Chapter 10: Does Tuantuan Want to Kill Li Yan? A Hand Inside the Doll?

Wang Ming had not expected Li Yan to be there. Originally, he had not intended to kill Li Yan, only to drive him away. However, since Li Yan chose not to leave, Wang Ming decided to dispose of Li Yan first before eliminating everyone in the Xue family. Wang Ming never imagined that even after successfully summoning the Insect King, he would still fail to kill Li Yan. Instead, he died from the backlash of his own technique.

After clarifying the situation, Li Yan said to the hawk, "Leave. And do not show yourself again." The hawk flew away, though not without reluctance. Before departing, it left behind a meaningful, lingering glance. This look made Li Yan feel uneasy, as if he sensed that more trouble was yet to come.

Once the hawk had left, the control over the Xue family was broken. Seeing their own injuries, they assumed Li Yan was responsible. Xue Huaiyuan and his companions were furious. He summoned a dozen servants to surround Li Yan and ordered, "Beat him!" Xue Huaiyuan looked incredibly angry, but Li Yan was even angrier. He snatched the weapons from the servants and threw them to the ground. Then, he grabbed one man's arm and twisted it with force until it snapped. Seeing Li Yan's ferocity, the others dared not make another move.

Li Yan sneered and said indignantly, "Xue Huaiyuan, are you having an episode again? Have you already forgotten the consequences of doubting me last time?" With that, Li Yan walked straight up to Xue Huaiyuan and began to slap him hard. Li Yan felt incredibly frustrated; if it weren't for the fact that he could not leave, who would want to stay here and look after them?

Stunned by the slaps, Xue Huaiyuan knelt and begged for mercy: "I am sorry, Master, I was wrong. I should not have doubted you. I just did not know what was happening." Hearing this, Li Yan grew even angrier. Just because you didn't know what was happening, you could doubt me? He landed several more slaps, leaving Xue Huaiyuan speechless. Only after beating Xue Huaiyuan’s face until it was swollen did Li Yan let him go. Afterward, he explained what had happened, and the family no longer doubted him.

Once these matters were settled, night had fallen. Li Yan ate dinner and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, he was woken up by a knocking at his door. Frowning, he asked groggily, "Who is it? It's the middle of the night; can't a man get some sleep?"

The person outside replied, "Master, our master sent me to find you. Something has happened again." Li Yan’s brow furrowed deeper, surprised by the frequency of these incidents. He quickly dressed, got up, and opened the door, then followed the messenger to a room.

The room was packed with people, including Xue Huaiyuan, his wives, and two strangers. Just as Li Yan was about to ask what had happened, he heard a child speaking from under the bed. "Sister, you are so pretty. What is your name? My name is Tuantuan."

Puzzled, Li Yan looked under the bed. He saw a fair-skinned child holding a doll, extending it toward thin air. The child was saying to the empty space, "Sister, this is the doll my mother bought for me. Do you like it?" No matter how hard Li Yan looked, he saw no "sister"—there was clearly only the child under the bed.

Li Yan reached out to pull Tuantuan out, but unexpectedly, a hand appeared out of thin air under the bed and gripped his wrist. The hand felt ice-cold, and he couldn't see its owner, only the hand itself. Tuantuan glared at Li Yan with anger, his eyes glowing with a terrifying red light. "Brother, don't disturb me playing with my sister, or I will kill you," he hissed.

Li Yan realized the child must be possessed by a sinister spirit; otherwise, a three-year-old could never say such things. Thinking quickly, he channeled his energy into the hand that was gripping him. The cold hand vanished. Tuantuan began to wail, but only for a moment; his eyes turned icy, and he began to claw at his own throat. Soon, Tuantuan’s face turned blue and purple from lack of oxygen.

Li Yan quickly reached in, pulled Tuantuan out, held him in his arms, and pried his fingers away. Once freed, Tuantuan changed his target and began to strangle Li Yan, but Li Yan did not let him succeed. He tapped the child lightly on the forehead, and Tuantuan immediately lost consciousness.

Li Yan returned the child to the Xue family and asked, "Where are the parents? I have some instructions." Xue Huaiyuan pointed to the two strangers and introduced them: "This is my daughter, Xue Yanling, and my son-in-law, Wu Jiu. Tuantuan is my grandson."

Li Yan nodded and approached Xue Yanling, instructing her carefully: "Tuantuan has been targeted. I have only temporarily driven the evil spirit away. He is likely to be targeted again. You must watch over him at all times and not fall asleep. Once this night passes, he will be safe. Make sure the doors are locked tightly."

Xue Yanling nodded, looking at the unconscious Tuantuan with concern, and asked, "When will Tuantuan wake up?" Li Yan thought for a moment and said gravely, "If you can stay awake and watch him without leaving, he will wake up tomorrow morning, and he will be fine from then on." Xue Yanling nodded in understanding.

Li Yan left and returned to his room to sleep, hoping for a peaceful rest. However, he was soon awakened by a chill. He opened his eyes and looked around, only to discover that his door had been opened for no apparent reason. Even more alarming, the unconscious Tuantuan was standing in his room, clutching his doll and tilting his head with a terrifying smile.

Tuantuan ran toward him. Li Yan was startled and confused as to how the child had gotten there, but he had no time to ponder. He watched Tuantuan and the doll with vigilance. Tuantuan and the doll began to chant: "Kick the ball, kick the ball, kicked a human head."

Eerie music erupted, and the room's temperature plummeted. Feeling the cold, Li Yan began to consider how to counter the threat. But just as he was thinking, a hand reached out from the doll's stomach and grabbed Li Yan firmly.