I have read a lot of Eastern stories.
Yet, I am plagued with a single thought.
"Can the main character get killed already?"
The strong prey on the weak, the law of the jungle.
The enemies of the main character follow that rule. Even the main character follows that rule when preying on the enemies. So, why make up some bullshit excuse?
Of course, that is only for the eastern stories where the main character acts under a pretense, pretending he is noble and honourable.
If he is a villain, then be a villain! Don't pretend! It really gets on my nerves.
Of course, some stories have the genre of chaotic good, so its understandable, since it was stated outright. But for those purely cultivation yet the main character pretends, please fuck off.