The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

"I suggest that we leave here before spring and head to the Red Kingdom."

After Feng Zhan finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Everyone froze, looking at each other in disbelief.

Heading to the Red Kingdom... isn't this turn a bit too abrupt?

"Bullshit!"

Ma Mang immediately slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide with shock, and his booming voice seemed to echo through the roof beams.

"We're doing just fine here, with cities and provisions, why should we leave? Even if the Bilin Kingdom's government troops dare to come in the spring, at worst I'll lead my brothers back into the Duanchen Mountains, hide in the ravines and become mountain kings. Can their army search us all over the mountains? They can't do anything to us!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, his face full of disdain.

Ma Mang's men nodded in agreement, clearly agreeing with this familiar way of life—making a living in their homeland was better than leaving their hometown.

Wei Shuo tapped his fingertips on the edge of the table, his brows furrowed, and did not speak immediately.

He was equally surprised by Feng Zhan's suggestion, but unlike Ma Mang, he did not reject it outright.

This group of people had long been wanted by the government of Bilin Kingdom. Luohui City was just a temporary stop. Once the government troops were free to deal with them, this rabble would not be able to hold the city. Seeking another way out in another country might be a viable option for survival.

"Going to another country isn't out of the question."

Someone spoke slowly, their tone tinged with doubt: "But why does it have to be the Red Country? I've heard that place is all desert sand, the wind hurts your face, what kind of good life can you have there?"

All eyes turned to Feng Zhan.

Feng Zhan remained calm and said indifferently, "The environment in Chi Kingdom is not as bad as you say. And most importantly, the national customs there are most in line with the temperament of our group. They value martial arts over literature, and their laws are different from those in Bilin Kingdom. As long as you have skills and are willing to join the army, all past crimes and wanted notices will be forgiven."

He paused, glanced at everyone's expressions, and added, "Not to mention soldiers, even the city guards of many cities in the Red Kingdom are not from the proper bureaucratic system. Many of them were just like us back then, bandits and mountain thieves wanted by the government."

After these words were spoken, the hall fell into a deathly silence once again.

Many people stared wide-eyed, their breathing becoming slightly rapid.

While being a bandit sounds nice, it's ultimately a dangerous and precarious existence. If one could clean up their identity and become a legitimate official, or even the lord of a city, who would want to hide in the mountains and starve every day?

Even Ma Mang, who had just slammed his fist on the table in opposition, was now mouth agape, his face full of astonishment, clearly tempted.

As everyone's thoughts were in turmoil, a young man in the back row suddenly stood up and said in a clear voice, "Mr. Feng's idea is good, but I think there is a better way."

Everyone looked over.

The young man, in his early twenties with sharp eyes, said calmly, "Instead of going to the Red Kingdom empty-handed to join their army, why don't we capture that auspicious white deer and present it to the Red Kingdom's king?"

There was another moment of surprise in the hall.

The young man stepped forward, his tone tinged with eagerness: "A few days ago, the auspicious white deer appeared, and many forces in the martial world were stirred up by the news. I heard that the Crimson Kingdom also sent people to infiltrate the Azure Forest Kingdom, all for that white deer. If we can present the white deer to them, it will be a tremendous achievement. Not to mention joining the army to atone for our sins, we will all be rewarded. Perhaps we won't even need to serve in the army; we can directly obtain an official position in the Crimson Kingdom."

These words were like a spark falling into a haystack, instantly igniting the thoughts of many more people.

Many people's eyes lit up with an alarming gleam. Ma Mang even slapped his thigh hard, his face trembling, as if a bright future was unfolding before him.

Just by catching a deer, you can get a promotion. This deal is incredibly lucrative.

Wei Shuo looked up at the young man and asked in a deep voice, "Which faction are you from? What's your name?"

"I am Zhu Zhen, originally a member of the Black Tiger Gang." The young man clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Wei Shuo nodded: "I've heard of the Black Tiger Gang. It's like my Thousand Blades Gang. Back then, the gang leader led the vice leader and a group of skilled fighters to hunt down the White Deer, but none of them came back."

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of warning: "Your idea sounds good, but it's far too impractical."

"Boss Wei is right!"

Someone immediately echoed, their tone tinged with lingering fear: "If that auspicious white deer were so easy to catch, how could we have ended up in this predicament?"

A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion stepped out from the crowd. His face was pale, and his voice trembled: "To be honest, when the various forces went into the mountains to hunt the white deer a while ago, I was in the group and witnessed that white deer with my own eyes. That was no deer; it was a monster. I watched it manipulate the trees, and the branches flew around like spears, strangling several people at once. I was too scared to rush forward at the time, and I ran back for my life. I survived by the skin of my teeth. If I had been a step later, I would have been skewered into meat on the branches."

He grew increasingly frightened as he spoke, waving his hands and saying, "In short, I absolutely disagree with the idea of ​​capturing the white deer; that would be suicide."

"What a coward!"

Ma Mang sneered, his face full of disdain.

"It's just a beast, and it's scaring you like this? I think it's because you're all useless. No matter how evil it is, it's still made of flesh and blood. If you cut it with a knife, it will still bleed; if you shoot an arrow in, it will still die. What's there to be afraid of?"

These words immediately provoked public outrage, and a heated argument ensued.

"You bastard, you've never seen a white deer before, that's why you talk so casually."

"Watch your mouth, what did our boss say wrong?"

"Hmph, it's easy for someone to talk when they're not in the situation. If you actually ran into them, you'd probably be the one running away faster than anyone else."

"I think it's safest to stay in Luohui City."

"Actually, joining the Red Kingdom's army is fine, but forget about capturing the white deer. What's the use of an official position if you're going to lose your life?"

"I think it's worth a try."

The hall erupted into chaos in an instant.

Some advocate for holding back.

Some people agreed to defect to the Red Kingdom.

Some people were encouraging others to capture a white deer in exchange for wealth and status.

Some people absolutely refuse to discuss Bai Lu.

Each side presented their own reasoning, and the argument nearly lifted the roof off.

Looking at the chaotic crowd, Wei Shuo's temples throbbed. He raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table, the loud "bang" drowning out all the noise.

"Alright, quiet down!"

The arguing gradually subsided, and everyone turned to look at Wei Shuo.

Before Wei Shuo could speak, the main hall door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang.

A henchman stumbled in, his face pale, and cried out in a panic, "Bosses, something bad has happened! The team we sent to chase the refugees... they're back, but only five of them have returned. The rest have vanished without a trace. It seems they've run into some tough guys."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Wei Shuo's brows furrowed suddenly, and he said in a deep voice, "Has the government troops of the Bilin Kingdom caught up with us?"

Feng Zhan immediately waved to the henchman: "Bring those five people in for questioning."

Before long, five exhausted men were helped in, all still in shock and staggering as they walked.

Ma Mang glanced at it once, and his face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

None of these five people were his subordinates.

His men made up the majority of the force in this pursuit of the refugees, and now only five outsiders have returned. What about his remaining men...?

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

Ma Mang suddenly stood up, pointed at the five men, and shouted angrily, "Speak! What exactly happened? Where are my men?!"

The five men trembled at his roar. One of them, his teeth chattering, glanced at all the leaders in the hall, his voice trembling with tears: "It's...it's the auspicious beast, the white deer...we've encountered the auspicious beast, the white deer!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt through the hall. The crowd, who had been arguing fiercely just moments before, froze in place. A deathly silence filled the room, broken only by the sharp crackling of the burning charcoal...