[{"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-79":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},2270954,4434,"Chapter 79: My Prince, I Have Returned","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-79",79,"\u003Cp>In the lavish hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I do not wish to.” Hagekex shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?” Sir Simon thought he had hallucinated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am but a slave, unworthy of being your godson.” Hagekex spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his words were somewhat gentle, his eyes, calm and unrippled, showed not the slightest trace of slave-like humility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And regardless, a refusal is a refusal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was refused by a slave?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t even call me “godfather”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words echoed endlessly in Simon Kelai ’s mind; he felt deeply humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Piercing Duke, who had once slaughtered entire armies and strung soldiers like scarecrows without flinching, now turned crimson with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cup in his hand, filled with Dusk Tea, shattered instantly—ceramic shards and tea spilled across the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, a surging flood of blood-red magical energy erupted from him, like fluttering ribbons of crimson, beautiful yet radiating immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall began to tremble; murals tilted, the crystal chandelier overhead swayed precariously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, Hagekex’s expression grew grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, after his Nirvana, his power had at least tripled, yet Simon Kelai  still felt profoundly inscrutable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered how many cycles of Nirvana rebirth it would take to match the Piercing Duke’s strength—six? Seven? Twelve?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, my lord, please calm down!” Benson pleaded in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, if you keep this up, these artworks will be ruined—and that’s a fortune wasted!” Benson gazed at the paintings fallen to the floor, heartbroken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the magical flood vanished; Simon, a proper Kelai , finally suppressed his fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You refuse this, you refuse that—what do you actually want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon’s temples bulged with veins as he asked coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not known this fellow was worth at least ten gold dragons, he’d have skewered him into a scarecrow long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only ask you to improve the slaves’ lives: grant us no longer killing one another, enough black bread, enough space to sleep without crowding, and the right to leave the dungeon and bask in sunlight when the arena is empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagekex said solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since being locked in the slave dungeon last night and witnessing the other slaves’ wretched lives, he had formed this wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, when he could barely protect himself, it was a fantasy—but now, it was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Delusional. What if I refuse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I will refuse to fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dare threaten me?!” Simon stared at Hagekex with murderous intent, his crimson eyes seeming ready to devour him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish! Swish! Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the sound of tearing air, several blood-red spears materialized, their sharp tips pressing against Hagekex’s throat, heart, eyes—vital points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he would be pierced through in the next instant, meeting death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Death holds no fear for me. Losing my belief is losing everything.” Hagekex spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, before Simon and Benson’s incredulous gazes, Hagekex deliberately moved his body toward the spear tips—even his eyes remained fixed on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With every inch he advanced, the spear tips retreated—yet he remained unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You risk yourself for slaves who have nothing to do with you, who once tried to kill you—is that worth it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon’s face paled as he panted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not exhausted from controlling the spears—he was panicked at nearly losing ten gold dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone must sacrifice for others. Why not me?” Hagekex murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I accept your demands. Now get back to your dungeon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, he waved his hand impatiently to shoo him away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—one moment. Why did you revive on the arena floor today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Hagekex was about to leave the hall, Simon recalled the bizarre scene and called him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His abdomen and chest had been ripped open, his liver, kidneys, gallbladder devoured—yet he regenerated. Such terrifying regenerative power surpassed even Simon, a vampire duke, and could rival only a higher-tier True Ancestor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I possess a boon called Nirvana, which allows me to die once and be reborn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagekex answered without turning, then stepped out of the hall—he was eager to meet the Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nirvana… indeed a fine boon. A pity to waste it in the arena.” Simon’s face showed a trace of regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having fought in many wars, he knew such a boon meant an extra life on the battlefield—more valuable than any offensive boon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad it only works once. If it worked multiple times… but such a powerful boon could not exist in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon chuckled bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, are you truly going to waste money improving those slaves’ lives?” As Hagekex departed, Benson asked anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha. Let them expand their own cells. Food? Just black bread mixed with sawdust. Sunlight costs nothing. All together, it’s less than one-tenth of what Hagekex earns me in one fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simon glanced at Benson in surprise—he hadn’t expected this junior to be even more stingy than himself. Good. He’d inherited the Kelai  family’s fine virtue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, you misunderstand—I’m not worried about the money, but…” Benson said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A slave’s desires are like a boulder rolling down a mountain—once it starts, it won’t stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When hungry, they only want food. But once fed and warmed by the sun, they’ll crave freedom. We cannot begin this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Benson spoke from years of managing slaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never thought you’d have such insight.” Simon’s gaze toward him flickered with approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d kept Benson only because they shared the Kelai  bloodline—but now, he saw potential to cultivate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand your point. Don’t worry—it won’t last long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hagekex has already turned rebellious. Let him fight a few more months, earn me some gold, then I’ll sell him at the grandest slave auction in the history of our Slave City!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the slaves who’ve tasted comfort? Replace them all!” Simon’s lips curled upward, his handsome face twisting into a bloodthirsty, grotesque grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, wise indeed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starfire Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagekex returned here, reborn in glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the black-haired youth waiting patiently at the long table, his noble face brimmed with gratitude—no longer calm as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His towering, 2.8-meter frame crashed to one knee before the youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Prince, I have returned.” Hagekex’s voice carried deep reverence—as if the youth before him were his god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1034,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7becd1c4f2eae64b244f7b09e86f24847d5021fc1a7953dfea39c42c9449d7e9","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-80","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-78",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]