Chapter 177: Fourteen Billion Blessings Exposed—Even the Devil Must Kneel

Dusk, the backyard courtyard.

Nightfall descended, and below, a massive bonfire blazed with intense, dazzling light.

Around the bonfire, a group of circus freaks linked arms, singing and dancing, laughing loudly.

After joining the magician in this bonfire party, Xia Mingyu followed suit, linking shoulders with the other members as he danced, a faint, gentle smile always on his face.

“Wise Brother, hug me~”

Sensing that Xia Mingyu, like Anliya, felt no aversion toward them, Mia ran up to him and opened her arms.

Her mouse-like face beamed with eager anticipation.

Xia Mingyu bent down and gently embraced the small girl with rat features.

This act triggered a chain reaction—all the deformed child members of the circus excitedly gathered around him.

“Wise Brother, I want a hug too~”

“Wise Brother, when you hug me, I’ll tuck my tentacles away.”

Xia Mingyu naturally refused none of these children’s requests; he bent lower still and embraced each of them in turn.

“I’m so happy—I’ve never been hugged by anyone outside the circus!”

“I’m so, so happy!”

“Wise Brother, can I tell others you hugged me? That way, no one will mock me for having no parents.”

After being hugged by Xia Mingyu, the children beamed as if they might leap into the sky; they clustered around him, unwilling to leave.

The other adult members of the monster circus—the two-headed giant, the snake-scaled boy, Helena, and others—watched this scene, their gazes toward the black-haired youth softening considerably.

“Master Mingyu, I’m sorry I didn’t visit you at the library today.”

After the children scattered to resume their playful chasing, Anliya approached, her expression apologetic.

“It’s truly inexcusable to neglect me for a full day—I’ve decided to punish you,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

At these words, though Anliya’s expression remained unchanged, many circus members cast worried glances, some even opening their mouths to plead for her.

“Your punishment: dance with me.”

A smile suddenly appeared on Xia Mingyu’s previously expressionless face; he bowed slightly, extending his hand like a graceful gentleman.

“An honor.”

Anliya took his hand with her usual composure, a faint smile lifting her lips, her azure eyes brimming with affection for the man before her.

Hand in hand, they stepped into the center of the bonfire-lit dance floor.

Tap-tap-tap.

They danced to the rhythm, steps light and steady, as if walking on clouds.

The girl’s skirt fluttered with each movement; her gaze never left the young man’s figure. Beneath the firelight, their shadows intertwined like a perfect painting.

The bright moonlight bathed the dancing pair; for a moment, the entire world seemed to halt.

All circus members froze, staring in awe—their dance was simply too beautiful.

Clap-clap-clap.

When the dance ended, everyone burst into excited applause.

The black-haired youth and the golden-haired girl gazed into each other’s eyes, then, beneath the blazing bonfire, kissed deeply.

“Now!” The magician Lu En, hand behind his back, silently snapped his fingers.

The next instant, the Ring of Starfire on Xia Mingyu’s ring finger slipped off as if pulled by invisible force, falling to the ground.

Deep purple text appeared above his head—Heir to the Kingdom of 1,409,670,292 Subjects.

The magician and circus members: “???”

Clap-clap-clap!

Amid the sound of shattered wine glasses, everyone’s facial muscles twitched as if possessed.

Lu En, who had always presented himself with elegance and was a true devil of Hell, now rubbed his eyes in disbelief, wondering if he’d been ensnared by an illusion—but could any illusion truly affect him?

And the fact that the sage's blessing was "Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 Billion Subjects" proved the truth of that radiant future!

To the left, the giant Toby’s eyes bulged as if about to pop out; to the right, little Toby stared blankly, counting the digits on the blessing, then said innocently, “Wow, Big Brother has 1.4 billion subjects!”

Mia, the rat girl, collapsed as if struck by lightning, clutching her chest; even the tiny white mice she summoned, wearing silver top hats, fell one by one, clutching their hearts.

Sssss. The snake-scaled boy Sif’s scales flared outward as if bristling; his vertical pupils contracted sharply, his forked tongue flicking so fast it left afterimages in the air.

Only the six-armed dancer Helena remained marginally composed; she stared blankly at the deep purple text, her mind reduced to one thought—Will I have to call little Anliya “Queen” from now on?

Only after Xia Mingyu released his hands from Anliya’s face did he realize the entire monster circus had surrounded him.

Their gazes were complex—shock, awe, curiosity, and dread all mingled.

Finally, all these emotions coalesced into one unanimous gesture—the deformed circus members bowed low, kneeling on one knee before Xia Mingyu.

Even Lu En, the circus’s leader, hesitated briefly before removing his hat and bowing deeply to him.

Though he stood at the pinnacle of the Bright Moon Realm, though he was strong enough to kill the youth effortlessly, though he ruled an entire Hell, though he was a High Priest of a True God—faced with the weight of 1.4 billion souls, even a devil must kneel.

“Your Highness, your head…”

Xia Mingyu, still puzzled by their actions, saw the golden-haired girl smiling wryly as she pointed to his head.

The black-haired youth looked down at his bare ring finger and the ruby ring lying on the grass—and understood instantly.

He immediately picked up the Ring of Starfire and slipped it back onto his finger; the shocking text slowly faded.

Strange—why had the ring never fallen off during battle, yet slipped off during a dance?

No, now wasn’t the time to ponder that—what mattered was what to do next. What if the Gluttony King heard of this?

At this thought, Xia Mingyu’s expression grew bitter; he sighed helplessly:

“All of you—can you keep my blessing a secret?”

“As Your Highness commands!”

The circus members exchanged glances, then shouted in unison.

“I swear by the Great Creator…”

Even without being asked, each member began swearing—down to the youngest deformed children.

Afterward, the bonfire party resumed.

At first, out of awe, a vacuum formed around Xia Mingyu; no one dared approach except Anliya.

But because his face retained its radiant smile and he waved cheerfully at the children, soon bold ones crept back, timidly offering him their most treasured candies.

“Your Highness, among your kingdom’s subjects, are there people like us?”

Mia, hugging his leg, asked curiously.

“Yes,” Xia Mingyu nodded.

“How would your kingdom treat such people?” Mia asked anxiously.

“They would receive even greater welfare than ordinary citizens—regular stipends of coins and grain, and if their defects could be healed, the kingdom would cover all medical expenses free of charge.”

Xia Mingyu answered, recalling memories from his mind.

At these words, the courtyard fell silent—even the roaring bonfire seemed stilled by the moonlight above.

Every circus member who heard this lit up with disbelief—could such a paradise truly exist?

They knew well: before the leader found them, most had endured society’s scorn and abuse; to find a place that didn’t despise them was already a miracle—let alone a kingdom that treated them better than ordinary people!

“Your Highness, would your kingdom accept us?” Mia blurted out the question everyone most wanted to ask.

“All who work diligently and kindly will be accepted—including adorable children like Mia.”

Xia Mingyu smiled gently, ruffling her hair.

“Your Highness, where exactly is your kingdom?” Mia asked, blushing shyly.

“Uh… a very, very faraway place.”

“Where? How do we get there? Oh!”

Mia was about to press further when a light tap landed on her forehead; she yelped, her tail nearly bristling upright.

“Enough! You can’t keep bombarding His Highness with questions,” Helena said, lowering her fist, exasperated.

“His Highness is kind to you because he’s kind—not so you can be so bold!”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Mia whimpered—until Xia Mingyu bent down again and hugged her, after which she happily ran off to show off to the other children.

“Your Highness, you’re far too gentle with her,” Helena said helplessly.

“Her path has been far harder than others’,” Xia Mingyu said softly, watching the girl leap and cheer.

“Can you tell me about her past?”

“She? Her parents were nobles. After birth, she was seen as a family disgrace, locked for over a decade in a pitch-black cellar like a rat. Only the leader rescued her—but because of it, her mind remains at a child’s level.”

“Perhaps… I should be even kinder to that child.”

After a long silence, Xia Mingyu finally spoke, his expression complex, his gaze toward the girl tinged with pity.

He had once thought himself pitiful—parentless, alone. But since arriving in this world, he realized: having parents didn’t guarantee happiness.

Deep night.

After the bonfire party ended, the magician stood alone beneath the ancient oak, leaning against the trunk, lost in thought.

“Leader, you made the ring fall off, didn’t you?”

Helena walked up slowly, speaking softly.

“I knew you’d see through it,” Lu En turned, gazing at the blue-haired woman who had been with him for decades, like a daughter.

“Your technique is too crude. Given the ring’s size and the finger’s fit, the force of dancing alone could never dislodge it—especially not right after the dance ended.”

Hearing her, Lu En’s face flushed with embarrassment.

As a father, being caught performing a magic trick by his own daughter was deeply humiliating.

"Why would you do such a thing? Although that noble prince is gentle-natured and would not destroy the circus even if he discovered it, he would surely harbor ill will—especially since he has already shown us kindness. How could you act so disrespectfully!"

Helena demanded, her stern tone causing even the magician to instinctively shrink his neck.

“Because there is something I must confirm at all costs.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu En slowly recounted to the other what Cyril had glimpsed from Xia Mingyu’s future.

The radiant sovereign who would bring salvation to all—even the woman, usually composed and calm, who had never lost her composure even upon seeing one hundred forty million blessings—was left speechless and stunned by this unimaginable future.

“Leader, what will you do after confirming it?”

After a long while, Helena, having recovered from her shock, continued asking; she knew the other had already made up his mind.

“A sovereign who brings salvation to all will surely treat us outcasts with kindness, just as he does in his kingdom,” the magician murmured.

“I want to go and see that future.” His expression was calm, yet his heterochromatic violet-gold eyes blazed with an unprecedented authority that made one tremble.

"All the assassins who previously targeted that prince and Luo Yi’s sister came from the Faceless Conclave of the King of Gluttony."

“Based on my understanding of that King of Gluttony, he is a man who will never let go and acts decisively—he is very likely to send his most trusted lieutenant next.”

“You mean…” Helena realized something, her expression growing increasingly grave.

“Notify all capable members to rest and prepare their states well over these days,” Lu En said calmly.

“I am going to the capital to have a proper talk with the King of Gluttony.” The magician spoke coldly; a torrent of violet-gold magical power erupted from him, overwhelming the sky.

“Understood.” Helena nodded firmly; she knew a great battle was inevitable.

Yet, she wondered—could the “monster” formed by their combined forces stand against the kingdom’s supreme force—the molten gold fire capable of obliterating a colossal city-state?

(End of Chapter)