As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 36

“I’m curious, how did you figure out this was a dream?”

After his identity was exposed, Freddy didn’t immediately attack.

“Go on, explain. How did you notice?”

“The pendulum,” Su Fan replied calmly.

“The sound of the pendulum stopped at a certain point. You didn’t really think I wouldn’t notice such an obvious anomaly, did you?”

“Also, your acting is just terrible.”

“How could someone who’s experienced terrifying nightmares and gone so long without proper sleep react like that right after waking up?”

Panic, screaming, jumping up—none of that would have seemed out of place to Su Fan.

But that lazy, comfortable hum sounded like she’d just enjoyed a full night’s rest.

“Your first instinct wasn’t to check for wounds on your body, but to see if your clothes had been tampered with? Heh, you’ve been watching too many old movies.”

Faced with Su Fan’s merciless taunts, Freddy didn’t get angry. Instead, he chuckled playfully.

“I suppose I really don’t have a talent for romance films. Thanks for the advice—I’ll keep working on it.”

Before Freddy could finish speaking, Su Fan lunged forward!

The distance between them closed to less than a meter in an instant. Just a little closer, and Su Fan would have him!

But the malevolent spirit showed no fear.

The ceiling and floor suddenly inverted. The disorienting shift in gravity slowed Su Fan’s movement for a split second, sending him plummeting uncontrollably.

The combination of zero gravity and inverted vision would have left most people stumbling and crashing hard against the ceiling.

A vicious grin spread across Freddy’s lips.

In the dream world, he wielded near-absolute power.

Even an exorcist, once trapped in sleep, could only become a helpless lamb awaiting slaughter!

But in the next moment, Su Fan slammed his foot through the floor above him!

His foot, lodged in the broken floor, provided enough traction. With a series of cracking sounds as the stone gave way, Su Fan ran—inverted, step by step, cratering the ceiling—straight toward Freddy!

Witnessing this, Freddy’s eyes widened slightly, and his smile froze on his pockmarked face.

In mere moments, Su Fan was upon him, a fist rapidly enlarging in Freddy’s vision!

“Since you’re here, have a punch before you go!”

…

In the real world, Su Fan’s eyes snapped open.

The terrifying ghostly figure had vanished as if it had never existed.

Su Fan looked at his hand, flexing it a few times, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

He’d landed the hit.

Su Fan stood up, stretched, and glanced around.

On the sofa in front of him, the two women were still asleep.

The pendulum behind him continued its steady swing. Everything looked just as it had before.

Not much time had passed; he’d likely only dozed off briefly.

Su Fan reached into his coat pocket, feeling the talismans inside.

His earlier claim about having no Evil-Warding Talismans had been a lie meant to trick Freddy.

Knowing the talismans were made by Su Fan and temporarily depleted, Freddy would inevitably try to eliminate him as an obstacle.

Sure enough, he couldn’t resist.

Confirmed intelligence so far:

1. Talismans can protect sleepers within dreams, but they cannot be brought into the dream itself; they only work from the outside.

2. Freddy possesses immense control within dreams. Without strong willpower and conviction, one is utterly at his mercy.

3. He can use Qi within the dream. He has the ability to harm Freddy.

The first two points weren’t great news.

Being unable to bring physical items into the dream meant his talismans were limited to basic defensive functions.

Freddy’s ability to invert gravity showcased his formidable control over the dreamscape, making him a tricky opponent.

But as long as his own methods could truly vanquish Freddy, there was room to maneuver.

Of course, all this relied on the assumption that what just happened wasn’t an elaborate ruse staged by Freddy himself.

Su Fan remained cautious. He activated his Tongyou ability, scanning the area for any anomalies.

He needed to be absolutely sure he was truly awake, and not just transitioning from a deeper layer of dreaming to a lighter one.

Dreams within dreams were common, even for ordinary sleepers.

Just then, Jamie walked in carrying a suitcase.

“Su, I’ve brought the things you asked for.”

Perfect timing.

Su Fan pulled over a table, lit incense, closed his eyes, and began focusing on his Qi sense.

Only when the familiar clear energy flowed into his body did he nod in satisfaction.

Good. He wasn’t dreaming.

Naturally, Su Fan didn’t waste this energy. He immediately drew ten new Evil-Warding Talismans.

Throughout the process, Jamie didn’t dare even breathe heavily, afraid of disturbing Su Fan.

After storing the completed talismans, Su Fan put the table away and waited for Annie and Rachel to wake up.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. Su Fan approached and gently shook the two women awake.

Perhaps due to their heightened nerves, both Annie and Rachel jolted awake almost instantly.

Without exception, they screamed and flailed wildly.

It wasn’t until they recognized their surroundings that they calmed down.

“This is the actors’ lounge?” Annie rubbed her temples. “I remember I was filming just now? When did I…”

She didn’t dwell on how she got there for long. Realizing she’d fallen asleep, she immediately began frantically checking her body for injuries.

But after a thorough inspection, she found no new wounds.

This discovery shocked her.

“Ahem…”

A light cough interrupted Annie’s daze.

She turned to see two unfamiliar men watching her from nearby.

Realizing they’d witnessed her frantic search, Annie showed no embarrassment. Instead, she smiled graciously.

“My apologies, I didn’t notice you gentlemen. I must look quite foolish.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jamie immediately waved his hand, assuring her it was okay.

As for Su Fan, a slight smile appeared on his face.

Although Anne Hathaway was highly recognized in the U.S., she wasn’t particularly well-liked by the general public.

In fact, many people actively disliked her, subjecting her to a decade or even longer of cyberbullying.

Without a thick skin, she would have left the industry long ago.

This composure aligned perfectly with Su Fan’s impression of her from his previous life.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Su Fan. Your agent, Rachel, hired me to help you.”

“She’s already filled me in on the details, so no need to repeat them,” Su Fan said take the initiative to speak.

“I just want to ask: do you remember what happened in your dream earlier?”

“No, I don’t,” Anne Hathaway shook her head honestly.

It seemed the Evil-Warding Talisman couldn’t erase the influence of dream memories.

Su Fan frowned, deep in thought.

So he was the exception.