[{"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-25":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},2270900,4434,"Chapter 25: My Master Is Awaiting You","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-25",25,"\u003Cp>At noon, sunlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy like a dull blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, a winding path cut through the thick forest, stretching far into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only road to Fruit Basket Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carriage stood beside the road, its body carved from premium oak, polished to a mirror sheen, reflecting a faint golden glow under the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roof was covered in soft purple velvet curtains, edged with intricate silver embroidery, and the two horses pulling it were jet-black steeds with lustrous manes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baron Calen Hughes lay atop the carriage’s front platform, idly tossing a red fruit into the air—catching it each time it fell, over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a well-tailored black formal suit and a delicate silver cravat; were it not for his overly broad shoulders and casual movements, he might have passed for a noble gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, several mounted guards watched the surroundings warily, guarding the baron’s safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they knew it was merely for show—everyone knew the Lord was the strongest in the entire territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clip-clop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, rapid hoofbeats approached from afar; the guards instantly raised their spears, lowering them only when they recognized the rider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, Sir Solin has returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About time! I was nearly strangled by this cravat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Calen grinned, bit the red fruit in his hand clean through, and swallowed the pit whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, His Highness has agreed to your request for an audience at the hour of Ri Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sir Solin, riding in, leapt off his horse and bowed respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So readily agreed? Then the odds must be rising significantly.” Calen mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ri Yi is nearly here. Prepare yourselves—we depart at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calen stretched his arms tightly overhead, then leapt down from the carriage platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ostentatious carriage wasn’t his own—it was one of the dowry items his wife, Denice, brought from the Marsha family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that prince’s identity were genuine, this luxurious carriage was the vehicle meant to transport him from the village to Black Wolf Keep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, letting a scion of a superpower reside permanently in a dilapidated village would be too embarrassing—even he, who never cared for noble etiquette, felt he deserved to be stripped of his noble status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all this assumed the man was truly the first person in centuries to return from the Eastern Continent—and that he was the heir to the superkingdom that likely ruled the entire Eastern Continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was fake… Calen’s eyes grew dangerous, a chilling killing intent radiating from him; the soldiers around felt their scalps prickle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he’d get to experience the agony of watching himself being slowly devoured by wolves, bite by bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Awooo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calen took a deep breath, then let out a howl resembling that of a wolf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awooo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, a piercing wolf howl echoed from deep within the dense woods to the right of the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crack! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a series of snapping branches and the heavy panting of a massive beast, a colossal figure slowly emerged from the dark forest into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fearsome black wolf, over two meters tall at the shoulder and five to six meters long; the former alpha that had attacked Xia Mingyu was less than half its size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its muscles were knotted and dense, its jet-black fur gleaming coldly even in dim light—imagine how terrifying it must have been when hunting through the thick woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its tooth-filled maw, it clamped tightly onto the corpse of another gray wolf, blood staining the ground with a foul stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray wolf’s size was clearly larger than ordinary wolves, yet before this giant, it was reduced to mere prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, neither the soldiers nor Sir Solin showed any alarm at the beast’s ferocious aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blacktail, didn’t I tell you to just roam the woods and relax? No hunting.” Calen frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re going to meet a great person—if you dirty his eyes, you’ll answer to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This colossal beast was his knightly mount—the ruler of the Howling Forest: the Black Abyss Wolf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was thanks to this demonic mount that he once fought multiple elite knights alone, slaying them all and earning the title “The Howling Wolf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awooo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing his master’s displeasure, Blacktail crushed the wolf’s head in his jaws, then devoured it with loud chewing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch. Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a chilling chorus of chewing, the wolf’s corpse soon became nothing but a dry, shredded pelt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, like a house cat, Blacktail began licking his fur, cleaning every trace of blood until he trotted over to Calen, tail wagging, tongue lolling in a pleading gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh—you’re a wolf! Why do you act like a dog?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his companion’s obsequious behavior, Calen’s anger vanished instantly; he shrugged helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blacktail acted as if he hadn’t heard, still wagging his tail, a hint of human-like disdain flickering in his emerald eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is being a wolf so great?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exposed to wind and sun, sick with no one to care for you—how much better to be a “dog,” living in a castle with servants waiting on you daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calen leapt up onto the Black Abyss Wolf’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the group set off toward Fruit Basket Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hour of Ri Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunlight was no longer scorching as at noon, but softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden rays flowed like melted honey from the blue sky, gilding the fields, while distant emerald orchards trembled gently in the breeze, like a watercolor painting soaked in water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calen’s party arrived punctually at the village entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For nobles, being late was impolite—but arriving too early was equally so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome, Baron Hughes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl in a blue dress lifted her skirt and bowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the girl before him—her beauty as if meticulously carved by a god—Calen’s eyes flickered with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen many beauties; even his wife, Denice, was famed as one of the most beautiful women in the southern kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this girl possessed an unearthly radiance—even Denice paled slightly beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Calen’s gaze grew calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he been eighteen, he might have chased after her without hesitation; now, at thirty-two, constantly dreading his monthly tax payment, he only felt lower back pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am Lady Anelia, the prince’s maid. My master is waiting for you—please proceed at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl’s expression remained serene, as if the man before her were not the lord who held absolute power over life and death in the entire territory, but merely an ordinary visitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1086,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b8d182a65ea736d999eae7dd3505d4ac83f7b91dbf2863940e60bc3504834f5c","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-26","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-24",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]