The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

There are hundreds of countries and countless powerful organizations in the world, among which the Changfeng Escort Agency is undoubtedly one of the most influential organizations.

Changfeng Escort Agency originated from Yunyan Kingdom, one of the five strongest nations. Founded more than 180 years ago, the agency's motto is "Integrity as solid as a mountain, escorting goods across the world," and its footprints have covered the territories of hundreds of countries.

From royal treasures to merchant caravan goods, as long as the flag of Changfeng Escort Agency is hung, even the fiercest bandits will give way.

Having operated for a century, Changfeng Escort Agency has long since earned the prestigious title of "Number One Escort Agency in the World." Even the courts of the other four great powers have to give Changfeng Escort Agency some respect.

What's even more alarming is that Changfeng Escort Agency is not simply a Jianghu organization.

All the chief镖局 (bodyguard agencies) leaders throughout the ages have had close ties with the royal family of Yunyan Kingdom, and many royal family members have even trained in the镖局 under assumed names.

Over time, Changfeng Escort Agency became an important arm of Yunyan Kingdom in the martial arts world, with its power deeply entrenched and its influence unfathomable.

... ... ....

At this moment, in a tavern in a city of Bilin Kingdom, a young bodyguard was sitting at a table by the bed.

He was dressed in a moon-white outfit, with a long sword inlaid with a light blue gem hanging at his waist, and an exquisite cloud-patterned dart emblem embroidered on his sleeve.

Ordinary bodyguards travel all over the country, always carrying a bit of the dust and grime of the martial world. But this young bodyguard was completely different. The way he raised his wine cup was elegant and composed. His brows exuded an innate nobility, and his eyes were clear yet carried a hint of barely perceptible arrogance. He seemed more like a prince who had lived in the deep palace than a martial arts practitioner who had tasted blood on the edge of a knife.

He is Murong Jing, the seventh young master of Yunyan Kingdom, and also the most outstanding young bodyguard of Changfeng Escort Agency this year.

At this moment, Murong Jing was leisurely sipping his wine, but he was listening attentively to the conversations of the guests at several tables not far away.

"Have you heard? During the floods, that white deer really did appear."

"It was more than just a miracle! I saw it walk on water with my own eyes, carrying several people who had fallen into the flood on its back, moving through the floodwaters as if it were flat ground."

"And another thing, I heard that Blood Blade, one of the Ten Evils, was injured by that white deer and was eventually killed by the guards of the Azure Forest Kingdom!"

"A divine beast! This is absolutely a divinely ordained auspicious beast! King Bilin has already bestowed upon it the title of 'Guardian Beast of the Nation'!"

Discussions rose and fell, all about the white deer that had recently caused a sensation throughout the entire Bilin Kingdom.

Murong Jing put down his wine cup, a smile of interest playing on his lips.

He turned to his subordinates, who stood respectfully by their sides, and said in a clear voice, "You see, wasn't my decision to leave the palace and come to the Changfeng Escort Agency for training the right one?"

"Seventh Young Master is wise!" Several subordinates immediately bowed, their tone extremely respectful.

Murong Jing gently swirled the wine cup in his hand, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes: "In just one year, I've seen more extraordinary people and events than I did in the past ten years in the deep palace. From江湖恩怨 (jianghu grudges) to 奇兽奇闻 (strange tales of exotic beasts), these are things you could only ever hear about from others in the palace."

The leading subordinate cautiously asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, we have safely delivered this shipment. What are your plans next?"

Murong Jing looked out the window, his gaze deep and thoughtful. "I'm not in a hurry to go back. I plan to stay in Bilin Kingdom for a while longer."

He paused, then said with a hint of determination, "I must find that auspicious white deer."

The subordinates exchanged glances, each seeing a knowing look in the other's eyes.

"If I can subdue this auspicious beast that has fallen from the heavens and make it my mount, then in the future, when I compete with my brothers for the position of Crown Prince, I will have more legitimate confidence. The mandate of heaven—these four words are more effective than anything else." Murong Jing's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable ambition.

Your Highness is absolutely right.

"Auspicious beasts choose their masters, and Your Highness, with your extraordinary talent, is the perfect master for this auspicious white deer."

"With the auspicious beast's assistance, the position of Crown Prince is surely yours for the taking."

His subordinates echoed his sentiments, their flattery perfectly timed.

Upon hearing this, Murong Jing smiled with satisfaction, picked up his wine cup again, and drank it all in one gulp.

... ... ...

The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the eastern border of the Kingdom of Bilin.

A small village called "Qingshi Village" has now become a living hell.

The entire village of several hundred people perished; their houses were burned to charred ruins, and the corpses of villagers lay scattered on the ground, their blood soaking the earth and gleaming an eerie dark red under the moonlight.

A huge bonfire was lit in the open space in the center of the village.

More than twenty fierce-looking bandits sat around the fire, drinking and eating heartily, their faces devoid of any pity.

Directly in front of the fire, a very burly man sat imposingly on a thick tree trunk.

He was at least 2.5 meters tall, with bulging muscles all over his body, like a moving small mountain.

His bare upper body was covered with crisscrossing scars, which looked particularly gruesome in the firelight.

Beside him was a double-edged, jet-black axe, its blade gleaming coldly. Including the handle, the axe was an astonishing two meters long.

This man is Yan Lie, one of the ten most feared villains in the martial arts world, nicknamed "Mountain-Splitting Axe".

In terms of martial arts skills, Yan Lieyuan was far superior to his younger brother, Xue Dao.

In terms of ruthlessness, he was even more ruthless, and the number of innocent souls who died under his mountain-splitting axe must be at least five or six thousand.

"Boss!"

A dark figure darted out of the night like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and spoke respectfully.

This is Yan Lie's best scout in terms of lightness skill.

Yan Lie tore off a large piece of roasted, juicy meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and asked indistinctly, "Is the news confirmed?"

"Confirmed, boss."

The scout lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly: "The second-in-command... he has indeed perished in the country of Bilin."

"boom!"

Yan Lie slammed the bone in his hand to the ground, raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and roared, "Useless! Blood Blade is truly a piece of trash!"

"For my younger brother, Yan Lie, to die in a small country like Bilin Kingdom is a disgrace to me!"

The surrounding bandits were so frightened that they fell silent, not daring to even breathe.

The scout swallowed hard and continued, "Boss, there's another piece of news. Recently, rumors have been circulating throughout the Kingdom of Bilin about a mythical white deer. It's said that this white deer is extraordinary, able to walk on water and possessing immense strength."

Yan Lie snorted coldly and said impatiently, "It's just a beast, what does it have to do with me?"

"It's related!"

The scout hurriedly said, "Boss, I spent a lot of money to bribe a well-informed江湖人 (jianghu person) in the Bilin Kingdom. He has connections within the Bilin royal family. He said that although the Second Master's death was ostensibly caused by a guard named Lin Qin from the Bilin royal family, in reality, the White Deer was also involved. The Second Master was first seriously injured by the White Deer, which gave Lin Qin the opportunity to strike."

"Oh?"

Yan Lie's eyes suddenly turned sharp.

He grabbed a wine jar beside him, tilted his head back, and gulped down a full jar of strong liquor. The liquor flowed down his chin, soaking the scars on his chest.

"Okay, very good."

Yan Lie put down the empty wine jar, a cruel smile spreading across his face: "Since that's the case, then I'll kill Lin Qin and that white deer as well."

"Ahem, boss."

A bandit nearby hesitated for a moment before speaking, "That white deer is an auspicious beast, a rare sight in the world. It would be such a waste to kill it. If we could capture it alive and use it as a mount, how impressive that would be..."

Before he could finish speaking...

A flash of cold light streaked past.

Almost instantly, Yan Lie grabbed the machete beside him. His movements were so fast that no one could see them clearly. With a "thud," the bandit who had just spoken didn't even have time to scream before he was cleaved in two by the axe, his blood and internal organs splattering all over the ground.

The surrounding bandits were terrified, their faces turning deathly pale.

"Anyone who dares to utter another word will suffer the consequences."

Holding the blood-dripping axe, Yan Lie stood up, his body radiating a powerful aura mixed with murderous intent, which caused the blazing campfire to shake violently, almost extinguishing it.

"Whoever killed my brother, Yan Lie, will pay with their blood! Hmph, what auspicious beast? In my eyes, it's nothing but a white-furred animal."

Yan Lie tilted his head back and took another swig of wine, then laughed wildly a few times: "At most, I'll taste the meat of this auspicious beast afterwards and see what it tastes like, and how it differs from the meat of ordinary livestock."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The maniacal laughter echoed through the silent night sky, carrying a chilling undercurrent.

The other bandits quickly forced out fawning smiles and echoed his sentiments.

"The boss is awesome!"

"What auspicious beast! It's utterly useless against the boss's axe!"

"The boss will definitely avenge the second-in-command."