As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 2

Lines of text appeared before Su Fan’s eyes:

[Huangting Jing: 23%]

At the same time, he felt a surge of pure energy flowing through his body.

With every breath, it coursed through every corner of his being.

This was qi.

In Taoist philosophy, qi is a metaphysical energy—the primordial force behind the birth and transformation of all things, the very essence of the Dao.

For an ordinary person, sensing this warmth would take years of guidance from a master.

But Su Fan had no such trouble.

Three months ago, those dialog boxes had suddenly appeared in his mind.

Of course, he knew—this was the golden finger of a reincarnator.

Back when he first transmigrated, he thought he hadn’t gotten one. But now, it seemed it had simply arrived late.

With this ability, Su Fan not only memorized everything he read but also grasped its meaning instantly.

“Ah, if only I had this back when I was studying… Would’ve saved me all those sleepless nights cramming…”

He sighed briefly.

Incidentally, even without the system, Su Fan had managed to complete his education and get into a decent university.

Never underestimate a transmigrator who’s lived an extra life, damn it!

After a momentary distraction, he returned to his book.

The Huangting Jing was something he’d dug out from Old Man Su’s collection.

Though Old Man Su had left China, his attachment to his homeland had only grown stronger with age.

In his spare time, he collected Taoist scriptures and ancient texts—all genuine, high-quality editions.

Thanks to him, Su Fan didn’t have to scour the world for materials when he decided to cultivate.

The Huangting Jing, an essential text of the Shangqing Taoist tradition, taught the practice of preserving the spirit and nurturing qi.

Its core idea was aligning the body’s organs, bones, and even pores with celestial deities.

It posited that every vital part of the human body was governed by a divine presence. By visualizing these gods and drawing them back into the body, one could attain immortality.

Whether immortality was possible, Su Fan didn’t know.

But since he started studying and practicing, his health had improved dramatically.

Not only had he recovered from the damage caused by bad habits like staying up late, but his martial arts practice had also become far more powerful.

Though Su Fan didn’t look particularly muscular, he could easily take down a few of the local troublemakers outside.

Incidentally, Old Man Su’s collection also included manuals for various martial arts.

In his free time, Su Fan had picked a few to practice.

Bajiquan… Xingyiquan… Taijiquan…

Though he hadn’t mastered any, he was just one step away from proficiency in each.

So if Jamie had actually thrown a punch earlier, he’d have been carried out of the shop.

Thinking back to what he’d seen earlier, Su Fan paused his reading.

After studying the Taoist texts, he had gained a supernatural ability:

Tongyou—the power to commune with spirits, peer into the underworld, and see through illusions.

Earlier, he had noticed a faint wisp of black energy clinging to the couple.

Focusing his qi into his eyes, he glimpsed fragments within that darkness:

A ventriloquist dummy in a package… a pale, sinister old woman…

And the gruesome sight of Lisa and Jamie having their tongues ripped out before dying.

But more shocking than their horrific deaths was another realization.

“Did I end up in a horror movie world?”

In his past life, one horror film had left a deep impression on him—Dead Silence.

Even now, he could recall the plot, especially that bone-chilling nursery rhyme:

“Beware the stare of Mary Shaw…”
“She had no children, only dolls…”
“If you see her, never scream…”
“Or she’ll rip your tongue out at the seam.”

That was it.

The two who had visited his shop earlier were the unlucky couple from the original story.

“So that’s how it is…”

No wonder his golden finger had activated at this exact moment.

In a horror movie world, without some skills to rely on, you’d die without even knowing why.

Suddenly, Su Fan frowned.

[You have established a connection with the cursed. The evil presence in the darkness has taken notice of you.]

Reading this, Su Fan was stunned.

All I did was give them a warning, and that undead hag already has a grudge against me?

Is she planning to send a dummy after me and rip out my tongue too?

At this thought, a bright smile spread across Su Fan’s face.

I wasn’t planning to get involved, but since you’re asking for it…

Not sending you off with a proper exorcism would be a waste of the Huangting Jing in my hands.

Malevolent spirits, after death, lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

Even if they kill their enemies in revenge, their resentment doesn’t fade—instead, they grow more vicious, eventually targeting innocent people.

And Mary Shaw was already a twisted old woman in life, let alone in death.

To her, killing someone like Su Fan—a nobody—was probably just a trivial matter.

But Su Fan was going to teach her a lesson:

“Old hag, you’ve kicked an iron plate this time!”

Su Fan didn’t seek out Jamie.

Without witnessing Mary Shaw’s horrors firsthand, the man wouldn’t believe a word Su Fan said.

But he was sure Jamie would come back soon.

That had been his plan all along.

Selling a bracelet or a few pieces of porcelain wouldn’t solve the shop’s financial troubles.

But helping someone rid themselves of a haunting? That was easily worth tens of thousands.

And in the original story, Jamie was quite wealthy.

A win-win situation—what could be better?

Until then, he’d keep studying the Taoist texts.

After all, you’ve got to be strong to forge iron.

Su Fan lowered his head and resumed his meditation.

…..

Three Days Later

Under a torrential downpour, a figure hurried through the streets before stopping in front of an antique shop.

Pushing the door open, he saw the same black-haired young man behind the counter, calmly watching him—as if he’d been expecting his arrival.

“You…”

Jamie tried to speak, but his throat was dry.

After leaving this shop, his life had turned upside down.

His wife had died a horrific death at home, her condition too gruesome to describe.

Not only had he lost the love of his life, but he’d also become the prime suspect in a murder case.

Despite having no motive and a solid alibi, a stubborn detective was hounding him.

Sitting in the interrogation room, his mind was a mess.

The mysterious package with the dummy inside…

The terrifying nursery rhyme Lisa mentioned before she died… The local legend from his hometown…

Jamie instinctively felt none of this was a coincidence.

He might be caught in something beyond scientific explanation—something evil and chilling.

At his wit’s end, he suddenly remembered the antique shop and the shopkeeper’s warning.

Now, clutching at straws, he had returned.

The moment he saw Su Fan, Jamie knew:

This man could help him.