The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

The long street on this winter night was bathed in a warm yellow light from the lamps under the eaves. Crowds piled up to form an open space, and even the remaining snow in the cracks between the bricks was softened by the sound of people talking.

A commotion suddenly broke out outside the crowd.

"Excuse me, could you please make way?"

The owner of Qingle Restaurant, with his protruding belly, pushed aside the crowd with both hands, managing to squeeze a narrow path through the densely packed onlookers.

Behind him followed two butchers, Lao Luo and Dong Li, one on each side, carrying a large vermilion lacquered dinner plate. Their backs were ramrod straight, their faces more solemn than ever before, and even their steps were extremely light, as if the plate contained not food, but some fragile and rare treasure.

The three of them squeezed their way to the center of the open space before finally stopping.

Qi Ji stood in the middle of the open space.

The deer's body, as white as jade, was covered with a faint halo of lamplight, and its branch-like antlers shone brightly. However, its beautiful eyes were slightly lowered at the moment, with a hint of shy embarrassment at the corners. The tips of its ears were also secretly tucked back, making it look like a naughty child caught red-handed.

It was indeed a case of being caught red-handed.

Not long ago, he was sneaking into the kitchen of a restaurant, enjoying a delicious meal, when he heard footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard. He immediately ran out of the kitchen.

He should have taken advantage of the chaos to fly far away, but the delicious taste in his mouth hadn't faded yet, and he kept thinking about those dishes, so he slowed down and didn't go far immediately.

In that moment of hesitation, the tall butcher Lao Luo came out and bumped right into him.

Qi Ji's first reaction was to run away, but after his initial surprise, Lao Luo shouted, "If Your Excellency Bai Lu wants to eat, we... we have plenty more!" and then turned and ran towards the kitchen.

Those words seemed to possess some inexplicable magic, causing Qi Ji to not leave immediately, and even follow them.

And so it went, step by step, more and more people gathered, from the initial Lao Luo and the manager, to the waiters and customers of the entire restaurant, and then to the people of the whole street, until it became the scene before us.

"Sigh, how did it turn out like this?" Qi Ji blinked his deer-like eyes and muttered to himself in surprise.

A large group of people stood respectfully before him, their faces filled with awe and fervor. Several elderly people in the front row clutched the hem of their clothes, their bodies trembling with excitement, and with a "thump," they knelt down.

"Your Excellency, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

The shopkeeper stepped forward, bowed deeply, and spoke with such utmost respect that it was almost dripping with humility. He then quickly stepped aside and waved his hand.

"Quickly, quickly prepare it for Your Majesty the White Deer."

Lao Luo and Dong Li quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and carefully placed the large dinner plate flat on the snow, as if even a slight weight would startle the auspicious beast before them.

The plates were covered with cotton covers, and when the covers were lifted, steam and aroma wafted out.

On the far left, hundreds of steamed dumplings are neatly arranged, their thin, translucent skins revealing the fresh filling inside.

In the center is a large plate of brightly colored vegetarian assortment, with dried bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and tofu skin soaking in a clear broth.

On the right were three or four plates of braised pork, glistening with a dark brown sauce, the rich aroma of the sauce mingling with the fragrance of the meat, wafting far and wide in the cold night.

"These steamed dumplings were originally prepared as New Year's food on the stove, but we hadn't had time to cook them yet. The vegetarian assortment and braised meat were just made by the two of us and are still warm."

Old Luo explained in a low voice, and then he and Dong Li quietly retreated behind the shopkeeper. The two of them gripped the hem of their clothes and stared at Qi Ji without blinking. Their nervousness was mixed with overflowing anticipation, just like students waiting for their teacher to grade their papers.

Qi Ji's gaze shifted from the plates to the faces of the three people.

Getting caught stealing food is embarrassing enough, and he was prepared to be chased and beaten. But instead of getting angry, the other party eagerly brought the food to his door.

"Well, since you insist on giving it to me, it would seem pretentious for me to refuse. Besides, it's the middle of winter, and it's not good to waste food."

As Qi Ji thought this to himself, his ears twitched slightly. He lowered his head and slowly approached the plate.

To onlookers, Bai Lu Zun's demeanor appeared elegant and composed, even his bowing while eating exuded an otherworldly aura. However, in reality, Qi Ji's speed was by no means slow.

With a flick of his tongue, five or six steamed dumplings slid into his mouth. The skin was thin and the filling was generous, and the fresh juice burst on his tongue. He chewed quickly and soon devoured half a plate.

The vegetarian assortment was refreshing and helped cut through the greasiness, while the braised pork was savory and flavorful. Qi Ji ate with great relish, his antlers swaying gently with each chew.

The three people next to them stared wide-eyed.

The two grown men, Lao Luo and Dong Li, had tears welling up in their eyes, but they tried their best to smile, their hands trembling with excitement.

"They ate...the auspicious white deer really ate what we made."

Dong Li's voice trembled: "What an incredible blessing!"

"Absolutely, this life has been worth it." Old Luo wiped his face vigorously, afraid that tears would fall and make him lose his manners.

The manager stood to the side, his heart pounding wildly, even more excited than when he first took over the restaurant.

The auspicious white deer visited his restaurant and ate the food at Qing Le Restaurant. If word got out, his restaurant would become famous not only in the county but also throughout the entire Bi Lin Kingdom. He had already started planning that after Qi Ji finished eating, he would definitely put away the plates, clean them, and place them in the hall. Having absorbed the auspicious energy of the auspicious beast, they would become family heirlooms.

In no time at all, the whole plate of food was gone.

Qi Ji ate to his heart's content, his stomach felt warm and cozy, and he felt comfortable all over.

Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, the antlers on Qi Ji's head suddenly glowed with a soft golden-green light. Faint ripples of energy spread outward from him in circles, like flowing fireflies in the dark night, which were particularly eye-catching.

"——"

Ripples swept across the small trees lining both sides of the street.

It was a deep winter night, when plants and trees should have been dormant. But the moment the light touched them, the remaining withered leaves on the branches straightened up, and even the tender buds hidden under the snow seemed to awaken instantly, their leaves unfurling like quietly blooming flowers.

"A miracle! This is a miracle!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone's emotions were instantly pushed to the peak.

The people in the front row had already knelt down, and the people behind them followed suit, forming a dense, dark mass of kneeling people. No one dared to look up and gaze directly at the golden-green light; only suppressed, excited gasps could be heard.

Just then, a series of jostling sounds suddenly came from the back of the crowd.

"Excuse me, please make way."

Several men standing in the back row immediately frowned, their anger rising.

Who is so inconsiderate? How dare they offend the White Deer Emperor! Don't they have a death wish?!

They turned to yell at him, but then they saw a man in his thirties, clutching a wooden plate tightly in his arms, his face flushed, stumbling and squeezing his way to the front.

He didn't dare get too close, stopping outside the kneeling crowd. He carefully placed the plate on the ground, then knelt down with a "plop," his voice both excited and nervous, trembling slightly: "Your Excellency, Bai Lu, this... this is a New Year's Eve dinner roll made by my family. To be able to see Your Excellency tonight is a blessing that my family has accumulated over eight lifetimes. I humbly request Your Excellency... to have the mercy to taste it."

The plate held about a dozen palm-sized wraps, thin-skinned and generously filled, still warm.

The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.

Many people were taken aback at first, but then they realized—wow, this idea is too clever!

What an incredible blessing it would be if a mythical beast ate its own food!

With this auspicious energy, the coming year will surely bring good fortune to the family, and everyone will feel proud to talk about it.

Many people secretly slapped their thighs, cursing themselves for not thinking of this. They all hurriedly raised their eyes, nervously staring at the white deer shadow in the arena, waiting to see if Qi Ji would respond.

Qi Ji looked up at the man.

The other person kept their head down, their eyes filled with the same awe as the others, along with a hint of fear and trepidation, clearly afraid of offending the auspicious beast.

There's no reason to refuse food delivered to your door.

Qi Ji took two steps forward, bent down and smelled it. The aroma of wheat mixed with the smell of vegetables, and it tasted pretty good.

So he opened his mouth, rolled it up, and ate a large wrap.

The man suddenly raised his head, his face instantly breaking into a wildly joyful smile. He couldn't stop kowtowing and kept saying, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

The restaurant owner next door twitched his lips, thinking to himself that this kid was quite clever.

The man's behavior was like opening a floodgate.

Many people kneeling on the ground immediately stood up and ran back to their homes.

"Hurry, hurry, go home and get the New Year's Eve dinner!"

"Old woman, hurry up and bring us that bowl of smoked meat too!"

"Your Excellency, please wait a moment. I will go and fetch the New Year's food from my home to present to Your Excellency."

In the darkness, footsteps rose and fell, some running breathlessly, others shouting for their esteemed guests to wait. The once quiet street suddenly became bustling with activity.

Qi Ji stood still, watching the crowd scatter, then looked down at the remaining wraps in front of him, his antlers swaying slightly.

He seems to have... accidentally caused quite a scene.