The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

"Are you serious? You really found it!"

Murong Jing looked at his subordinates, then suddenly stood up, not even caring that the teacup in his hand had fallen to the ground.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had a good time lately. He spent a lot of money and hired countless local martial arts practitioners as informants, searching from the border to the heart of Bilin Kingdom. But the auspicious beast, the white deer, seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving not a single reliable trace.

This made him, who was full of confidence, anxious and depressed.

If it weren't for the fact that hundreds of people had actually witnessed the pure white celestial deer riding the waves during the recent floods, he would have thought that the so-called "auspicious beast descending to earth" was nothing more than a lie fabricated by the Bilin royal family to appease the people.

"Your Highness, the news came from a place called Blackstone Town in the south."

The subordinate, kneeling on one knee, lowered his head, but his tone carried a hint of hesitation: "But... the news was from two days ago."

Murong Jing didn't care at all: "So what if it was two days ago? How far are we from Blackstone Town?"

"Even if we ride at full speed, without sleep or rest, it will still take two whole days."

"Then let's set off now."

Murong Jing grabbed the sword hanging to the side and strode out.

"Even if the white deer has already been captured by someone else, we can just snatch it back later. As long as we can confirm its location, that's better than anything else."

Murong Jing's voice was resolute and domineering, leaving no room for argument.

The subordinates dared not say another word and quickly got up to follow.

Outside the gate, dozens of elite knights were already fully equipped and ready to go. Their hooves shattered the silence of the morning, kicking up a trail of dust as they galloped toward Blackrock Town.

... ... ...

Meanwhile, outside the west gate of Jinhua City, the capital of Bilin Kingdom, a fierce battle was unfolding.

Three hundred heavily armed royal soldiers surrounded the twenty-odd men in black, but hesitated to advance.

Nearly fifty soldiers' corpses lay on the ground, their blood soaking the soil, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

The leading captain's face was ashen as he stared intently at the burly man wielding a giant axe in the center of the encirclement, his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword turning white from the force.

Yan Lie.

One of the ten most notorious villains in the martial arts world.

For the past three days, this man has been like a mad beast, repeatedly charging into the city gates of the capital, clearly intending to break in and kill.

"Yan Lie!"

The captain took a deep breath and shouted sternly, "What exactly do you want by repeatedly attacking the royal city? If you dare to be so insolent again, I will tear you to pieces today!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Yan Lie threw his head back and laughed wildly, his powerful true energy surging out, his voice booming like a bell, making the eardrums of the surrounding soldiers ache.

"Tear them to pieces? With your kind of trash?"

With a swing of his giant axe, a fierce gust of wind cleaved three soldiers in front of him in two, swords and all. Blood splattered all over him, but he seemed oblivious, his crimson eyes fixed on the captain: "Let Lin Qin come out and face his death! My brother died by his hand, and I will avenge him!"

The captain's heart sank.

He knew who Lin Qin was; she was the most trusted royal guard of King Bilin. Even if he didn't know her, he would never obey Yan Lie's request.

He quietly made a hand gesture, preparing to mobilize nearby garrison troops and overwhelm the group of thugs with sheer numbers.

Just then, a dark figure swept in from afar like a ghost, and in a few leaps it was beside Yan Lie, whispering a few words in his ear.

Yan Lie's expression changed upon hearing this, and he immediately grabbed the man in black by the shoulder: "What did you say? The auspicious beast, the white deer? Is the information reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable, it came from Blackrock Town."

The man in black quickly said, "We've been staking out the black market for so long, we were about to give up, but then the news suddenly got out."

"Good, good, good! I was worried about not being able to find that beast, thinking I'd kill Lin Qin first and then look for it slowly, but I didn't expect it to show itself first!"

Yan Lie's voice was extremely loud, and not only could his subordinates hear it clearly, but even the captain not far away could hear it clearly.

The man in black who delivered the message looked embarrassed and speechless as he stared at his boss. How could he have just blurted out such important news so casually, as if he wanted everyone to know?

Yan Lie didn't care. He glanced at the solemn captain not far away, a cruel smile appeared on his lips, and he swung his giant axe horizontally. A huge crescent-shaped burst of energy shot out, instantly cutting the first ten soldiers in half at the waist.

"I'll spare your lives for now."

Yan Lie shouted, "Tell that Lin Qin to keep his dog's head on his neck for now, and I'll come back to retrieve it after I kill the auspicious beast, the white deer."

After saying that, he turned and left with his men, their movements as swift as lightning, disappearing into the distant woods in the blink of an eye.

Watching Yan Lie and the others walk away, the captain breathed a long sigh of relief, his tense body instantly collapsing.

Although we couldn't keep these people, it's better that they left.

But the next second, the captain remembered Yan Lie's words from earlier.

"The auspicious white deer? Is Yan Lie referring to the white deer bestowed by the king? Is Yan Lie going to kill the white deer?!"

The captain dared not delay, for this was no small matter. He immediately ordered his men to clear the battlefield, then mounted his horse and galloped toward the palace. He had to report the news immediately.

... ... ...

The news of the auspicious white deer's whereabouts in Blackstone Town was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a tidal wave.

In just two days, the news spread throughout the major black markets of the Bilin Kingdom. Countless martial artists and ambitious individuals who had been searching desperately in various places turned around like sharks smelling blood and flocked to Blackstone Town.

However, Blackrock Town is located in a remote area, and most forces are far away, with varying distances. Some take two or three days to get there, while others take four or five days, or even longer.

But no one gave up.

Blackstone Town was no longer as peaceful as it once was. Everywhere in the town, one could see martial artists carrying swords and looking wary, and the air was thick with tension.

In the most luxurious "Juxianlou" in the town center, the atmosphere in the private room on the third floor is so oppressive that it's hard to breathe.

Dickin was eating a greasy pork knuckle with his mouth full of oil, completely ignoring the two pairs of eyes opposite him that were practically spitting fire.

Two groups of people were sitting opposite him.

At the table to the left sat seven or eight men and women dressed in black, each exuding a sharp aura.

Leading the group was a still-attractive middle-aged woman, dressed in a well-tailored purple dress, toying with a jade hairpin in her hand, her eyes coldly fixed on Dijin.

She is Su Wanniang, the president of the Black Iris Merchant Guild's branch in the Kingdom of Bilin.

The Black Iris Merchant Guild is not a local force in the Kingdom of Bilin, but it is wealthy, influential, and has a considerable reputation throughout the martial arts world.

At the table to the right was a group of men dressed in gold-trimmed clothing. The leader was an elderly man in a long gold-embroidered robe, with white hair, a ruddy complexion, and a large jade thumb ring on his finger.

He is Shangguan Ya, the leader of the Money Gang, the largest gang in the Bilin Kingdom.

"Dijin, have you eaten enough? Today it's time to take us to find the white deer." Shangguan Ya spoke first, his voice as cold as ice.

Su Wanniang also put down the jade hairpin in her hand and spoke calmly, her tone carrying a hint of threat: "Young Master Di, our time is very precious. You'd better not delay or try anything funny, otherwise, the consequences will be more than you can bear."

Both groups looked down on Dickin, this idle, greedy, and lecherous scoundrel, but he insisted that he had accurate information about the auspicious white deer.

They are not short of money.

It's worth it as long as they can get news of the auspicious white deer, which is why they tolerate Dijin's unbridled behavior in front of them, letting him eat and drink as he pleases.

But tolerance has its limits. If Dickin dares to play them for fools in the end, they will definitely make him suffer a terrible death.

After finishing the last bite of the pork knuckle, Dickin wiped his mouth with his greasy hands and put on a fawning smile: "Don't be in such a hurry, gentlemen. Wait a little longer; there's another group that hasn't arrived yet."

"Do we have to wait?"

Shangguan Ya's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and plates to shake. "Di Jin, don't push your luck! The bounty from our Money Gang and the Black Iris Merchant Guild is enough for you to squander for a lifetime. Greed leads to a quick death!"

"What Chief Shangguan said makes sense."

Su Wanniang nodded, her eyes growing even colder: "If we drag this out too long, and Bai Lu leaves, it will be a loss for both of us. I advise you to take us there now, otherwise..."

Sensing the murderous aura emanating from the two men, Dickin's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

He originally planned to find three forces, so that he would get more money and the three forces could better check and balance each other, thus maximizing his interests.

But despite his meticulous planning, he forgot that Blackrock Town was located in a remote area, and most of the major powers were far away.

The Money Gang arrived the fastest, coming just one day after they announced it. The Black Iris Merchant Guild arrived yesterday, but the third company he had arranged to meet is still nowhere to be seen.

To be honest, Dickin herself was a little nervous.

It wasn't that he was afraid of them; Dijin knew that they wouldn't dare kill him if he had information about the white deer. But Dijin was worried that the auspicious white deer in the cave might awaken and leave.

Although he tied up the auspicious white deer with hemp rope, who knows if something unexpected might happen.

Dickin swallowed hard, and seeing the two men's increasingly grim expressions, he finally dared not delay any longer.