FRGNM -Chapter 283 The Incredible Purple Bamboo

“You little brat! I’m going to thrash you!” Yuwen Ye almost choked on his own saliva as he caught the golden card in his hand. Staring at the person before him, he gasped. This kid had even planned his escape in advance—he truly had underestimated him.

Laughing, Yuwen Zhiyuan quickly grabbed Silver Wolf, chuckling, “I know, Father, you’ve collected quite a few treasures and silver inside the tower. Thanks! Let’s go!”

With that, several figures shot forward through the sky, leaving the dazed man still standing, staring at the now-empty blue sky. That brat… he’d actually been tricked—by this little group!

But…

A faint smile curved Yuwen Ye’s lips as he held the golden card. At least he felt some happiness. After all these years, it was time for them to make their own decisions; he no longer needed to enforce strict control.

“Those who survived, stand up.” A low voice echoed in the sky. The figures who had been flying down landed. Looking at the people crawling out from under the eaves, one couldn’t help but wonder at Luo Mingyu’s skill. After that single strike, so many people had survived!

But the next moment, Yuwen Ye’s expression changed drastically. His sword-like brows shot up. The fallen people were now surrounded by purple Dou Qi—that was obviously Yuwen Zhiyuan’s Dou Qi. Damn it! That kid hadn’t just set up a barrier; he’d laid a formation on each person. Only the buildings had been damaged; everything else was perfectly normal.

From afar, the old man could still be heard roaring atop the Sword Pavilion, seemingly refusing to admit defeat, as if he wanted to break Yuwen Zhiyuan’s legs himself.

Clutching his ears, the helpless man gave a crooked smile, yawned, and looped his arm around Silver Wolf’s neck. Exhaling hot breath, he laughed, “Brothers, thanks! If it weren’t for you, I’d still be trapped here—maybe for the rest of my life.”

“Cut the chit-chat. How much do we each get for playing along?” Ling Ruoxi was practical, lifting her brows and staring at him.

Almost choking on his own saliva, Yuwen Zhiyuan raised his hands quickly, laughing bitterly, “Spare me, Lady Aunt. You peeled off all the Purple Bamboo from me. Technically, I’m the one who got hurt here, not you. So why are you asking me for money?”

“Ha! Someone said it, hundreds of billions. For him, it’s just pocket change.” Blue-clad deliberately drew out the words, grinning at the person opposite. No wonder he could casually produce trillions—this money meant little to him.

Yuwen Zhiyuan helplessly shrugged, pressing a hand to his chest, feigning faintness. “Well… I can’t help it. When the Purple Bamboo was in my body, I didn’t know which treasures were valuable. Selling a few randomly could yield billions, maybe even a trillion. But now, having lost the bamboo’s power, I don’t even know where the treasures are. What I gave just now… compared to before, it’s mere pocket change. It’s all I have left. Believe it if you want.”

“Get lost! No money, huh? Shut up and get down!” Blue-clad twitched his mouth, pushing Yuwen Zhiyuan.

Ling Ruoxi quickly intervened, “Wait, Zhiyuan, can you still divinate now?”

“Well… you already got the fourth Purple Bamboo. What else do you want to divinate?” Yuwen Zhiyuan’s lips curled, a clever light flashing in his eyes. “Now that the bamboo is out of my body, I can divinate far less than before. Do you have something specific to ask? Say it, I’ll try.”

Luo Mingyu’s expression darkened, a cold glint in his eyes.

But Yuwen Zhiyuan didn’t care. Chuckling, he rested his chin on one hand, a half-smile on his face.

Ling Ruoxi’s eyes gleamed. She quickly nodded. “Exactly. I want you to tell me where my father is. Can you do that?” Her purpose now was to find her father; if she had a chance to divinate, why not use it? No need for the Purple Bamboo Divine Needles.

Silver Wolf’s face went pale. He now shared a heart with Yuwen Zhiyuan and naturally sensed what she was thinking. Could it really be true?

“Your father… hmm, let me see. What’s his name?” Yuwen Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow, still resting his chin on his hand.

“Ling Feng!”

After a moment’s thought, Yuwen Zhiyuan shook his head. “Hmm… I really can’t tell. Maybe your father is still out there. Don’t be sad—just because I can’t divinate doesn’t mean he’s dead.”

“Bullshit! My father just went somewhere unknown. Don’t spout nonsense!” Blue-clad stuck out his tongue, nearly biting the corner of his mouth. Yuwen Zhiyuan said whatever came to mind, pure nonsense.

Ling Ruoxi frowned. Looks like she’d still need to collect the Purple Bamboo properly. But… her keen gaze sharpened again. She asked anxiously, “Then I’ll ask—since you know we came for the Purple Bamboo, you should know we need the Purple Bamboo Divine Needles. Who can make them?”

“Well… let’s talk after you find the last Purple Bamboo. By my guess, the last one is extremely hard to find. Without luck, even if you searched a lifetime, you’d never locate it.” Yuwen Zhiyuan shrugged helplessly, smiling. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say more—otherwise, Luo Mingyu might just cut him down.

That casual strike alone could destroy the Sword Pavilion. If he were on a battlefield, a few swings could wipe out entire armies.

“The last Purple Bamboo… would we be really puzzled by it?” Blue-clad nudged Silver Wolf, curious. “You’re thinking like him now. Come on, tell us—what’s the next goal, where’s the bamboo?”

“Don’t let them see the flaw.” Dragging his chin with one hand, Yuwen Zhiyuan whispered, audible only to Silver Wolf.

Silver Wolf shivered, rubbing his nose helplessly. “Hmm… I can’t say exactly. We need this kid to check. Let me see the map—where’s the last Purple Bamboo?”

He snatched the map and spread it out. The city of Rong was brightly marked, and a tiny red arrow pointed to a mountain outside the city—Yunwu Peak.

So this time, the Purple Bamboo they were searching for wasn’t in the town but in the mountains? Finding it would be like searching for a needle in the ocean. Even a compass couldn’t calculate that far.

“The Purple Bamboo on Yunwu Peak… strange indeed. But what’s strange is that the locals seem to know about the bamboo, right?” Silver Wolf asked, still unable to fully read Yuwen Zhiyuan’s mind. Like inherited memories, some things must be discovered personally. You can’t devour everything at once.

Yuwen Zhiyuan nodded, pulling out a book, dusting it off, and flipping to a page in the center. “According to records, Yunwu Peak in Rong City has always been the Purple Bamboo’s natural habitat. Everyone loves it. But the bamboo here is the cleverest you’ll encounter.”

“What do you mean, cleverest? Can it burrow underground?” Silver Wolf pouted, looking at the text, realizing he couldn’t understand a word.

Ling Ruoxi tilted her head, her sharp gaze flashing. She sneered, “Hiding on Yunwu Peak is clever enough, and using these tactics… it seems the bamboo learned from cunning people.”

“Of course! Humans are the most cunning. Mixed with humans and beasts, it learned their temperaments. How could it not be clever?” Yuwen Zhiyuan chuckled. He didn’t expect Ling Ruoxi could understand the book.

Blue-clad muttered, “Humans are not things—they’re people!”

“Well said. And magical beasts aren’t things either!” Yuwen Zhiyuan smiled, pressing on the book. “The Purple Bamboo has lived on Yunwu Peak for centuries, learning human temperaments and beast desires. To avoid capture, it wraps its energy around newborn bamboo, releasing purple light to fool people into thinking it’s the real bamboo. Though it looks alike, it’s far less potent. The bamboo you seek now may be among humans, among beasts, or mixed with other bamboo. Just thinking about it… exhausting.”

“Damn! This bamboo’s insane. It might as well be a deity!” Silver Wolf’s jaw twitched. He hadn’t expected it to be so mystical.

Centuries of life, understanding humans and beasts, shapeshifting into human form, and covering Yunwu Peak with its energy—plus so many fakes—even the compass can’t locate it. Ling Ruoxi groaned, canceling her compass connection. No matter how much it wavered, she wouldn’t pay attention.

“I agree. Already this amazing, why still call it Purple Bamboo? Can’t touch it anyway—it’s a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth. Luckily, it has a weakness. You have the Demon-Slaying Qin. The real bamboo reacts to it, but you mustn’t let Luo Mingyu play it—otherwise, the effect will be greatly reduced. Only by playing it like you did to subdue the bamboo inside me, from the heart, will it respond.”

The memory of that Qin melody echoed in his mind. Childish, amusing, yet unforgettable—resonating with the soul, leaving him in awe.