The humid air rushed at him once again, and Chen Feng knew that a new cycle had begun.

"Hey handsome, you don't look so good. You'd better find a place to take shelter before it rains."

Fing hell, you've been chasing me to kill me all this time, how could I be okay?

Despite his anger, Chen Feng forced a smile and waved her off, "Next time, definitely next time."

After sending the Boss Lady away, Chen Feng calmed himself and began to reflect on the events of the previous cycles.

"I died again."

"If it weren't for the Save and Load System, I'd be in debt for three lives by now. No wonder so many predecessors who traveled here failed; this place really has its quirks."

"From the experiences of the first and fourth cycles, no matter where I am—whether inside the Happiness Internet Cafe or in a car several kilometers away—as soon as I fall asleep, I'm dragged into a dream by the Boss Lady and then drained to death."

"So if I want to see the sun tomorrow, I must strike first and kill the Boss Lady before I sleep."

With his target set, Chen Feng called upon the System.

[User: Chen Feng]

[Load Count: 5]

[System Points: 4]

[Task: Eliminate Happiness Internet Cafe (Incomplete)]

[Task: Eliminate Water Ghost (Completed)]

"Completed tasks can't be repeated, so the plan to farm points with the suicidal girl and the Water Ghost is a bust."

Chen Feng looked at the four system points he had earned last time and didn't rush to exchange them for more load counts. After all, he would soon choose a new system, and if he encountered a good exchange system but had no points, wouldn't that be awkward?

It was the same three-box choice.

This time, the new box replacing the Great Villain System was labeled LY-03-ZQZG, and it said, "The goal is to become a Master of Ghosts!"

This, this is it!

Seeing the code LY for Paranormal, Chen Feng was overjoyed. Countless classic paranormal character images spun in his mind: a Maoshan Taoist mastering the Five Thunder Righteous Method, an exorcist with a silver crossbow, an Onmyoji manipulating shikigami, a medium communicating with spirits...

Finally, I've drawn a treasure!

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Feng grabbed the Paranormal box and instantly refined it:

[Ding! Congratulations on successfully activating the Strongest Ghost-Catching System!]

A text appeared before Chen Feng.

[1: Defeat ghosts through combat.

2: Fulfill the ghost's obsessions and wishes.

When the user meets these two conditions, they can subdue the ghost and make it a subordinate.]

"Not only do I have to win, but I also have to fulfill their wishes. These conditions are harsh."

Despite the harsh conditions, Chen Feng had a good option at hand: the Water Ghost.

Firstly, Chen Feng knew the Water Ghost's weakness to fire and had already successfully slain it in the last cycle, fulfilling the first condition without issue.

Secondly, during the second cycle, Chen Feng had witnessed the Water Ghost attacking the Happiness Internet Cafe, and in the third cycle, Old Li had mentioned the story behind the Water Ghost. So Chen Feng was certain that the Water Ghost's wish was to take revenge on the Boss Lady!

With his target confirmed, Chen Feng stopped Old Li and his companion as they left the internet cafe, focusing on three words: "Officer, hungry, food."

Then he headed to Cihang Bridge.

During the journey, Old Li recounted the story again: "The reason so many people died at Cihang Bridge is because of the Water Ghost."

Chen Feng replied, "Oh."

Old Li was surprised, "You're not shocked? That's a Water Ghost!"

Chen Feng coldly said, "Tell me something I don't know."

"Feudal superstition, I'd rather listen to the news."

Zhang Ruobing turned on the radio, and after a segment of soothing background music, a male announcer's voice came on:

"The annual 'Youth Mental Health Work Conference' will be held at 9 AM at the city's administrative center conference hall at the end of this month... The meeting invites renowned professors in the field of mental health from our city, aiming to guide minors to embrace the online world in a green, healthy, and civilized manner."

Accompanied by the boring news, the car arrived at Cihang Bridge.

Then it was the same old routine: a girl jumping into the river, the Water Ghost appearing, and starting to climb the rope.

But this time, Chen Feng didn't let Old Li and the others cut the rope; instead, he borrowed a lighter.

"Uncle Li, can I borrow your lighter?"

"Sure, but I don't have any cigarettes."

"What's the point of lighting a cigarette? Watch me light up a Water Ghost; that's more exciting."

With that, Chen Feng lay in wait and set the Water Ghost climbing the rescue rope on fire.

The flames spread at a frenzied speed. In the last cycle, the Water Ghost was hit by a car, shot over fifty times, and finally destroyed by fire. So this time, merely igniting the Water Ghost didn't kill it completely; it collapsed to the ground, temporarily losing its combat ability.

Watching the charred, writhing figure on the ground, Chen Feng stopped Old Li and his companion from drawing their guns and walked forward alone, saying, "I know your story and that you were killed by a wicked woman, seeking revenge against her."

"And I've been targeted by that vile woman too. If I don't kill her, I won't survive the night. So I think, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. How about we join forces?"

After his speech, Chen Feng heard a system prompt.

[Ding! Congratulations on temporarily subduing the Water Ghost!]

[Water Ghost (Temporarily Subdued)]

[Resentment Level: ★★★ (Three Stars)]

[Traits: Water Affinity, the Water Ghost is immensely powerful in water and can teleport short distances through water bodies.]

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[Traits: Rain Affinity, during rain, the Water Ghost can leave the shore, and its form becomes blurred and hard to recognize.]

[Weakness: Fear of Fire, though born of water, the Water Ghost's body is covered in corpse oil and ignites upon contact with fire.]

Chen Feng's mind filled with detailed information about the Water Ghost.

"So the Water Ghost can teleport briefly through water bodies. No wonder during the second cycle, it suddenly appeared in the second-floor bathroom of the internet cafe, and during the fourth cycle, it caught up with us even though we drove so far away."

As for the Resentment Level, it was the system's measure of a ghost's combat power. The more harm a ghost caused, the heavier its resentment, the higher its star level, and the stronger its power.

After resolving the Water Ghost issue, Chen Feng told the still-shaken Old Li and his companion, "The Water Ghost under Cihang Bridge has been subdued by me and won't harm anyone anymore."

Old Li couldn't help but ask, "Thank you for saving me, but who exactly are you?"

Chen Feng replied, "Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I'm here specifically for the homeless disappearance case."

A hint of surprise flashed in Old Li's eyes, "You know about the homeless disappearance case too?"

Chen Feng nodded. He didn't want to arouse suspicion, but anyone with normal intelligence would know which was more dangerous: the Boss Lady with a bounty of 9 points or the Water Ghost with a bounty of 3 points.

So, to deal with the Boss Lady, Chen Feng needed more combat power and had to persuade Old Li to help: "Officers, what I'm about to say next, please don't be afraid. The homeless disappearance case wasn't committed by a human!"

Zhang Ruobing asked, "How many people were involved?"

Chen Feng clarified, "No, it's not a group crime. What I mean is, it wasn't done by humans at all."

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Ruobing would have scoffed, thinking this person was crazy.

But after witnessing the Water Ghost incident, she was a bit shaken, "Are you saying the homeless disappearance case is also related to supernatural forces?"

"Exactly."

Chen Feng revealed how the demoness Boss Lady seduced people, lured the homeless to work as internet cafe attendants, and killed them one by one, turning them into human skins hung in the attic.

"That doesn't make sense." Although Old Li had received many reports and had long suspected the Happiness Internet Cafe, after today's investigation, "We went to the third floor, and aside from some wood and sand, there was nothing unusual."

Chen Feng squinted, thinking that sand absorbs water and wood is flammable. It seemed the Boss Lady knew the Water Ghost would come for her. As for not finding human skins, could it be that the Boss Lady had hidden them?

Old Li suggested, "Why don't we investigate again together?"

"No, no, no!"

Chen Feng shook his head repeatedly. That Boss Lady had killed nearly a hundred system-equipped travelers. If the three of us went, wouldn't that be suicide?

"Uncle Li, you need to gather as many people as possible to help."

Old Li was troubled, "To gather people, we need evidence."

Chen Feng persuaded, "Uncle Li, if we don't shut down the Happiness Internet Cafe tonight, there won't be another chance. Who knows how many more people will be harmed by then."

Hearing this, Old Li's eyes gradually became resolute, "Alright, I believe you."

Zhang Ruobing suddenly looked at her mentor, "Master, what if it's fake..."

Old Li told his apprentice not to say more, "Even if it's fake, we must go. That's the meaning of being a police officer."

So, an hour later.

Three police cars parked in front of the Happiness Internet Cafe. Amidst the blaring sirens and the sound of rain, eight officers armed with heavy batons and stun guns got out and stormed into the cafe, shouting:

"Don't move, hands on your head, squat down!"

"We have substantial evidence and suspect your internet cafe is connected to the recent disappearance cases. Please cooperate with the investigation."

"Unrelated personnel, please leave the scene immediately."

Chen Feng, mingling among the officers, was in high spirits: Boss Lady, Fing hell, here I come!

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan