However, Master Lingqing couldn’t help but think:
"All beings suffer, does Donor Wen plan to... attain the Tao through killing in the future?"
Wen Xishu had thought about this question before, but not deeply.
Now that Master Lingqing asked, he began to ponder it again:
"It’s hard to say, killing is an act of last resort. My special abilities, including killing, were actually left to me by my brother."
"I’ve been thinking, did he leave me these abilities because there was something he couldn’t do, but I can?"
"If so, that thing certainly isn’t killing, because his desire to kill is stronger than mine."
After a moment of silence, Master Lingqing said:
"In other words, ordinary people can’t solve problems like you can through killing. But your brother can."
Wen Xishu nodded:
"Yes, Master, all my abilities come from... well, I can’t say that. Even without these abilities, I might still be formidable, but the situation today wouldn’t be resolved so easily."
"In any case, he left me a very precious power, perhaps one that can overturn everything."
"But I’m wondering, what’s the meaning behind him giving me this power? Another companion, or hoping to see different possibilities?"
Wen Xishu brought the topic back:
"My brother is probably someone with heavier blood on his hands than I have. I think if he were handling the situation in Rokkasho... he wouldn’t just kill eight people, but would slaughter the whole island. Well, actually, I am thinking the same thing."
"Although... I’ve never met him, we are... very familiar with each other. I don’t know if, Master, you think I’m talking nonsense?"
Master Lingqing shook his head:
"It seems that your brothers’ situation now is very special. But I can feel your confusion and sincerity, Donor Wen."
"In my view... Donor Wen, your brother left you these powers because you are better than him. He hopes to see you make choices different from his."
Wen Xishu smiled:
"Please continue, Master."
Master Lingqing said:
"If his desire to kill is heavier than yours, maybe he gave you this power to see how you would choose..."
"To know, when you also have the ability to kill, would you use killing as a means?"
Wen Xishu remained silent.
Undoubtedly, he chose to kill.
This group of waste in Desire Tower would all become threats to Deceit Tower in the future. Killing them now was undoubtedly the correct decision.
In the completely collapsed state of Rokkasho...
In a broken situation where no one could be brought back to normal, killing was indeed a last resort and also the correct choice.
But clearly, what Master Lingqing was discussing with him was whether there was a way better than killing.
Wen Xishu thought it over...
"Perhaps. Just like my choice today, if killing everyone was the right thing to do, I would kill everyone."
"I can only stay here for 48 hours, 48 hours. Compared to the many cycles of the collapse... of ’that person’, what I can change is minimal. The biggest influencing parameter is life and death."
"So from a rational perspective, I would choose killing. Master, do you think there’s a better solution?"
Master Lingqing shook his head:
"There is no solution, at least not in this situation. I agree with your approach. But if killing is always an act of last resort, won’t you face defeat every time?"
If it’s always an act of last resort, won’t it lead to defeat?
Indeed, if Deceit Tower is always dangerous, and Desire Tower’s only solution is to use killing to break the collapse...
Then Desire Tower seems to have only one outcome.
Perhaps Wen Chaohua faced such a predicament back then. He felt that killing was the only solution.
Just like Rokkasho this time, means of conversion and redemption are useless when faced with such despair, only killing remains.
But if every time is like this, will we have to kill through the entire Desire Tower?
If so, what would the consequences be?
Wen Xishu suddenly thought of the days before the 20th floor, when there were no collapsers.
Does that mean the characters that humans can recruit and unlock are only up to the 20th floor?
If that’s the case, then in the Three Towers War, if humans make an appearance, most likely their allies will be relatively weak characters.
Although people like Tang Rui and Jack are not weak...
But obviously, in the higher levels, there are more characters with much greater potential.
Mariko, the Three Gods, Fukon, Fukube, Kinoshita, Watanabe... these people will probably also become powerful beings in the future.
Killing them will prevent them from becoming enemies, but won’t make them allies either.
The existence of collapsers leads to the necessity to kill the target every time... in the long run, it feels like being manipulated on a macro level.
Wen Xishu fell into deep thought.
He clearly felt the confusion too, this was the path Wen Chaohua once walked. Wen Chaohua, like him, had felt the same confusion.
"But did Wen Chaohua realize... he could not change this situation. While I can?"
"What’s the biggest difference between me and Wen Chaohua?"
This answer was not something Wen Xishu at this stage could know.
Suddenly, Master Lingqing spoke, breaking the silence:
"Donor Wen, maybe you need to master a power that makes your appearance not come so late. Maybe the collapsers you mentioned also have some way to... reduce their numbers?"
"If patients in a hospital keep arriving in a critical condition, as a doctor, your only option would be to cut out all the diseased parts, just as you have done."