As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 10

Vengeful spirits are usually born from those who died with deep resentment.

Wrongful deaths, graves steeped in yin energy—these are the perfect breeding grounds for murderous ghosts.

But someone like Mary Shaw?

For her to become a vengeful spirit just proved how twisted human morality could get.

Su Fan’s words had struck a nerve, each one a direct hit to Mary Shaw’s pride.

She abandoned all pretense of stealth and snapped, revealing herself in a fury.

Her spirit possessed a clown doll on a rocking chair, sending it flying toward Su Fan—only for him to smash it mid-air with a single punch!

Tricks like this might work on a terrified pregnant woman like Lisa, but against Su Fan? Wishful thinking.

While Su Fan was already exchanging blows with Mary Shaw, the detective and Jamie were still reeling.

There’s a saying: “howling like ghosts and wailing like wolves”—used to describe terrible singing.

But actual ghostly screams? They chilled the soul, sapping one’s will.

Still, the two weren’t completely useless.

The detective raised his shotgun and fired, shattering one of the display case puppets.

Whether by luck or instinct, he’d hit the exact doll Mary Shaw was about to possess.

Then, like a true American, he emptied the entire magazine in a frenzy.

Su Fan snatched the gun away before he could waste more ammo, reloading with practiced speed—duadload style, finished in under four seconds.

Jamie gaped.

Su Fan didn’t even aim—just pointed—yet every shot landed precisely on the puppets Mary Shaw tried to possess.

What should’ve been a horror scene turned into a shooting gallery.

“I’ve had some professional training,” Su Fan said casually, earning Jamie’s awe.

Of course the master is skilled in everything.

But internally, Su Fan was frustrated.

His time studying Taoist texts had been short, leaving him with theory but few practical techniques.

If he’d mastered something like Demon-Slaying Arts, would he need a gun?

Mary Shaw quickly realized her mistake.

This wasn’t like hunting helpless civilians.

She was facing an exorcist—one who refused to play by her rules.

If she kept this up, she’d be annihilated.

So—

Every glass door on the display cases burst open, puppets lunging at the trio!

At the same time, silence swallowed the room again—Mary Shaw’s Dead Zone, where a single scream would summon her instantly to rip out tongues.

“Don’t scream. No matter what,” Su Fan ordered, then kicked both men toward the exit.

Suddenly—

“Jamie… don’t leave me… help me…”

A woman’s voice—Lisa’s voice—emerged from one puppet.

Jamie froze.

That was his wife.

Instinct made him turn—just as the puppet teleported inches from his face!

He nearly screamed, but the detective clamped a hand over his mouth.

Then—

A long, whip-like tongue shot from the puppet’s mouth, coiling around Jamie’s throat and lifting him off the ground!

“Hehehe… HAHAHA!”

Every puppet laughed in different voices—all victims Mary Shaw had murdered.

As Jamie choked, Su Fan snatched a shard of glass and sliced the tongue in half.

Jamie collapsed, gasping.

“GO!” Su Fan barked.

“But—Su, you—!”

“GO!”

With no choice, Jamie and the detective fled—leaving Su Fan alone against dozens of puppets.

Watching the young man surrounded by floating monstrosities, Jamie’s eyes burned with tears.

God, please let him survive this.

Su Fan, of course, didn’t hear the prayer.

And if he had, he’d have laughed.

If God truly cared, things like Mary Shaw wouldn’t exist.

Survival? That was always a personal effort.

“Now it’s just you, young exorcist,” Mary Shaw’s voice echoed from every puppet.

“They abandoned you without a second thought. Was it worth it?”

Mockery laced her words, but so did temptation.

“Join me. I can give you a body that never decays.”

She knew Su Fan was dangerous. Even if she killed him, she’d lose too many puppets today.

Better to corrupt him.

Su Fan’s response?

“Old hag, are you deaf? I told them to leave.”

Mary Shaw snapped.

“I’LL TEAR YOU APART!!!”

“Shut up.”

Her scream hit like a physical force—but Su Fan stood firm, Qi anchoring him.

He fired again, pulverizing seven more puppets.

The remaining dolls began darting erratically, flicking their spear-like tongues from blind spots—piercing straight through wooden props.

Yet Su Fan dodged every strike, countering with gunfire and whatever debris he could grab.

In seconds, over twenty puppets were destroyed.

“DIE! JUST DIE!!” Mary Shaw raged, her voice a weapon meant to disorient.

But Su Fan remained unaffected.

Worse—he anticipated her movements, always destroying the puppet she tried to possess next!

How?!

She didn’t know Su Fan’s Ghost-Seer ability let him see through her tricks.

Amid the chaos, notifications flashed in his mind:

[Firearms proficiency increased!]

[Precision +3! Reload speed +3!]

[You stood firm against the spirit’s wail—your resolve strengthens your martial arts!]

[Qi mastery +1!]

[In battle, you sense something profound…]

[Huangting Scripture: 60%!]

[New ability unlocked: Windstrider!]