The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

Wei Shuo's expression darkened as he looked at the five people and asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure you saw it clearly? Are you sure it was the auspicious white deer?"

The five men, their faces still deathly pale, nodded repeatedly, their voices trembling: "It's absolutely true. They were pure white, with antlers that glowed faintly. They were incredibly powerful. All the brothers who went with us died... Only the five of us managed to escape with our lives."

As soon as those words were spoken, the commotion that had been barely suppressed instantly reignited, and the scene became chaotic once again.

Ma Mang's men behind him were all overjoyed, feeling as if they had been showered with immense wealth.

Just moments ago, everyone was chatting about the legend of the auspicious white deer, and then this white deer bumped into them on its own—it was as if God had delivered an opportunity right to their doorstep.

"Grab it! We have to catch it!"

Ma Mang slammed his fist on the table, making the cups and saucers rattle.

"The appearance of an auspicious beast here is an opportunity we absolutely cannot miss."

Immediately, some voices of opposition emerged, mostly from forces that had previously heard of Bai Lu's infamous reputation and harbored fear of him.

"Ma Mang, are you crazy? That white deer can slaughter hundreds of skilled fighters; its strength is unfathomable. How can you just catch it like that? If you provoke it, you'll lose your life!"

"Hmph, cowards, just admit you're scared. Nobody will think you're cowards."

"You fucking can't understand human language, huh?"

Both sides stuck to their own version of events and argued fiercely.

Just then, the young man named Zhu Zhen suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out the noise in the room.

"Please be patient, everyone. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Zhu Zhen calmly stood up and said slowly, "The white deer is indeed powerful, but it is still a wild beast. No matter how intelligent beasts are, how can they compare to us humans? A head-on confrontation is obviously not advisable, but we can set up an ambush in advance and lay traps and mechanisms."

He paused, a calculating glint in his eyes: "I've heard that the white deer can manipulate plants and trees, giving it a significant advantage in the mountains and forests, making it difficult to deal with. But what if the battlefield isn't in the mountains and forests, but in open plains? If we lure it to a forestless area and lay an ambush beforehand, the chances of capturing it will be quite good."

After he finished speaking, the noise in the room gradually subsided.

Many people fell into deep thought, and the more they thought about it, the more they felt it made sense.

Even those who had previously strongly opposed provoking Bai Lu were at a loss for words to refute her.

No matter how miraculous a mythical beast may be, it is still a beast after all. As humans, they do not believe that a deer can outwit a human.

Wei Shuo frowned slightly, glanced at Feng Zhan beside him, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Feng, what do you think?"

Feng Zhan rubbed his chin with his fingers, his gaze deep: "If we can really choose an open, flat area to set up an ambush, it's not impossible to give it a try. If we can capture this auspicious beast alive and present it to the Red King in the Red Kingdom, wealth and glory will be within our grasp. Of course, the premise is that we can actually capture it."

Wei Shuo fell silent upon hearing this.

He didn't really want to get involved in this mess.

So many martial artists failed to capture the white deer recently, the danger was self-evident, and the chance of success was extremely slim. But then he thought that if he hesitated and others actually captured the white deer, he would not get a single bit of the great credit that would go to the Red Kingdom to receive the reward.

People are not worried about scarcity, but about inequality.

After a long silence, Wei Shuo finally spoke slowly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Since that's the case, then... let's give it a try."

... ... ....

On the vast snow-covered plain, Qi Ji was walking slowly and steadily through the snow.

The further you go towards the Duanchen Mountains, the denser the surrounding vegetation becomes. Scattered trees become ubiquitous, and weeds and shrubs also increase.

This is a good thing for Qi Ji, at least it will make it easier for him to find food.

"Spirit Points +1"

After another hearty meal, Qi Ji walked forward for about fifteen minutes. When he looked up, the outline of the rolling mountains finally appeared at the end of his field of vision.

The familiar scent of the mountains and forests drifted over from afar, warming Qi Ji's heart and causing him to quicken his pace unconsciously.

Unexpectedly, several hundred meters ahead, two figures were huddled among the branches of a tall, ancient tree, keeping watch.

The two stared at the white figure getting closer and closer in the snow, their eyes widening with surprise and delight.

"The boss's information was right, it really is Bai Lu, and she's on her way."

"Quickly, return to the city and report to the chief!"

The two tiptoed down the tree trunk and ran wildly towards Luohui City without looking back.

They were so eager to deliver the message that they didn't even consider that if they could spot Qi Ji in the distance, surely Qi Ji could spot them too.

"——"

With a few leaps, Qi Ji's figure swept across the snow like a white gust of wind, and in an instant, he arrived under the ancient tree.

He looked up in the direction the two had fled, a glint of light flashing in his deer-like eyes.

The two men were dressed exactly like some of the bandits and robbers he had previously killed.

It could hardly be a coincidence that someone would be hiding in a tree in the dead of winter to keep watch in the middle of nowhere.

Remembering what the refugee had said earlier, Qi Ji immediately understood.

It seems he was one of the escapees who had slipped through the net back then, and he brought the message back and was waiting for him here.

"These robbers are interesting. Are they targeting me? They're quick on their feet," Qi Ji muttered to himself, but didn't really take it to heart.

Qi Ji followed silently.

With the [Spirit Foot] skill, he stepped on the snow without leaving a single footprint, and even the soft sound of his footsteps was almost completely eliminated, like a ghostly shadow trailing behind the two scouts.

... ... ...

As dusk falls, the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) is approaching.

Two scouts raced back to Luohui City, barging straight to the group of high-ranking officials and panting as they reported, "Boss, we've...we've definitely spotted that auspicious white deer. It's heading towards Luohui City."

Ma Mang suddenly stood up, his face full of excitement.

Zhu Zhen clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes gleaming, as if his prey was walking step by step into the cage he had set up.

Without delay, everyone got up and headed towards the city gate, with their men following closely behind. They marched through the city gate and into the outermost barbican.

The barbican was already heavily fortified, with numerous men armed with knives and bows and arrows standing densely packed inside. Upon arrival, Wei Shuo immediately asked in a deep voice, "Have the white deer tracks been spotted?"

The lookout quickly shook his head: "Boss, not yet. The brothers just checked the snow outside the city, and we didn't see a single deer hoof print, let alone a deer."

Wei Shuo nodded and gestured for everyone to calm down: "No rush, just wait. As soon as we spot the white deer, we'll immediately open the main gate of the barbican and lead it inside."

He looked around, his tone confident: "When the time comes, the ambushers will come out from all sides and fire a barrage of arrows. They will first wound its legs and feet, then trigger the pre-buried iron cage mechanism. The barbican is surrounded by high walls, sealed like a jar. No matter how strong it is, once it gets in, it will be trapped like a turtle in a jar, unable to escape."

The people around him were all excited upon hearing this and praised it as wonderful.

The barbican was designed to trap the enemy, and it has been an excellent terrain for trapping and beating the enemy since ancient times. No matter how intelligent a white deer is, how could it understand the secrets of the city's mechanisms? Once it steps in, it will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

Zhu Zhen burst into laughter, full of high spirits: "If we really capture this white deer, we will have accomplished a feat that countless people have failed to do before. Once this matter is spread, our names will surely become famous throughout the martial arts world."

The crowd joined in the laughter, their faces filled with anticipation, as if they could already see their future of promotion and boundless glory.

Just then, a subordinate at the edge of the crowd subconsciously turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the wall of the urn, and the smile on his face suddenly froze.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his mouth gaped open as if someone had grabbed his throat, unable to utter a single word. He could only raise his hand with trembling hands, pointing to the top of the city wall.

"Then...then...!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Everyone noticed the commotion and turned to look in the direction the man was pointing—

Suddenly, a tall, slender white figure appeared atop the towering wall of the urn.

The antlers were lustrous, emitting a faint golden-green glow; its fur was as white as snow; and a pair of eyes as lively as a human's were looking down at them with indifference and calmness, as if watching a clumsy farce.

The white deer overheard every single word of their schemes, their elation, and their unwavering determination...