As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 23

For a moment, Karl’s eyes darted between Su Fan, whose handcuffs had been removed, and the detective, clearly trying to guess the relationship between the two.

It wasn’t just him—many of the officers who had picked up on the tension began whispering among themselves.

“The detective is furious… What’s the deal with that Asian guy?”
“No idea. Doesn’t look Japanese or Korean—probably Chinese.”
“Heh, whatever his background, I think the detective just wanted to put Johnny in his place.”
“Ditching his patrol duties, jumping on a case that wasn’t even filed yet, just so he could drag someone in and slack off early. You really think the detective’s anger is uncalled for?”

The hushed murmurs and occasional snickers from the other officers made Johnny’s face flush red with humiliation. But right now, he didn’t dare say a word. Given the detective’s current mood, he really could be forced to pack his things and leave.

Head bowed, he endured the detective’s rapid-fire scolding.

As for Su Fan, he remained calm. Bullies like Johnny weren’t even worth the effort of putting in their place—there was no satisfaction in it.

Seeing that Su Fan had no intention of pressing the matter further, and having exhausted his own anger, the detective finally stopped.

“Go home. You’re suspended for a week. Come back when you’ve had time to think.”
“Karl, come with me.”

After delivering the punishment, the detective led Su Fan toward his office, leaving Johnny standing alone, his expression dark. Today’s humiliation would make him the laughingstock of the entire precinct.

……

Inside the Office

Once everyone was seated, the detective spoke.

“Karl, walk me through everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

After listening carefully to Karl’s thorough explanation, the detective finally understood the full picture. He glanced at Karl, then at Su Fan, his eyes filled with unspoken questions.

Su Fan knew he was hesitating because of Karl’s presence and nodded.

“It’s fine. You can tell him.”

Karl looked puzzled—until the detective revealed Esther’s true identity.

“I knew there was something off about that woman.”

Karl shuddered as he recalled his interactions with Esther—her mannerisms, her expressions.

“A woman in her thirties pretending to be a little girl? Disgusting.”
“So, are we arresting her now, Detective?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?” Karl couldn’t help but ask.

Even though she was small, an adult’s muscles and bone structure were far stronger than a child’s. And if this Lena was as sadistic and violent as they said, the Colemans could be in real danger.

“Lena—or Esther—is being manipulated by another group. If we move now, we’ll tip them off.”

The detective paused.

“Besides, she’s not some amateur. That’s why I brought in Su Fan.”
“He’s an expert in dealing with people like her.”

Karl’s eyes widened in realization.

So that’s why the detective was so respectful toward him. He’s a specialist.

“Karl, didn’t you say John Coleman was acting strange? That he blindly believed whatever Lena said and was overly protective of her?”

Su Fan’s question caught Karl off guard.

“Yeah… Why?”

“I suspect he’s been placed under a voodoo curse.”

“Voodoo? Isn’t that a Black folk thing? Wait—that’s real?!”

The detective was stunned. This was the first time Su Fan had mentioned voodoo—but how did Karl know about it? Did he have some background in the occult?

Noticing the detective’s confusion, Karl quickly explained.

Having grown up in one of Los Angeles’ poorest neighborhoods, he’d been exposed to all kinds of people—including those who practiced African folk traditions and superstitions.

“Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

Su Fan’s finger tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair.

“You’ll see the evidence soon enough. But first, you’ll need to come with me back to Hollywood Boulevard.”

Without hesitation, the detective and Karl stood up.

…..

The three of them drove straight to the antique shop.

The neighboring stores were bustling with customers—yet no one lingered near Su Fan’s shop.

Unfazed, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The moment the detective and Karl entered, a wave of dizziness hit them. For a brief second, their vision blurred.

But just as quickly, it passed.

Assuming it was just the heavy incense in the air, they thought nothing of it. Su Fan, however, frowned.

He inhaled deeply, isolating a hidden scent beneath the incense—one undetectable to ordinary people.

But after years of cultivation, Su Fan’s senses were far sharper than most. Tracing the scent, he soon found its source.

“You’ve all underestimated how vicious Lena really is.”
“Her goal was never just to frame me and send me to prison—it was to get me out of this shop.”
“If I hadn’t left, how else could she have tampered with things here?”

As he spoke, Su Fan picked up a broom and swept out a bundle of smoldering dried grass from beneath a display table.

“What is that?”

The detective leaned in for a closer look.

“When you walked in, did you feel a sudden dizziness?”

Both men nodded.

“This is a highly hallucinogenic herb.”

Su Fan crushed the embers with his foot.

“Even a small amount can knock someone unconscious. Prolonged exposure would likely be fatal.”
“But this wasn’t her real method of killing…”

The detective watched as a faint glow flickered in Su Fan’s eyes—hypnotic and unsettling.

Su Fan’s gaze swept across the shop before settling on the counter.

In his vision, tendrils of black mist seeped from beneath it.

He walked over and, in a hidden corner of the counter’s underside, found a sinister symbol:

Two snakes coiled around a human figure, their fangs sunk into its neck. A single drop of blood dripped from the figure’s mouth—so lifelike it was chilling.

Karl and the detective moved closer, squinting before finally spotting the totem.

Painted in dark red against the black counter, it was nearly invisible unless you knew where to look.

“This carries a powerful curse. Once activated, it drains the life force of anyone near it. Whoever sits here will wither away—their body failing until they die.”

Karl and the detective paled.

Karl just felt uneasy, but the detective knew Su Fan wasn’t lying. He immediately took a step back.

“Cursed objects like this are easy to neutralize—just destroy them without direct contact. That’s why most curse-casters hide them in hard-to-reach places, like under furniture.”
“But whoever did this must have been overconfident because of the herb. They didn’t even bother concealing it properly.”

Su Fan scooped ash from an incense burner, sprinkled it over the symbol, and wiped it away with a cloth.

“Who did this?” Karl asked, tense.

“There’s surveillance. We’ll see.”

Su Fan’s tone was calm.

“Wait—you have cameras? Then why didn’t you show the footage earlier?”

Karl blinked, then immediately realized how stupid his question was.

Even if Su Fan had proof of his innocence, Johnny would’ve dragged him in regardless. Presenting evidence at the time would’ve been pointless.

Su Fan retrieved an old DV recorder from a hidden spot and handed it to the detective, who immediately began reviewing the footage.

Soon enough, a furtive figure appeared on screen—Esther, without a doubt.

“For most people, suspicion alone is enough to convict.”
“Once word spread that I’d been taken in by the police, my reputation would’ve been ruined—socially, I’d already be dead.”
“No one cares how a pedophile dies. They’d just cheer for it. And the police? They’d close the case without a second thought.”