The entire hall instantly went dead silent, every single old beastman turning their head with a sharp, judgmental glare, fully expecting to see a lower ranking lord rushing in with frantic apologies.
Instead, they saw Qin Mo.
The 'beautiful snake king did not rush. He strolled into the grand, imposing hall with slow, perfectly measured steps, his long dark hair flowing loosely behind his shoulders. He wasn't wearing the heavy, suffocating royal robes the elders expected.
He was wearing the loose white linen shirt, the casual charcoal-grey trousers, and the flat, black rubber flip-flops he had received from Lin Wan that morning.
A distinct, rhythmic *thwack... thwack... thwack...* sounded through the silent, grand hall as the soles of his flip-flops casually slapped against the polished obsidian floor.
The gathered elders completely froze, their minds going entirely blank.
They stared at his feet, then at his loose, light clothing, and then up to his flawlessly handsome face.
