The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

"Lord White Deer, I've heard that spirit beasts have very long lifespans. How many years can you live?"

"By the way, Lord White Deer, I am twelve years old this year. How old are you? Are you almost a hundred?"

"Lord White Deer, why do the golden markings on your body always glow from time to time? Do you feel anything when they glow?"

"Lord White Deer, was the power you used to bring those trees back to life your ability? That's amazing! What other abilities do you have?"

"Lord White Deer, look over there. I think I see a fruit tree. Shall we go and try some?"

The young monk Xuling followed Qi Ji all the way, chattering incessantly with questions as if he had opened a floodgate.

The young man was full of energy and spoke quickly, circling around Qi Ji like a little sparrow.

Qi Ji was completely overwhelmed by the questions and couldn't help but complain inwardly.

"Is this little monk Tang Sanzang? Why does he talk so much?"

(。-＿-。)

Although Qi Ji was complaining, he couldn't say he was truly annoyed.

Because the young monk Xuling possessed a pure and gentle aura that ordinary people lacked, clean and clear, it gave Qi Ji a very good feeling.

If it were some other guy full of malice who dared to be so noisy, Qi Ji was sure he would have swatted him away with his tail.

In a daze, Qi Ji recalled the time when he first met Yuan Yao.

The little girl was the same, following behind him, her mouth never stopping, asking all sorts of questions, her eyes full of curiosity.

It's been quite a while since we last met.

... ... ...

As night fell, Qi Ji found a spot by a mountain stream to rest.

The river is shallow and clear, and the banks are lush with vegetation.

He lowered his head and nibbled on the tender grass, which served as his dinner.

On the other side, Xu Ling also busied himself quickly and soon returned with a pile of wild fruits and fresh mushrooms. He also pulled out a small handful of wild vegetables from his monk's robe, the leaves still covered in dew.

He caught Qi Ji looking over, his face flushed red, and he quickly waved his hand to explain, "This is not something I stole, it's not wild vegetables from the fields during the day! It's wild and unclaimed by the mountainside, I just picked it in the woods."

Qi Ji found it amusing.

This little monk is so innocent and interesting.

Not paying much attention, Qi Ji looked away and continued eating grass.

Seeing that Qi Ji didn't mind, Xu Ling breathed a sigh of relief and gathered some dry branches to start a fire.

The sparks crackled and danced, making the boy's cheeks flush red.

The ethereal figure was skilled in cooking, clearly not a first-timer in the wild. Fresh mushrooms were skewered on branches and roasted, while wild vegetables were placed near the fire to bake. Before long, a faint aroma of charred meat filled the air.

Qi Ji was chewing grass when suddenly a string of roasted mushrooms was thrust in front of him.

The spirit held up a branch, its bright eyes looking at him with a hint of anticipation: "Lord White Deer, would you like to try some? These wild mushrooms are so fragrant when roasted."

Qi Ji lowered his head and smelled it.

The aroma of mushrooms mixed with the smell of charcoal is indeed quite pleasant.

Qi Ji didn't stand on ceremony and bent down to pick it up and eat it.

"Wow! Lord White Deer, you actually ate it!"

Xu Ling's eyes lit up immediately, and he was so happy that he almost jumped up. He sat cross-legged by the fire and swung his legs.

Being able to feed a spirit beast is an extremely rare experience in the eyes of a ethereal spirit.

"Lord White Deer, you have such a kind personality, much better than the four-armed red ape I've ever seen. Oh right, that guy was also a spirit beast, but he was incredibly fierce!"

"A four-armed red ape..."

Qi Ji paused in his chewing and looked up at him.

He had heard the name of this spirit beast from Yuan Yao before.

As Xu Ling ate the wild mushrooms, he gestured as he spoke, "I saw it once when my master and I went deep into the Thousand Buddha Cliff. That ape had four arms. It looked a bit strange, but it was very imposing, and it was huge, much bigger than a house. It was covered in red fur. We only glanced at it from afar, and it immediately threw stones at us, knocking my master and me off the cliff. We almost died!"

As Xu Ling spoke, she stuck out her tongue, looking somewhat puzzled.

"I heard from the elders in the temple that the four-armed red ape used to be the guardian spirit of our Wanfo Temple, but it suddenly left. When I asked my master why, he always hesitated and refused to say."

He looked up at Qi Ji, his face full of curiosity: "Lord White Deer, you are also a spirit beast, do you know why?"

Qi Ji rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

He's not that four-armed red ape, how could he possibly know?

However, it's easy to guess that they were probably unhappy there and decided to leave.

Qi Ji was also a little surprised.

I never imagined that the Wanfo Temple sect would have had a spirit beast guarding it in the past.

Qi Ji had met Xuan Ling and Wen Qinghe. Judging from their attitudes towards him, neither Qingyang Dao Sect nor Black and White Academy had any spirit beasts.

The fire crackled as Xu Ling added a piece of firewood to it, his voice lowering slightly: "Actually, the main reason I came down the mountain this time was to find my master. He's been traveling for almost a year and hasn't sent a single letter back. The other monks at the temple all say he's fine, but I'm always worried."

He turned to look at Qi Ji, his eyes sparkling in the firelight: "Lord Bailu, is there someone you miss? You mean... someone you've been apart from for a long time and really want to see again."

Qi Ji paused slightly while chewing.

Yuan Yao's small face instinctively appeared in my mind.

He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.

"Yes, it really exists!"

Xu Ling's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, about to ask who it was, when she saw Qi Ji suddenly stand up, turn his head towards the upstream direction of the river, and slightly turn his ears.

Xu Ling was startled, then stood up and looked in that direction, but the night was so dark that he couldn't see anything.

Qi Ji remained silent.

His hearing was far beyond that of ordinary people. The night wind blew down the valley, carrying with it the faint sounds of splashing water and coughing, as well as intermittent cries for help. It was very innocent; he was just a child.

Qi Ji no longer hesitated, exerted force with all four limbs, and leaped out.

His figure swept across the river, landing steadily on the water, creating only a few ripples.

Qi Ji ran upstream for more than 300 meters and saw a small figure struggling in the middle of the river. The river water made him cough and he was about to sink.

He looks to be only seven or eight years old.

Qi Ji bent down, quickly and accurately grabbed the boy by the back of his collar with his mouth, lifted him out of the water, turned around and waded back to the shore.

"Lord White Deer!"

Xu Ling also arrived using his light-footed skills and was startled when he saw the child being pulled out of the water.

"Oh dear, how could a child drown? Lord White Deer, your ears are too sharp..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the water beneath Qi Ji's feet, inwardly marveling, "Walking on water... Lord Bai Lu actually possesses such an ability."

The boy lay on the ground, coughing for a long time and spitting out several mouthfuls of water before he finally recovered.

He looked up and first saw the huge white deer, which startled him. Then he saw the ethereal spirit, his eyes filled with terror, and his whole body trembled.

"No, please don't hit me, please!"

Qi Ji and Xu Ling noticed that the child's clothes were tattered, and there were bruises on his arms and neck, as if he had been beaten and torn.

"Young benefactor, don't be afraid."

Xu Ling quickly softened his voice, squatted down, and said gently, "How did you fall into the river? Where is your home? Let me take you back to change into dry clothes, otherwise you'll catch a cold."

It would have been better if you hadn't asked. Once you did, the boy's tears started streaming down his face.

He bit his lip, sobbing uncontrollably, his voice breaking, "Father... Father and Mother were killed by bad guys... My sister and I... We were captured... There are so many people... My sister helped me escape... They're still chasing us..."

He was sobbing uncontrollably, unable to speak coherently.

But Qi Ji and Xu Ling both understood.

This child's family suffered a terrible fate. They were kidnapped by bandits, his parents were killed, and he, his sister, and many others were taken away. It was his sister who risked her life to find a chance for him to escape.

Xu Ling's heart tightened, and she quickly tried to comfort him, but just as she was about to speak, she saw Qi Ji raise his eyes again, looking towards the upstream direction of the valley, a cold light flashing in his golden eyes.

The sounds in the wind became clearer.

The sounds of hurried footsteps and curses drifted along the river, growing louder as they approached.

"Where did that little brat run off to? Hurry up!"

"Damn it, dare to run away! Catch him and give him a good beating and discipline!"

"Follow the river! He's just a little kid, he can't have gone far!"

The vulgar curses mixed with footsteps grew closer and closer.