The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

There were no special halls in the royal palace for exotic beasts to eat.

However, since King Bilin had promised to host a banquet for Qi Ji as an apology, he naturally could not go back on his word, so he led Qi Ji directly to the "Jingchen Palace".

The "Jingchen Hall" is a place where the Bilin royal family specially entertains state guests and important officials. It is not usually opened for ordinary festivals, but today is an exception, and a separate banquet is set up for Qi Ji and the beast.

As he walked, King Bilin instructed his eunuchs to have the imperial kitchen select the best ingredients and prepare the meal as quickly as possible.

The eunuch had originally asked how much was to be made.

Taking into account Qi Ji's physique and using the Xuan Diao's appetite as a reference, King Bilin deduced that Qi Ji's appetite must be quite large, and even larger. Therefore, he directly ordered that no amount of ingredients should be spared and that as much as possible should be prepared.

As it turns out, King Bilin was absolutely right.

Qi Ji has a very large appetite.

Inside Jingchen Hall, plates of exquisite dishes were served one after another, each a precious delicacy with a rich aroma. Qi Ji ate one plate after another.

That fresh and fragrant taste vaguely reminded Qi Ji of the feast that the people of Yunqi Town had gathered together that night.

Of course, in terms of refinement and taste, folk banquets are far inferior to royal cuisine. However, in terms of portion size, royal dishes emphasize small and elegant portions, with each dish being small and relying entirely on a wide variety of dishes to make a grand impression.

At first, Qi Ji tried to maintain some semblance of dignity as a mythical beast, keeping his head down and taking small bites. But after a few plates, his appetite was fully awakened, and he no longer cared about anything else, burying his head and devouring the food with great relish.

King Bilin sat not far away, watching Qi Ji eat with great interest—a scene that was rarely seen.

King Bilin had a sudden inspiration. He raised his hand and summoned the best painter in the palace, whispering, "Paint carefully, capturing the spirit of the auspicious white deer. There will be a great reward after it is done."

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the painter, with an excited and solemn expression, used all his life's skills to paint Qi Ji eating. He even had a name in mind, thinking that once the painting was completed, it could be called "Auspicious Beasts Feast Alone".

When his gaze returned to Qi Ji, King Bilin couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The legends only spoke of the white deer's extraordinary nature, but seeing it with my own eyes today, I realized that this white deer was actually quite beautiful. Even by human standards of beauty, it was a handsome and upright deer.

Its snow-white fur is without any blemishes, its antlers are lustrous and shiny, and even the way it lowers its head to eat exudes a sense of composure.

King Bilin subconsciously compared himself to the Black Eagle in his mind—that old eagle was all black and had a fierce temperament; when it stood in the Black Bird Palace, it looked like a demon.

King Bilin shook his head. Compared to this, he felt that his own Xuan Diao was really not up to par, and a little disdain quietly arose in his heart.

"Little White~ Little White!"

A clear, childlike voice suddenly came from the entrance of the hall, accompanied by panting breaths.

Yuan Yao ran all the way here, her forehead covered in fine sweat, her little face flushed.

As soon as she rushed into the palace, her gaze was fixed on a huge white deer opposite her, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The tall, white deer with its prominent antlers before her was vastly different from the little white deer she remembered.

Qi Ji was engrossed in his meal when suddenly the deer ear twitched.

That voice... sounds familiar.

A familiar human scent also drifted into the air.

Qi Ji stopped talking and looked up towards the entrance of the palace.

"It really is you! Xiaobai!"

When Yuan Yao saw that the white deer had responded to her words, her eyes lit up. She confirmed that this was the little white deer she had seen before, and immediately ran over, lifting her skirt and beaming with joy.

"It's this little girl. She actually came by herself. Hmm, she looks very healthy and taller than I remember. But why is she still calling me Xiaobai?"

Qi Ji looked at Yuan Yao, feeling a little happy to see her again, but also a little speechless.

He's already so big, why call himself "Little White"? That's inappropriate, isn't it? How is he small?

"Yao'er".

King Bilin walked over, smiling as he ruffled his daughter's hair. "I was going to inform you, but you came by yourself first. How are you? The white deer you've been talking about every day has come to the palace. Are you happy?"

"happy!"

Yuan Yao nodded vigorously, ran away from Bi Lin Wang, and went to Qi Ji's side. She tilted her little head up and looked him up and down, becoming more and more surprised.

She and Qi Ji had only been separated for less than a year, but the changes in Qi Ji now truly shocked the little girl. Anyone who didn't know better would think that several years had passed.

"Wow, Little White, what have you been eating every day since I left? How come you've grown so fast? You're so tall and big now, bigger than all the horses kept in the palace, and your fur is so smooth and beautiful!"

As Yuan Yao spoke, she carefully reached out her little hand and gently touched the downy fur on Qi Ji's front legs.

The soft, warm touch on her fingertips made the little girl's eyes crinkle into crescents.

"Yo"

Qi Ji did not dodge.

He let out a soft hum in greeting to Yuan Yao.

At the same time, the long tail of the whisk behind her, which was 1.5 meters long, also rose gently with a thought and patted the little girl's head tenderly, like an adult patting a child's head.

Yuan Yao was indeed drawn to Qi Ji's tail, her eyes widening in surprise. "Little White, why is your tail like this? It's different from other deer's. It's so long and smooth, like long white hair. It's so beautiful."

Curious, Yuan Yao reached out and gently pinched a strand of white silk at the tip, feeling the soft, smooth texture on her fingertips.

King Bilin stood aside, watching the white silk in his daughter's hand, his fingertips twitching slightly.

In fact, he had been observing for a long time and was very curious about this unusual tail, but he was too proud to touch it because of his status as a king.

Watching my daughter so comfortable touching the toys, I felt a pang of envy.

After exchanging greetings, Qi Ji lowered his head and continued enjoying his meal.

Now that people have seen it, they should focus on eating.

Speaking of which, Qi Ji had a vague feeling that his appetite seemed to have increased after his physique was strengthened this time. In the past, this might have been a headache, but now that the royal family of Bilin Kingdom was paying for it, he didn't have to worry about it.

The news that the auspicious white deer had entered the palace had already spread like wildfire throughout the palace.

Outside Jingchen Hall, people were gathered in layers.

Palace eunuchs and maids, as well as many court officials who rushed over upon hearing the news, all stood on tiptoe to peer into the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the auspicious beast.

Before long, Queen Ning Shu arrived with her maids.

"Mother!"

Yuan Yao immediately ran over, took the Queen's hand and walked into the palace, proudly raising her chin: "Mother, look! This is the Little White I told you about. It's grown so big now, and it looks even more beautiful."

Qi Ji had sharp ears and didn't lose his attention to his surroundings even while eating. He heard Yuan Yao's words clearly and immediately rolled his eyes silently.

pretty?

Does this little girl know how to talk?

He's male, not female.

Queen Ning Shu walked closer and looked at the glistening antlers and flowing tail of the white deer. Her eyes were filled with amazement as she said softly, "This white deer is indeed very handsome and full of spiritual energy. No wonder Yao'er has been thinking about it for so long."

At this moment, a guard hurried in, bowed, and said to King Bilin, "Your Majesty, the officials outside the hall have all requested that we come in to pay our respects to the auspicious white deer. What do you think…?"

"No need."

King Bilin waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "The white deer are eating, do not disturb them, let them all disperse."

Upon hearing this, Queen Ning Shu glanced around the hall and asked softly, "Why is Shu Ying nowhere to be seen?"

"She is still handling matters related to the Wanhua Chamber of Commerce at the State Administration of Ceremonies."

King Bilin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Speaking of which, Shuying was among the first people to see the white deer in person after it entered the capital."