也就是那片刻，秦衍用剑贯穿了他的胸腔，那剑又稳又冷，就像他这个人，前世今生，似乎都不带半分情绪。 杀他时无情，后来自己毁了自己时，也是无情。 in mtl it translates as "he pierced his chest with a sword/ he was ruthless when he killed him" but i wanna know if that's the only thing this sentence could mean? could it be translated in a way that implies the intention of killing but not actually killing? or trying to kill but the opponent survives? i haven't read the full novel but i don't think person 1 actually killed person 2
In that very moment, Qin Yan pierced his chest with a sword. The strike was steady and cold, just like the man himself—calm and emotionless, both in this life and the last, as if he had never carried a trace of sentiment.
Okay, I have a slightly different take on word choices. It was in that moment that Qin Yan's sword pierced straight through his chest—the strike was as steady and cold as the man himself. He was, across both his past and present lives, incapable of feeling even the slightest trace of emotion. The man was merciless when he took his life, and just as merciless when he destroyed himself later. Note: since idk the context, 无情 can also be heartless (it just depends on the relationship between the killer and the killed) but in this sentence, it doesn't necessary mean both 无情 = same word. He could be heartless towards the person he killed, but he could be merciless towards himself. Again, it can also be ruthless as well. It's all about nuance and connotation.