The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

More than half a month has passed since the floods that swept across most of the Bilin Kingdom. After experiencing this ordeal and pain, the country is slowly returning to normal operations.

On the surface, the mountains and rivers remain unchanged, and the bustling city life continues as usual.

But in secret, many unfamiliar faces are silently flooding into this land like a tide.

They came from all over the country; some disguised themselves as merchants, some as wandering knights, and some even mingled among the refugees fleeing the disaster.

No one knew which faction they belonged to, but they all had only one goal—the white deer that had saved many people of Bilin Kingdom from the flood and was bestowed the title of "auspicious beast" by the King of Bilin.

These people are very sensible; they neither disturb the common people nor cross the line with the government, and even ordinary gangland feuds rarely occur.

They were like a flock of lurking falcons, concealing their claws and teeth, secretly laying down a vast and boundless net.

Their informants are everywhere, from taverns and teahouses in towns to village inns in the mountains.

The black market became a hub for information, with heavy silver coins and gold leaves being slapped on the table in exchange for a single word or two about the auspicious white deer.

Some offered a hundred taels of silver for a precise sighting location, while others even offered an astronomical reward of a thousand taels for anyone who could bring the white deer alive to them.

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

Countless local wanderers, mountain dwellers, hunters, and even idle rogues searched frantically all over the mountains and fields.

But the white deer seemed to have vanished into thin air; no matter how hard everyone searched, they couldn't find a single hair.

Days passed, and forty-seven days had passed since Qi Ji disappeared into the deep mountains to sleep.

There are only three days left until he completes this evolution and returns from his revival.

... ... ...

Deep within the vast, verdant mountains, a figure was cursing and swearing as he pushed aside the overgrown thorns, walking with uneven steps.

"Damn it, what kind of auspicious beast is this? I can't even see a shadow of it."

Dijin spat, wiped the sweat from his face, revealing a shrewd and somewhat mercenary expression.

He was a notorious hoodlum in Black Stone Town at the foot of Qingmang Mountain, spending his days in the black market, buying and selling shady things, and was extremely greedy and afraid of death.

The white deer bounty circulating wildly on the black market was like a red-hot branding iron, making his heart itch with desire.

That's real money! If we can find that deer, we'll never have to live this life of constant danger again.

He gritted his teeth, packed some dry rations, and went into the mountains, where he searched for four days.

Over four days, he climbed all the mountains within dozens of miles of Blackstone Town, crawled through countless caves, and waded through countless streams. He even wore a hole through the sole of his shoe, but he didn't see a white deer, or even a decent wild deer.

"I should never have gotten involved in this mess. I've worked myself to the bone and haven't even gotten a penny."

Panting heavily, Dickin leaned against a large tree to rest, gazing at the dense forest that blocked out the sky, his face full of irritation and impatience.

"Fine, fine, today's the last day. If I still can't find it, I'm going back to town. Let whoever wants to look for it look for it."

He muttered to himself, but still reluctantly took a few more steps deeper into the area.

Just then, a dark cave entrance was vaguely visible through a thick patch of vines ahead.

Dickin's eyes lit up.

In these remote, deep forests, caves are the most likely places to hide things.

His heart, which had been completely cold, was rekindled with a faint glimmer of hope.

He drew his short knife from his waist, cut the vines that were entwined around the entrance of the cave, pushed aside the bushes blocking his way, and then carefully crawled inside.

The cave wasn't deep, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth and a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

After taking only a few steps, Dickin suddenly stopped, frozen in place as if struck by lightning, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape as if he could fit an egg in it.

In the deepest part of the cave, on an open space, lay a pure white divine deer lying quietly.

His figure was even taller than the most robust prairie horse, and his antlers were covered with golden-green stripes, like the most beautiful work of art.

Even more astonishingly, his entire body was enveloped in a soft, luminous white light, which flowed like moonlight, illuminating the entire dim cave as if it were a fairyland.

"White...white deer...the auspicious white deer!"

Dickin's voice trembled, and the dagger in his hand clattered to the ground.

He rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his thigh hard. The intense pain told him that this was not a dream!

It really is a white deer, an auspicious beast!

He searched for four whole days, but to no avail. In this inconspicuous little cave, he stumbled upon this incredible opportunity!

Overwhelmed by ecstasy, Dickin's blood was boiling, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat. He could almost see mountains of gold, live in the biggest house in town, marry the most beautiful woman, and live a life of luxury, never having to worry about anyone else again.

"Hahaha, I'm going to be rich! I'm going to be rich!"

Dickin couldn't help but burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the cave and sounding particularly jarring.

However, no matter how loudly he laughed, Qi Ji remained motionless, his long eyelashes drooping, his breathing steady and long, and not even his eyelids trembled, completely immersed in a deep sleep.

The laughter gradually subsided.

The ecstasy on Dickin's face slowly faded, replaced by a hint of doubt and confusion.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Dickin frowned and cautiously took a few steps forward.

With such a commotion, even a pig would have been awakened, let alone an auspicious beast, right? Why isn't this white deer reacting at all?

"Could it be... that he/she is dead?"

The moment the thought crossed Dickin's mind, his heart leaped into his throat. If the white deer died, the bounty would be greatly reduced.

He swallowed hard, held his breath, and tiptoed to the white deer's side. Trembling, he reached out and gently touched the area below the deer's nose.

A warm, even breath brushed against his fingertips.

"Phew, still alive."

Dickin breathed a long sigh of relief; the anxiety that had been hanging over him finally subsided.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling both relieved and puzzled: "Strange, how can this auspicious beast sleep so soundly? Even thunder can't wake it?"

But then he thought about it again and grinned.

It's good to sleep soundly!

If that auspicious beast were awake, with his meager abilities, he wouldn't even be able to get close to it, let alone catch it; he might even get kicked to death.

It's sleeping soundly now; it's as if heaven has delivered this windfall into its hands.

However, after the initial joy, new challenges arose.

"How are we going to bring this white deer back?"

Dijin circled the white deer twice, looking at its enormous body, which was comparable to that of a fine horse, and began to worry.

It's so big, he can't move it by himself at all.

"How about... we find a few accomplices to help?"

The idea was barely out of reach when Dickin immediately nipped it in the bud.

No, absolutely not!

You can't see into someone's heart. If such a great opportunity is leaked, who can guarantee that those people won't be tempted by the money? At that point, forget about sharing the reward; you might not even be able to save your own life.

And even if they are loyal to each other, and the bounty is divided among several people, how much will be left for them?

"No, I have to go it alone."

Dickin gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He ran out of the cave as fast as he could, checked his direction, and then sprinted towards Blackrock Town with all his might.

An hour later, Dijin returned to the cave, panting, carrying a bundle of hemp rope as thick as his arm.

He didn't dare to delay for a moment. He quickly divided the hemp rope into several sections, carefully went around to the back of the white deer, first tightly binding its two hind legs together, then went around to the front and tied its two front legs tightly as well.

Throughout the entire process, Qi Ji slept soundly without noticing anything.

After tying him up, Dijin clapped his hands, looked at the white deer bound hand and foot, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"That way, even if the white deer awakens, it won't be able to escape. Hmm, now we should consider who to sell it to."

Dickin sat on the ground, wiping his sweat as he began to ponder.

He knew that recently, at least five or six groups of unknown origin were offering bounties for the White Deer on the Black Rock Town black market. Each group was offering an exorbitant price, and they seemed to be at odds with each other.

"Should we contact only one of them, or... tell them both?"

Dickin stroked his chin, his eyes darting around.

Finding only one company would be easier, but people can be treacherous. If he brings those people here and they get the white deer, they might turn their backs on him and kill him to silence him. In that case, he would have gained nothing.

This kind of double-crossing is all too common in the black market.

"But what if you sell the information to several companies at the same time?"

Dickin's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yes, I can tell those groups at the same time that I've found the White Deer, and ask them to pay me first before I lead the way. When they get here and see the White Deer, the groups will definitely fight each other. I just need to leave safely while they're fighting. As for who ends up with the White Deer, what does that have to do with me?"

Dickin thought about it more and more and found the idea brilliant. Not only could he get several shares of money, but he could also perfectly avoid the risk of being silenced.

"I'm such a genius, haha, that's what I'll do!"

Dijin slapped his thigh excitedly, stood up, took one last look at the sleeping white deer, and after confirming that his ropes were securely tied, turned and strode out of the cave.

Inside the cave, only that pale figure remained, still sleeping in silence.