Emma also made a surprising discovery.
The doll on the screen actually looked almost exactly like the one in her hands.
"Li Dan, why does the doll on here look so much like mine?"
Li Dan's expression grew grave.
"Because they have the same owner."
"No, I'm the owner. I bought it," Emma said angrily.
Li Dan took out the Ghost Card for one final test.
"Name: Medieval Puppet Doll" "Owner: Mary Shaw" "Status: dormant · cannot be contained."
The doll's power came from Mary Shaw, so even if Li Dan could contain it, it would be of little use.
Dead Silence was well known even among American horror stories, and as its greatest evil, Mary Shaw was naturally no ordinary threat.
After all, she had been dead for over a decade and could still crawl out of her grave to take revenge on the townspeople. Who else could do that?
"This doll can talk because it isn't an ordinary doll. It was made from a child."
Emma liked it even more after hearing that. "I want it."
Li Dan had no choice but to keep explaining.
"Mary Shaw gave it life. It will obey its owner's orders and kill you. Haven't you heard that nursery rhyme?"
"Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls."
"And if you see her in your dreams, be sure you never, ever scream."
The nursery rhyme was famous, practically a nightmare for children across North America, but most people didn't know where it came from. Nearly a century had passed, and people had forgotten its true subject.
Emma had heard her father recite it. She was a born bad seed, but she wasn't stupid.
Anyone who did something knowing it would get them killed had to have something wrong with their head.
Glancing at the doll in her arms, Emma decided to throw it away, but as she did, she wanted to tear it apart.
"Li Dan, can I burn it?"
Who would have guessed Emma was such a little obsessive? If she couldn't have it, she would destroy it.
Li Dan shook his head.
"You'd better not burn it. I can keep it for you."
Emma handed the doll to Li Dan, then asked another question.
"Will I get a reward?"
Li Dan took the puppet. "How about a can of Coca-Cola?"
Emma turned away in a huff, her twin ponytails swinging as she presented her back to Li Dan. She really was angry.
Li Dan looked at the puppet in his hands and stroked it. It felt just like touching human skin. He wondered whether this doll or Chucky was stronger.
By puppet doll, he meant an individual doll, not one possessed by Mary Shaw.
Apart from those two, Annabelle was also famous for being a doll.
All of them appeared in doll form.
There probably wasn't any connection between the three.
Li Dan planned to hand this doll over to the Warrens. Since he couldn't contain it, keeping it would serve no purpose.
He wouldn't even sleep soundly with this puppet in the house.
Glancing at the website, Li Dan had an "evil" idea: sell the puppet to someone online as a mystery box. The thought flashed through his mind and vanished.
All right, he wasn't that bad.
Li Dan put the puppet in the most conspicuous spot, then turned back to coax Emma out of her sulk. He had to admit that although Emma was wicked, at least she wasn't a brat.
She was calculating, easy to soothe, and knew how to behave without getting on adults' nerves.
Sitting on Li Dan's lap, Emma studied the horror website with curiosity. Every post fascinated and excited her.
She pointed at one of them.
Li Dan followed her finger. It was a blurry photograph. The thing seemed to be on all fours, somewhat like a dog, but its body was completely hairless. A pair of fangs protruded from its bald head. It looked like a vampire, but it was much uglier than one.
What the hell was that thing?
Even with all his knowledge and experience, Li Dan couldn't immediately place the creature.
Just how many terrifying creatures he had never seen were still lurking in the darkness here?
The person who had posted the photograph was called Dennis. He had briefly explained why he had taken it.
Dennis had lost his job in the economic crisis, so he and his wife had been forced to find another rental. They chose a cheap place, and his nine-year-old son often sleepwalked.
He was afraid his son might encounter something dangerous while sleepwalking.
For safety, Dennis installed cameras around the house, but they captured some terrifying creatures instead.
"Li Dan, what kind of creature is this?"
"Probably a vampire?" Li Dan wasn't entirely certain, but after reading the account, he had a vague recollection.
This probably counted as one of his childhood nightmares.
Li Dan had watched plenty of American horror. Aside from found-footage horror, very little frightened him, so his childhood nightmare was naturally something special.
It was The Detective Monster Mystery.
Also known as Monster Files.
People who grew up in the nineties and the two-thousands would probably remember those two names.
It documented all sorts of frightening, terrifying creatures.
The kind that would scare you the moment you saw or encountered them.
And it was presented in documentary form.
No joke—back then, Li Dan hadn't even dared go to the bathroom alone. He would rather hold it until the next morning.
"What an ugly vampire." Emma looked at the photograph with disgust. She was antisocial, but she still cared about looks.
"Ding." Li Dan's phone vibrated. Seeing that Ed Warren was calling, he told Emma to keep browsing on her own, set her down, and stepped aside to answer.
What Ed Warren told him over the phone was this:
Their business still wasn't settled, but in three days, they could spare some time to assess Li Dan's psychological state, family circumstances, and other aspects of his life.
Once all the issues were resolved, he could apply to the church to become an exorcist.
"All right, Mr. Warren. Oh, I also found a medieval puppet doll here."
"A puppet doll?" Ed Warren sounded distinctly taken aback.
Li Dan confirmed it. "Yes. It seems to be one of Mary Shaw's dolls."
Ed Warren asked, "The woman from that nursery rhyme?"
Li Dan said, "You've heard it too, Mr. Warren?"
Ed Warren sounded wistful. "Of course. My grandmother used to scare me with it to make me go to bed."
Li Dan asked, "Then what about this doll?"
Ed Warren said, "If possible, I'd like you to keep it safe for now. I'm very busy at the moment. Once I'm done, Lorraine and I will come over right away."
Li Dan said, "All right."
After hanging up, Li Dan glanced at Emma. The little girl was already completely hooked on the website.
To her, the things on it were pure paradise.
Li Dan knew that if he kept letting Emma carry on like this, she might truly become a bad seed. He put his plan into motion.
"Honestly, killing people doesn't feel all that special. Emma, do you know what's really fascinating?"
Emma asked, "What?"
Li Dan leaned down and whispered a few words into Emma's ear. Her eyes visibly lit up with excitement.
"Really?"
"Of course." Everything Li Dan had said was true. Killing did provide a thrill, but plenty of things were more fun than murder.
Things like witchcraft, immortality, mutation, transforming into other races, exploring spine-chilling places, and studying the anatomy of other creatures.
It was only natural for Emma to be interested, but there was something Li Dan didn't know.
In Emma's eyes, the strange and powerful Li Dan was far more alluring than any of those things. She concealed that feeling deep in her heart, so well that even Li Dan was fooled.
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