The moment the chains loosened, Yun Zhi instinctively tensed his muscles and took a step back. But it was only for a brief second—Mo Lian quickly erased the flicker of surprise in her gaze and smiled.
"How cunning you are, Yun Zhi…" she murmured, moving her fingers once more. The chains fell slack for just a moment before tightening around him again.
The playful glint in Yun Zhi's eyes dimmed slightly. Mo Lian wasn't someone who could be fooled so easily.
But this game was his expertise.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he tilted his head. "Hmm, I thought I had won a small victory. Looks like I'll have to put in a little more effort."
Mo Lian smiled in response. "Victory? In your case, I'd call it nothing more than a delay."
With a delicate wave of her fingers, she traced a complex magic circle in the air. Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped. The dark stone walls trembled, radiating an icy aura.
Yun Zhi took a slow breath. Mo Lian's aura reminded him that she wasn't a foe he could simply toy with. But he was a hunter—not the hunted.
"I'll make you an offer," Yun Zhi said, his voice as confident and relaxed as ever. "If you really want to test the limits of my charm, why not grant me complete freedom? Maybe then… it would be more fun."
Mo Lian's eyes gleamed with amusement. "If I let someone like you go free, you'll escape. We both know that."
Yun Zhi chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll stay."
Mo Lian leaned closer, closing the distance between them to mere inches. A sharp sliver of ice brushed against Yun Zhi's neck, sending a chilling sensation through him.
But he didn't flinch. Instead, he leaned in slightly, looking directly into her eyes, and whispered:
"If you want to break me, you'll have to do better than this."
Mo Lian's smile widened. "Is that so?"
And in an instant, the spell detonated.
The seal on Yun Zhi's body flared with a bright light. Dark patterns spread across his veins from his chest, and suddenly, his knees weakened.
The curse… was growing stronger.
His face paled, but his smirk never faded. He could feel the heat rising inside him, the foreign energy coursing through his blood, and the victorious glint in Mo Lian's eyes.
Mo Lian slowly stepped back, her fingers tightening the locks of his chains. "I suppose you're truly starting to break now."
Yun Zhi clenched his teeth, his gaze fixed on her.
This game wasn't over.
But this time, he wouldn't be playing by his own rules—he would be playing by Mo Lian's.