In a pit by the canal, a pitch-black box lay quietly.

The box was a dark red color, as if it were stained with dried blood, and it emitted a nauseating stench, like the smell of feces, pungent and unpleasant.

Ma Hehua frowned in disgust and muttered, "This smell is worse than the shit in my latrine."

But his curiosity and greed did not diminish in the slightest.

Without hesitation, she swiftly split the box open with her knife. When she saw the lock, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed happily, "Wow! Not bad, it even has a combination lock. You can tell at a glance that this thing is very valuable."

A smug smile spread across her face, as if she could already see countless riches beckoning to her.

"Hehe! I made it!"

She was extremely anxious and couldn't wait to think of the password. She directly slashed at it with the big knife.

With a loud "crack!", the wooden box shattered instantly under the powerful blow of the broadsword.

Ma Hehua and Ma Lihua eagerly looked around, but what they saw was a tattered rag doll.

The two were completely dumbfounded. Ma Hehua's expectations vanished instantly. She was furious and shouted, "What...what is this? All you know is rag dolls?"

She was filled with disappointment and anger, feeling as if she had been played.

"This tattered rag doll comes in such a nice box? And it's even locked up?"

Ma Hehua grew angrier the more she thought about it, wishing she could stomp the tattered doll to pieces.

Ma Lihua was also filled with disappointment, and she sighed helplessly.

But just then, her gaze fell on the tattered doll on the ground again, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

She said somewhat uncertainly, "Mother, this baby feels just like it's alive."

Ma Hehua glanced at the doll, feeling quite uncomfortable.

The tattered doll lay quietly in the soil, yet it seemed to possess a mysterious aura that made one want to look at it a few more times.

The white light shone on the doll, but it did not bring it any sense of softness.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the doll's clothes to flutter slightly, making it seem as if she were smiling.

Feeling uneasy, Ma Hehua immediately picked up the doll.

The doll was crudely made, yet it exuded an eerie aura.

Ma Hehua was filled with resentment, thinking that she had been deceived by this lousy doll. In a fit of rage, she tore off one of his legs.

Just then, a scream suddenly rang out from the surroundings, "Ah..."

The sound was sharp and mournful, as if it came from the underworld.

Ma Hehua was startled. She looked around and felt that the wind was strong. She couldn't help but wonder if she was hallucinating.

"Did you... hear something?"

She asked her daughter nervously.

Ma Lihua also looked blank and shook her head, saying, "No."

Ma Hehua felt somewhat relieved, but still felt uneasy.

She looked at the rag doll in her hand, getting angrier and angrier, and forcefully ripped off one of the doll's arms.

"Ah...ah..."

This time the sound was much louder and more obvious.

The screams seemed to pierce one's eardrums, sending chills down one's spine.

Ma Hehua turned pale with fright. "Oh my god!" Her hand trembled, and she immediately threw the baby into the river.

The doll splashed a tiny drop of water in the water before quickly sinking.

Ma Hehua patted her chest, still shaken, and muttered, "Really, that scared me to death."

The rag doll sank to the bottom of the river, as if carrying endless resentment.

At that moment, Ma Linghua's voice rang out from behind.

What are you two doing?

Ma Lihua and Ma Hehua turned around at the same time and saw Ma Linghua standing there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Mom, I was so scared just now, a rag doll... she came to life."

Ma Lihua said in a trembling voice.

Ma Linghua frowned, looked at her still-shaken daughter, and remained silent for a moment.

"What does our Ma family do?" Ma Linghua suddenly asked.

Without even thinking, Ma Hehua replied, "Is there any need to ask? Of course, it's about catching ghosts!"

After saying that, she suddenly paused. Right, her Ma family were ghost hunters, what was she afraid of? A look of shame appeared on her face.

Ma Lihua also realized what was happening, and the fear in her heart gradually subsided.

Ma Linghua looked at Ma Hehua and said seriously, "Our Ma family has been catching ghosts for generations. What kind of strange things haven't we seen? A small rag doll scared you like this. How will you inherit the Ma family business in the future?"

Ma Hehua lowered her head, her heart filled with guilt.

Ma Linghua continued, "There's definitely something wrong with this rag doll. We can't just let it go like this. Now that it's appeared, we need to find out its origin and purpose."

Ma Hehua raised her head, her eyes rekindling with fighting spirit.

She clenched her fists and said, "Mother is right, we can't be afraid. Our Ma family has caught countless ghosts, why would we be afraid of a mere rag doll?"

Ma Lihua nodded and said, "Yes, our Ma family is invincible."

Ma Linghua nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, my eldest granddaughter is the future of the Ma family."

Sunlight shone on the canal, making it sparkle.

The three members of the Ma family stood on the riverbank, all looking at the riverbed.

The surrounding area was covered with thick ice, but there was a small hole where the doll landed.

"Mother, should we... just forget about it?"

Ma Hehua looked at the hole and shivered; it looked so cold.

Ma Linghua squinted at the thick black aura. This resentment was immense! If it wasn't dealt with, something bad was bound to happen. She hadn't originally planned to get involved.

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