FRGNM -Chapter 270 The Third Purple Bamboo in Hand

“Yes, there is a way… but it comes from my deep affection for him. I truly, truly want to see him again,” the Snow Goddess said, instinctively folding her hands. She smiled faintly, brushing her slender fingers and thinking of his past gentleness, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

Ling Ruoxi frowned. Now she almost wanted to give her father a good scolding. What kind of mess was this? Was he the one who caused all this trouble for the little girl? But a thousand years ago… back then, did her father even know her mother? Perhaps her mother was a latecomer who surpassed all?

Shivering, Ling Ruoxi banished these thoughts from her mind. To dwell on them any longer was far too terrifying.

“But no matter how infatuated you are with him, he will never return. So now… you should think about your people,” the figure in blue said, frowning. Unlike Silver Wolf, he seemed to understand: this woman, even after a thousand years, remained entangled in her emotions.

The Snow Goddess let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “How could you possibly know what happened a thousand years ago? I sealed myself for them, yet inside, they spat on my statue, struck it… had it not been for the purple bamboo protecting me, they would have destroyed me long ago. My tribe split, and only one clan acknowledged me. Sometimes… being human is truly sad. And as the deity they worship… isn’t that even better?”

“If being a deity is better, then why enter the mortal world?” Ling Ruoxi asked, narrowing her eyes.

Shivering slightly, the Snow Goddess smiled softly. “I don’t know… I just wanted to see, to experience life. But when it brings me sorrow… there’s no need to continue.”

“Really?” Luo Mingyu’s voice was cold. He grasped her wrist and led her outside. “Look carefully—see what your people are doing, see what your tribe is doing!”

They looked out over the tall grass, higher than humans. Waves of people cut through the weeds, driving the surviving cattle and sheep out, rescuing those trapped. Every clan joined together. The floodwaters had long receded, leaving countless footprints in the uneven ground.

“They…” The Snow Goddess’s eyes lit up as she gazed at the crowd. Pressing her hand on a nearby ice shard, her eyes sparkled. A small smile appeared. “Even so… what can they do? How could they resist floods or natural disasters? It’s all just a struggle against death.”

“Is the flood hard to resist?” A dark figure laughed coldly, soaring into the sky. Holding the Thunder Spear, he struck downward with a surge of purple Dou Qi. Boom! The blast cut through all the grass, creating a straight river channel across the plains. The river carried the floodwaters safely away. The severed grass no longer grew, lying shallowly on the ground, just above ankle height.

The people cheered, clearing the grass and driving the cattle and sheep back toward Sara Lake. In the distance, a massive stone statue had been rebuilt, standing tall, surrounded by colorful blessings. Chickens and sheep were sacrificed; bonfires rose high, spreading familiar scents. It was as if she had returned a thousand years ago, jumping among the people and blending into their lives.

A gentle smile formed on the Snow Goddess’s lips. She turned away; she no longer needed to watch. Her eyes sparkled faintly as she said softly, “So, you had already prepared… though I am still unwilling. Little girl, can you promise me one thing?”

“What thing?” Ling Ruoxi asked, raising her brows as she stepped forward.

The Snow Goddess smiled lightly. “If you learn anything about your father, tell me. I will watch over you from this sky and support you. Keep going.” She touched the small head gently, laughing softly.

She stepped back two paces, looking at the four people before her. Slowly, she raised her head to meet the bright sky. Perhaps he was right—a thousand years ago, she should not have lingered but returned immediately.

At the beginning of the world, she stayed here, never realizing that when she moved, the world moved. As the one leading the snow, she should have been punished by heaven and earth. She thought she could resist the world, yet in the end, she was defeated by herself.

A blue light shot into the sky. Her frail figure instantly vanished into nothingness, disappearing like lightning.

The compass in their hands spun, and the air in this place returned to calm. The needle now pointed steadily elsewhere. The sky, once veiled in clouds, now resembled a piece of blue silk, dotted with drifting white clouds—stunningly beautiful.

The third purple bamboo… was in hand.

Yet Ling Ruoxi hadn’t expected it to come so easily, though it stirred her heart.

“Phew, that was close. By the way, where did the Snow Goddess go? Without the purple bamboo, could she really become a statue to suppress this place?” Silver Wolf asked, shaking his head.

The figure in blue’s expression darkened. “I didn’t expect beings like them to exist in this world.”

“What do you mean? What exactly is this Snow Goddess?” Silver Wolf asked, baffled.

“All things under heaven arise from fate, and spirits form naturally, becoming spiritual entities. The Snow Goddess is a spirit, born of the world’s spiritual energy. She is the essence of this land—neither beast nor human, just a being formed from pure energy. Her existence maintains balance here. If she leaves, the energy destabilizes, causing chaos. That is why the compass wavered, and disasters struck.”

Ling Ruoxi took a deep breath. “Now that she’s gone, can she return?”

“Spirits separated from the world form their own consciousness. Once they leave, they become a human body. To return, she would have to transform back into a spirit. In other words, she no longer exists. Even if another spirit appears, it will not be her.” The spirit that had barely formed into existence was now gone, absorbed back into the world to maintain balance.

It sounded fantastical, but it was true. From the start, she knew her fate, yet clung to a sliver of hope. Ultimately, she could not escape it.

“At least… she still loved this land, right?” Luo Mingyu asked, holding Ling Ruoxi in his arms.

If the spirit didn’t wish it, no amount of coercion could force her back. Such an existence was supreme—her mere thought could bring disasters—but she chose to return.

Perhaps it was love for this land, perhaps the last hope for him. Perhaps the final note echoing across the plains wasn’t a sigh, but love.

“Let’s go—to the next place.” The figure in blue showed no attachment; this land was never theirs. They hoped the next purple bamboo would be as easy to obtain as these three. Otherwise, if it was like the second bamboo that appeared only when certain songs played, who knew when they would find it.

Blocking the figure, Ling Ruoxi quickly unfolded the map, only to groan. “Of course, it’s like this.”

“Don’t tell me the scroll got soaked too!” Blue-clad muttered, staring at the soaked parchment. Ling Ruoxi had stuffed it into her clothes for convenience, but now it looked like a waterlogged sponge—swollen and odd.

Blue-clad grabbed it, examining the blurred markings. “This should be where we are now—Southern Barbarian lands. The next place is…” But the map was too wet; the writing was illegible.

Luo Mingyu chuckled bitterly, taking the soggy parchment. “Zi… what country?”

“Let me see… Zi-Chuan Country?” Blue-clad squinted at the ink-stained area, frustrated.

Silver Wolf stepped forward, checking the map carefully. “It’s Zi-Feng Country! Could the next purple bamboo really be in Zi-Feng?”

“How do you know it’s Zi-Feng and not Zi-Chuan?” Blue-clad asked.

Silver Wolf smirked. “Of course I know. I came from there. Plus, I know someone there who might know the bamboo’s location.”

“Zi-Feng Country… Sword Pavilion.” Luo Mingyu scanned the writing, cross-referencing his memory. Their next stop was clear: Zi-Feng Country, to the Sword Pavilion, to find the next purple bamboo.

Sword Pavilion? Silver Wolf’s eyes widened. “No way… really the Sword Pavilion? What a coincidence!”

“Don’t tell me you’re from the Sword Pavilion,” Blue-clad muttered, quickly drying the map. Such an important item could not be left to Ling Ruoxi.

Silver Wolf pouted. “I am from near the Sword Pavilion. After taking human form, I knew some people there. One is extremely capable—knowledgeable in astronomy, geography, and many things we don’t know. His name is… Yuwen Zhiyuan.”

“Stop bragging. We’ll see when we get there. For now, let’s go.” Blue-clad rolled up the parchment, unwilling to risk it further.