Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

After having breakfast, Liu Xing asked Hu Li, who was clearing the dishes, "Sister-in-law, during this season, is there any place in Panlong Town with particularly beautiful scenery? Our summer vacation assignments depend on it."

Hu Li thought for a moment and then smiled, saying, "During this time, the best place in Panlong Town should be Panlong Lake. The water level is lower now, revealing the riverbanks and some small stone pillars in the secondary center. It’s perfect for your sketching. If you want to go there, just head out the door, turn left, and follow the Panlong Town upstream. You’ll reach Panlong Lake in less than ten minutes."

Liu Xing nodded and thanked Hu Li.

"Today’s weather is nice. Let’s go quickly; after all, school starts tomorrow, and we need to finish our summer assignments. If we don’t submit them on time, we might get scolded by Yong Ge again," Zhang Jingxu said with a hint of frustration as he stretched lazily.

Ling Ishikawa rolled her eyes and said disdainfully, "Zhang Jingxu, it’s your fault. Our summer assignments were all ready, but when you offered to take them to the dormitory, you left them in the taxi. Now we have to redo our assignments."

Zhang Jingxu chuckled awkwardly and explained, "Well, it’s because the class monitor suddenly called me and asked me to help her move her luggage to the school gate. I forgot about our assignments in the rush."

Wan Chongshan teased, "Oh, Zhang Jingxu, you better be honest with us. How far have you gotten with Lu Tianya? If things are official between you two, we might forgive you this time, and our assignments will be considered a small sacrifice."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhang Jingxu scratched his head and said in a low voice, "I think it’s getting serious because she promised to have dinner with me tomorrow afternoon after the class meeting."

"Oh," Liu Xing and the others said with meaningful glances.

After teasing Zhang Jingxu a bit more, Liu Xing and the group went upstairs to grab their art supplies and followed Hu Li’s directions to head to Panlong Lake.

Walking along the way, Liu Xing gazed at the clear waters of the Panlong River and remarked, "I have to admit, Li Dian, you really know how to find good places. I didn’t expect such a beautiful town near Rongcheng. You really have a knack for discovering hidden gems."

Li Dian grinned proudly and said, "Liu Xing, don’t forget who I am. I have a high school classmate from Panlong Town, and we’re really close. He used to bring me here to Panlong Town, and I was impressed by its beauty. So when I heard that our classmate Zhang Jingxu lost all our drawings, I immediately thought of coming here to sketch."

Liu Xing nodded and looked at the bamboo forest by the side of the road. "Speaking of which, what do you guys think of this bamboo forest? Our summer assignments include two drawings: one of Panlong Lake and another of this bamboo forest. How about that?"

Ling Ishikawa looked at the bamboo forest and pointed to a structure deep within, saying, "Do you see that building in the depths of the bamboo forest? It looks like a temple, doesn’t it?"

Following Ling Ishikawa’s direction, Liu Xing peered into the distance and indeed saw a somewhat dilapidated temple.

Li Dian took out his brush and gestured, saying, "Let’s draw that temple in the bamboo forest when we come back from Panlong Lake. I think we have a good chance of taking the top five spots for our summer assignments. Of course, the first place is mine."

Liu Xing and the others couldn’t help but scoff at Li Dian, then they looked through the gaps in the bamboo forest. The gaps were quite wide, almost half a meter wide, so it seemed easy to enter.

With their minds made up, Liu Xing and the group continued their journey.

After about ten minutes of walking, Liu Xing wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked ahead with a hint of confusion. Panlong Town shouldn’t be this large, and there shouldn’t be a Panlong Lake, right?

A strange thought suddenly popped into Liu Xing’s mind.

He furrowed his brow and shook his head. Why was he having such a bizarre thought, as if he had been to Panlong Town before?

Rubbing his temples, Liu Xing decided he needed to get some rest earlier tonight. There was no need to keep grinding the maps and experiences in "Tian Qing Carriage Road" since Louis IX had already logged out. He could focus on it after school started.

Ling Ishikawa, who was beside him, looked at Liu Xing, who had suddenly stopped, and asked with concern, "Liu Xing, are you feeling unwell?"

Liu Xing shook his head and smiled, saying, "No, I’m fine. I probably played games too late last night, so I didn’t get enough sleep. I’m just a bit out of it."

Ling Ishikawa nodded and said, "Let’s keep going then. When we reach the edge of Panlong Lake, washing your face in the lake water might help you feel better."

"Yeah," Liu Xing agreed, glancing at the sunny sky with a few white clouds hanging in it.

After a little while longer, Liu Xing and his group finally arrived at Panlong Lake. Just as Hu Li had described, the lake had exposed a vast expanse of sandbanks along its shore. Panlong Lake, with its shimmering waters, looked like a flowing jade, and in the center of the lake, there were more than ten slender stone pillars protruding from the water, seamlessly blending into the landscape.

Liu Xing couldn’t help but admire the beauty of Panlong Lake; it felt almost unreal.

"This Panlong Lake is so beautiful. But what’s the story with those stone pillars in the lake’s center? Judging by the color of the water, the lake’s depth in the center should be more than ten meters," Wan Chongshan said, puzzled.

Ling Ishikawa shrugged and said, "Perhaps it’s just a natural wonder. The Panlong River water hasn’t eroded these stone pillars; instead, they remain to adorn Panlong Lake."

Looking through the emerald-green waters of Panlong Lake, Liu Xing noticed that these stone pillars seemed to be connected to a massive rock.

"Alright, let’s get to work. Let’s finish drawing Panlong Lake before lunch," Zhang Jingxu clapped his hands and said.

So, Liu Xing and the others dispersed, each finding what they believed to be the best angle and preparing to start their sketches.

Liu Xing struggled a bit with his art supplies, muttering to himself that the old saying was right: "Three days without practice and you lose your skill." He hadn’t drawn anything for the past few days, and now he was having trouble even handling his tools.

But when he glanced at Zhang Jingxu nearby, he noticed that even Zhang Jingxu’s movements were a bit awkward; he almost knocked over his easel.

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, then glanced at Ling Ishikawa and the others. He noticed that they were all facing various difficulties, to some extent or another.

"What’s going on? Why is everyone suddenly struggling?" Liu Xing wondered. As he thought about this, he suddenly heard the sound of dice rolling beside him, causing him to nearly drop the paintbrush in his hand.

"Oh, it’s just the phone," Liu Xing realized, pulling his phone from his pocket. The incoming call was labeled as a scam.

"Another scam call? The tricks they use are getting old. Last time, it was that fake lottery win scheme. But today, I have other things to do, so I won’t waste my time with you scammers," Liu Xing said as he hung up the call.

With that, Liu Xing returned his focus to his painting. Although he started a bit shaky and struggled at first, he quickly entered a state of flow, and his brush strokes flowed effortlessly.

Time passed unnoticed. "Done," Liu Xing said, looking at the painting with satisfaction. He nodded to himself, reaffirming his natural talent for art. Choosing to pursue art instead of medicine had been the right decision.

Liu Xing stretched his muscles and noticed that Zhang Jingxu and the others were still diligently painting. He decided to go to the lakeside to wash his face and refresh himself. He had been absorbed in painting for so long that he was starting to feel tired.

Walking to the edge of Panlong Lake, Liu Xing crouched down to scoop up some water for washing his face. However, he suddenly saw a reflection in the water—a face he didn’t recognize!

Startled, Liu Xing stumbled backward, sitting down on the riverbank.

"Liu Xing, what’s wrong?" Ling Ishikawa and the others, curious about the commotion, asked.

Liu Xing stood up, shaking his head, and said, "It’s nothing, really. I just stepped on a small stone and slipped."

As he spoke, he looked at his reflection again and realized that his own face appeared perfectly normal, not unfamiliar as he had seen moments ago. Perhaps he had just imagined it?

Liu Xing rubbed his chin, thinking that he must have been tired today, experiencing hallucinations like this.

However, that face he saw earlier seemed vaguely familiar...

"Liu Xing, we’ve finished our paintings. How about yours? If you’re done, we can start heading back," Li Dian interrupted Liu Xing’s thoughts.

Liu Xing nodded and smiled, "Yes, I’ve finished mine too. Let’s go."

Liu Xing packed up his art supplies and joined Zhang Jingxu and the others in preparing to leave Panlong Lake.

Just then, Ling Ishikawa, looking at the central pillar in the lake, said with some confusion, "Don’t you guys think the pillar in the center of the lake seems to have shifted its position?"

Liu Xing turned his gaze to the central pillar but didn’t notice anything unusual. "Ling Ishikawa, maybe you’re seeing things, or it could be that the water level in Panlong Lake has changed, making it appear that the pillars have shifted," Zhang Jingxu suggested with a smile.

Ling Ishikawa nodded and shrugged, "You’re probably right. Let’s not dwell on it. It’s almost eleven o’clock now; we should hurry back for lunch."

So, Liu Xing and the group retraced their steps.

When they reached the bamboo grove again, Liu Xing couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. He suggested, "We still have some time, and we won’t be able to have lunch when we get back. Why don’t we take a look in the bamboo grove to confirm the afternoon shooting angles and check if there’s enough space deep within the grove for our paintings?"

His suggestion received agreement from the group, so they left their art supplies by the roadside since carrying them into the bamboo grove would be inconvenient.

Soon, Liu Xing and the others arrived at a temple deep within the bamboo grove. The temple appeared quite dilapidated upon close inspection, with a collapsed wall and overgrown vegetation.

Liu Xing looked at the temple’s sign and whispered, "Hualai Temple."

Ling Ishikawa, feeling adventurous, approached the temple’s gate and gently pushed it open. It creaked open easily.

"Should we go inside? Hualai Temple looks abandoned, so there shouldn’t be anyone there," Ling Ishikawa suggested.

As Ling Ishikawa ventured inside, Liu Xing and the others followed. After all, they couldn’t let Ling Ishikawa explore alone; it might be unsafe.

"What on earth is this?!" Ling Ishikawa suddenly exclaimed.

Liu Xing and the others hurried over and found a giant snake coiled around a black cat in front of Ling Ishikawa. Both the snake and the cat were dead.

Zhang Jingxu frowned and whispered, "We shouldn’t linger here. It’s better to leave."

The crowd nodded in unison and immediately turned away from Hualai Temple, leaving the bamboo forest behind.

"Phew, my goodness, I never expected Panlong Town to have such a massive python. Fortunately, it’s dead; otherwise, if we were attacked by this python while we were painting, we might not even have had a chance to run out of the bamboo forest," Wan Chongshan said with a lingering sense of fear.

Liu Xing nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let’s go back and ask Boss Hu about what’s going on," Zhang Jingxu sighed and suggested.

So, Liu Xing and the others packed up their painting materials and hurried towards Hu Cang’s home, fearing that something terrifying might emerge from the bamboo forest.

Upon reaching the side of the Panlong Town bridge, Liu Xing and the others slowed down their pace when they saw pedestrians, adjusting their breathing as they went.

Liu Xing took out a small water bottle from his pocket, intending to quench his thirst. However, as he lifted it to his lips, he happened to glance at the sky and suddenly felt that something was amiss.

Liu Xing squinted his eyes and realized that the sky at this moment was exactly the same as the one he had seen before. The formation and positions of the white clouds were unchanged.

"Am I mistaken?" Liu Xing muttered to himself.

Back at Hu Cang’s house, an impatient Ling Ishikawa immediately found Hu Cang and started questioning him about Hualai Temple. Zhang Jingxu and the others joined in out of curiosity.

As for Liu Xing, he sat alone in a chair, deep in thought.

Liu Xing felt that something was off about himself today. Strange thoughts kept popping into his mind. Could it be that he was experiencing symptoms of a mental breakdown due to recent stress?

Liu Xing shook his head, realizing that he hadn’t been under much stress lately, enjoying good food, drinks, and leisure. The only thing that could be considered stressful was his experience with the blueprint ship in the Tianqing Lane...

So, there was no way he could be experiencing a mental breakdown.

Liu Xing rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The situation didn’t make sense.

While contemplating, Liu Xing took out his phone to check the commission he had accepted in Tianqing Lane. To his surprise, there was no signal displayed on his phone.

So, how did he receive a call and access the Tianqing Lane just now? Without a signal, there was no way to enter the Tianqing Lane.

Liu Xing furrowed his brow, feeling his head pounding even more.

Just then, a young man carrying a bag of vegetables entered and greeted, "Boss Hu, I’ve brought today’s vegetables for you. I have something else to attend to, so I’ll leave the vegetables on the table, alright?"

Liu Xing looked up and saw that Xiao Mochen, the young man, had become considerably darker...

Wait a minute.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, puzzled as to why he was calling this person Xiao Mochen, and why he referred to him as a ’young man.’

Before Liu Xing could regain his composure, Hu Li chuckled and said, "Xiao Mochen, you can go about your business. Remember to reserve the best spot in the teahouse for me this afternoon. I suddenly feel like playing mahjong."

Xiao Mochen nodded and patted his chest, saying, "No problem, sister-in-law. I’ll go tell my dad right away and reserve the best spot in the teahouse for you. I’ll leave now, see you later, sister-in-law."

With that, Xiao Mochen turned and left.

His name really was Xiao Mochen.

Liu Xing watched Xiao Mochen’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Liu Xing caught a faint fragrance in the air, snapping him out of his reverie. He found himself looking at Hu Li’s stunning face, which startled him a bit. Regardless of beauty or ugliness, a sudden appearance of a face in front of you is always startling.

"Liu Xing, what’s wrong? You’ve been sitting here lost in thought since you came back," Hu Li said with a smile.

Liu Xing was about to reply that he was fine, but then a flash of insight hit him—Hu Li, Xiao Mochen, Hu Cang, Panlong Lake, Hualai Temple, bamboo forest, Watanabe Ryuusei, wedding, hypnosis...

Words flashed through Liu Xing’s mind, and these words suddenly collided and merged into four words—like a dream.

Just then, the sound of dice hitting the ground rang out again. Liu Xing didn’t even pay attention to Hu Li, who was standing in front of him, and took out his phone. This time, the caller’s ID displayed as "KP Snow Wind."

Without hesitation, Liu Xing answered the call and brought the phone to his ear.

On the other end of the phone, KP Snow Wind smiled and said, "Congratulations, player Liu Xing, for successfully passing the Inspiration Judgment and Willpower Judgment, realizing that you are in the midst of an illusion."

As KP Snow Wind’s words faded, Liu Xing noticed that the surroundings quickly changed, with only Hu Li remaining unchanged.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Xing found himself back on the playground of Panlong Town Elementary School. Hu Li was smiling at him, while Ling Ishikawa and the others were sprawled on the ground.

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