As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 26

Just moments ago, Kate had desperately raised her hand to warn them—Lena was lurking in the shadows, ready to ambush them!

“Su!”

Karl, still reeling from shock after shock, stood frozen, unsure what to do.

“I—I should—”

“Check on Kate and John. I’ll handle the dwarf.”

Su Fan’s calm orders steadied Karl’s nerves. He hurried over to the wounded.

A glance at John told Karl everything. His pupils were dilated, his chest barely rising—chances of survival were slim.

As for Kate, her throat had been slashed, silencing her. Multiple stab wounds covered her limbs and abdomen, but none were immediately fatal.

She had been tortured mercilessly.

A horrifying realization struck Karl.

Lena must have heard them coming and slit Kate’s throat to stop her from crying for help.

Monster.

His hands trembled with rage.

Meanwhile, Su Fan stepped toward Lena, his shadow engulfing her.

She writhed on the ground, unable to rise—the kick had shattered her spine.

What kind of human could do that?

Worse, the bloody fragments she coughed up meant her organs were failing.

Su Fan had never intended to let her live.

Yet what baffled her most was how Su Fan—who should’ve been drained of life by the curse—stood here unharmed, strong enough to cripple her in one blow.

Her vision blurred as life drained from her wretched body.

“Confused?”

Su Fan looked down at her.

“You really thought your little tricks could fool me?”

A cold smirk curled his lips.

“Did you honestly believe that nun and lawyer wanted to help you?”

“Is your brain as stunted as your body?”

“You were just their pawn.”

“Let me guess—they told you to set up some ‘ritual’ here, didn’t they?”

“Something about ‘absorbing life force’ to ‘restore your body’?”

“Here’s the truth: that ritual kills everyone who enters—including you.”

“Pathetic.”

He didn’t lower his voice. Karl and Kate heard every word, their minds reeling.

Lena’s body convulsed violently. Her fading eyes flared with dark hatred.

At the same time, an evil energy stirred in the air.

The house trembled. Karl, still bandaging Kate, flinched and stared around in terror.

Su Fan understood instantly.

She was trying to drag them all down with her.

A crimson glow erupted from the floor, flooding the room like a tide of blood.

“Child’s play.”

Su Fan sneered and began reciting the Purifying Heaven and Earth Incantation at blinding speed:

“Heaven and Earth, naturally pure—disperse all foulness… Banish the wicked, let the Dao’s light endure. By the Law’s decree, swiftly as commanded!”

What should’ve been a lengthy chant took him less than five seconds.

A purifying force descended like divine judgment.

The ritual’s dark energy recoiled, gathering defensively—but the moment it clashed with the incantation’s power, it shattered.

The evil glow vanished, cleansed in an instant.

The brief collision sent furniture flying, leaving the room in chaos.

Lena’s eyes widened in disbelief, then twisted with fury.

But her chance for revenge was gone. The last flicker of life faded.

“Don’t worry,” Su Fan said coldly. “Your ‘friends’ will join you soon. Die in peace.”

Those were the last words she heard before darkness took her.

“Is… is it over?” Karl croaked, swallowing hard.

“The caster’s dead, the ritual’s broken. It’s done.”

Su Fan stood.

“Karl, take Kate and John to the nearest hospital. Now.”

Kate, barely conscious, suddenly twitched.

She’d heard “nun.”

In this life-or-death clarity, she remembered—Abigail, the “kind” welfare nun who’d visited her home, was the mastermind.

Her children—!

Karl held her down. “Kate, listen! Su will handle this! You saw what he just did!”

“He’ll save your kids! Our detective’s already on his way too!”

Only when Su Fan gave a firm nod did Kate finally relax, her pleading eyes closing as she passed out.

…..

Elsewhere

“Hm?”

A woman’s voice echoed in a dim basement, laced with confusion.

“What is it, darling?” A man responded lazily.

“The ritual activated briefly… then stopped. Something destroyed it.”

“Lena must’ve failed.” The man chuckled. “We never expected her to succeed anyway.”

“If the ritual’s broken, the police are distracted by her. She served her purpose.”

“Now, let’s focus. I can’t wait to claim my new body.”

Greed dripped from his words.

As he spoke, candles flared to life one by one, illuminating the room’s horrors:

Goat skulls. Human teeth. Maggots. Hair. Nails.

At the center stood a massive mirror, reflecting two bound children—a brother and sister, gagged, their faces streaked with terrified tears.

They huddled together, seeking comfort in each other’s warmth…