[{"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-2":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},2270877,4434,"Chapter 2: The Archer Boy","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>On the grass-choked bank beside the stream, Xia Mingyu stood facing off against three massive wild wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, “facing off” was an overstatement—it was more accurately a circle of encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three wolves, each with shoulders over half a meter tall, taut muscles coiled as they formed a semicircle around him; the lead wolf, largest and most muscular, leaned slightly forward, its throat rumbling with low growls as it crept closer, testing his limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Witnessing this perilous scene, Xia Mingyu’s face paled with tension, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew well that an adult, unarmed, could still stand a chance against a single wolf—after all, humans were large animals too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to fight three wolves at once, perfectly coordinated and as large as North American timber wolves, even Tyson himself would be torn apart today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was merely a college student who spent his days seated at a desk studying, even obsessed with fat loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do I do? What do I do?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu’s mind raced, but the only solution he could conceive was to flee into the stream behind him, hoping the flowing water might scare off these beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was unrealistic—the stream was far too shallow, barely reaching his knees, clearly insufficient to deter these ravenous predators from their prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aow—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing his weakness, the three wolves let out a chorus of piercing howls, sending flocks of birds scattering into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without further hesitation, they bared their fangs and lunged toward Xia Mingyu from different directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no time to think, Xia Mingyu roared, resolved to die with at least one beast dragged down with him; he curled his fingers into claws, ready to gouge deep into their eerie green eyes as they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the battle was about to erupt, an arrow tipped with tail feathers shot through the air from afar at blinding speed, its sharp tip piercing precisely into the lead wolf’s left eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aow—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time seemed to freeze; with a muffled, agonized cry, the lead wolf’s massive body jerked violently, staggered a few steps, then collapsed helplessly to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spark of life vanished swiftly in its remaining right eye, leaving only silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two wolves, poised to leap and tear into Xia Mingyu, froze at the sight of their leader’s sudden fall; panicked, they fled like frightened puppies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cruel natural world, beasts knew no concept of revenge—only survival mattered above all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff, huff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having survived, Xia Mingyu’s taut nerves finally relaxed; he gasped for breath in deep, ragged gulps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as he stared at the massive corpse of the lead wolf—its left eye pierced by the arrow, its brain impaled—he realized this was no time to let his guard down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who fired that arrow could have struck the lead wolf’s eye mid-lunge—surely he could have pierced Xia Mingyu’s skull just as easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Xia Mingyu dared not delay; he spun around toward the direction the arrow came from and raised both hands high, like a brave French soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you! Thanks! Merci! ありがとう!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He poured out thanks in multiple languages, desperate to convey his harmlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his tense gaze, a figure rose from the bushes and walked slowly toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a young boy, clad in a tattered garment stitched from rough hemp, carrying a quiver and a bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was lean and resolute, his gaze sharp and cold, radiating an air of unapproachability; above his head, two rows of strange characters floated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the boy drew near and saw the characters above Xia Mingyu’s head, his cold expression shattered—replaced by utter shock and disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Xia Mingyu had done when he first saw the characters reflected in the stream, the boy rubbed his eyes repeatedly, so hard Xia Mingyu feared he might pop them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu opened his mouth to greet him, but the boy hesitated, lips trembling, then spoke a language Xia Mingyu could not understand—before bowing deeply and kneeling on one knee before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu: “???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this bizarre sight, his mind went blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would this boy—who had just saved his life and could easily kill him—kneel before him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why was his clothing so ragged, worse than a beggar back home, and his speech unlike any language on Blue Planet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xia Mingyu, drowning in confusion, opened his mouth to speak, darkness swept over his vision; his head spun, his body collapsed to the ground, and his consciousness faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been knocked unconscious and brought to the forest, had drunk no water, and had just endured a life-or-death crisis—his body and mind had reached their absolute limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy lifted his head at the sound, rushed over, checked Xia Mingyu, confirmed he was merely unconscious, and let out a long sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If such a great person died here, not a single soul in the village would survive,” the boy muttered, pale with fright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the boy glanced back and forth between the unconscious Xia Mingyu and the massive corpse of the lead wolf; finally, a look of visible anguish crossed his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled the arrow from the lead wolf’s left eye, rinsed it clean by the stream, placed it back in his quiver, shifted the quiver from his back to his chest, then hoisted the unconscious Xia Mingyu onto his back and walked along the stream ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After only a short distance, the boy turned back to glance at the lead wolf’s corpse; his eyes clearly betrayed reluctance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This hunt had been a flawless performance—he’d killed the gray wolf by piercing its eye with an arrow, preserving the pelt intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could skin it and sell it to a fur merchant, he’d get at least thirty-seven copper sols—enough to pay half a year’s hunting tax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such a precious prize had to be left behind, soon to be devoured by other beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the priority now was to deliver this great person to safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy sighed, turned back, and continued walking forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So heavy—he’s heavier than a big gray wolf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the gradually darkening sunset, the boy, quiver hanging across his chest, struggled forward step by step, carrying a man taller and heavier than himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, bards would sing: When the Supreme, Perfect, Radiant Holy King “Mingyu·Xia” first arrived in this world, he encountered the Dragon Hunter “Boge·Chu,” hunted by a pack of wolves; the Holy King generously extended his aid and carried the crippled Dragon Hunter out of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rescued Dragon Hunter, overcome with gratitude, knelt in tears and swore lifelong devotion to the Holy King, becoming his right hand and left arm in transforming the world and bringing light to the entire continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1134,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c2304da2dc164e26e225daceb123e70b4937388ec1894a656f7403b8a1a36c2d","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-3","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-1",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]