Calamity Arrives"Big Brother, do you remember when Bensheng was born, an immortal came and prophesied he would be the Miracle Child who would save the Spirit Beast Clan?"As soon as Lugen appeared, he brought this up to the Deer King. The surrounding deer were all curious."An immortal?" Bensheng was the most curious, of course. It happened when he was born, so he didn't know. He only knew that because of this prophecy, even when he occasionally made mischief, he received extra leniency. Speaking of which, he really should thank this immortal...Human?"Correct, just as you're thinking." Lugen looked around at everyone's expressions, then finally lowered his head to Bensheng. "That immortal was actually also a human. Humans enjoy cultivation. Only those who cultivate to extremely high realms are called immortals. Everyone is so afraid of the so-called Five-Fingered Beast now, but did you ever think that we had already made contact with them six years ago?"Amo looked down at the clothing Bensheng had given her and smiled. "Speaking of which, the immortal was wearing a robe just like this back then!"The Deer King made the final decision. "Ignorance breeds fear. But it seems now we are not entirely ignorant of humans. Staying in Lumbini Deer Park might have a better chance of success than migrating aimlessly."Later, Second Uncle said some more things, and Bensheng himself joined in the clamor. But he couldn't remember any of it. He only remembered everyone talking and laughing, deciding to stay in Lumbini and make plans for peaceful coexistence with the humans.A raging fire burned on the Ashoka Tree, thick smoke mingling with dust, soaring into the sky. Broken pottery, shattered fences, ruins and desolation—this place had become more terrifying than the eye of the sandstorm.The moment the Ashoka Tree was set ablaze by human torches, Bensheng felt as if all his strength had been drained. He could only stand motionless on the spot.Why? Why was this happening?No one had an answer for him. The air was filled with the desperate cries of the deer, yet these were all but eclipsed by the raucous laughter of the humans. They swung longswords and thrust
spears, riding down upon them, shooting arrows from their bows.They called this hunting, a form of enjoyment for humans.They said beast clans were naturally meant to be food for humans.They said inferior races were not worthy of discussing peaceful coexistence with them.The Deer King led the warrior deer in fierce resistance, but how could they match the strength of the humans? The deer herd was trapped in their former paradise, helplessly running in all directions.At the rear of the human army, on a large carriage, a pot-bellied lord embraced a seductively beautiful woman, enjoying the bloody slaughter before them. The woman's beautiful eyes scanned the scene and spotted Bensheng, standing motionless in the field. She giggled coquettishly, "My King, look at that little white deer, its fur is pure white. If it could be made into a cape, how beautiful it would look on me!""As long as it pleases my beloved, I would pluck the stars from the sky for you." The lord waved a large hand. "Wuni, go, capture that little white deer!""Yes!"A short and sly human soldier eagerly accepted the order. He charged at Bensheng with his spear, a greedy glint in his shifty, triangular eyes. Pleasing the lord meant an instant promotion and supreme tribal honor... Thinking this, he excitedly raised his spear and thrust it down hard at Bensheng.Suddenly, a gray figure flashed from the side, scooping up Bensheng. Wuni's thrust met empty air.Bensheng came to his senses in the whistling wind. "...Second Uncle?"Lugen was covered in wounds, a long gash on his forehead bleeding over his eye. He swiftly dodged out of the human soldiers' sight and stopped behind a shrub."Quick!"Before Bensheng could react, a piece of clothing was thrown over him—it was the gray robe Gautama had given him. He looked up and saw Amo, tears streaming down her face."My child." Amo kissed his forehead. "Run, use your fastest speed. Close your eyes, don't look back!""No..."Lugen threw Bensheng over the wooden fence. The human soldier Wuni had already noticed them and shouted, chasing after them.
"Bensheng, run!"His legs seemed to have a mind of their own, running incessantly from the moment they hit the ground. Wind and sand stung his eyes. He obeyed his mother's instruction and closed his eyes. His entire being had only one thought.Run.He didn't know how fast he was running, nor how long he had been running. Only when Gautama's oversized robe slipped from his body did he realize he had collapsed from exhaustion. All four hooves were bloody and covered in wounds.There was nothing around him but the boundless gobi. The sky had long since faded into absolute darkness. In all that existed, he stood completely alone."Uh..."Bensheng bit his lip, sobbing. Gradually, he could no longer hold back and burst into loud wails.It was all his fault. Everything was his fault. His recklessness had harmed everyone. He was the one who thought humans were friendly. He was the one who refused to leave Lumbini Deer Park. Ignorant...He was the ignorant deer. So why was he the only one who escaped?No, I have to go back and save everyone...Bensheng tried to lift his front hooves, but his strength failed, and he fell to the ground. As his eyes closed, he saw a figure approaching....Had he been caught?"Chirp chirp!" Bird song."Baa baa!" Goat bleats.More and more sounds reached his ears. Bensheng struggled to open his eyes, slowly widening them in astonishment.This place... is it heaven? Why did he see so many beast clans?There were colorful exotic birds flying in the sky, rare and precious animals running on the ground. They ran freely around him, making happy sounds. If it weren't for the hard gobi beneath him, Bensheng would have sworn he had ascended to heaven."You're awake." A clear, mellow voice sounded.Bensheng turned his head, greatly surprised. "Gau... Gautama?! You saved me?""Yo." Gautama smiled and waved a greeting.As he approached, the young beasts nearby curiously gathered around, examining Bensheng. Besides cows, sheep, and horses, there were many he couldn't name. But they all had one thing in common:
they were all young."Are you a deer?""Your antlers are so cute!"Bensheng felt his antlers being touched. He instinctively lowered his head and suddenly noticed his bandaged hooves, stunned. A small, triangular head the size of a palm peeked over."You don't have parents either?" a young antelope asked innocently. "None of us have parents anymore. Immortal Gautama saved us."Parents...Bensheng's pupils contracted sharply. He grabbed the robe covering him, gasping for breath. "Mom, Dad... Lumbini Deer Park was taken by humans... It's all my fault! Ah——" His shout ended in a choked sob.The young antelope was startled and hurriedly backed away. Gautama reached out and beckoned towards a tree."Ananda, please try to comfort him."A pitch-black crow flew towards Bensheng. Before it could get close, Bensheng, his eyes red, stood up and ran. His speed was so fast he shot out far in an instant.But the bandages on his hooves soon seeped blood. He couldn't run for long before collapsing to the ground from exhaustion, unable to move.Gautama sighed, walked over, and picked him up. "I'm sorry, Bensheng. I originally thought that group of people wouldn't discover you, so I didn't intervene. I didn't expect them to change direction because of the sandstorm and head straight for Lumbini Deer Park. Fortunately, in the end, I found you before that human soldier caught up."Bensheng wailed loudly, clutching Gautama tightly. "What's the use of only me escaping! I have to go back and save them! Please, I want to go back..."Gautama watched him cry calmly and asked, "But can you save them?""I..." Bensheng's breath hitched.There wasn't a trace of frivolity left in Gautama's eyes. That cold, calm gaze seemed to be telling him the fact he least wanted to hear.He let go of Gautama, took a few steps back, and stood on his bleeding hooves."Yes, I can't. But I don't understand, why must they kill us..."The little white deer gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling.
"What do you mean by hunting? What do you mean by making us your food? We were born into the same world!" Bensheng cried out hoarsely. "We are the same! We are equals!"A sudden gust of wind rose from the flat ground, shrubs rustling and shaking. The young beasts stared in astonishment at Bensheng's figure.Gautama's face turned pale. "No, never!""...Impossible?""This world has strict hierarchies, clear distinctions between strong and weak. There has never been equality. You dare speak such nonsense because you've never seen the world. Do you know why Chaoyun Country only has beast clans? Because this place is the most barren and harsh; no higher race is willing to come here. Buzhou Country, adjacent to Chaoyun, is constantly engulfed in war, yet even so, only exiled human tribes leave. The closer you get to the center of the Great Continent, the more peaceful and prosperous it becomes. Inside Buzhou Country, in Yongle Country and Qiyue Country, the people living there have no disasters, no wars. They have none of the sufferings you can imagine. They can enjoy wealth and comfort their whole lives, even cultivate supernatural powers, be reborn like phoenixes, ascend above Kunlun, and become the immortals spoken of by mortals..."After this long speech, Gautama took a deep breath. Looking around, the young beasts were all stunned."...Immortal?" Bensheng finally processed it. "Second Uncle said 'only those who cultivate to extremely high realms are called immortals.' The little antelope just called you Immortal. Gautama, are you an immortal? Can you save Lumbini...""What kind of 'immortal' am I? I'm just a heretic." Gautama lowered his head, self-deprecating. "I can't do anything. I'm nothing compared to a real immortal."The young beasts gathered around Gautama, comforting him. "Don't say that, Immortal Gautama! You saved us; we're alive because of you!" "Yes, without Immortal Gautama, we would have died long ago."The crow flapped its wings, avoided the other beasts, and returned to perch on Bensheng's head.It opened its round black eyes and suddenly said, "This old one sees that the deer of your clan are still alive."Bensheng was stunned. Ananda continued, "Do you know why they are still alive?"
"Because the humans don't want to hunt everything at once and have no meat later, so the deer herd is kept captive by them. Although they ultimately cannot escape death, it is not immediate. Only you, if you return, will be in immediate mortal danger. The soldier sent by the lord is still searching for you nearby, wanting to use your fur to please the lord's concubine.""So, as long as you don't return to Lumbini, you can survive.""Come with us."The young antelope added, "Little white deer, don't mind that Ananda is just a crow, but he has the 'Clairvoyance' supernatural power. He can see things happening very far away. He must have seen everything inside Lumbini to say that. Just come with us. Surviving is already good enough; don't think about saving your clan anymore. We are so weak; there's nothing we can do."Bensheng looked down at his bleeding front hooves. Four toes on each hoof—besides the two large upper bones, the two small toes at the back were pitifully weak. Aba Teacher said, the more claws, the more formidable. So humans were strong, beast clans were weak...So, all this was "something we can't help"?No!Bensheng stood up straight and walked towards Gautama. Each step was heart-wrenchingly painful, but he felt nothing now. "Gautama, if the Great Continent is as vast as you say, then there must be a way to change the world."Gautama turned, looking at him in surprise."You're right, this world has strict hierarchies, clear distinctions between strong and weak. So I will become strong. I will drive out all the humans who invaded Lumbini Deer Park and killed the deer herd!"