Li Qiye observed the female survivor, finding that she was indeed a great, exotic beauty - white hair, jade eyes, and perfect teeth. 

The girl did the same. The truth was that she found it astonishing that someone like him could dominate the two factions.

He looked ordinary with shallow cultivation. If she didn’t see it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed the story. 

Alas, the reality was that he was definitely a brutal murderer - a stark contrast to his appearance.

The truly pertinent question for her was his motive. Why did he risk offending the king to save a stranger?

Perhaps lust? She didn’t think this was very likely due to his attitude thus far.

Moreover, as the saber messenger, Li Qiye would have no lack of beauties in Vajra. In fact, he could pick and marry any princess in Vajra. She was nothing but a captured assassin compared to their noble selves.

“You have something to say?” Li Qiye could see what’s on her mind and smiled.

“Why did you save me?” She got straight to the point.

“Because you’re a survivor of the pavilion.” He answered.

“I see.” She came up with numerous reasons in the past but this answer wasn’t at the top of the list. 

She hesitated for a while before inquiring: “You have ties with the pavilion?”

She wasn’t sure because the pavilion has been destroyed for a long time now. The lucky survivors were few and far in between. As far as she could tell, the remnant members had nothing to do with Li Qiye.

“Not quite.” He smiled.

This confused her even more. If he had nothing to do with the pavilion and its survivors, then why? Was her background somehow special to him?

Or, maybe he had ulterior motives. After all, they have reigned the southern West King for millions of years and once had plenty of resources.

“You’re thinking that I’m after your treasury or supreme merit laws.” He laughed after seeing her barely-discernible shudder.

She became awkward, not knowing what to say after having her mind read.

“If your pavilion actually had treasuries left behind, it wouldn’t have fallen to this level.” He added.

This was indeed the truth. She thought that if they had any ace cards left, they would have been able to survive.

Before destruction was dished out by Vajra, the pavilion was already finished and reduced to a third-rate sect. There were no treasuries to speak of during that period.

“Plus, let’s assume that there were still treasures left, they might not be able to get into my sight, not even the Heavenly Jade Cicada.” Li Qiye said flatly.

The survivor was both shocked and angry. First, he looked down on the pavilion’s treasures; the comment was clearly offensive.

On the other hand, he also revealed the peerless treasure of their founder - something their tribe considered invincible.

Though she has never seen it, she heard plenty of legends regarding this treasure. The founder used it to sweep through Eight Desolaces.

It had a special significance in the tribe so Li Qiye’s blatant contempt frustrated her.

“Don’t be chafed, I am merely telling the truth.” He said.

She relaxed and thought about it. All of this no longer mattered. The pavilion and the treasure were mighty once but this was all in the past.

“What is your name?” He asked.

She looked up and stared at him, hesitating. After a while, she still stated her name: “Peng Yingxue.”

“A descendant of the Peng and the six saints.” He revealed, once again startling her.

She had no idea how he knew so much about the pavilion. 

Outsiders only knew the bare surface of the pavilion since it had been destroyed. Even descendants like her knew very little about the past and their ancestors.

“Unfortunately, you did not learn your ancestors’ abilities, only random assassination laws and crappy ones at that.” He went on.

“How do you know all of this?” She asked.

They have never even talked before yet he knew everything about her.

“Trivial matters like this cannot elude my gaze. Just one glance is enough.”

She didn’t respond. Anyone else uttering the same word would have sounded boastful. Here, Li Qiye’s words were convincing to her.

She spent her entire life training. Alas, these laws were indeed average as he said. Nonetheless, she still focused on honing her assassination art in order to exact revenge one day.

She certainly wanted to learn peerless merit laws or the long-forgotten arts of her sect. Rumor has it that these immortal techniques came from a forbidden burial ground back in the ancient age. It’s a shame that these techniques have been lost long ago.

“If I had access to my pavilion’s immortal arts, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” She stared at him and said confidently. In her mind, the pavilion was still a holy and untouchable existence.

“Not necessarily.” He shook his head: “The journey towards the dao relies on the person more than the technique. Given your current mentality or the mentality at the start, you still couldn’t go far with those top merit laws, maybe only a bit stronger than now.”

“You!” Embarrassment turned into anger as she glared at him.

She wasn’t a supreme genius but she was still confident in her talents. Moreover, she put in more effort and diligence than anyone else.

She believed that with those merit laws, she would be on the same level as Golden Cicada Buddhist Child or Phantom Saint Child.

Fate didn’t let her have them so she was limited to external assassination arts. After years of training, today was her attempt to assassinate the king. She was aware of the most likely outcome - her death.