The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

Ignoring the sounds behind him, Qi Ji ran straight out.

As soon as the little white deer left, the little girl wiped away her tears. Her watery eyes quickly scanned the wooden frame in the corner of the room, and she ran over to grab the coarse cloth bag hanging on the frame.

She remembered clearly that this was where the people who had captured her stored their provisions, which included smoked meat and wheat cakes, enough to last her for several days.

Then she gripped a sheepskin water bag tightly, and with her short legs, she stumbled out of the house, chasing after the snow-white figure ahead.

Qi Ji returned along the route he had taken.

But he hadn't gone far when he suddenly noticed movement behind him.

The little girl was seen trudging along, her steps uneven.

Her beautiful brocade jacket was torn in several places by branches, and her skirt and trousers were covered with grass clippings and dust, but she didn't care at all. Her eyes were fixed on Qi Ji in front of her, and she ran over to him with a thud.

"Why is this little girl following us?"

Qi Ji was a little confused. He had already helped the other party untie the knot, so why was the other party still clinging to him?

Qi Ji could only guess that the child had just escaped from bad guys and was scared, so she subconsciously clung to the only creature that had "saved" her.

The problem is that he's just a deer, not a human. The reason he helped the little girl untie was only because of his conscience as a human in his previous life. He couldn't do anything else.

He still had to go find the deer herd.

"Yo"

Qi Jichong, the little girl, let out a short and clear deer cry.

The deer pawed at the ground twice, neither too hard nor too soft, and then swung its head back towards the house.

It means stop following me and find your own way home.

But the little girl couldn't understand Qi Ji's actions at all, let alone the meaning behind the deer's cry.

She just looked at the little white deer, her expression a little timid, and said softly, "Little white deer... can I... can I come with you?"

The little girl took a small step forward, her voice full of dependence and fear: "I don't know where to go. There are bad people outside who want to take me away. I can't find my way home... My name is Yao Yao. I will be very good and won't cause you any trouble."

"I can't find my way home, this..."

Qi Ji looked at her helplessly.

Indeed, this little girl looks like she was kidnapped; it would be a miracle if she could find her way home.

"Fine, come along if you want."

Since the other party posed no threat to him, Qi Ji wasn't worried.

Qi Ji called out to the little girl, then turned and continued walking forward.

When Yao Yao saw that the little white deer did not chase her away, her eyes lit up and a small smile bloomed on her face. She quickly followed after it with her short legs.

The little girl's mouth never stopped moving the whole way.

She seemed to have endless things to say, following behind Qi Ji, muttering to herself as they walked.

"Little white deer, what are you doing there? Did you come here specifically to save me?"

"Can you understand me? My mother says there are some strange beasts in this world that are spiritually connected. Are you one of them?"

"Can I touch you? Your fur looks so soft."

Qi Ji didn't exactly dislike the chattering little girl, but he also didn't feel like responding to her.

Firstly, there was a language barrier; even if he wanted to respond, he could only make deer-like calls, which she still couldn't understand.

Secondly, he focused most of his attention on the surrounding environment, identifying the scents and tracks that the deer might leave behind while remaining vigilant against potential predators lurking in the forest.

We continued on like this for about half an hour until the murmurs behind us finally stopped.

Yao Yao was breathing heavily, her voice trembling with tears as she pleaded, "Little White Deer... could you... could you slow down a bit... I... I can't keep up..."

Qi Ji stopped and looked back.

Yao Yao was seen clinging to a tree trunk, almost collapsing to the ground. Her face was deathly pale, and her forehead was covered in beads of sweat. She could barely stand.

Looking at the little girl, Qi Ji couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

Human physique is indeed very different from that of animals.

Although the half-hour hike up the mountain had taken a toll on his stamina, he didn't feel particularly tired. But the little girl was clearly not up to the task.

To be honest, in Qi Ji's previous life, even a normal adult would find it difficult to walk this half-hour mountain path, and some people with poor health would probably be drenched in sweat.

Qi Ji looked up and around. The forest was quiet, with no trace of deer or the scent of wild animals.

Looking at the little girl in front of him, who was almost exhausted, Qi Ji's heart softened in the end because of her human nature.

"Forget it, we didn't smell any deer anyway. If we leave this little girl here, she might really get into trouble."

Qi Ji didn't go any further. He found a flat patch of grass and slowly lay down.

When Yao Yao saw the little white deer stop to rest, her eyes lit up instantly. She quickly took small steps over and sat down next to Qi Ji.

Yao Yao opened the water bag and took a sip of water. Then, looking at the little white deer lying beside her, she tentatively reached out her little hand, and her fingertips finally touched the soft, smooth white fur on Qi Ji's back.

The moment they touched, Yao Yao's eyes curved into crescent moons.

She gently stroked Qi Ji's back, murmuring, "So soft... Little white deer, you're so good."

Qi Ji shifted uncomfortably, not used to being touched, but ultimately did not pull away.

After being happy for a while, Yao Yao took off the cloth bag she was wearing, took out a piece of smoked meat wrapped in oil paper, and started to nibble on it.

After taking a couple of bites, she remembered the little deer beside her, offered it some smoked meat, and whispered, "Little white deer, would you like some?"

Qi Ji raised his eyelids slightly, ignoring him.

Just kidding, he's a deer, a typical herbivore, he can't eat meat.

For the next few hours, the man and the deer continued their journey, stopping and starting intermittently.

Fortunately, Yao Yao had brought water and dry food before catching up. Every time they stopped to rest, she could eat something to replenish her strength. Otherwise, with her small body, she would have been left far behind by Qi Ji long ago.

Even so, the further they went into the mountains, the more difficult it became for Yao Yao to keep up. In the end, she had to stop and catch her breath after walking only a dozen steps. Her little legs were already swollen, but she still gritted her teeth and did not cry or make a fuss.

Qi Ji saw all of this, but he didn't stop to wait for her or do anything extra.

It wasn't that he was heartless, but rather that there was really nothing he could do.

He couldn't possibly carry her in his mouth, much less let her ride on his back; his small frame couldn't possibly support the weight of a human infant.

Before we knew it, the sun had gradually begun to set in the west, and warm yellow light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The hunger pangs in his stomach grew stronger and stronger, and Qi Ji finally stopped, looked down at the lush and juicy grass growing by the roadside, and began to eat.

Seeing Qi Ji stop eating grass, Yao Yao breathed a sigh of relief, plopped down on the ground, leaned against the tree trunk to rest, and rubbed her sore calves.

"Spirit Points +1"

Not long after, a wonderful system voice appeared in Qi Ji's mind.

"Finally, I've reached 100 spirit points again."

Without hesitation, Qi Ji immediately chanted in his mind, "System, strengthen my physique."

The next second, a familiar warm current from his memory instantly spread throughout his body. Qi Ji could clearly feel that his limbs had become stronger, his hearing and sense of smell had become more acute, and even the fur on his body had become smooth and tough.

My whole body is getting stronger.

Just when Qi Ji thought that was the end of it, a piece of information suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Hmm? This is...."

Qi Jilu's eyes widened as he received a skill called [Agile Burst] in his mind.