The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

The cloud-carriage traveled north along the official road, heading towards the border of the Suyan Kingdom.

The wheels rolled over the smooth stone road, so smoothly that you could hardly feel any bumps; only the copper bells hanging from the eaves occasionally made a soft, tinkling sound.

As the afternoon sun began to set, the convoy took a break in the woods by the roadside.

Su Yanji got out of the car and greeted everyone, discussing the next steps.

She stood beside a blue stone, dipped her fingertips in water, and drew a simple outline of a fortress on the stone surface.

"I have been to that place many times. It is a well-known transit point for merchants and travelers. Many of the official roads of the surrounding countries are connected to it. At night, there is a large flow of people, including merchants, caravans, and camel caravans. It is a mixed bag of people, which is perfect for doing business."

As she spoke, Su Yanji looked up at Qi Ji.

"Lord White Deer, once we arrive, I hope you can deliberately appear in the open space in front of the fortress and make a commotion to attract everyone's attention. You are a spirit beast of heaven and earth, so if this place is really a den of human traffickers, then the guards in the fortress will definitely be attracted by you. At that time, we can take advantage of this opportunity to sneak in, find the kidnapped children, and then expose the darkness of this place. The merchants and travelers present can all serve as our witnesses."

"sneak into?"

The little monk scratched his bald head and came closer from the side, a look of confusion on his face.

"That Benefactor Su, why not just let Lord Bailu infiltrate directly? Lord Bailu has very strong senses, he might find the child faster than us. Moreover, the human traffickers I caught before said that their organization has many experts. If there are any powerful figures among them, Lord Bailu can handle it quickly if he is there."

Su Yanji glanced at Xu Ling with amusement, then pointed at Qi Jixue's fair body.

"Little monk, with that size, that snow-white fur, those antlers that keep glowing, and the golden markings on your body, you're more conspicuous than a lantern at night. You'll be spotted from a great distance. How can you possibly sneak in?"

"Moreover, most human traffickers are ruthless and cruel. Once they discover that someone has infiltrated, they may kill the child directly. So, if you can sneak in quietly, do so."

"Finally, the safety issue you mentioned...?"

Su Yanji pointed to the five men in tight-fitting clothes standing behind him.

The five men stood in a row, all around thirty years old, of average height, dressed in identical tight-fitting clothes, with even the style of the swords at their waists being exactly the same.

They stood there, their auras as steady as five stones. Although they were five independent people, they exuded a sense of unified pressure.

"These are the 'Five Form Guards' I specially recruited a few months ago. Each of them is a first-rate martial artist, and they all cultivate the same 'Five Qi Gathering at the Origin Technique.' Their teamwork is unparalleled. When the five of them work together, they can even contend with the top masters in the martial arts world. If what you said before is true, then Black Stone Fortress, as a branch of human traffickers, must have a strong force inside, even if it is not weak. These five are enough."

Su Yanji spoke with confidence, then paused and looked at Qi Ji.

"Of course, if I'm unlucky enough to encounter a problem I can't solve, I'll send a signal immediately, and then I'll hand it over to Lord Bailu. What do you think, Lord Bailu? How does this arrangement sound?"

Qi Ji's gaze swept over the five men.

He could indeed sense that the auras of these five humans were subtly connected, and they were much stronger than ordinary martial artists.

"It seems that this woman has learned her lesson from the incident at the Bilin Kingdom auction when someone stormed the venue. She directly compensated with the Chamber of Commerce's military force. That's good. Someone else will run errands and find people to collect evidence. I just need to stand there and attract attention. This job is easy."

"Yo~"

Qi Ji immediately nodded and let out a deer-like cry to indicate his agreement.

... ... ...

After resting for a while and eating some dry rations, the convoy resumed its journey.

As the sun sets, the clouds on the horizon are dyed a deep orange-red, and flocks of birds fly across the sky in their final flight.

As darkness fell, the dark blue outline of Blackstone Fortress finally appeared on the horizon.

The fortress walls are tall and built along the hillside. Dots of light shine through the battlements and windows, making it look like a star fallen on the plain from afar.

"It's not peak time yet, let's drive slowly and wait until it gets darker and the caravans have settled down before we move closer."

Su Yanji lowered the carriage curtain, whispered to the driver to slow down, and then gestured to the Five Guards. The five immediately understood and began to change their clothes, disguising themselves as ordinary companions.

Qi Ji didn't care and continued to follow the convoy at a leisurely pace.

But at a certain moment, Qi Ji suddenly felt a sensation in his heart, and felt an extremely uncomfortable feeling coming from ahead.

It wasn't an odor, nor did it smell bad or have any bloody smell; it was just a very mysterious and elusive feeling.

"Is there something disgusting and filthy ahead? What's this feeling? It's so uncomfortable!"

(*｀Ω´*)

Qi Ji frowned as he looked ahead.

This feeling seems to come from the genes, deep in the bones, a sense of rejection originating from the very source of life.

Qi Ji carefully sensed the surroundings and faintly perceived a cold, deathly, and decaying aura emanating from ahead.

However, this fluctuation did not seem to be related to any specific creature; it was very scattered, but it did exist and was sensed by Qi Ji.

Moreover, the further Qi Ji went, the more obvious his aversion to this fluctuation became, and he subconsciously wanted to eliminate it.

"How strange, is this unpleasant feeling coming from that Blackrock Fortress?"

Qi Ji didn't understand, so he temporarily suppressed his physical repulsion and silently followed the convoy forward.

... ... ...

It got completely dark.

A crescent moon hung on the treetops, and the open space in front of Black Stone Fortress was already crowded with carriages and horses. The sounds of people, vendors, shouts, and carriages mingled together, making it the liveliest time of day.

Su Yanji straightened his clothes, regaining his dignified demeanor as the president of the Chamber of Commerce, and turned around to make a gesture to Qi Ji behind the car.

The meaning was clear: about an incense stick's time after they went inside, Qi Ji reappeared.

"Yo~"

Qi Ji nodded slightly, slowed his pace, and lagged far behind the convoy.

Qi Jilu's eyes gleamed with golden light as he watched the cloud-carriage arrive at the fortress. He saw the steward of Black Stone Fortress come out with a beaming smile, bow to Su Yanji, and say something.

Su Yanji responded with a smile.

After a few exchanges, the steward eagerly led the caravan into the fortress, his gaze lingering on Su Yanji and the cloud carriage, revealing the shrewdness of a merchant.

As Su Yanji walked, he subtly gave a wink to the Five Form Guards beside him. The five nodded slightly and moved closer to the sides of the group without making a sound, ready to break away from the group at any time.

Everything went smoothly, exactly as planned.

Qi Ji stood in the shadows at a distance, watching the convoy enter the fortress gate, while he himself moved forward step by step.

700 meters, 600 meters, 500 meters.

When Qi Ji's distance from Black Stone Fortress shrank to less than 500 meters, the feeling that Qi Ji found extremely repulsive suddenly surged.

"This feeling... is awful."

(*｀Van´*)

"Buzz—"

Qi Ji's antlers uncontrollably glowed with a golden-green light, the golden patterns on his body shimmered continuously, and golden mist rose from his body.

Throughout the entire process, Qi Ji did not take the initiative; rather, it was a passive reaction from his body.

It was as if Qi Ji's body was urging him to immediately erase this filthy, lifeless power.

Qi Ji took several deep breaths, trying to suppress his instinctive agitation.

But the closer Qi Ji got to Blackstone Fortress, the stronger this instinctive restlessness became.

As he drew closer, Qi Ji could even faintly hear the weak cries, painful groans, and despair of countless children on the verge of death.

Those tiny, fragile glimmers of life, in his perception, were gradually gnawed away and extinguished by that filthy, lifeless power.

The feeling was like countless fine needles pricking Qi Ji's mind and spirit, making him uneasy.

It's like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder suddenly finding themselves covered in mud; every second they have to endure it is torture.

"What the hell is this thing? It's disgusting me over and over again!"

Qi Ji's eyes gleamed like two flames; he had truly lost his temper and was furious.

erase.

This unpleasant feeling must be completely eradicated.

Once the thought came to mind, it spread like wildfire and could no longer be suppressed.

What plan?

Wait until an incense stick burns.

What do you mean by sneaking in to rescue people?

Before this overwhelming sense of life's instinct, everything else was completely forgotten.

"Yo—!"

A loud and clear deer cry suddenly pierced the night sky, making the surrounding air buzz.

Qi Ji exerted force with all four limbs, cracking the ground beneath his hooves, and charged towards Black Stone Fortress like a white lightning bolt.

At the fortress gate, Su Yanji had only taken a few steps with the steward and was about to turn into the backyard when she heard the deer's cry, and the smile on her face suddenly froze.

The surrounding merchants, guards, and travelers all turned their heads to look in the direction of the sound, and then exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, what's that?"

"Is that a deer? It's a huge white deer."

"No, that's a spirit beast, the legendary white deer!"

Exclamations rose and fell, and the crowd instantly stirred. Everyone pushed forward to look, and even the guards at the fortress gate forgot their duties, staring in shock at the rapidly approaching white figure.

Su Yanji stared blankly as the snow-white giant deer rapidly approached, her mind completely blank.

Didn't we agree to wait for an incense stick to burn?

They've only been inside for less than a minute.

The next second, Su Yanji's expression changed.

Suddenly, Qi Ji's antlers shone brightly with golden light as he leaped into the air. A solid, antler-shaped energy cannon materialized, carrying immense power, and slammed straight towards a specific location within Black Stone Fortress...