Did Tian-Chen Have to Die Before Season 4?

I think most of us can agree that Tian-Chen's death in season 3 was tragic and particularly cruel, but was it also necessary for the MIY to execute his plan in season 4? In season 1, when Jade has visions of the symbols and obsessively draws them, Tian-Chen immediately recognizes them and leads Jade to Christopher's notebook in the diner storage room. And once the old Polaroid falls out of the notebook, she immediately recognizes Victor in the background. Kenny even says that his mom knows every inch of the store room. She also seems to have a knack for making connections (e.g., helping Jade to solve the power problem).

The MIY isn't omniscient, but he knows an awful lot about what's going on in the town. Did he have the monsters eliminate Tian-Chen so that she wouldn't immediately recognize him as Sophia? He can't be sure what remnants of the past have been preserved, but if anyone knows them, it's Tian-Chen. Once she's eliminated, the townspeople have to start from scratch to find clues about the town's past, thus giving the MIY more time to run around (apparently) without raising suspicions.