[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens":3,"chapter-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-167":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 Billion Citizens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2271042,4434,"Chapter 167: The","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-167",167,"\u003Cp>Inside the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air here was thick with the mingled scents of grease, sawdust, and sweat; dim yellow candlelight swayed overhead, casting twisted shadows onto the canvas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman in her early twenties stood on the stage at the tent’s center, her six slender arms spread gracefully like spider legs, each finger delicate and supple, with clearly defined joints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had deep blue hair like a night river, reaching down to her waist, threaded with tiny star-shaped ornaments that sparkled in the light like a miniature starry sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Colorful ribbons wound around her fingertips as she spun, leapt, and danced, her figure light as a swallow, carving dazzling colored vortices through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Helena big sister’s dance is amazing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big sister is so beautiful—I never thought people like us could shine so brightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Helena big sister, I—I love you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the stage, a crowd of deformed individuals—people most would avoid, despise, or fear—clapped enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some had extra hands or eyes; others had organs misplaced—mouths on palms, or skin covered entirely in snake-like scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These deformed people ranged in age, adults and children alike, though children were the majority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the performance, the six-armed dancer bowed slightly, holding her skirt, then stepped down from the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a new performer took the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant with two heads—one adult, one child—stood on stage; the two heads conversed, the adult head on the left telling crude jokes, the child head on the right innocently defending them with childish logic, sending the audience into roars of laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their towering three-meter frames required careful control of every movement to avoid knocking into the candle-laden ceiling fixture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deformed audience below laughed uncontrollably, shouting their names—the adult head on the left was Big Toby, the child head on the right was Little Toby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next act was tightrope walking: a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, with furry pointed ears and a pink nose, protruding incisors, a long tail, and skin pale pink like a giant Mickey Mouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mouse girl led a group of white mice across the rope, leaping and sprinting, her tiny feet flipping 360° with the agility of real rodents, her incisors glinting like pearls in the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she completed a backflip, her tail instinctively curled to maintain balance, a small bow tied at the tip of her fluffy gray tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Mia is incredible!” the children cried out in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final act was fire-jumping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The performer was a young man covered in emerald scales, with vertical pupils and a forked tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood coldly beside each narrow fire ring; his smooth scales shimmered with emerald glints in the firelight, his slender body darting through the rings—no larger than a human head—with impossible speed, like a flash of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Sif, so cool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a corner of the circus, the magician leaned against the wall, quietly watching this warm scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze was now gentle, like that of an old father, utterly unlike the hardened demeanor he’d shown when facing the Piercing Duke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dazzling violet-gold heterochromatic eyes gradually dimmed, their brilliance fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six-armed dancer approached, gazing at the magician, a clear mark of respect appearing on her delicate face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, everyone has finished rehearsing—we’re ready to perform anytime,” Helena reported softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician nodded approvingly, but his brow twitched slightly as he recalled Yude’s refusal that morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though subtle, the detail was noticed by the dancer who had served him for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, has something happened?” Helena asked, her expression filled with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This morning, I met a monkey-faced alchemist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not wanting to worry the dancer he saw as a daughter, the magician paused, then told her the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did that alchemist say he was already content with his life?” Helena asked again, doubting she’d heard correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, as a deformed person herself, she knew how deeply the world despised them—simply existing made them targets of malice until they were driven to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” the magician admitted, a faint bitter smile on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time someone had refused him for that reason; usually, they just called him a pervert who enjoyed playing with deformed people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That monkey-faced alchemist… seems to have been saved by someone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Helena keenly grasped the key point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d truly like to meet that person!” she sighed with sincere longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll stay in Dusk City for a while—we’re sure to have the chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician smiled faintly; he too was curious—who could have saved a deformed person? Perhaps he could even become friends with such a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patrol guards quickly noticed a massive circus tent that had suddenly appeared, occupying a full tenth of the city square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They swiftly reported to their superior, and soon a transcendent knight arrived with a squad of guards, storming toward the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight moved to rip open the tent flap and charge inside—luckily, the magician had already been waiting at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?” the knight demanded, hand on his sword hilt, wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handsome magician before him looked frail, yet somehow radiated danger—like standing before a ferocious beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Lu En, a traveler and leader of the Monster Circus,” the magician replied gently, removing his hat and bowing elegantly to the knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monster Circus!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the words, the knight froze, finally noticing the blood-red characters emblazoned on the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard of this famed circus, long active in the southern region—rumored to have left the south for touring elsewhere, yet here it was again, so soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And about this circus, many strange rumors circulated; the most dangerous one made the knight instinctively glance at the magician’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even beneath the shadow of his hat brim, he could clearly see they were an extremely rare heterochromatic pair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the knight’s vigilance spiked to its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword half-drawn, glinting coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Lu En, I am Knight Gray of the Marsha family. Thank you for coming to perform in Dusk City, but the city square is a core strategic zone—please dismantle your tent and leave immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Gray declared loudly; behind him, the guards stepped forward, spears raised, surrounding the magician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, if he refused, imprisonment awaited him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu En fell silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew a seal from his chest and handed it to Gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Gray glimpsed the emblem, his expression changed drastically—he immediately sheathed his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the magician’s deep violet left eye, a terrifying suspicion forming in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, why did I come meddling here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That idiot who reported this—I’ll triple his training when I get back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gray cursed inwardly; he had no desire to uncover the family’s hidden scandals. No wonder Ma Lin refused to come—he must have known all along!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the knight’s face shift like a painter’s palette, Lu En guessed his thoughts and spoke calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knight, may I now operate my circus on the city square?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes yes yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Gray stammered in agreement, then fled with his guards in disarray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he left, the magician stood still, staring at the fox-head emblem on the seal, lost in thought for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Fox Castle, guest bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu rose as usual, stood by the window bare-chested, letting the cool morning breeze brush his skin, while the new maid Anna dressed and washed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The petite maid, with chestnut hair and deer-like bright eyes, blushed furiously as she gazed at his muscular, defined chest, her face flushed as if steaming from nervousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet still, she carefully tiptoed to drape his shirt over him and fastened each button.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After accepting Xia Mingyu’s offer to become his maid, she was first sent to Red Fox Castle for maid training by the head maids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After training, since Anliya was busy preparing exquisite meals daily, Anna now handled Xia Mingyu’s dressing and daily routines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was her first day on duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anna, are you comfortable living in Red Fox Castle?” Xia Mingyu asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, everyone here is kind to me. I’ve made many new friends, and when they learned I’m Starfire’s maid, they treated me with great respect—even some said they envied me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, the girl’s face lit up with a radiant smile, her emerald eyes curving into crescents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a girl who had always lived alone, this feeling of being surrounded and cherished by peers was both novel and joyful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xia Mingyu finally let go of his worries for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-homeless flower girl now had her own support and life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, she had fallen for him after a single encounter—partly because of his charm, but mostly because she feared loneliness and wanted to escape her bleak existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dining hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Anliya prepared him honey-glazed fried eggs with pan-seared fish fillets—the eggs sweet and tender, the fish golden and crisp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After savoring the meal, Xia Mingyu felt warm and relaxed, as if soaking in a hot spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came reading, drinking red juice, lying on Anliya’s lap reading, drinking red juice, reading again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his head throbbed too fiercely to absorb another word, he suddenly realized the window was bathed in golden dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time really flies,” Xia Mingyu murmured, gazing at the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say that when you sleep through the day and wake to dusk, you feel abandoned by the world—and the only cure is…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anliya, can you sleep with me tonight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, really, Your Highness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-haired girl beside him, who had stood still as a painting, couldn’t help but smile—two tiny dimples appeared on her exquisite face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile was so radiant, it made the air around them feel sweetly heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu embraced the beautiful girl as they returned to the bedroom, lying on the soft bed, foreheads touching, breaths mingling—wet and warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop pop pop~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sizzle sizzle sizzle~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the full moon gradually replaced the setting sun, casting countless pure, radiant beams upon the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was deep night, yet many children in Dusk City were still tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day had been enough for the news of the Monster Circus’s arrival to spread throughout the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all the rumors about the Monster Circus, the most famous was its uniquely ingenious, fairy-tale-like method of invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It held a magic no child could resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they waited, longing, anticipating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>City Square, Monster Circus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, all five thousand invitation letters have been written!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the tent, the mouse girl dashed up to the magician with boundless energy, saluting like a soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done, Mia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician praised her by patting her head, then gestured for her to proceed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mia pressed her finger to her lips and let out a sharp whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, as if by magic, countless white mice suddenly emerged from the ground of the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though each white mouse was small and adorable, when they gathered densely together, they were enough to drive anyone with a fear of crowds into madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mouse army, deploy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mia waved her hand with great enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the white mice scrambled into a large box piled high with invitation letters, then bit the letters in their teeth and surged out of the circus tent like a white tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the white tide split into countless streams, silently flowing into house after house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a rooftop somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masked black-clad figures stared in shock at the absurd scene before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could mice really be used to deliver letters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in such vast numbers—if used for poisoning or assassination, just imagining it was terrifying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain, shouldn’t we capture the one who controls the mice? We’d surely earn the organization’s reward,” one black-clad man said, his heart racing, addressing the figure at the front of the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” the captain replied coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man who had spoken fell silent, clamping his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain continued gazing at the enormous tent that had risen overnight in the city square, his greenish beast eyes filled with wariness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before heading to the Southern Frontier, his superior had specifically warned him: never provoke the Monster Circus, or his squad would face only death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A New Moon Peak, two New Moons, three Morning Stars—and yet we can’t touch a circus that only performs for children? It’s unbelievable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even this assassin, who had endured countless killings, could not help but marvel at the absurdity of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2083,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f9ce6f06fb9818cb0182df2174df3e75a39431c1f38d9f4d6600589ee9a6d085","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-168","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-166",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]