TDU Chapter 97: Mortal Goat's Directive

Chapter 97 Mortal Goat's Directive

"But this place—" Qi Xia began, ready to delve deeper into his inquiry when, without warning, Mortal Goat placed a hand on his shoulder. A sudden jolt coursed through him, rendering the words that lingered on his lips silent. In their prior encounter, Mortal Goat had never made physical contact.

What did this unexpected gesture imply?

He sensed the weight of the hand pressing down ever so slightly, as if conveying a hidden message. Glancing up at Mortal Goat, Qi Xia noticed he was not meeting his gaze.

"The instructions are as follows," Mortal Goat said as he stepped away from Qi Xia. "I want each of you to recount the events leading up to your arrival here, however, please be aware that among all the storytellers, one person will not be telling the truth. After each of you has finished narrating your story, we will proceed with a vote…"

The rules mirrored those of their previous encounter—there would be one sole {liar} among them, destined to be identified by their collective judgment.

This first game still harbored the same peril, poised to threaten the lives of everyone present.

Mortal Goat handed a sheet of white paper to the nine participants.

As Qi Xia clutched the paper, a fleeting glimmer of insight flickered within him, accompanied by a sudden surge of dissonance.

Wait… At this moment, shouldn't someone be asking Mortal Goat, {are we allowed to strategize tactics}? Why has no one voiced that concern yet?

Suddenly, Qi Xia’s pupils dilated with realization—it’s him! That individual had inexplicably fallen silent! Every instance of dissonance Qi Xia felt was linked to this silence, his failure to articulate the questions that hung in the air. All the inquiries he had meant to pose were left unspoken, amplifying the tension that enveloped them.

Why had he lost his curiosity?

Qi Xia quickly grasped the unsettling truth: that person no longer needed to voice those questions because he retained his {previous} memories!

Turning his head, he cast a skeptical glance at Officer Li, whose serious demeanor and rhythmic tapping on the table suggested he remained oblivious to the mounting tension in the room.

"Since no one has any questions, we will commence the distribution of the {identity cards}," Mortal Goat announced, retrieving a small stack of cards from his pants pocket, their dimensions akin to standard playing cards, as he approached each individual. "Allow me to clarify: whoever draws the {Liar} card must lie."

As everyone drew their cards from Mortal Goat, the atmosphere turned increasingly grim. Amid this exchange, Qi Xia discreetly observed Officer Li, noting a striking change in him—this robust man seemed unfazed, not even anxious to check his own identity.

Qi Xia pressed his palm against his {identity card}, lost in contemplation.

The situation was precarious. If he foolishly revealed that this was the {second time} they were enduring this ordeal, no one would believe him; he would instead become a target of suspicion. Ultimately, not every member of the nine possessed exceptional intellect; if one individual disturbed the group’s dynamics, Qi Xia's risk of elimination would rise dramatically. Thus, this was not the right moment to disclose his identity.

To evade drawing any attention, he needed to navigate the group through these challenges as he had previously.

He lifted his gaze to survey the walls and floor, observing how the crisscrossing lines had divided the surfaces into neat squares, just as before.

The game setting remained unchanged, as did the rules.

"Um... may I say a few words?" Doctor Zhao interjected, speaking boldly without seeking permission from Mortal Goat.

The others turned to him, their expressions laced with skepticism.

"We're all meeting for the first time, and I don’t know any of you," Doctor Zhao continued earnestly. "However, I propose that the {Liar} step forward voluntarily. It is undeniably cruel to compel the remaining eight to resort to underhanded tactics for your benefit."

"Exactly!" Xiao Ran chimed in. "Whoever drew the {liar} card, just admit it. Why put everyone at risk?" 

Qi Xia couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head in resignation. These two demonstrated a fundamentally different mindset compared to Officer Li. Though they held the {liar} cards, they suddenly positioned themselves atop a moral high ground, eager to speak out. Their intent wasn’t to encourage the {liar} to reveal themselves, but to convey a misleading message—that they were not the {liar}. After all, in a rational mindset, the {liar} would never facilitate the exposure of the {liar}."

In contrast, Officer Li had consistently advocated for unity, urging everyone to refrain from deceit. 

Initially, Qi Xia believed the others would dismiss these two, but to his surprise, he noticed that Qiao Jiajin appeared conflicted, glancing hesitantly at his card as if grappling with a decision.

Qi Xia felt a surge of alarm, sensing that the situation was on the brink of spiraling out of control.

Indeed, Qiao Jiajin was that kind of person—too naive for his own good. He was all too likely to be influenced by the two, blissfully unaware that each participant held a {liar} identity card. In his earnest pursuit of righteousness and justice, he believed it unnecessary to impose on others, which could easily lead him to inadvertently reveal his own identity.

As Qiao Jiajin let out a long sigh and readied himself to speak, Qi Xia swiftly interjected, turning his attention to Mortal Goat. "Hey, so when do we begin? Who's narrating first?"

Qiao Jiajin was taken aback, his words caught on the tip of his tongue, and he found himself hesitating once more. Humans were indeed peculiar creatures; when a long-held decision is suddenly interrupted, it often requires them to re-evaluate and resolve all over again.

"Since there are no objections, let's commence. You go first," Mortal Goat said, pointing at Tian Tian. 

"Huh? Me?" Tian Tian pouted before slowly sharing her story. "Fi—Fine. I’m Tian Tian, and I’m a... uh... {skilled worker}..." The entirety of Tian Tian's tale bore no distinction from before; if Qi Xia's memory served him right, not a word was amiss.

As anticipated, once she concluded, Qiao Jiajin immediately expressed his suspicions, accusing {Tian Tian} of using a false name and declaring it a deception. This accusation ignited a heated argument between them.

One by one, the others shared their stories. Qi Xia, feeling increasingly cornered, feigned attentive listening, despite having heard all of this before, while furtively stealing glances at his own {identity card}, which displayed the words {Nǚwa Game} on its reverse.

In that moment, it struck him that he hadn’t properly examined his identity card, and if anyone caught on to this oversight, the suspicion could swiftly shift toward him. With that unsettling thought, Qi Xia expressionlessly flipped the card and stole a glance at it.

Upon seeing the words on the card, Qi Xia froze for a moment, bringing it closer for a better look. In the next heartbeat, a chill coursed through him, leaving him utterly stunned. Instead of the expected {Liar}, the card bore a cryptic message: {Do not tell anyone that you remember.}

‘What?’ Qi Xia read the phrase multiple times, his mind racing, before glancing up at Mortal Goat, who remained oblivious to his turmoil.

‘Do not tell anyone I remember…’ He lowered his head, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. As he did, the words on the card began to quietly morph, shifting into {Liar}.