Gan Fall

As they traveled, the sky gradually brightened. Golden dawn pierced the horizon, the sea of clouds churned with a warm shimmer, and the clouds seemed rimmed in gold—an utterly breathtaking sight.

Xia Luo and Bullet were drawn in by the view. One glance was enough to make them feel as though their very souls had been cleansed.

"Wow!"

Bullet unconsciously opened his mouth wide, marveling at the sight before him.

It was Xia Luo's first time seeing such a scene as well, and she could not help taking a few more looks.

Just then,

a voice came from behind them.

"Blue Sea people?"

"Hahaha, this is your first time on Sky Island, isn't it? What do you think? Beautiful? Spectacular?"

At that, Xia Luo turned around and saw a young man clad in silver armor and carrying a peculiar spear.

Huh, that outfit looks familiar. Could he be Gan Fall?

Xia Luo's eyes lit up, as though she had searched everywhere only to find what she wanted falling right into her lap.

She had originally planned to seek Gan Fall out, yet he had delivered himself right to her doorstep. How thoughtful.

While Xia Luo studied Gan Fall, Gan Fall was also carefully observing Xia Luo and Bullet.

He had just received Amazon's report that two Blue Sea people had entered the country, so he had rushed over immediately.

From what he knew of Blue Sea people, very few of them were honest.

Either they wanted to turn Skypieans into slaves and sell them for a high price.

Or they would seize the chance to plunder everything in sight before fleeing.

In short, Gan Fall had come to warn Xia Luo and Bullet to behave themselves and not get any foolish ideas. If he discovered otherwise, he would drive them out of the country—or even kill them on the spot.

At that moment, Gan Fall noticed Xia Luo's gaze and could not help asking, "Blue Sea person, judging by your expression, it seems you know me?"

Xia Luo asked uncertainly, "If I'm not mistaken, you're Gan Fall?"

Gan Fall said sternly, "Since you know me, you should know what I'm capable of. I'm warning you: Sky Island is my territory. Don't you dare cause trouble, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Ignoring the threat in Gan Fall's words, Xia Luo asked curiously, "From the sound of it, does Sky Island often suffer attacks from Blue Sea people? Pirates who come up through the High West route?"

"Those pirates really are scum. All they do every day is destroy things or plunder. If it were me, I'd kill them too."

Gan Fall raised a brow. "So you're saying you aren't pirates?"

"Of course we aren't pirates."

"Forget it. Whether you are or not doesn't matter. Just remember what I said!" With that, Gan Fall turned to leave.

"Wait."

Xia Luo called out to Gan Fall and signaled for Bullet to stop him.

Gan Fall halted, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked at Xia Luo in confusion. The next second, Xia Luo's words gave him a fright. "Your injuries aren't light, are they?"

"What injuries? I don't know what you're talking about. Tell your man to move!" Gan Fall forced himself to remain calm and feigned anger as he tried to leave, but Bullet blocked his path.

Ignoring Gan Fall's furious glare, Xia Luo continued on her own:

"The High West route is certainly dangerous, but every year, plenty of pirates are still willing to risk their lives just to witness the legendary Sky Island with their own eyes."

"Leaving aside the price Skypieans can fetch when sold in the Blue Sea, Sky Island's resources alone are enough to make people drool. Take those resources to the sea, and they can be sold for a high price with a simple resale—an enormous profit."

"Not to mention the rumors that Sky Island possesses inexhaustible gold. The pirates flock here in droves."

"As the god of Sky Island, you bear the duty of resisting foreign enemies, guarding the borders, and protecting the people. You have clearly fought pirates until you are covered in wounds, yet you still pretend nothing is wrong and patrol every day while injured..."

With every sentence Xia Luo spoke, Gan Fall's expression changed, each word striking his heart like a heavy hammer.

Gan Fall interrupted Xia Luo and shouted in a deep voice, "Enough! Stop talking! Who are you, and what do you want? I'm warning you, don't try anything!"

Seeing that the time was right, Xia Luo immediately said, "Don't misunderstand. We mean no harm. Gan Fall, I admire you. I want to invite you to become my companion and fly my flag over Sky Island!"

"In exchange, I can help you deal with every pirate who reaches Sky Island with ill intentions."

"No—"

Gan Fall was about to refuse when Xia Luo interrupted him again. "Don't rush. Hear me out. Besides helping you deal with pirates, I can also resolve the conflict between you and the Shandia people. I can help you cast aside old grudges, shake hands, make peace, and coexist peacefully."

"It has been hundreds of years. The fighting between you should have ended long ago. What do you think?"

Gan Fall could scarcely believe it. "You know about that too?"

Xia Luo said bluntly, "Of course. I came here today bearing peace. Now, tell me your decision."

Gan Fall took a deep breath. "How can I trust you?"

Xia Luo shook her head and said firmly, "I don't need you to trust me right now. If I fail to fulfill my promises, you can leave at any time. And from then on, I will never set foot on Sky Island again!"

"Of course, even if you refuse to join us today, I will still plant my flag on Sky Island. No one can stop my decision!"

Xia Luo had long planned to use Sky Island as her future base. Whether Gan Fall agreed or not made little difference. If he agreed, all the better. If he refused, she would suppress him, release him once everything had settled, and if he remained stubborn, drive him out of the country.

At that moment, Gan Fall's expression kept shifting as he struggled intensely inside. He did not know how strong Xia Luo was, but the fact that she had seen through his injuries at a glance meant she could not be weak.

Moreover, the young man beside Xia Luo gave him a faint sense of danger. Even at his peak, Gan Fall would not dare guarantee that he could defeat him.

Most importantly, he was genuinely tempted by the conditions Xia Luo had offered.

If Xia Luo had merely offered to deal with pirates, he could have refused. But she had said she could resolve the old feud between them and the Shandia people. That deeply moved him.

After pondering for a long time, Gan Fall finally made up his mind. He said in a deep voice, "I can agree to this. But if you fail to do what you promised, or if you have ulterior motives, I will definitely take Sky Island back! Absolutely!"

Hearing his answer, Xia Luo broke into a smile and extended her right hand toward Gan Fall. "Welcome aboard. Trust me, I won't disappoint you."

"Mm!"

Since he had already made his decision, Gan Fall said nothing more.

"What do you plan to do next? Take over the position of 'god'?"

Xia Luo shook her head. "Not yet. I need to make a trip to Birka first. Until I return, keep everything as it is."

"Bullet, stay behind and help Fall. If anyone comes to Sky Island during that time, you're responsible for detaining them. If they dare resist, kill them on the spot!"

"Got it, boss!"