Admittedly, saving one person versus saving five is obviously more efficient, but to save those five, Qi Ling would need to actively kill the one who saved the other, transforming himself from a bystander into a participant.
The difficulty in making this choice lies not in how to choose, but in whether you can bear the guilt after making the choice.
Some might think, "He's just one person. In this world, which powerful person doesn't have a few lives on their hands?" But what if it were a village, a city, or even a country? When you were forced to kill them with your own hands, could you still remain so calm?
Such choices are often the choices that a true leader must make: to sacrifice the lesser for the greater, and to choose the right path.
As for things like saving six people at the same time or sabotaging the train, those are just wild and unrealistic ideas. There will always be a time when you have to make a choice.
" Qi Ling, you..." Jian Lan asked Qi Ling with considerable worry, "What will you choose?"
After a moment's thought, Qi Ling resolutely went to the lever and pulled it down, signifying his choice to sacrifice one person to save five.
"In this world, many choices aren't simply black and white, but someone always has to bear the dark side," Qi Ling said. "If you want to become king, then you must have this kind of awareness."
"Really? So becoming a king is such a painful thing?" Jian Lan said slowly.
"Becoming a king is never an easy or joyful thing. One who only pursues personal desires and fulfills personal pursuits cannot be called a king," Qi Ling said. "Such a person can be called a hero, a chivalrous knight, or a righteous person, but he cannot be called a king."
"To be a king, one must have the awareness of a king; a king must acknowledge, a king must make promises, a king must bear the weight of the entire world! This is my understanding of a king."
The scene in the space gradually dissipated after Qi Ling made her choice, and the process did not continue.
After that, a door to the next trial appeared in the space, and Qi Ling received a mysterious reward called " Qualifications of a King ".
Without time to consider what this aptitude actually meant, Qi Ling got up and was about to head to the next trial, but was stopped by Jian Lan behind her just as she was about to reach the entrance.
" Qi Ling, wait a minute," Jian Lan said. "If this is the choice, what would you choose?"
Qi Ling turned around and saw that Jian Lan was standing in the spot where someone had just been lying.
" Jian Lan, what's wrong with you...?" Qi Ling asked in confusion.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask you, if it were me who had to sacrifice, what would you choose?" Jian Lan suddenly asked, but then she blushed and said, "Well, it might not be me, it could be Rongrong, or someone else important to you, it could be anything."
Qi Ling completely understood Jian Lan's meaning and couldn't help but laugh, "Haha, you silly girl, why are you worrying about this?"
"Don't worry, if that day ever comes, whoever wants to be king can be king!" Qi Ling said, stepping forward to take Jian Lan's hand and pull her away. "There are always some people who would rather betray the world than betray them. Perhaps from that perspective, I can't become a qualified king."
"Really? Hehe, that's great!" Jian Lan said, kissing Qi Ling on the cheek before running into the trial gate. "Consider this a reward, so cherish it!"
Qi Ling touched her face, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Hmm... sometimes being a hero might not be so bad!"
When Qi Ling and Jian Lan arrived at the last trial, the scene remained unchanged, but two people appeared in front of them, two people who looked exactly like Qi Ling and Jian Lan.
This time, the system also provided an explanation: in this final challenge, the two of them need to confront themselves—their past selves before they underwent the trial.
The greatest enemy of man is not others, but himself. Being able to become stronger than you were yesterday means that you are constantly making progress.
Qi Ling wasn't sure how strong he had been before, but he was certain that he was stronger now, both in terms of strength and his mindset, which had undergone tremendous changes during this period.
Qi Ling's concern was whether Jian Lan could successfully break through this trial. As a swordswoman already skilled in swordsmanship, how much improvement had she made in this trial?
Chen Xin had previously mentioned that Jian Lan's inner turmoil had prevented her from making any progress in cultivation for three years, which was undoubtedly an extremely powerful obstacle. It remains to be seen whether Jian Lan has achieved a breakthrough in this trial.
" Jian Lan, are you sure you can handle this?" Qi Ling couldn't help but ask. "Why don't you just hang in there? Once I've taken care of myself, I'll help you take care of yourself!"
Jian Lan smiled and said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. You should worry about yourself instead."
Jian Lan was right after all. After their first exchange, Qi Ling immediately realized that she was not so easy to deal with after all!
It may sound narcissistic to say this, but in reality, I never felt lost from the very beginning. So what I need to do is keep growing, and then grow some more!
The state of being free from desires and wants is the most invincible state. As the freest person in the world, nothing can bind him. This is one of the reasons why Qi Ling has always been so powerful.
"Damn it! You brat, this is your own face, watch it!" Qi Ling dodged "his own" punch and protested, "Don't you know how strong your punch was? What if you broke your face? How will you ever face anyone then!"
Now Qi Ling finally understands what her past enemies were really thinking when they faced her. This guy is cheating!
Taking advantage of a moment of respite, Qi Ling glanced to the side and was surprised to find that Jian Lan, whom she had thought would be in a tough fight, was now fighting with great ease, and could even be said to be completely suppressing her past self.
Sword energy crisscrossed the sword, and the current Jian Lan easily dodged the sword of her past "self," exuding an indescribable ease and comfort, making it seem as graceful as a dance.
In terms of skill, Jian Lan hasn't made any decisive progress. So, could it be that her mental state has finally achieved a breakthrough?
Not long after, Jian Lan actually destroyed her previous "self". Watching her gradually disappear, Jian Lan couldn't help but laugh.
Qi Ling wasn't the only one to benefit from this trial; in fact, Jian Lan Qi Ling benefited just as much, as it was a decisive breakthrough for her.
"Huh? You took care of her so quickly? No way!" Qi Ling looked at her Jian Lan, who had just defeated her opponent, and said with a smile, "Since you're all done, don't just stand around, come and help!"
"No!" Jian Lan said playfully, " Qi Ling, if you can't even beat yourself, I'll look down on you!"
"You little brat, who said I can't beat myself! Just you wait and see, I'll beat myself to a pulp right now!" Qi Ling said angrily, but something about what she said felt off.