if he'd been proven crazy from the start. Watch for how his register shifts from cool tactical calculation (the car fight) to a hollow, functional confession at the station. He's not a victor; he's a man who just proved he's a monster and then had that proof taken away.

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Source novel

Dao Gui Yi Xian