Stranger Danger

"Hmph! My father will never abet evil." Yu Hongluan scoffed. "Just as your conspiracies will never come to fruition."

Jewel Tree Prince asked, "Perhaps your father won't, but what about you?"

Yu Hongluan wore a scornful expression. "I am Yu Qiushui's daughter. I will follow in his footsteps, so give it up."

"Hahaha... you have a backbone alright. However, you shouldn't speak so absolutely."

Jewel Tree Prince said casually, "Thirty years ago, we could not threaten your father into complying because we lacked bargaining chips. However, it's different now."

"Look, your older brother is in my hands. If you do not agree to cooperate with us, then he will die because of you!"

"Oh, you may speak now."

Jewel Tree Prince looked at the immobilized Yu Hongfeng.

As soon as Jewel Tree Prince finished talking, Yu Hongfeng discovered that he had regained his ability to speak and move. He rushed toward the Jewel Tree Prince in anger, "You lied to me, Jewel Tree Prince? You dare lied to me?"

Unfortunately, he didn't even manage to get close before a vine grew out of the floor and constricted around his torso and neck. It was such a tight wrap that his eyes were rolling to the back of his skull, and his face was turning bluish purple.

"Don't yell at me. There is nothing I hate more than disrespect toward me."

Jewel Tree Prince looked at Yu Hongfeng with unfeeling eyes. It was like he was looking at a dead man. "Understand?"

Yu Hongfeng nodded in a hurry.

"Mm. Good." Jewel Tree Prince nodded in satisfaction. "So, you want to live or die?"

"Live... I want to live!"

Yu Hongfeng squeezed out with great difficulty, "Let me go... please!"

"You want to live?" Jewel Tree Prince said with a smirk. "Then you shouldn't be begging me. Your younger sister's the one who holds your fate in her hands."

The vines loosened, and Yu Hongfeng collapsed on the floor, panting.

Jewel Tree Prince stared at Yu Hongfeng. "What's wrong? Do you want to die? Go beg your younger sister already?"

"Yes... yes..." Yu Hongfeng was scared shitless at this point. Worried that the slightest delay would anger the Jewel Tree Prince, he crawled up to Yu Hongluan and begged, "Please accept the Jewel Tree Prince's proposal, sister! I beg you!"

"Hah. Now you call me sister?"

Yu Hongluan jeered at him. "Where were you when you colluded with a Stranger to kill me earlier?"

"I... I... I was wrong, okay? I truly understand my mistake now." Yu Hongfeng's complexion turned blue and red either from embarrassment or desperation. "Save me! I don't want to die! I'm your only family left, you can't leave me to die!"

"Hongluan, I beg you, I beg you, please..."

Yu Hongfeng dropped to his knees and actually started kowtowing to Yu Hongluan.

However, there was only sorrow and indifference in Yu Hongluan's eyes. "I don't care if you betrayed me, Yu Hongfeng. I can forgive anything you do to me. However, you should never, ever have betrayed and harmed humanity."

"That is why I won't save you. I can't. No one can."

Yu Hongfeng froze for a moment. Then, hatred flooded out of his eyes as he rushed to grab Yu Hongluan's neck, screaming, "I am your older brother, Yu Hongluan! You will abandon me to my death?! I'll kill you!"

Unfortunately for him, he did not even manage to touch Yu Hongluan before the fine wrapped around his neck and pulled him into the air once more.

"Ugh! Ugh! Agh!"

Yu Hongfeng made stifled noises as his face turned beet red. However, he could not struggle free no matter what he tried.

"If your sister won't save you, then you are useless."

When Jewel Tree Prince glanced at Yu Hongluan and discovered that her brother's suffering had not changed her expression one bit, he jeered, "Tsk tsk, you're a stony-hearted woman, Fairy Hongluan!"

"I'm not stony-hearted. There's just no saving someone from themselves, that's all."

Yu Hongluan said coldly, "It's the same for you, Jewel Tree Prince."

"Oh, I resent that. Please do not place me on the same pedestal as your stupid brother."

Jewel Tree Prince smiled and moved on. "Perhaps you do not care for Yu Hongfeng's life. But what about the hundreds of thousands of people living on Floating Island? Do you not care for their lives as well?"

Goosebumps broke out of Yu Hongluan's skin as her expression darkened. "What do you mean?"

"It's exactly what you think it is." Jewel Tree Prince said unhurriedly, "If you do not agree to cooperate with me, Fairy Hongluan, then I have no choice but to destroy Floating Island. When the time comes, the hundreds of thousands of innocent people will die because of you."

"Tsk tsk... can you really bear to lose them, Fairy Hongluan?"

"You're despicable."

Yu Hongluan was furious. If looks could kill, Jewel Tree Prince would be ripped into a million pieces and burned into ash already.

"Tsk tsk... that's quite the scary look you're giving me, Fairy Hongluan!"

Jewel Tree Prince teased her, "There is an easy way to avoid this. You simply need to cooperate with me."

"Just nod your head, I promise I won't touch a single plant, animal, or human on Floating Island. Even if my grand ambitions are ultimately unfulfilled, I will not forget that you are its chief contributor. I will spare no effort in spreading your well-deserved fame so that you may be remembered fondly for eternity."

Jewel Tree Prince's voice was indescribably enchanting and captivating. It seemed capable of tempting someone to damnation alone. However, Yu Hongluan was utterly unmoved. She sneered and said, "Remembered fondly? More like lambasted for eternity!"

"Seriously, your spiel may be enough to trick an idiot like Yu Hongfeng, but me? Save it!"

"I don't subscribe to bullshit!"

Jewel Tree Prince's eyes slowly grew colder. "Is this your decision, Fairy Hongluan? You will choose a forfeit over a toast?"

"Hah! Don't try to intimidate me either. I've been eating threats like candies ever since I was a kid."

Yu Hongluan said disdainfully, "Besides, Floating Island is not made of paper. How many people can you actually kill with this little manpower?"

"My people would have ripped you to shreds before you destroyed it!"

"Oh, I see now. You are resisting because you do not actually believe we can destroy Floating Island!"

Realization flitted across Jewel Tree Prince's eyes, and the iciness receded back to feminine ridicule. "In that case, allow me to enlighten you about this: I have already discovered the secret of Floating Island. It will allow me to destroy Floating Island with the snap of a finger."

Yu Hongluan narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Watching her, the smiling Stranger spat out two words, "Kun Pearl."

"—How did you know?" A shudder coursed through Yu Hongluan's body. Her eyes grew wide as if Jewel Tree Prince had just unearthed the deepest secret in her heart. Her face was full of shock and disbelief, fear and helplessness.

"Hahaha... someone told me, naturally." Jewel Tree Prince's smile widened as if he was very satisfied with Yu Hongluan's expression. "Do you still think I can't destroy Floating Island now, Fairy Hongluan?"

Yu Hongluan remained silent.

That in itself was an admission.

Jewel Tree Prince could definitely destroy Floating Island. It would be effortless as well.

In fact, anyone who knew about this secret—anyone—could destroy Floating Island effortlessly.

It was all because of the Kun Pearl.