Chapter 19

Fu Guang’s face remained void of expression; he showed no particular reaction to the command, merely nodding and saying, "Very well."

He suddenly asked, "Do you wish for me to begin now?"

A stir came from the ice bed. The young maiden, previously lost to unconsciousness, let out a faint moan. With a calm demeanor, Fu Guang walked over and lifted her torso. She had just returned from the brink of death, only to be forcibly tethered to the mortal realm once more. She had experienced such an ordeal in her childhood, though the situation had been more dire then; yet, she had awakened, brought back to the living world by her father. Perhaps, even then, she had sensed something amiss—why, after waking, did her Senior Brother’s gaze toward everyone seem to have lost its warmth?

"Senior... Brother?" She looked at him with a dazed, dream-like ignorance. Fu Guang reached out to undo her sash. She complied without struggle, believing herself to be in a dream, and leaned powerlessly against his chest. Her peripheral vision caught another figure, and she called out in confusion, "Father?"

Fu Guang removed her outer garment, revealing the undergarment beneath. She was frail, her body long ravaged by illness; her skin was deathly pale and sickly, yet now it was flushed with a faint red hue. Though her reactions were sluggish, she sensed something was wrong. Trembling, she pressed her hand against his, looking toward her father for help.

"Senior Brother... what are you doing?" she asked uneasily.

Fu Guang smiled faintly, leaned down, and kissed her lips right before her master’s eyes. She seemed even more dazed, her cheeks burning. She wanted to struggle but found herself unable to break free, forced to watch as her final layer of clothing was stripped away.

Fu Guang held her close and pulled the hair ribbons from both their heads. Their dark hair cascaded down, shielding the sight of her upper body. He lowered his gaze to the maiden’s form;