In the investigation of paranormal events

Then, the shop owner picked up a puppet and said to Jiang Cheng, "Drip your blood onto this."

A needle was still stuck in the puppet. Jiang Cheng took the needle out and then dripped a drop of blood onto the puppet.

For some reason, after completing this process, Jiang Cheng felt like she had been tricked, as if she had been cursed.

As the silver needle pierced his finger, drops of blood slowly dripped down onto the puppet.

"Okay, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng then withdrew her fingers.

"Come back in a month to pick it up."

After putting the puppet away, the shop owner picked up an antique and began wiping it, as if nothing had ever happened.

Seeing this, Jiang Cheng was somewhat at a loss.

"Alright, let's go," Chen Ran said.

Seeing Chen Ran turn around, Jiang Cheng had no choice but to follow.

Just then, three people brushed past the two of them, and Jiang Cheng glanced at them curiously.

Judging from their attire, the three people were not ordinary. However, because it was only for a moment, Jiang Cheng didn't have time to think about it and stepped out of the door.

"Chen Ran, those three people..."

"What happened to the three of them?" Chen Ran asked.

"Why do I feel like those three people are acting a bit strange?"

"Heh! You guessed right, those three are indeed no ordinary people. They are also containment experts, and even containment experts from other storylines. They came here for the [Substitute Doll]."

"And if I'm not mistaken, they should be from the East Seventh Line, since the East Seventh Line is closest to the East Eighth Line, and people from the East Seventh Line often come here to 'replenish their lives.'"

"A scapegoat doll?"

"Yes, it's the one you asked him to do earlier."

"I almost forgot to explain it to you."

"【Substitute Doll】As the name suggests, it can die in your place once, that is, fake your death once. It is a Class B containment item, and it is also a derivative of 0169."

Jiang Cheng: "..."

Could you explain in more detail?

"Do you remember the rules of the East Eighth Line that I told you about? That old man is the holder of the containment object; he's a member of Project Apocalypse."

"The containment object he possesses, 0169, is codenamed 'Ghost Needle.' The Ghost Needle is a Class B containment object that can be used to create various items. These items generally don't have strong effects, but they possess supernatural properties."

"In other words, all objects created by the Ghost Needle are considered derivatives of the Ghost Needle."

"Among these, the [Substitute Doll] is the strongest derivative created by Ghost Needle, reaching the B-rank."

"Wait! You mean one Class B containment object created another Class B containment object?"

Chen Ran simply shook her head and said, "Yes and no."

"Ghost Needle did indeed create a Class B containment object, and more than one. It can create multiple objects, and even mass-produce [substitute dolls]."

"But there are conditions. It depends on the user's level of development of the [Ghost Needle]. Not everyone can make substitute dolls as easily as the old man."

"The old man has spent decades working closely with the Bidens pilosa needle, and has developed a certain level of understanding of its development, which is why he has been able to achieve this level."

"Just like your yin-yang eyes, they have a very high ceiling, but only through continuous development can a contained object reach its full potential."

"If someone else were to wield the Ghost Needle, they probably wouldn't even be able to create a single C-grade derivative."

"So that's how it is," Jiang Cheng exclaimed in surprise.

"Therefore, the level of containment is not everything; its upper limit depends on the user, and different users will produce completely different effects."

"Just like my hypnotic pocket watch, although it is only a Class C containment item, in my hands, it can reach the level of a Class B containment item."

"What about the substitute doll?" Jiang Cheng continued to ask.

"The substitute doll is a must-have containment item for every containment specialist on the East Eighth Line, because it's a derivative, can be repaired if damaged, and most importantly, it can take your place in death once!"

"It's like a lifesaver. Having it is like having an extra life. You know what it means to have an extra life when you're on a mission."

At this point, Jiang Cheng finally understood why the people from the East Seventh Line had traveled so far to come here; it turned out this thing was so important.

"So, it's fortunate that Chiang Kai-shek suggested it, otherwise the East Eighth Line wouldn't have had this 'preferential treatment'?"

"Hmm, more or less."

"So far, it seems that Jiang's idea is correct: it is better to preserve the contained items appropriately than to reclaim them unconditionally."

"Alright, you should remember the location now. You can come here to pick it up in a month."

"Remember not to be careless before you get the substitute doll. After all, you only have one life, and once it's gone, it's really gone," Chen Ran reminded him.

"Um."

"After we damaged a substitute doll during a mission, we would think twice before undertaking any dangerous missions. If necessary, we would refuse the task and replace it with someone else."

"The safest approach is to wait until our fate is fully restored before taking action."

"I've destroyed my substitute doll at least ten times in my life. It's far more important than you can imagine. Without it, I would have died dozens of times over."

"You've seen the extent of this; it's the kind of thing that even people from other lines need to make a special trip to get here. So, unless absolutely necessary, don't push your luck."

"Alright, let's head back to headquarters."

"Are you leaving already? Logically speaking, there should be several shops like antique shops in the whole of Longhua City."

"Yes, there are a few other antique shops besides this one, but I don't go there often because, in terms of importance, the others aren't essential."

"Besides antique shops, I only occasionally go to beauty salons and tattoo parlors; I haven't been to the rest."

"All right."

Hearing Chen Ran say this, Jiang Cheng felt a little disappointed. It seemed that apart from the substitute doll, the rest were non-optional, the kind that could be chosen or not, or even dispensable.

It's probably useful when needed, but otherwise...

Its practicality is far inferior to that of a substitute doll.

"By the way, don't use the scapegoat doll as a consumable. Although it is a consumable, the production process is extremely complicated and takes a long time. Sometimes it may take a month to get one."

"The latest I got it was three months, because there were just too many people in line, so I tried to save as much time as possible."

"understood."

"Alright, let's go back."

After visiting the antique shop, the two returned to headquarters.

【Number 0789 - "Substitute Doll"】

[Classification: Derivatives]

[Level: B]

[Description: Made from "Ghost Needle," a derivative of Ghost Needle, it requires the recipient's birth date and blood to create. It is shaped like a doll, closely resembling the person in question, essentially a miniature version of them.]

[Content: The "Substitute Doll" possesses life and is linked to the life of the person in question. It can die once in place of the "original owner" and has all the characteristics of the original owner's life. When the original owner suffers a fatal injury, the Substitute Doll will shatter and take the brunt of the injury.]