Chapter 31

Not only was the Night Crying Woman stunned.

The arrest team from the Resurgence Management Office nearby was also stunned.

In the dead of night, what was that sound?

A “buzzing” filled their ears, and the silent, eerie atmosphere on the mountain suddenly brightened up. Even the young team members behind them couldn’t help but hum along involuntarily.

He Chengfeng was the first to snap back to reality. Without time to think, he realized that the Night Crying Woman’s sonic attack had been blocked by this bewitching music. He quickly exchanged a glance with Yan Feng, who was coordinating beside him.

The Ability Users struck several times.

The Night Crying Woman opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The moment she tried, that brain-rattling music blared, leaving no room for her prized wail to take effect.

In just half an hour, the situation reversed.

He Chengfeng leaned against a tree trunk, covered in wounds and utterly bedraggled. He’d probably need three or four months of recovery once he got back, but a smile finally crept onto his face.

“It’s done!”

He watched with his own eyes as the Night Crying Woman dissipated, letting out a slight sigh of relief as he recalled how perilous it had felt moments ago.

Truth be told, even after learning the Night Crying Woman’s form of existence and finding a targeted method, she was still an SS-grade vicious entity who’d killed countless people over the years. Her abilities were no less than any weird they’d faced before—only greater.

After clashing with her, He Chengfeng and Yan Feng’s hearts had sunk completely. They’d rated her combat power at SS-level from the start, but they’d still underestimated her.

In direct confrontation, He Chengfeng had even prepared himself to die on Jinding Peak.

After hearing the cry from the mountainside and steeling himself to tank it, he hadn’t expected such a reversal.

The Night Crying Woman was dead…

Killed by some inexplicable music.

He Chengfeng’s expression turned strange.

Just then, a call came in from the Resurgence Management Office.

After detecting that the signals from the Second Esper Squad and the three psychic Ability Users had suddenly vanished, the atmosphere in the Resurgence Management Office hall grew heavy.

Zheng Shangyun, the overall commander for this incident, stared at the screen in front of the computer.

Just three minutes ago, the Ability User team’s signals along with the other members’ had shown anomalies, reported to him immediately.

Zheng Shangyun frowned tightly, unsure if the Ability Users on the mountain had run into trouble during the operation or if something else had happened.

In weird incident resolutions, signal loss was rarely good news.

Zheng Shangyun rubbed his brow.

“Any updates?”

The technician stared at the screen, about to say no, when his eyes suddenly widened.

“We’ve got it!”

“The signal sources are back!”

The red dots representing He Chengfeng and the others flickered back to life on the screen, prompting a collective sigh of relief in the hall.

They’d been scared to death, really thinking the Second Esper Squad had gone completely dark.

But seeing that He Chengfeng and his team weren’t moving quickly anymore, they guessed the matter had been resolved.

Zheng Shangyun issued the order: “Call them.”

“Yes, Zheng Dui.”

The assistant acknowledged and made contact immediately.

A few minutes later, the call connected.

After Zheng Shangyun hit speaker, the first words he heard were:

“‘Night Crying Woman’ confirmed dead.”

“Second Esper Squad mission complete.”

The room erupted in cheers at the announcement.

Zheng Shangyun nodded, but then he heard an unexpected pause on the other end.

“We underestimated the Night Crying Woman’s abilities from the start.”

He Chengfeng took a deep breath. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he had to.

“Killing the Night Crying Woman this time… it had little to do with us.”

“Or rather…”

His tone grew odd: “It was just an accident.”

Zheng Shangyun was baffled: “What do you mean, ‘just an accident’?”

How could something like this be an accident?

But when He Chengfeng recounted what had happened in the next moment, Zheng Shangyun was left speechless.

“You’re saying that during your pursuit of the Night Crying Woman, things had spiraled out of control, but then music suddenly blared from the base of the mountain, and she lost all ability to resist?”

He Chengfeng sounded exhausted: “Pretty much.”

He knew full well that as a mutated weird, the Night Crying Woman wouldn’t be stopped by a simple song, no matter how brainwashing or upbeat.

But that’s exactly what happened.

The entire Ability User squad, plus three psychic Ability Users, had witnessed it firsthand—something so absurd it defied explanation.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Shangyun spoke.

“Can we pinpoint where the music came from exactly?”

Even from the base of the mountain, it should have a range.

As if anticipating his superior’s thoughts, He Chengfeng showed no surprise.

“Near Taiping Luxury Garden.”

“About that direction.”

Right below Jinding Peak was Taiping Luxury Garden. If that had nothing to do with the neighborhood, it’d be a ghost story in itself!

For a fleeting moment, Zheng Shangyun bizarrely wondered if the neighborhood was helping them.

But he quickly dismissed the ridiculous notion.

Impossible.

Today’s events were surely just a coincidence, or maybe Taiping Luxury Garden’s weird had its own motives?

Either way, the Night Crying Woman was dealt with. That was what mattered.

Zheng Shangyun exhaled, suppressing his tangled emotions.

“We’ll discuss this after you return.”

“Head back.”

The other end acknowledged.

He Chengfeng pocketed his phone. Once his bleeding wounds were bandaged, he snapped out of the odd atmosphere and turned to Yan Feng:

“Let’s head back then?”

The psychic Ability User glanced at the ground one last time and gave a wry smile.

“No point staying here.”

Even he had doubts about the fantastical turn of events, but neither said anything more.

“Down the mountain first.”

“Let’s go.”

The dozen or so supported each other as they descended.

Inside Taiping Luxury Garden:

After playing a few popular “Sunset Red” tunes, Bo Ting felt refreshed and noticed the noise outside the neighborhood had vanished.

The throat-squeezed wail was utterly suppressed by the square dance music, making his ears feel instantly better.

Lying in bed, Bo Ting found the cheerful melody so wonderful.

How had he ever thought square dancing was annoying? Now it seemed far better than any other racket.

It cleansed the mind and body, even exercised you.

As he idly fantasized about dancing a few sets in his head, Bo Ting closed his eyes amid the abundant music.

He completely missed how the calico and Doudou on the balcony were on the verge of puking from it.

In the neighborhood chat group (2):

“When will this sound stop?”

“It’s so noisy I can’t even lie in peace at night.”

Sister Han was on the verge of collapse but didn’t dare speak in chat group (1).

Wu Ge from Lele Restaurant cautiously popped up: “Just bear with it.”

“We can’t let little Bo stay up, right?”

Ever since Bo Ting had scared him, the delivery guy—who brought him food daily—felt an instinctive urge to yield.

Sister Han twitched her lips, tempted to curse Xiao Wu for being spineless, but then realized she was the same!

The group fell silent, everyone staring blankly as they waited.

From midnight until 10 a.m. the next morning…

Even as the square dancers perfectly synced up for several rounds!

Only then did Bo Ting wake up fully recharged, contentedly turning off the square dance tunes on the speaker.

“Whew.”

Finally stopped!

Sister Han let out a huge sigh of relief, nearly in tears.

She never imagined Bo Ting would listen that long.

And actually sleep through such clamor!

The neighborhood (2) group erupted in joy.

Outside, the Resurgence Management Office could finally relax too.

Heaven knew how chilling it was when He Chengfeng and the Second Esper Squad returned to find the music from Taiping Luxury Garden still blaring.

The lighthearted, upbeat tune did nothing to cheer the all-nighter Ability Users.

Lu Jingshan sipped bitter coffee, his face twisting.

“This is the sound?”

He Chengfeng, fresh from the treatment room: …

“Yeah.”

It was over—why was it still playing?

He Chengfeng, who’d initially celebrated the smooth resolution, now looked hesitant amid the cheerful brainwash. He even wondered:

Could Taiping Luxury Garden not have targeted the Golden Summit Night Crying Woman at all, but them instead?

The management office hall exchanged uneasy glances.

Zheng Shangyun, who’d planned to call for rest after the all-nighter, was forced to stay.

He twitched his lips at the vibrant sound: “Wait a bit longer.”

Bo Ting stretched lazily, his muscles loosening. He’d thought becoming an air conditioner meant no need for self-cultivation, but even ACs needed relaxation.

After limbering up, Bo Ting nodded in satisfaction. Good thing he’d always kept fit, unlike Boss Zhu from the bookstore whose body fell apart so easily.

Speaking of which, the calico had been with him for two days now?

Hadn’t Boss Zhu noticed his cat was missing?

On the balcony, he casually petted the cat and opened two cans of pet food. Bo Ting curiously checked his phone and found the chat groups unusually quiet that morning.

It was already 10 a.m., yet hardly anyone was online.

Normally, after last night’s huge event, the group would’ve been buzzing.

Bo Ting rubbed his chin, puzzled.

—Wasn’t anyone curious if they’d caught the killer?

The empty page still lingered on yesterday. Bo Ting thought for a moment and sent an emoji in the group.

“Family, did anyone follow the whole thing last night?”

Ten minutes refreshed with no replies.

Bo Ting hadn’t expected everyone to really be asleep, so he turned to the netizen, eyeing Mr. Xu’s avatar and venting first thing.

“Mr. Xu, you won’t believe how infuriating last night was.”

“It was past midnight, and someone on the mountain was still making noise, keeping people awake!”

He fired off the rant like marbles.

Xu Qinglai, up early with coffee, glanced down and saw it.

Noise past midnight keeping people awake?

Half an hour ago, he’d have instantly thought of the Night Crying Woman disturbing the peace—that weird thing’s midnight cries were routine.

Especially since the Resurgence Management Office had mobilized last night. But combining it with the intel he’d just received, Xu Qinglai changed his mind.

Reading the message again, his expression turned peculiar.

If his info was right… the Management Office had wrapped up by 1 a.m., and the one who’d played “music” all night, putting them on high alert, seemed to be… this guy?

Imagining the Management Office on edge all night, Xu Qinglai raised a brow.

But he pieced together Bo Ting’s logic.

So, he’d blasted music all night just to get a good sleep?

The absurd conclusion fit Bo Ting perfectly, without a hint of oddity.

After hearing Mr. Xu’s question, Bo Ting nodded matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, exactly.”

That inconsiderate killer crying first meant he had to fight magic with magic!

And clearly, it worked.

He’d slept great.

The killer must’ve been caught in the end, right?

No more shrieks after that.

Xu Qinglai paused for a second, at a loss for words.

This netizen’s “brain wiring” was even more wondrous than he’d imagined.

Oblivious to Mr. Xu’s thoughts, Bo Ting chattered on excitedly.

“I’d always wrongly blamed square dancing before.”

“Never knew square dance music was so effective.”

“Mr. Xu, when I’m older, I’ll join them downstairs too!”

Xu Qinglai paused mid-motion:

“How old are you now?”

He had encountered quite a few eerie entities, many of which showed clear signs of mutation at a glance. Surprisingly, however, he still couldn’t pinpoint Bo Ting’s exact age.

The other party’s personality came across as both that of a weary office drone and surprisingly lively.

It was quite peculiar.

Bo Ting hadn’t expected the conversation to veer toward age, and he felt a bit embarrassed, as if they were on a blind date.

At that moment, he touched his cold face lightly and said, “I’m twenty-three.”

He’d probably have to wait a few more decades before he could join in on square dancing.

“And you, Mr. Xu?”

From Mr. Xu’s way of speaking, he seemed a bit older than Bo Ting, but not by much.

No, that wasn’t right.

As a scholar, Mr. Xu had gone through years of schooling before graduating and landing a high-flying job at a major company, becoming a winner in life. That must have taken time, so maybe bolder guess—around thirty?

Xu Qinglai was caught off guard by the number twenty-three.

He hadn’t realized Bo Ting was that young.

In the world of the eerie, that age was ridiculously young.

He shook his head slightly and, when Bo Ting asked, used the age fabricated for this human identity.

“Twenty-nine.”

Ah.

Younger than he’d guessed by a year.

Still, at twenty-nine, there was a bit of an age gap, which explained why Mr. Xu felt so steady and mature.

Bo Ting nodded, then realized they’d veered off-topic without noticing. Remembering the main point, he said:

“Right, Mr. Xu.”

“Do you know where I can check the latest daily reports?”

Though he suspected the serial killer had already been caught, something this big needed confirmation. It would be great if it showed up in the news.

Bo Ting blinked, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Xu Qinglai paused.

“I’m afraid there’s no public report on that.”

Realizing Bo Ting wanted news on the “Night Crying Woman,” Xu Qinglai shook his head.

Bo Ting felt a pang of regret.

So he couldn’t get any intel after all.

But that made sense.

They wouldn’t announce it until things were fully sorted.

Bo Ting chatted a bit more before reluctantly bidding Mr. Xu farewell.

“Then we’ll just wait a little longer.”

He sent the message and was about to put his phone away when the other side suddenly replied: “However, you could email the Citizens Exchange Platform directly. You might get an answer there.”

The Resurgence Management Office would probably be eager to chat with Bo Ting, right?

Xu Qinglai mused.

Huh?

You could do that?

Bo Ting was surprised but took Mr. Xu’s advice seriously, planning to ask around once everyone was awake.

“Then I won’t disturb you anymore, Mr. Xu.”

“Go ahead and head to work.”

Bo Ting sent a cute emoji obediently and breathed a sigh of relief.

Resurgence Management Office:

It was just past noon, and the ability users, who had barely caught some rest, trickled back on duty.

Lu Jingshan’s eyes were ringed with dark circles; he felt like he hadn’t slept in eight days. Fortunately, he’d snatched a nap at lunch, or he might have passed out on the spot.

He stood stiffly in front of the computer, thinking about the task from his superior. He was just about to encourage his team to brainstorm freely and speculate on the true intent behind the eerie entity at Taiping Luxury Garden.

That’s when the computer screen lit up.

“Captain Lu, another email.”

Wang Dong sucked in a cold breath, flashbacks hitting him of the night dominated by endless cheerful tunes.

Lu Jingshan rubbed his face and walked over to open the inbox. Sure enough, there was the familiar account.

The eerie entity from Taiping Luxury Garden had messaged them again.

Lu Jingshan braced himself for something incomprehensible.

As expected, the email’s content was bizarre.

It was just one question.

“—Did you catch the culprit?”

Utterly baffling and out of left field.

But recalling how the sender had previously used “culprit” to refer to the “Night Crying Woman,” Lu Jingshan grew cautious.

He realized the email was asking: Had they resolved the “Night Crying Woman” incident?

Yet this case had only been solved with the other side’s help.

And now, the eerie entity was asking this…

It was hard not to overthink.

Lu Jingshan frowned and paced back and forth in front of the computer a few times. Seeing his teammates stumped, he finally typed a reply.

“Of course. It’s been resolved.”

Unsure of the sender’s intentions, wary of saying too much and erring, he chose his words carefully.

But Bo Ting misunderstood, taking the reply at face value.

Ah, so it was resolved.

Looks like they could finally breathe easy.

Bo Ting immediately turned and shared the news in the neighborhood chat group.

“Everyone, latest update—the serial killer wandering Jinding Peak has been nabbed!”

“Time for celebrations across the land!”

The elders and aunties, just waking up, were stunned for a moment before erupting in excitement.

“What?”

“Captured?”

“That’s fantastic!”

“No more staying up all night on edge tonight.”

“These old bones of mine were about to fall apart from the strain.”

Elder Wen sighed.

“This cross-world team’s efficiency is pretty decent after all.”

Bo Ting nodded in agreement.

Too bad emails didn’t have a like button; otherwise, he’d have smashed it for them.

No likes? Emojis would do.

Habituated to sending emojis to Mr. Xu, Bo Ting pondered and solemnly picked out a few GIFs that best captured his gratitude.

A few minutes later.

When Lu Jingshan refreshed the email, he was blindsided by a super atmospheric heart gesture.

Lu Jingshan: “Hiss.”

He opened his mouth instinctively, unsure:

“Why do I feel like it’s mocking us?”