Su Fan knew that saying this might bruise Father Andrew’s pride.
But if he didn’t say it, there was no guarantee that Andrew wouldn’t act on impulse and get himself involved in the middle of things.
Demons were vicious and cunning. An elderly man like him, with no way to defend himself, was better off staying out of it entirely.
“Be careful…”
Just as the two of them were about to leave the hospital room, Father Andrew suddenly spoke up again.
“The demon won’t let this go… It’s already desperate to devour a soul—anyone’s soul…”
“You need to be careful, young exorcist. It might reach out its claws toward the people close to you…”
Su Fan didn’t pause in his stride as he left the room.
A faint “I understand” drifted back from down the hallway.
Teresa gave a slight bow to the brave old man lying in the hospital bed, then quickly caught up with Su Fan’s pace.
“Su, where are we going now? Back to the antique shop?”
Teresa tilted her head up and asked Su Fan.
She didn’t know who Su Fan’s close friends were, but she instinctively thought of the woman she’d seen at the shop earlier.
That furious expression and the cold, sharp questioning from Roan had left a deep impression on Teresa.
“Not for now.”
Compared to everyone else, Roan was already the one among his acquaintances with the strongest ability to protect herself.
Whether it was her telekinesis or her basic elemental manipulation, she could hold her own against most supernaturals.
If a demon tried to take advantage of her, it would be the one ending up on the losing end.
As for Sheriff Dyson and Carl—both had been watching Su Fan’s exorcisms from the very beginning, and they still carried a good number of talismans for protection. They’d probably be fine.
And Jamie? That kid had been through Mary Shaw’s chase. If he didn’t already have some form of PTSD when it came to dolls, then he was already doing pretty well. There was no way he’d ever bring an Annabelle doll home.
In short, none of the people who regularly associated with Su Fan and survived all kinds of bizarre incidents were idiots.
“More importantly than that, we need to track down where the doll went, and find out the demon’s true name.”
Any incorporeal demon that could manifest independently without possessing a vessel was at least on the same level as Rasha.
Judging by the power the demon had already shown, it was at least as strong as Rasha—if not stronger.
An enemy like that was one Su Fan couldn’t tolerate existing in this world for even a single day longer than necessary.
Su Fan and Teresa had just reached the elevator doors. Before they could even press the button, the doors slid open on their own.
Inside the metal box stood the two agents, who had rushed all the way here to catch up. Both were holding simple recording devices, clearly planning to capture Su Fan’s exorcism on video.
But the moment they saw the black-haired young man standing right in front of them, they immediately understood what had happened—and their faces fell with bitter resignation.
“You’ve already taken care of it?”
“Not yet.”
Hearing Su Fan’s answer, Adam didn’t look relieved. If anything, his expression grew even grimmer.
“So what’s your plan now?”
“I’m going to find out where the doll went.”
Su Fan glanced at the two of them as he spoke.
“Using your FBI clearance to check surveillance footage should be simple enough. I want to know where the doll that the priest in that room was carrying ended up on the night of the incident.”
“That’s outside our jurisdiction—”
“We can do it.”
Davis had been about to refuse, but Adam cut him off faster.
Ignoring his partner’s surprised look, Adam continued.
“Helping to expel evil spirits that threaten citizens and protect their lives—of course we should cooperate with something like that.”
“Besides, Sister Teresa saved our lives earlier. Pulling up some surveillance footage is just a small favor.”
“Mm.”
Hearing Adam’s response, Su Fan gave a slight nod, then stepped into the elevator with Teresa.
Now, only Davis and Adam were left standing in the hospital corridor.
“Adam, I don’t quite understand what you just said.”
Davis looked at his partner as if seeing him for the first time, a hint of unfamiliarity in his eyes.
“Why go along with him so easily? Our mission never included assisting him with exorcisms.”
“Haven’t you figured it out yet? At this point, it’s no longer about the mission.”
Adam took a deep breath and started walking toward the hospital room ahead.
“You saw how he handles exorcisms with your own eyes. A demon that can slip away from someone like him—do you really think it’s some pushover?”
“If a fight breaks out between them, it could easily drag us—the ones recording—into the crossfire. If we don’t build some goodwill now, how are we supposed to survive when things get ugly?”
“And even if you set that aside, Sister Teresa saved our lives. We owe her that debt. Helping out with something this small is nothing.”
With that, he pulled out his phone and dialed a dedicated channel he hadn’t used in a long time.
“How much do you know about the occult?”
After stepping out of the hospital entrance, Su Fan suddenly asked.
“Absolutely nothing.”
Teresa answered without hesitation.
When it came to the world’s strange tales and anomalies, the Vatican and the Church did keep some records. But when it involved matters of faith, the restrictions were especially strict.
The famous occult work The Key of Solomon, for instance, had once been regarded by the Church as forbidden scripture—collected and burned, never allowed to be published.
The result only backfired, but the Church’s stance on the occult was clear enough from that episode alone.
With that thought, Su Fan pulled out his phone and dialed the Winchester brothers’ number.
After a few rings, a familiar voice came through the receiver.
“Su, it’s rare to get a call from you… Sam! Damn it, we’re running low on ammo!”
Before Su Fan could even hear a full greeting, the line was filled with howling screams and the sound of gunfire.
“I’m… a little tied up here…”
“I’ll call back later.”
Su Fan was about to hang up.
“Hold on, give me a few seconds—I’ll wrap this up right now!”
The click of a round being chambered, followed by another gunshot.
Judging by the sound, it was a large-caliber revolver.
The kind that could drop an elephant in one shot.
Dean and Sam seemed to be dealing with something big.
“Problem solved… whew… Anyway, back to what you were saying. What brings the call?”
“Help me look into a demon. Its characteristics are…”
Su Fan relayed all the information he had gathered so far to Dean.
“There are plenty of demons matching that description, but since you’ve crossed paths with Paimon before, I’ll start by looking through the Seventy-Two Demons of the Goetia.”
“Different texts list different demons for those seats. In one version, the 38th demon, Malthus, matches your description perfectly.”
“It specializes in tormenting the weak and fragile, driving them to the point where they offer up their own souls just to end the suffering. It constantly weaves curses and illusions to achieve its goal—spilling the blood of kin, or pure blood.”
“That’s all I’ve got for now. No details on its specific abilities or specialties.”
“Got it. I’ll let you go. We’ll talk again when you’re free.”
After a brief farewell, Su Fan hung up and put his phone away.
The term “pure” in the Church’s context was generally used to describe infants and virgins.
That lined up perfectly with its pattern of attacking babies.
But now, it seemed the demon had abandoned its plan to kill Mia’s daughter.
So, who would its new target be…?
Su Fan frowned, deep in thought. Just then, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Across the street from the hospital entrance, a tall, slender woman was holding a bouquet of white flowers. Her flawless face wore a gentle smile.
But the very next second, her head fell from her neck without any warning.
Blood stained the flowers, withering them instantly.
Her head rolled into the middle of the road—and was crushed by a passing vehicle…
