[{"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-31":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},2270906,4434,"Chapter 31: Creation Myth","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>Black Wolf Keep, Library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pushing open the heavy oak door, Xia Mingyu faced row upon row of towering bookshelves stretching to the ceiling, as if about to drown the entire space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air carried a faint scent of books and raw wood; sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor, making one want to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just woke up and already sleepy? In a way, the library is a blessing for insomniacs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu’s lips twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t forgotten why he came here—he had to quickly acquire the nobility’s “common knowledge” of this world to clearly understand his current situation, identity, and duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Far more books than I imagined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu moved between layers of bookshelves, gazing at the dizzying piles of books, unable to help but sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could imagine that over the past century, generations of the Hughes family’s lords had spared no effort collecting books, amassing this many in a world resembling the medieval era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But with so many books, how do I find the ones I need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu rested his chin in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bookshelves here seemed unclassified; if he searched book by book, he might not find anything even by nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be nice to have a librarian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered a solution, he wandered unconsciously between the shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, that’s—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped, his gaze fixed on a narrow gap between the shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the gap, he saw an elegant hammock, with someone lying on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could the Viscount Hughes really have assigned a librarian here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Xia Mingyu circled around the shelves and walked toward the hammock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he drew closer, he saw the person's appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a girl no older than thirteen or fourteen, her silver-white hair cascading like a waterfall along the edges of the vine-woven hammock, shimmering faintly in the sunlight from the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face was barely larger than an adult’s palm; her slightly parted lips were as delicate as newly bloomed cherry blossoms, her porcelain skin revealing faint blue veins beneath, her long silver lashes trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She curled up on the hammock, her pale pink silk nightgown slipping to her knees, exposing snow-white calves and slender, exquisitely shaped bare feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What an adorable girl!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Anliya was also beautiful, her beauty was gentle and intellectual, subtly captivating without stirring base desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this girl was different—her silver hair and petite, perfect figure were the ultimate appeal of a certain group on Blue Star, a demonic charm that pulled at the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu had no doubt that if this girl were born on Blue Star, a single photo posted on TikTok would have countless otaku companies begging for her endorsement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But she doesn’t seem to be the librarian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu glanced at the white text above her head and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, this girl was likely a member of the Hughes family—probably the daughter or younger sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll search the shelves again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Xia Mingyu was about to leave, the sleeping girl’s lashes trembled; she let out a soft mewl like a kitten, then slowly sat up and stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of slightly dazed heterochromatic eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her left eye was crimson as blood, her right eye ashen as ashes—two starkly different hues forming a breathtaking beauty on her tiny, delicate face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She propped herself up slightly; the straps of her nightgown slipped down her shoulders, revealing a flash of pale skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if still half-asleep, she stared blankly at Xia Mingyu in front of her, as cute as a kitten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such beautiful eyes.” x2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu and the girl spoke in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both froze, surprise flashing across their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—Your—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl was about to speak, then suddenly noticed the text above Xia Mingyu’s head—“Heir to the Kingdom of Fourteen Hundred Million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pupils shrank sharply; the “you” on her lips instantly changed to a respectful form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a nimble twist, she leapt off the hammock and stood bowing respectfully before Xia Mingyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Your Highness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was soft and soothing, making one want to hold her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?” Xia Mingyu asked first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Elise Hughes, daughter of Viscount Hughes,” Elise replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask why such a noble person would appear here?” Elise glanced around, confirmed it was her family’s library, then asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t wish to answer, that’s fine too—someone as exalted as you should be the one asking questions, not me,” Elise added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she stole several glances at the title halo above Xia Mingyu’s head, then pinched her waist hard behind her back to feel the pain, confirming she wasn’t dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this wasn’t a dream, why did this young man with obsidian-black eyes bear such an impossibly noble title?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combined populations of Sosia, Milan, and Rhine—the three human kingdoms—could not possibly reach such a terrifying number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for a figure of such stature to appear in her family’s library was utterly bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Mingyu Xia, invited by your father, Viscount Hughes, to stay temporarily at Black Wolf Keep,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. It is the Hughes family’s supreme honor. May you enjoy your stay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elise instinctively reached to lift her skirt in a curtsy, but as her hand rose, she realized she was wearing only a nightgown—her pale face flushed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hand hung awkwardly in midair, neither lifting nor lowering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she curtsied, too much skin would be exposed; if she didn’t, the noble prince might deem it disrespectful—and she’d be socially ruined among the nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for a curtsy. Could you do me a favor?” Xia Mingyu, seemingly sensing her discomfort, said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It would be my honor, Your Highness,” Elise replied quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m looking for books on mythology. Do you know which shelf they’re on in this library?” Xia Mingyu asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mythology books are usually on the third row of the seventh shelf,” Elise thought and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu’s eyes lit up, and he hurried toward the seventh shelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world where gods truly exist and watch over mortals, what could be more captivating than mythology?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1038,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d742736ae0cb548f79688399b5acd54059143f252b53157430eeb3c811e5abc9","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-32","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-30",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]