"This...isn't this what you taught me, Master?"
Pan Ling blinked. "If you're going to take things in stride about things that don't concern you, then I'll just analyze it from an outsider's perspective. In that case, we should definitely let the elites board the ship first to preserve the total value of the people on board as much as possible... Isn't that right?"
"That's right, but that's not all I'm going to teach you."
Xu Shi nodded slightly. "My requirement for you is to make the choice that is most comfortable for you. When you were writing these answers, were you truly clear-headed?"
"I……"
The foolish apprentice thought for a long time, then shook his head. "Not entirely."
"I'll take it."
Xu Shi sighed, "So your answer is meaningless."
This was also what Xia Ke'an was worried about that day. Being too rational is never a good thing. In ancient terms, it's called "preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires." If you maintain it for too long, you'll become abnormal...
Xu Shi didn't think he had gone too far in his thinking. It was simply a matter of following one's heart and having a clear conscience, yet Pan Ling just couldn't grasp it? Instead, she went from caring about everything to caring about nothing at all. Was she really such a foolish apprentice?
"Then, what would have meaning?"
Little Ling's eyes darted around. It was wrong to be conflicted before, and it was wrong not to be conflicted now. She was quite happy at first, thinking that she would definitely be praised for spending so much time on it...
"Your own thoughts are the most meaningful."
Xu Shi sat up and earnestly instructed, "We are never concerned with the problem itself, because the problems I give you never have standard answers. What you should learn is how to cultivate your mindset and way of thinking from these problems."
"Um……"
"Hmm my foot, let me finish."
Xu Shi interrupted her impatiently, "How about this, when you think about a problem in the future, list out both the positive and negative possibilities, then compare them, and choose the one you prefer."
"Take this specific sub-problem as an example. If someone on the ship is about to die, can we just kill them to let the newcomers board? If it were me, I would choose yes. In this situation, being soft-hearted is meaningless."
"But the next question is, if someone on the ship is about to die, can we eat their corpses to make the others live longer? My answer is no, because it doesn't align with my beliefs. Of course, that's my answer; I don't know yours. Think about it this way, then answer it again and give it to me later."
"good."
Pan Ling seemed to be deep in thought. Although she still felt a little confused, it was clear that she had been seriously considering her master's words.
Xu Shi also thought about it seriously and could understand where her problem lay. To be precise, her thinking was not yet formed, unlike himself who had a very clear understanding of his own heart.
If we divide them into nine factions, he is the evil of order leaning towards chaos, and he knows very well how to do things in accordance with his own heart. But Pan Ling is not necessarily like that. She is not just a blank sheet of paper, but more like a crumpled blank sheet of paper.
So why not try the angel-devil dichotomy? Whenever you encounter a difficult decision, have the little angel say a sentence and the little devil say a sentence. This will make the decision much easier.
oops.
Who said I'm irresponsible towards my apprentice? Isn't this very responsible? It also aligns with his so-called "pruning" approach—giving advice but ignoring everything else. Otherwise, what's the point? To train a puppet?
"Including what happened to your brother Luo Yu... Don't pretend to be so calm, I know you're not feeling so good inside."
He casually added, "If you don't think he's that bad, then keep in touch with him. If you feel he hurt you, then cut ties completely without any burden. Make yourself comfortable first, and consider the feelings of others, even your master's, which are secondary."
“…Ouch.”
Pan Ling was taken aback. She hadn't expected that she still couldn't escape her master's discerning eye. She was indeed not as strong as she appeared on the surface, and she was also feeling quite bad inside. She wasn't a truly heartless person, so how could she so easily break off the relationship?
Her master told her to comfort her sister, but she couldn't comfort her with this kind of mentality, could she? That wouldn't be comforting; it would be more like the sisters huddled together and cried.
However, Xu Shi's words surprised her a bit. Her master and Luo Yu were clearly at odds, yet he didn't force her to cut off all contact with him.
Is this really that petty master? She knew Xu Shi was a vengeful person.
"Of course, if you insist on associating with him, you should also consider whether your teacher will fly into a rage and beat your bottom until it's swollen."
She was wondering what was going on when she heard Xu Shi add a veiled explanation, and she almost lost her balance and fell on him.
"Master, didn't you just say that you'd make me feel comfortable first?"
"That's right, but these are my wishes, and I don't need to consider your feelings first."
Xu Shi flicked a peanut into his mouth. "This is another lesson I taught you: whatever you do, you must have enough ability to cover your losses. In other words, if you crush your teacher in every aspect, then you should be the one who enjoys the benefits first, not me."
"……yes."
Pan Ling steadied herself and nodded vigorously.
It must be said that Xu Shi does seem very irresponsible, but as long as he is willing to teach, each conversation with him is quite enlightening for her.
Moreover, her master's words reassured her a little; this was the real him... The young girl had been following him for some time and had a relatively clear understanding of her master.
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