"Sit. Drink with me."
Mo Han did not move. "Your servants promised ten thousand spirit stones. I see no stones. Only wine."
The atmosphere froze. The servants at the edge of the room gasped, expecting him to be struck down. But Bai Gu only laughed again, this time lower, richer.
"You really are fearless. Most men would sell their soul for a smile from me, and yet you demand stones. Do you not fear the Bai Clan?"
Mo Han's eyes narrowed slightly. "Fear? Fear is for those who have everything. I has nothing to lose here."
Her smile faltered for the briefest moment, then returned sharper, like a blade wrapped in silk. She rose gracefully from the throne and walked toward him, each step measured, deliberate. The faint clink of her jade ornaments echoed like the toll of a bell.
