An Unexpected Allure and a New Path

After their evening meal, Bai Yuan, as was her custom, sat by the couch, embroidering a dudou for Yang Lingwu for a while. Afterwards, she rose and went to the adjacent washroom to bathe and change.

Yang Xuan, meanwhile, remained seated by the lamp, slowly engrossed in a copy of the Essentials of Talisman Arrays.

Almost half an hour passed.

Only then did a soft rustle come from the door curtain, followed by a faint, fragrant scent wafting into the room.

Yang Xuan instinctively looked up.

For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of surprise.

The beauty, fresh from her bath, pushed aside the door curtain and stepped into the room.

Her slightly damp dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, partially veiling her snow-white skin. She was loosely draped in a simple, pale blue beizi.

The silk ties remained undone, leaving the front wide open. A broad silk dudou barely concealed the almost exaggerated fullness of her breasts, revealing an expanse of luminous skin that gleamed with a jade-like luster in the candlelight.

What truly caught his eye was her usually unadorned, pretty face, which now bore a subtle touch of makeup. It had softened her inherent coolness, replacing it with an intoxicating allure.

Coupled with a smile that held a hint of seduction, she was exceptionally captivating.

With that enchanting smile, the woman parted her cherry-red lips.

“Husband, have you finished your reading?”

Her tone carried that distinct, coquettish lilt she used during their intimate moments.

Even with Yang Xuan’s usual composure, he felt his blood stir, his heart fluttering.

“Just one chapter left.”

He replied in a deep voice, lowering his gaze to the book before him.

Yet, his mind involuntarily drifted to the woman.

The woman gracefully approached, settling beside him. Resting her chin on one hand, her alluring eyes fixated on his profile without a single blink.

Such an intense gaze, even for Yang Xuan’s practiced tranquility, eventually caused him to put down his book. His eyes shifted towards her.

“Is something the matter?”

“If Husband has finished his book—”

The woman’s breath was as fragrant as orchids, and a soul-stirring smile played on her lips. She gently reached out, placing her hand over his, pressing softly.

“—your concubine can then attend to you for bedtime—”

Her hand, cool from the bath, combined with her warm words, was enough to ignite any man’s passion.

“You truly are—”

With such an alluring woman taking the initiative, the man let out a helpless sigh.

Red candles burned brightly, and the bed curtains were half-drawn.

Soft moans, trembling from deep within the throat, intertwined and ascended with heavy breaths. They climbed to an unprecedented peak, then gently receded.

Silence finally settled upon the bed.

Bai Yuan felt she had given her all. Her entire body was limp, devoid of strength, and her head felt a little hazy. She intended to simply roll over and fall asleep.

However, an arm reached out, gently but firmly pulling her into a warm embrace.

Bai Yuan offered no resistance, allowing the man to have his way. Her delicate head rested on his arm, her cloud-like hair fanning out around them.

She mused that over the years, she had seemingly grown completely accustomed to such acts.

This cycle of endurance, relaxation, tremor, and pleasure, culminating in a state of fuzzy disorientation, was not something she was passionate about, yet… she didn’t reject it either.

In fact, she quite enjoyed the sensation of her consciousness drifting aimlessly, untethered, in the heavens.

At least, in those moments, she could forget many things.

So, she had fully accepted this life, hadn’t she?

Bai Yuan thought lazily.

Then, the next step should be…

“I didn’t expect you to be… so proactive today.”

The man’s voice drifted down from above her.

Feeling his hand slowly caress the curves of her body, Bai Yuan turned her head. Her silken, seductive eyes, now tinged with a hazy allure, met his gaze.

“Husband trusts your concubine so much; your concubine is deeply grateful and naturally wishes to serve you well.”

Her voice was melodious and charming, and coupled with her limbs beginning to entwine around him once more, it held a surprising degree of persuasiveness.

“Speak properly.”

A light slap landed on Bai Yuan’s inner thigh. The force transmitted from it seemed poised to dissipate the energy Bai Yuan had just gathered.

However, the woman’s body trembled, and she skillfully redirected that force away.

The carved bed rocked gently.

Bai Yuan took advantage of the momentum, rolling over, a hint of triumph on her face. “What your concubine said… came from her heart—”

The man offered no response, but his hand applied more pressure.

This time, Bai Yuan finally softened.

“When I tell you to speak properly, then speak properly,”

The man rolled over, pinning Bai Yuan beneath him. His deep, profound eyes locked with hers. “I wasn’t telling you to act recklessly.”

Bai Yuan turned her head, avoiding Yang Xuan’s gaze.

“Your concubine… doesn’t know what Husband is talking about.”

“You don’t know what I’m talking about?”

The man’s tone rose slightly, his body pressing down. His breath brushed against Bai Yuan’s neck. “No, you do know—you’ve done good deeds and received rewards. Are you… so uneasy about it?”

Uneasy? Indeed. And mixed with it were panic and confusion.

Bai Yuan thought bitterly.

She had originally resolved to stay quietly in Yang Xuan’s inner chambers, living out her remaining days in seclusion. However, after that one night, the course of events had suddenly gone awry.

One thing after another, a cascade of events had followed, until today, she suddenly realized—her future was completely different.

Under a series of chain reactions, she had actually helped the Sharp Gold Guard complete their training in the Heavenly Stellar and Earthly Fiend Array. Because of this, the man had decided to entrust her with command of the Sharp Gold Guard.

She, a sinner whose hands were stained with blood, who had caused the Central Divine Continent to endure countless calamities… was to command this iron guard, the future pillar of the Central Divine Continent, which would decide the outcome of numerous battles.

It sounded like an absurd joke.

Did she… deserve it?

Could she… guarantee that she wouldn’t make a single mistake?

Or perhaps, was Heaven offering her a chance at atonement?

In her trepidation, she had chosen this method to cope, and also as a way to repay the man for this ‘grace.’ She had not expected him to see through her.

Was this fellow… a worm in her stomach?

She closed her eyes weakly.

“Yuan’er, come out and do things.”

Then, she heard the man say this into her ear.

“Don’t you want to atone? Do more things; that’s how you truly atone.”

Bai Yuan’s eyes snapped open. She saw the man staring at her face, a cold sneer curving his lips.

“Beside, when you have more on your hands, you won’t have time to overthink things.”

“I think you were just too idle at home before, which is why you thought too much. I shouldn’t have kept you confined at home; letting you out to do things sooner might have been much better than now.”

“Fortunately, it’s not too late to start doing things now.”