The group all speculated that he was a beggar given his dirty outfit.

“How did a beggar reach this remote region?” They heaved a sigh of relief since Li Qiye wasn’t a zombie and became curious instead.

A girl wearing a white fur coat approached. She was clearly a lady from a rich clan. Her eyes were special with golden pupils. Anyone could tell that her bloodline was exceptional.

“What is your name? How did you come to Ice Plateau?” She crouched down and asked.

Li Qiye didn’t answer; his eyes didn’t even glance at her.

“Hey, our lady is speaking to you!” A cultivator nearby shouted.

This didn’t garner a reaction from him.

“Where are you going? This place is extremely cold and dangerous. Only death awaits.” She didn’t give up and said.

His dazed eyes were still fixated on the sky.

“Miss, the cold might be too much for him.” A follower tried to alleviate the awkwardness.

She frowned slightly and found this whole thing strange - both the beggar’s current state and her own feelings. She found him rather familiar.

“Come with us, it will be safer.” She kindly suggested.

In her opinion, his death would only be a matter of time if he were to be left alone in this wintry region.

Your Highness, I’m afraid this isn’t proper given your position. Bringing him back will result in unsavory rumors.” An expert immediately whispered.

“It’s fine, I’m merely saving someone, an act greater than building seven pagodas.” She replied.

“Please reconsider, Your Highness.” The expert repeated.

After all, a stranger like him was completely insignificant. It would be akin to an insect dying.

“Yes, Your Highness, we can leave him clothes and food.” Another advised.

Due to her position, bringing back a male stranger - a beggar - wouldn’t be good for her reputation.

“Take him with us.” She was decisive despite her young age and gave the order.

“Miss…” The seniors didn’t want unnecessary trouble.

“It’s final.” She waved her hand.

The others couldn’t change her mind so they had to take Li Qiye out of this region.

In fact, she took it further by taking him back to her sect. She was awfully interested in him and ordered followers to bathe and change his outfit. She chose only the best accommodation for him.

Once he was clean, she took another look and found him rather ordinary-looking. However, since she had plenty of time, the more she stared, the more she became attracted by his hidden charisma and mysterious nature.

The thing bugging her the most was a sense of familiarity. She thought that she had seen him before but couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. After racking her brains, she confirmed that they had never met before.

She also asked him numerous questions but never got an answer.

“Are you hurt?” 

“Something bad happened to you, right?” 

The truth was that when she brought him back, the seniors in the sect thought that there was something wrong with his brain.

She disagreed because although he was unresponsive, his eyes were still relatively clear, unlike a deeply afflicted victim. Thus, she became interested in why he was in his current state.

In the beginning, she was merely curious but she grew attached to him. The one-sided conversation became more frequent and intimate.

“What do you think I should do with my cultivation?” She asked.

He was a good listener and never turned down a conversation. Due to her special status in the sect, she had no friends in the same generation while Li Qiye gave off a familiar feeling.

Every time she said what she wanted to say, he would still only look up at the sky.

“Were you born like this?” She wondered.

Seniors and doctors had come to look at him in the beginning. Alas, they didn’t notice any clue. Some believed that this was due to an injury; others said that he was defective from birth.

“Only a medicine god can save him.” One doctor concluded.

At the start, many found her decision to bring a man back puzzling. It did cause some rumors to start as well.

The seniors didn’t agree either but she insisted on keeping him in the sect. She didn’t know why she went against everyone.

She considered herself to be on the side of logic and reason. Her own action confused her. She attributed it to the sense of familiarity or his mysterious aura.

As time passed, she considered him a confidante who would listen to her worries. He became a friend she never had before.