Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 402: Murky Confusion

During their previous conversation, Liu Xing had noticed something unusual about Xiao Mochen. It seemed that Xiao Mochen was reluctant to change the current situation or let Panlong Town escape from the temporal distortion.

This was because if Panlong Town returned to normal, Xiao Mochen’s mother would likely die, something Xiao Mochen definitely did not want to see.

However, despite being a bit of a rogue, after witnessing the ruthless and cold-blooded side of Gralki, Xiao Mochen was undoubtedly unwilling to stand by Gralki’s side anymore. So now, Xiao Mochen’s heart was torn, not knowing what to do, which was why he hesitated so much when facing Liu Xing’s questions.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing also began to feel conflicted. Was the information Xiao Mochen had provided really true or false?

Liu Xing rubbed his temples, feeling that things were getting complicated once again.

Back at Hu Cang’s place, sitting at the counter while watching TV, Hu Cang pointed upstairs and said, "Zhang Jingxu and the others are upstairs. But speaking of Xiao Mochen, how’s the situation on his end? Does he still have the fur?"

Liu Xing nodded and smiled, saying, "The situation seems quite good. Xiao Mochen has promised to deliver a batch of fur to us tomorrow. But I have a question for you, Mr. Hu Cang. Do you know what illness Xiao Mochen’s mother had?"

Hu Cang thought for a moment and replied, "I’m not entirely sure because when Xiao Mochen left Panlong Town with his mother, I was still a student, so I didn’t inquire much about this. But I have heard people around saying that Xiao Mochen’s mother had cancer, and when Xiao Mochen brought her back to Panlong Town, I did see her a few times. It seemed like her illness was in her lungs, and at the time, she was in critical condition."

Hearing Hu Cang’s words, Liu Xing confirmed his earlier suspicions—Xiao Mochen’s mother had undergone Gralki’s transformation.

As a doctor, Liu Xing was well aware of the horrors of lung cancer. According to Hu Cang and Xiao Mochen, Xiao Mochen’s mother had been ill for over ten years and had not received effective treatment during that time. So Liu Xing was certain that when Xiao Mochen brought his parents back to Panlong Town, Xiao Mochen’s mother was already in the late stages of lung cancer.

Therefore, Liu Xing was sure that Xiao Mochen’s mother was genuinely on her deathbed at that time and couldn’t have survived until now. Even if a miracle had occurred and she had somehow clung to life, she wouldn’t be able to walk on her own, especially without any external assistance. So Liu Xing was convinced that Xiao Mochen’s mother had undergone Gralki’s transformation.

Thinking about this, Liu Xing couldn’t help but sigh and said, "Mr. Hu Cang, do you know if Xiao Mochen’s mother is still alive?"

Upon hearing Liu Xing’s question, Hu Cang immediately jumped up from his chair, looking shocked, and exclaimed, "Ryuusei, what are you saying? Xiao Mochen’s mother is still alive?! Are you joking with me?!"

Liu Xing shook his head and replied seriously, "No, no, no, Mr. Hu Cang, I’m not joking with you. I just saw Xiao Mochen’s mother with my own eyes, and Xiao Mochen confirmed that she is indeed his mother."

Furrowing his brows, Hu Cang closed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "This can’t be. I remember hearing in early 1999 that Xiao Mochen’s mother was on her deathbed. Xiao Mochen even took her to Rongcheng for treatment. A few days later, I heard that Xiao Mochen had brought her back in a coffin, so his mother should have passed away."

Liu Xing pretended to be surprised and nodded, saying, "What? Did I just see a ghost? I really did see Xiao Mochen’s mother, and Xiao Mochen confirmed it."

Hu Cang frowned deeply, saying seriously, "It seems this matter is not simple at all. Should I go and ask Xiao Mochen about it?"

Liu Xing quickly shook his head and said, "No, Mr. Hu Cang, it’s better not to go and ask Xiao Mochen. He probably doesn’t want us to know about his mother’s situation."

Hu Cang instantly understood Liu Xing’s implication, and his expression turned grim.

Although Liu Xing didn’t know Hu Cang’s character card attributes, after these days of interaction, he believed that Hu Cang’s intelligence attribute should be above 80. So Liu Xing was sure that Hu Cang understood his meaning.

After a moment of silence, Hu Cang sighed and said, "Ryuusei, I understand your point, and I agree with you. It’s likely that Xiao Mochen is not on our side. But don’t worry, I won’t go stirring the pot."

Liu Xing nodded and said with a smile, "That’s good. Now, I’ll go upstairs and tell Zhang Jingxu and the others about this."

Hu Cang forced a smile and watched as Liu Xing went upstairs.

As soon as Liu Xing reached the third floor, he heard Wan Chongshan contacting KP Snow Wind, "KP, we need to activate Private Room time."

KP Snow Wind responded promptly, "OK, Private Room time has been activated. Players can start discussing now."

Liu Xing clapped his hands and spoke first, "Listen, everyone. I’ve basically confirmed one thing. Xiao Mochen is actually the mastermind behind this module. The reason Panlong Town has become like this is because Xiao Mochen joined forces with Gralki to resurrect his mother, and in return, he sacrificed the entire Panlong Town."

Liu Xing’s words left everyone in the room stunned. They had never imagined that Xiao Mochen could be a rogue like that.

Ling Ishikawa, with a furrowed brow, asked, "Ryuusei, are you really sure?"

Liu Xing nodded and proceeded to share everything he had seen and heard in Xiao Mochen’s teahouse.

After listening, Zhang Jingxu nodded and commented, "It seems like the plot of this module is quite intriguing. Initially, we thought it might be Gralki’s minion causing trouble, but it turns out to be a classic Cthulhu RPG Game scenario. A mortal, in pursuit of their wish, inadvertently attracts the attention of a Great Old One. However, Xiao Mochen is indeed audacious, sacrificing the entire town for the sake of his mother."

Wan Chongshan chimed in, shaking his head, "I think Xiao Mochen might have been deceived by Gralki. Based on our interactions with him over the past few days, I feel that Xiao Mochen is still a decent person. It’s unlikely that he would do something to harm the entire Panlong Town for his personal gain. Gralki, on the other hand, is a notorious deceiver, tempting humanity with promises of immortality, but in reality, its idea of immortality turns people into mind-controlled zombies."

"So, I believe Xiao Mochen might have stumbled upon Gralki’s cult, and after witnessing his mother’s resurrection, he completely trusted Gralki. That’s why he readily agreed to help Gralki as its guide. He believed he was leading the people of Panlong Town to eternal life," Wan Chongshan explained.

"Then, Xiao Mochen cooperated with Gralki’s followers in staging a show in Panlong Town, and he also revealed information about the Black Flood Dragon and Green Willow to Gralki. So, when Xiao Mochen regained his memories, he realized that the sorry state of Panlong Town was partly his fault," Wan Chongshan continued.

"He probably didn’t want to take responsibility and didn’t want his mother to die again, which is why he’s been so indecisive. But I think Xiao Mochen is still very conflicted. So, in some situations, he’s willing to help us, while in others, he’s reluctant. I believe we still have a chance to persuade Xiao Mochen to switch sides," Wan Chongshan concluded with a convincing analysis.

However, Ling Ishikawa expressed a more skeptical view, saying, "I think things might not be that simple. What if the so-called Gralki follower is actually Xiao Mochen? Or what if the current Xiao Mochen has already been transformed by Gralki and is now acting as its spy?"

Ling Ishikawa’s conspiracy theory sent a chill down Liu Xing’s spine because if that were the case, it would indeed complicate matters.

This would mean that their every move was being monitored by the final boss of this module.

"If it’s really like that, we’re in big trouble. I’ll be exposed while the Gralki’s minion will be fully aware of our actions," Zhang Jingxu expressed his concern.

At that moment, Liu Xing remembered something and said, "Wait, let’s not forget that there’s a special NPC in this module – Green Willow. What I’m most uncertain about right now is whether Green Willow and Hu Li are friends or foes. Even though Hu Li is currently helping us deal with those mythical creatures, we know she’s doing it for her own benefit, or for the benefit of her and Green Willow. Hu Li has also told some lies, such as the situation with Black Flood Dragon and the black cat demon. Based on the information we’ve gathered and the triggered Side Quest, both Black Flood Dragon and the black cat demon should still be alive, or at least exist."

Liu Xing’s words plunged the group into silence once again, with each member contemplating the current situation and the questions raised.

Is Xiao Mochen an ally or an enemy? Is he good or bad?

Is Hu Li an ally or an enemy? Is she good or bad?

The situation in the module was becoming increasingly bewildering.

"It’s a complex situation, but let’s put these questions aside for now. We can’t fully determine the answers yet because we lack crucial information. So, let’s not waste our Private Room time and focus on the immediate issues. How do we deal with Gu Master Chaxi?" Li Dian suggested.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement. He realized that they couldn’t afford to spend too much time pondering uncertainties, and as Li Dian pointed out, they still needed more information to understand Xiao Mochen’s true role in this module.

So, their attention should remain on the present.

With that in mind, Liu Xing said, "Although Xiao Mochen has agreed to provide us with a batch of fur, he’s likely aware of our intentions for using it. I’m concerned that he might give us poor-quality or damaged fur to deceive us. The worst-case scenario would be if Xiao Mochen tampered with the fur in some way. Therefore, I believe we must thoroughly inspect the fur tomorrow to avoid any complications when dealing with Gu Master Chaxi."

Ling Ishikawa nodded in agreement but voiced another concern, "What worries me more is the possibility of Xiao Mochen once again playing both sides, revealing our plans to Gu Master Chaxi. If that happens, we’ll be in trouble, especially since, as Hu Li mentioned, a well-prepared Gu Master can be very formidable."

Liu Xing rubbed his temples, realizing that it was indeed a significant concern. If Gu Master Chaxi learned about their actions, their lives could be at risk.

However, Zhang Jingxu reassured them, saying, "Don’t worry too much about it. We can just act swiftly when we move on to the next time point. After all, Gu Master Chaxi and these mythical creatures won’t regain their memories, and during the recent temporal distortion, they couldn’t have been too vigilant. There won’t be any of Xiao Dafu’s addicts around either."

Zhang Jingxu’s suggestion seemed reasonable and reassuring.

Ling Ishikawa, after a moment of thought, smiled and said, "I almost forgot about that. So, that’s not a problem. Let’s discuss the next topic – the assignment of roles when dealing with Gu Master Chaxi. First, those two bird guns should definitely be taken along. Wan Chongshan, you should bring one too. As for Zhang Jingxu, personally, I think you should step down from the front lines. Today’s missed shot was a bit embarrassing. You only dealt 4 points of damage, and if it weren’t for Wan Chongshan’s shot, Troll might not have been defeated."

Zhang Jingxu’s face turned red, and he chuckled, "This was just a one-time exception. After all, everyone has their unlucky moments. So, you can trust me; my next shot will definitely deal maximum damage."

Liu Xing and the others exchanged smiles and decided to give Zhang Jingxu another chance.

With that settled, they began discussing the personnel arrangement for dealing with Gu Master Chaxi. Zhang Jingxu and Li Dian were designated to guard the first floor, while the rest, along with Hu Cang, would confront Gu Master Chaxi.

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