The Underwear Tycoon’s Rise, Chapter 29: A Female Ghost? Fine!

Everyone: "???"
So you found nothing.
If you found nothing, why did you call us out here in such a hurry?
If you found nothing, how can you still act so self-assured?
"Then, Senior Luo, why did you come out?"
The little bit of goodwill Ye Mingyue had built up toward Luo Xingchen immediately faded.
Luo Xingchen replied with perfect composure, "It was too stuffy inside. Of course I had to come out for some fresh air."
Are you mad or something?
Even if it was stuffy in there, you’re a cultivator—can’t you endure it for a while?
Wang Zhengyu was speechless as well. "Senior Brother Luo, could you stop fooling around?"
"Alright, enough joking. There is another reason, actually."
Luo Xingchen’s smile faded, his expression turning serious.
Everyone else immediately became solemn as well, pricking up their ears to hear what clue Luo Xingchen had discovered.
"There’s no clue at all on these corpses," Luo Xingchen began slowly, under the gaze of their eager eyes.
"Other than knowing that they were all drained of their blood and life force before dying, there’s nothing at all to point to the perpetrator."
"Not to mention the whole of the Nine Provinces, even just within our Northern Mysterious Continent—those capable of killing this way include not just monsters, but also ghosts, spirits, and demonic cultivators with special techniques."
"So, just from a few dried corpses, it’s entirely impossible to determine the culprit or their whereabouts."
As soon as Luo Xingchen finished, Li Minghao couldn’t help but speak up.
"Immortal Luo, I’ve heard you cultivators have special methods, that you can use corpses to track down clues to the killer. Even if you can’t find out their identity, you can at least deduce the general direction. Why not use such methods now?"
"And that is precisely the problem."
Luo Xingchen looked at Li Minghao, a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.
"Even an ordinary person like you knows about these methods—how could the perpetrator be unaware? If they knew, and still left traces after committing the crime, wouldn’t that mean they were just waiting to be caught?"
"The culprit isn’t that stupid. And you, Li Minghao, renowned as a paragon of virtue, the chief strategist of the Crown Prince—surely you’re not that dull either?"
Li Minghao was left mortified, his face flushing bright red, wishing he could crawl into a hole.
Ye Mingyue asked, "So, does that mean the trail goes cold here?"
"Not exactly," Luo Xingchen replied. "It’s just going to be a little more troublesome, and waste more time."
He paused, then laughed.
"Of course, there’s a simpler way. You could try to enlist a cultivator of the Upper Three Realms to cover the entire city with their divine sense. The moment they sense any non-human presences, they can round them all up and interrogate them one by one. As long as the perpetrator hasn’t left, they’ll be caught for sure."
Ye Mingyue sighed helplessly. "Senior Luo, you have quite a sense of humor. In the whole Azure Cloud Empire, never mind the Upper Three Realms—even those of the Middle Three Realms are few and far between. Where would I find someone like that?"
Luo Xingchen pointed at himself, smiling. "But you still have me, don’t you? As long as Princess Mingyue is willing to pay a small price, I can help you."
"Why that look? Don’t you believe me? I’m not asking you to lose a piece of flesh—at most, you’ll lose a certain membrane, but in exchange, you’ll get to solve the case and enjoy an unprecedented double pleasure!"
"In my opinion, it’s a sure win for you. Think it over!"
Ye Mingyue felt Luo Xingchen was up to no good and replied bluntly, "Let’s just take our time with the investigation."
"If Princess Mingyue is unwilling, allow me!"
Li Minghao immediately jumped in, sidling up to Luo Xingchen with eager eyes.
"I’m not sure what membrane Immortal Luo refers to, but it’s just a membrane—nothing worth mentioning. I’m willing to pay that price!"
"Get lost!"
Luo Xingchen shoved him aside with a slap.
"What are you doing here, a grown man? Do you even have what it takes to pay that price?"
Li Minghao asked, "Immortal Luo, which membrane exactly are you referring to?"
"You don’t have it, so stop making a fuss. Go away," Luo Xingchen said, not bothering with him further.
Li Minghao felt terribly aggrieved but could do nothing.
Ye Ming also didn’t want to continue this strange conversation. She turned to Luo Xingchen and said, "Senior Luo, since it will take a lot more time and it’s getting late, why don’t you come to the palace with me? I’ll arrange accommodations for you all."
Luo Xingchen shook his head. "What’s the point of staying in a place like the palace? It’s cold and lifeless—I have no interest."
Ye Mingyue couldn’t help but ask, "Why do you say the palace is cold and lifeless?"
"Have you never heard the saying, ‘Pity the beauty doomed to a bitter fate; none are more heartless than the imperial family’?" Luo Xingchen glanced at her.
"A place where so many have died is full of yin energy. Besides, emperors are cold and unfeeling."
Ye Mingyue opened her mouth to retort, but no words came.
There was no way to argue with Luo Xingchen’s words.
If not for certain reasons, she wouldn’t want to stay there either.
Sometimes, for her, wandering outside the palace was far more comfortable than living within those walls.
In fact, being with Luo Xingchen right now felt better than staying in that place.
Luo Xingchen looked at Ye Mingyue and smiled again.
"Of course, if Princess Mingyue is willing to warm my bed, I might reluctantly accept."
Ye Mingyue didn’t say another word to Luo Xingchen. She turned to a nearby guard and said, "Find a place in the inner city for Senior Luo and his companions to settle down."
With that, she left with the rest of her group.
Seeing Ye Mingyue leave, Li Minghao breathed a small sigh of relief.
He walked up to Luo Xingchen with a polite smile. "Immortal Luo, my residence has many rooms. If you don’t mind, you could stay with me."
"I have no interest in living with a man," Luo Xingchen replied curtly, then turned to the guard.
"Find us a place in the inner city. I have no special requirements, except one—it must be spacious."
The guard bowed. "As it happens, Immortal, there is such a place in the inner city. However, it hasn’t been tended for many years; it may be dirty, messy, and in poor shape."
"No matter. As long as it’s spacious," Luo Xingchen waved his hand, unconcerned.
"Just take us there."
"Immortals, please follow me," the guard said, leading the way.
Li Minghao wanted to follow and take a look, but just as he lifted his foot, he hesitated, as if recalling something, and put it back down.
He sighed and shook his head, bowing to Luo Xingchen. "Then I won’t disturb your rest any further. I’ll return home for now, and tomorrow we can search for clues about the monsters together."
Luo Xingchen waved his hand dismissively with his back to him.
The capital of the Azure Cloud Empire was divided into inner and outer cities.
The outer city was home mostly to common folk.
The inner city housed the nobility and high-ranking officials.

In short, anyone who could live in the inner city was either rich or noble.
The Wang family, to which Wang Zhengyu belonged, also lived in the inner city—though on its very edge.
They even passed the Wang family gate.
Luo Xingchen had suggested that Wang Zhengyu take them inside for a tour and to visit her family, but the girl was stubborn and refused to go home.
Her reason was that the monster hadn’t been dealt with yet.
She wanted to wait until she had rid the capital of the monster and could return home in glory, as the only disciple of the Supreme Spirit-Channeling Sect’s master, dazzling her family.
Luo Xingchen did not press her further.
Soon, the guard stopped.
He pointed to a massive mansion ahead. "Immortals, this is the place."
Looking at the dilapidated gates, thick with spiderwebs and lacking even a plaque, Luo Xingchen asked, "What was this place before?"
"It belonged to an official, but his family was confiscated for treason, and it’s stood empty ever since," the guard replied, hesitating.
A trace of fear crossed his face.
"Actually, a few people have lived here over the years, but whether ordinary folk or cultivators, they all died mysteriously. It’s said to be haunted."
"People call it the Ghost Manor… Of course, that’s just rumor. I’m not sure of the truth. If you immortals mind, I can find you another place."
"No need," Luo Xingchen replied.
"Tell me, is the ghost here a woman or a man?"
The guard thought for a moment, his tone uncertain. "It seems… probably… maybe a woman?"
By the laws of haunted houses, there are never male ghosts in such places.
"A female ghost? Great! We’ll stay here tonight—no need to change," Luo Xingchen’s eyes lit up with excitement.
"But this place hasn’t been cleaned in ages, and if it’s truly haunted, who knows what realm the ghost is in. Immortals—"
Before the guard could finish, Luo Xingchen cut him off.
"None of that matters. I have only one hobby—challenging myself."
"If it’s not haunted, so be it. If it is, then tonight I’m determined to battle that female ghost three hundred rounds!"
The guard opened his mouth to say more but was waved away by Luo Xingchen.
Sighing helplessly, the guard said, "In that case, I’ll take my leave. The doors aren’t locked; you may enter freely. Please take care."
He departed quickly.
Luo Xingchen stepped forward, pressing a hand to the old doors and gently pushing.
With a chorus of creaks, the doors slowly opened.
The courtyard appeared before them.
Wang Zhengyu followed, frowning at the overgrown weeds.
"Senior Brother Luo, are you serious? Who could live in a place like this? We might as well stay with Princess Mingyue in the palace. If not, even an inn would be better."
Luo Xingchen produced a shrunken mobile palace, holding it in his palm with a smile. "Silly girl, it’s only been two months—have you forgotten how many treasures I have?"
At the sight of the mobile palace in Luo Xingchen’s hand, Wang Zhengyu’s eyes sparkled, her reluctance instantly forgotten.