Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 368: Wedding in Progress (1)

Liu Xing and his group, led by Xiao Dafu, took their seats at a table near the main table. Coincidentally, they found a familiar face seated at that table—the director of Panlong Townclinic, Zhong Rensan.

Upon seeing Zhong Rensan, Zhang Jingxu didn’t hesitate and took a seat next to him, engaging in a lively conversation.

Meanwhile, Liu Xing and Ling Ishikawa began discussing the recent events.

"What exactly happened just now? We lost consciousness as soon as we reached the entrance, and we have no memory of what transpired during that time," Liu Xing rubbed his temples.

Ling Ishikawa stroked his chin and replied, "Although I’m not sure about the details of what happened, this feeling is strangely familiar. It seems to be identical to our previous experience at Fisher’s Village Ancestral Hall."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, recalling the incident at Fisher’s Village Ancestral Hall when Matsui Ichiro had hypnotized their group. However, this time, the situation felt even more abrupt.

"Are you suggesting, Ling Ishikawa, that we were hypnotized by Hu Li?" Liu Xing inquired.

Ling Ishikawa nodded, affirming, "I believe that’s the case. After all, according to the legends, fox spirits are adept at magic spells related to enchantment and hypnosis. So, what we experienced was likely Hu Li’s hypnotic technique. I think she may have used some kind of incense to first make us relax and then cast a spell on us."

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, still puzzled. "That makes sense, but I can’t help feeling that something doesn’t add up. At this point, Hu Li shouldn’t even know us. In fact, she hasn’t met us at all. So, why would she hypnotize us? Also, judging by Xiao Dafu and the others, it seems like they weren’t hypnotized by Hu Li, or if they were, she implanted them with appropriate memories, but she didn’t do the same for us. So, what’s the reason behind all this?"

Faced with Liu Xing’s question, Ling Ishikawa also appeared baffled and shook his head, saying, "This is a question only Hu Li herself can answer. However, the most crucial thing now is to figure out what we experienced during the time we lost consciousness."

Liu Xing frowned and instinctively examined his body’s condition. He realized that he hadn’t lost any important bodily organs, finally letting out a sigh of relief. It seemed that during the time he was unconscious, he hadn’t become another Xiao Mochen.

Observing Liu Xing’s actions, Ling Ishikawa couldn’t help but sigh and said, "Master, why are you thinking of such strange things? Hu Li couldn’t possibly do something so outrageous to us. Besides, any physical changes would become apparent to us soon, and then Hu Li wouldn’t escape our wrath at her and Xiao Mochen’s wedding, right?"

Liu Xing nodded and chuckled, "You make a valid point, Ling Ishikawa. Hu Li couldn’t have carried out such drastic alterations to us. I was just momentarily concerned, thinking about Xiao Mochen’s experience. But you’re right; there’s no reason for Hu Li to use us as test subjects."

Ling Ishikawa shrugged, looking at Hu Li nearby. "We don’t know for sure, but whatever happens, happens. If Hu Li has done something wrong, we’ll find out eventually. For now, let’s not dwell on it too much. We can’t figure it out anyway."

Liu Xing agreed with Ling Ishikawa’s assessment.

From start to finish, this module had been shrouded in mystery. It began with the inexplicable "Interlude Growth" and continued with the numerous question marks in the module’s background. The strange plot developments further added to Liu Xing’s confusion. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Although the main quest of this module seemed straightforward—completing a few side quests to accumulate enough "truth" points to clear it—the connections between these side quests remained elusive. They seemed unrelated at first glance, but upon closer examination, they appeared intricately interconnected. It was highly likely that completing one side quest would impact the others.

After all, this was a Shoggoth Region advanced module.

With this in mind, Liu Xing suddenly had an idea and said, "Ling Ishikawa, what if it’s like this: Hu Li might know that we’re friends of Hu Cang, which could be why she targeted us. Given the current situation, Hu Li and Hu Cang’s relationship may not be amicable."

Ling Ishikawa glanced at Hu Cang, then at Hu Li at the adjacent table, and nodded in agreement. "That’s a possibility. Based on the current circumstances, it seems that Hu Cang and Hu Li didn’t part on good terms. Otherwise, Hu Li wouldn’t have turned to Xiao Mochen, Hu Cang’s close friend, to host the wedding. So, Hu Li might still hold a grudge against Hu Cang, and that resentment extended to us when she saw Xiao Dafu bring us upstairs. She might have thought we were here to cause trouble or spy on her, prompting her to hypnotize us."

Ling Ishikawa’s imagination was, as always, quite expansive...

However, Ling Ishikawa’s thoughts did have some merit. After all, if Liu Xing put himself in Hu Li’s shoes, on the day of his own wedding, he would have been quite concerned to learn that five unexpected guests had suddenly appeared at the home of his ex-boyfriend, with whom he currently had a strained relationship. And, to top it off, the ex-boyfriend, who logically shouldn’t be attending the wedding, had now decided to come. What would one think in such a situation? Naturally, it would seem like the ex-boyfriend was planning to disrupt the wedding!

So, as a powerful fox spirit, how should Hu Li handle this situation?

Of course, she would leverage her inherent abilities as a member of her race to first subdue these potentially disruptive guests, to prevent any untoward incidents.

However, two scenarios could arise here. The first scenario, which Liu Xing would prefer, is that Hu Li simply hypnotizes himself and his party for added security but refrains from hypnotizing Xiao Mochen and the others. In this case, nothing detrimental would happen to their group on the third floor, since everyone else would still be watching.

The second scenario, which Liu Xing would rather avoid, is that Hu Li decides to take extra precautions and hypnotizes all the people on the third floor, extracting information from his own party while under hypnosis. If this were the case, Hu Li might discover the situation regarding the Panlong Town temporal distortion and that his own group knows she is a fox spirit.

So, Liu Xing believed that Hu Li would likely take action against his group after the wedding concluded.

However, Liu Xing still harbored some hope. So far, KP Snow Wind had not released any Side Quests related to Hu Li, which made it less likely to be the second scenario… right?

At that moment, Ling Ishikawa took out his phone and looked surprised. He said, "Oh, it turns out today is my birthday."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, looking surprised as he replied, "What? Today is your birthday? I remember your birthday is in the first half of the year, and the time we’re in should be November."

As an excellent leader, Liu Xing had a rough idea of the birthdays of his core disciples and followed a policy similar to some major companies, holding birthday parties for his followers to foster team cohesion.

Ling Ishikawa smiled and shook his head, saying, "What I mean is that if you consider the correct time we entered Panlong Town, plus the two days we’ve spent here, today happens to be my birthday. I didn’t expect to celebrate my birthday in such a strange place."

Liu Xing chuckled, patting Ling Ishikawa on the shoulder. He said, "When you decided to join us, the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, you entered a whole new world. Have you not noticed the supernatural events and mythical creatures that were rare in your past ten years, but have become frequent in the last few months? Anyway, since it’s your birthday today, I wish you a happy birthday. May you have this day every year, and may each year be as special as today."

Ling Ishikawa raised an eyebrow and exaggeratedly said, "Wow, are you sure you’re wishing me well? I don’t want to celebrate my birthday in a place like this every year."

Liu Xing shrugged and jokingly said, "Well, you don’t have a choice in that matter. But since it’s Ling Ishikawa’s birthday, you should make a wish over this plate of cold dishes."

The table was already set with cold dishes, and Ling Ishikawa found himself facing a plate of pig’s head meat.

Ling Ishikawa looked at Liu Xing in disbelief and said, "I’ve never seen anyone make a wish over a plate of pig’s head meat. Nevertheless, I hope that with your help, I can build a crystal palace in the future."

Upon hearing Ling Ishikawa’s wish, Liu Xing was relieved that he hadn’t taken a sip of his drink, as he might have sprayed it all over Ling Ishikawa’s face. Liu Xing had not expected Ling Ishikawa to make such a peculiar wish.

A "crystal palace" was a euphemism for a harem.

"Ling Ishikawa, oh Ling Ishikawa, I never imagined that someone as prominent as you, with your impressive appearance, would have such lowbrow thoughts. And you’re thinking about starting a harem, impressive indeed," Liu Xing remarked.

Ling Ishikawa smiled and jokingly said, "After all, I’m your right-hand man, a loyal follower of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect. Starting a harem should be a simple matter, shouldn’t it? Besides, how can you say that aspiring to have a harem is a sign of lowbrow thinking? Beautiful women have always been desirable, even for gentlemen. I just wish for a larger number, and with my exceptional qualities, I might already have two girlfriends in another world."

As Ling Ishikawa spoke, he winked at Liu Xing.

Hearing this, Liu Xing understood Ling Ishikawa’s intention. This time, Ling Ishikawa’s wish was aimed at "Yin En," given that the current "Yin En" was already involved with two people.

However, Yin En’s current situation is quite precarious. He’s still lying in the hospital, "playing dead." This is just a minor issue. The major problem is that if Miss Sawada discovers that Yin En is two-timing and involved with the female police officer, Liu Xing believes that given Miss Sawada’s explosive temper, she might just drag Yin En out of his sickbed and employ her set of skills on him...

So, Liu Xing sighed and patted Ling Ishikawa’s shoulder, saying, "The road ahead is long and the responsibility heavy, Ling Ishikawa. You must strive harder and not meet your end prematurely, triggering the ’Chai Dao’ ending."

Ling Ishikawa nodded earnestly and replied, "I will do my best, Master. I am confident I won’t fall victim to ’Chai Dao.’"

Liu Xing could sense the uneasiness in Ling Ishikawa’s voice at this moment. After all, this was Cthulhu RPG Game, not a dating simulation game. While both games allowed freedom of choice, Cthulhu RPG Game involved rolling dice to determine one’s fate, making the odds considerably higher than in a dating simulation game.

So, at this moment, Liu Xing could only wish Yin En good luck.

Right here, Zhang Jingxu had finished chatting with Zhong Rensan and approached with a smile, saying, "Ryuusei, what are you guys talking about? Seems like you’re having a good time."

Liu Xing pointed at Ling Ishikawa with an exasperated expression and said, "Today is Ling Ishikawa’s birthday, and he just made a wish to establish a harem. Can you believe this guy’s wild fantasies?"

Zhang Jingxu shook his head, adopting the demeanor of someone with experience. He said, "Ryuusei, that’s not fair of you. People need dreams. As long as a normal man, to some extent, fantasizes about having a harem. I remember when I was a kid, I used to ponder how many wives I’d have when I grew up. But now, I realize I was just being overly imaginative back then."

After cracking a joke, Zhang Jingxu got to the point. "Dean Zhong is a good person. Upon learning about my purpose, he answered all my questions willingly. Just like Hu Cang mentioned earlier, Dean Zhong’s grandfather once encountered the ’pig head butcher.’ It happened on a rainy night in Rongcheng. Dean Zhong’s grandfather, who was also a doctor, had an emergency that afternoon. The patient’s condition was rather unusual, so Dean Zhong’s grandfather spent several hours stabilizing them."

"In a hurry to get home, Dean Zhong’s grandfather decided to take a shortcut. While passing through a narrow alley, he heard a strange noise, somewhat like the sound of sharpening a knife. This made him uneasy because Rongcheng’s public safety wasn’t great back then. So, Dean Zhong’s grandfather decided to turn back and find a different way home."

"At that moment, a group of drunk men could be heard arguing ahead, as if they were in a conflict with someone. Being a good person, Dean Zhong’s grandfather was about to intervene, but before he took a step, he heard the sound of a knife cutting through flesh. The drunk men let out terrified cries."

"Dean Zhong’s grandfather rushed over and found the ’pig head butcher’ holding a butcher knife, hacking away at a fallen person who was already dead. The other drunk men had already vanished without a trace. Dean Zhong’s grandfather, bewildered and unsure of what to do, watched as ’pig head butcher’ noticed him and began pursuing him. Despite ’pig head butcher’ appearing to move slowly, his actual speed was astonishing. Even though Dean Zhong’s grandfather ran as fast as he could, the gap between them closed bit by bit."

"Just when Dean Zhong’s grandfather was about to give up and accept his fate, three night patrollers with lanterns suddenly appeared ahead. When they saw ’pig head butcher’ chasing Dean Zhong’s grandfather, one of them in desperation threw his lantern at ’pig head butcher.’ To everyone’s surprise, ’pig head butcher’ immediately dodged the lantern and fled."

"This puzzled Dean Zhong’s grandfather because someone as terrifying as ’pig head butcher’ shouldn’t be afraid of a mere lantern. However, the next day, Dean Zhong’s grandfather encountered the leader of the ’roaming acrobatics troupe’ that ’pig head butcher’ used to be a part of. After hearing about the previous night’s events, the troupe leader informed Dean Zhong’s grandfather that ’pig head butcher’ had a profound fear of fire."

"Apparently, ’pig head butcher’s’ parents died in a fire caused by his accidental knocking over of an oil lamp. The flames consumed ’pig head butcher’s’ home, and although he miraculously survived, he suffered severe burns and developed a deep fear of fire from that day on. This might explain why ’pig head butcher’ only operates on rainy nights."

"Fear of fire?" Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. It seemed that this ’pig head butcher’ had a noticeable weakness.

"I see. It appears that ’pig head butcher’ is more manageable than we initially thought," Ling Ishikawa said casually.

Liu Xing shook his head. This Side Quest couldn’t be that straightforward.

"No, no, no. Zhang Jingxu, it’s not as simple as you imagine. To burn ’pig head butcher’ to death, we’d need to use liquid fuel like gasoline or diesel to ignite it. Otherwise, we might just make him escape and anger him in the process, which would be highly disadvantageous for us. As for gasoline and diesel, they’re currently scarce in Panlong Town," Zhang Jingxu said seriously.

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