As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 120

“Adjust your mindset. You’re not some side branch trying to fit into this family; you’re the future head coming back to inherit authority and wealth.”
“What’s with all this timidity?”

Su Fan’s words drew a bitter smile from Luoen.
“If I really were just here to inherit the family fortune, that would be one thing… but just last night, Su, you severely injured Lashe…”

Not only did she have no intention of inheriting anything, she had actually brought an exorcist along and nearly killed the demon everyone in the family longed to form a pact with.
Acting all high and mighty like that would really go against her conscience.

Su Fan didn’t say anything more.
For most people accustomed to ordinary lives, suddenly coming into wealth and power tends to make them uneasy and apprehensive.
He had already been dawdling in New Orleans for two days.
He wondered how the antique shop was doing. He hoped Jamie was keeping an eye on the place.

“Can we track Lashe’s whereabouts now?” Luoen inquired.

“He’s withdrawn all his aura and gone into hiding. But I have a lead.”

“Really? I was thinking of asking Xipu to come help investigate.”

Xipu could touch an object and see the memories of beings connected to it.
He was indeed skilled at gathering intelligence and uncovering the truth.
However, right now, he was probably busy with members of the Priesthood organization dealing with the witch hunters.

“Carlotta sent a message…”
“What did she say?”
“She hopes we can attend the dinner party tonight, at the Mayfair residence.”

“We?” Su Fan frowned.
Carlotta had included him as well.
But he had no interest in having dinner with some old crone.
“No.”

“Make sure you wear the talisman I gave you. Be careful during the meal.”
“That old woman might put something in your food, poison or something…”
“That’s a bit much,” Luoen chuckled and shook her head. But since it was Su Fan’s warning, she wouldn’t just ignore it.
“Alright, Su. I’ll remember your advice.”

The sun set, and night quickly enveloped the city of New Orleans.
Luoen headed to the mansion she had visited during the day, where others were already waiting.
The servant who had relayed Carlotta’s message earlier appeared before Luoen again.
“Ms. Luoen, this way.”

The entire mansion had maids specifically for cleaning and chores, as well as dedicated attendants and chefs.
The dinner hadn’t started yet; most had finished their work and were gathered in small groups chatting.
As Luoen passed by, snippets of conversation drifted to her ears.

“Last night, that area in the central district had a rare, localized thunderstorm…”
“What was that about?”
“Meaning there was thunderstorm activity only in that specific area… The lightning strikes left the ground full of pits, and the strong winds even tore down power lines.”
“So that blackout in the city was because of that?”
“Well, what other reason could there be?”

Hearing this, she unconsciously quickened her pace a little.
But the dining room seemed empty still.
With time to spare, Luoen walked up the staircase.
At the door to a bedroom, a glimpse of her mother’s portrait in her peripheral vision made her stop and enter.
The marks from a wheelchair and the portrait…
This was indeed where her mother had lived.
The dressing table not far away suddenly emitted a strange fluctuation.
A tremor ran through Luoen’s heart, and she instinctively looked back.
On the table before the mirror, a necklace in the shape of a key lay quietly.

——————

“Just letting Luoen stay in that mansion like that?”
“Josephine, don’t bother with useless worries… With him around, Luoen won’t have any problems.”

The man took a puff from his pipe, exhaled smoke, and rose from the armchair.
“It’s getting late. Time for dinner.”

Hearing her father’s instruction, the woman said no more and turned towards the dining room.
Just as Cottland was about to move, the door before him closed on its own!
However, Cottland didn’t seem alarmed. His gaze swept the room as if searching for a presence.
But when he turned, he saw a figure shrouded in black aura.
The figure floated in mid-air, seemingly female, but the ghostly energy emanating from it made his hair stand on end!
He was from a witch family; he knew of the spirit Lashe, had even seen him, but he had never encountered a malevolent spirit before!

His pipe fell from his hand. Cottland kept backing away, only to stumble and fall onto the floor.
In his swaying vision, a figure had somehow already seated itself in the armchair he had just occupied.

“Where is Lashe?”

A somewhat familiar voice made Cottland’s eyes widen instinctively.
“It’s… it’s you…”

The person sitting in the armchair was undoubtedly Su Fan.
He had come directly to Cottland’s residence, intent on rooting out the problem.
He had detected traces of Lashe’s black aura but hadn’t found him.
Realizing Lashe couldn’t have gone far, Su Fan had decided to question someone directly.

Opposite Su Fan, Cottland looked dazed.
Last night, Lashe had appeared before him.
Unlike his usual composed self, he had seemed terrified, as if he’d experienced something extremely horrifying.
His voice was weak, his form no longer as solid as before, looking like a phantom ready to dissipate at any moment.
After that, he’d heard about the incident in the central district.
Putting two and two together, Cottland understood the truth.
Last night, Lashe had fought some entity, been defeated, and suffered grievous injuries!

“Last night… it was you who injured him…”

Cottland’s gaze shifted to the malevolent astrologer ghost floating in the air.
She hovered motionless beside Su Fan, awaiting the young man’s command.
This terrifying malevolent spirit was clearly his most loyal subordinate!

Su Fan frowned at Cottland’s words.
The astrologer ghost raised her hand.
A Tarot card glowing with red light suddenly materialized less than half a meter in front of Cottland.
A Sword card flew out.
The next moment, a large sword from nowhere descended from above, piercing right through the card and the floorboards!
The chilling aura from the great sword made every hair on Cottland’s body stand on end!

“No pointless talk. I know you’re connected to Lashe.”
“Where did he go?”

Su Fan’s voice was ice-cold, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Only then did Cottland realize one thing.
If he didn’t talk, the young man before him would truly kill him!

“I… I don’t know.”
Cottland trembled, his legs shaking.
“I have no talent… I can’t sense Lashe’s presence unless he chooses to appear before me.”

Suddenly, Cottland remembered something and looked up sharply.
“…It’s Tessa! Tessa!”
“She was here, sat for a while, then left suddenly…”
“She took Lashe!”

However, his field of vision was now empty.
The young man, the female ghost, the great sword—all had vanished.
As if it had all been an illusion…