Jin Ping'er gasped, her eyes filled with shock and wariness.
When had he come up behind her?
She hadn't sensed him at all!
It seemed this man's cultivation had advanced yet again.
"Miss Jin, why so much hostility?"
Li Xiaoyu smiled and released his fingers.
The Purple Radiance Blade let out a mournful cry and flew back into Jin Ping'er's hand.
Jin Ping'er looked at him, the shock on her face gradually giving way to a charming smile.
"Hehehe, I was wondering who it was. So it's the great hero Li of the Green Cloud Sect."
She rose to her feet, swayed her graceful waist, and slowly approached Li Xiaoyu.
"Why isn't the great hero Li staying by the side of your icy fairy? What brings you to this desolate place of mine?"
Her voice was full of teasing.
"I came because I want to make a deal with you, Miss Jin."
Li Xiaoyu ignored her teasing and got straight to the point.
"A deal?"
A hint of curiosity flashed in Jin Ping'er's eyes.
"What deal could you and I possibly make, with you on the side of righteousness and me on the side of evil?"
"I want to know what Ghost King is really plotting."
Li Xiaoyu looked at her, his voice steady.
"I want to know why he's gone to such lengths to capture those ancient mythical beasts."
At his words, Jin Ping'er's smile faded.
She looked at Li Xiaoyu, a hint of approval flashing in her bewitching eyes.
"You're perceptive."
"So you've noticed something is wrong, too."
"But," Jin Ping'er changed tack, a shrewd, merchant-like smile appearing on her face once more, "why should I tell you?"
"This is the Sacred Sect's highest secret. If I tell you, won't I become a traitor to the Sacred Sect?"