968 Night Emperors Weird Reques (1/2)
”Night Emperor. Your highness,” seeing the man in white sitting down at flowers stage, visitors all saluting to him. Some cupped one hand in the other before one's chest. Some saluted with great admiration, some with fear. Meng Qi stood among them and stared at this legendary Night Emperor.
He assumed that the florist outside was the real Night Emperor, the one sitting inside right now was just a body double. But this young man in white moved with a reserved and casual manner. He laughed a lot and liked to enjoy himself. If he did not meet florist outside, he might not doubt about him.
Night Emperor Huo Lishang shook his hand and smiled, ”Just now I was worried that no one could accompany me to enjoy all these delicious food and wine. And now I see you guys here. Make yourself at home. Tonight there is no gentle and simple. We are all friends.”
The woman sitting behind him had an exquisite beautiful face and figure. She let Huo Lishang lying in her bosom and was peeling longan. She put the peeled fresh longan into his mouth gently with affection.
Huo Lishang looked at the woman gently with love as if he was looking at some rare treasure in the world.
Besides them, a girl in fresh green clothes was making tea. Her eyes and eyebrows were as pretty as paintings. A natural beauty who was as pure as white lilies. Another beautiful girl with apple check who held the sword in her bosom was pouring drinks. The former was so charming in every movement. The latter was sweet and lively. Both are rare beauties with talents, just like the very first girl who held Huo Lishang close in her bosom. Huo Lishang looked at them with the same affection, airy, and artistic in an unconscious way.
The guests including Meng Qi sat down one by one with girls as pretty as flowers attending by their sides. There was a pleasing scent given off in the whole space like silk.
The Night Emperor lifted his glass and smiled, ”Dragon Blood Burning Sun Liquor, a unique formulation from ancient times. I accidently obtained a jar of dragon blood and mixed 365 exotic flowers and rare herbs in it. I then kept it for nine years and then another 9 years to put it in ice spirit cellar. Now it's finally complete. It's good for curing disease, increasing blood and energy, activating acupuncture points, practicing Form. It could reinforce vital energy but don't drink too much.”
He explained without showing off.
The guests only heard of the liquor in stories but never saw it before. They lifted their glasses passionately.
”Salute to the Night Emperor.”
Warm blood liquor went through throats but a feeling being burned entered to guests' stomach from throat. Meng Qi definitely benefited from drinking it even at his current level and realm. A great liquor with pleasing scent and sweetness.
The Night Emperor kept smiling and casually drank the tea handed from girl in green. He pointed to the dish on the table of white meat and said, ”This crab lived for over one hundred years and hurt many people. I sent men to catch it. Its meat was fresh and crunchy, very rare too.”
…
He behaved like a welcoming host introducing every dish to his guests in a calm tone. The guests were all very impressed with his unique manner and style.
Meng Qi made himself at home and tasted the delicious meal, meanwhile pitying that the little foodie was not here.
After tasting nine different liquors with different functions. Many guests felt tipsy and the banquet climbed to its climax. They started wondering whether the Emperor would help someone to realize their dreams.
After watching a marvelous dancing performance. The Night Emperor clapped his hands and hinted at the dancers leaving the stage. He then smiled to the guests who looked at him with expectations and said, ”Many thanks to you all. I had a great time tonight. And now I would like to pick one guest and help him to fulfill one wish.”
The hall quieted down instantly. One could only hear heartbeats. Except for Meng Qi, everyone was hoping to be picked by the Night Emperor.
”You, come here,” Huo Lishang pointed to the guest sitting next to Meng Qi.
The guest was a chubby man with pale skin. He walked towards the Night Emperor with great joy, staggering between tables. He kneeled down and said:
”Hei Gu from Wu Fang Island is going to ruin my business. Can you please stop him?”
The Night Emperor kept smiling and turned around, looking at the sweet girl, ”Yunyue, write a letter for me and send it to Hei Gu.”
”Such minor stuff you just need to pass a message. Hei Gu would not dare to go against your order,” the sweet young girl said with a duck face.
Such authority of Dharmakaya, such power!
Huo Lishang laughed and said, ”You are just being lazy. Sure, whatever, as long as you help this friend to get what he wants.”
The guest kowtowed and went back to his table. Meng Qi heard his mind saying:
”Why, I'm so stupid. Why not directly ask the Night Emperor to take me as his disciple. Hei Gu would never dare to be enemy with the Night Emperor's disciple.”
”And I'll gain much more by this kind of relationship.”
”I'm stupid, stupid…”
Huo Lishang seemed to get tired. He turned around at another girl and said, ”Youhu, show our guests to the door.”
Youhu put down the teapot and stood up. She instructed attendants to guide the guests in an elegant manner. The sudden banquet ended. To most of the guests, everything tonight was like a dream but they did gain something.
Meng Qi followed others and stepped out of the hall. He's back in the flower garden again. Someone came close to him, the florist with passion and love towards everything.
”How was it?” the florist asked in a low voice.
Meng Qi smiled and answered, ”Fake can never be compared to the authentic.”
The florist gave a pure smile like a child and asked, ”How do you know?”
He did not deny nor did he try to pretend. He was the real Night Emperor Huo Lishang!
”The one inside tried to mimic your manner and behavior but his affection towards the world was more like a normal person. He did not have that strong passion towards life, that obsessiveness to light.” Meng Qi did not look at the florist. He enjoyed the view of fresh flowers decorating this brilliant ship.
The florist, real Night Emperor looked at Youhu with his eyes lit up. He then smiled and said, ”Youhu was like an orchid with nine petals, blooming quietly. I enjoyed looking at her and appreciating her beauty.”
Then he pointed to the gentle girl the fake Night Emperor relied on and smiled, ”Liushang, her appearance and temperament were as gentle as water. With her accompanying by the side, one could be relieved from all troubles. But the best thing about her was that gentle appearance was only her façade. Under that cover, she had a very jealousy heart and always thinks about trapping other women such as Yunyue. At that moment, she was like a burning sun.”
”Xiapei, charming on the outside, shy and conservative inside. She opened her heart slowly and that makes her so beautiful…”
”Yunyue, sweet and naughty. To be together with her, one can easily forget about all the worries. She's like a flower blooming when she gets angry…”
He introduced these girls one by one with admiration and interests. Then he said, ”One could only forget about tragic departure when he learned how to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of every moment and everything.”
Meng Qi felt curious and strange talking to such a person for the first time. He asked on purpose, ”Mr. Lishang, why did you hire a fake one?”
The fake Night Emperor was enjoying attended by four girls. He played with them naturally and did not see himself as body double at all.
The florist Huo Lishang bathed in moonlight and said, ”The priority of my life is to experience as much as possible and enjoy beautiful things. That's why I invited those I met by accident to the banquet and fulfill their wishes. I want to give different experiences to different people and see their life blooming.”
”A few years ago, I had an idea. Why not have myself to experience other people's lives? Therefore I found him and asked him whether he was willing to exchange identity and become the Night Emperor.”
”This fake one used to be a florist at Rosy Cloud Island. He lived with his parents, wife and children. A simple and honest man. I'm curious how an average man live his life therefore I invited him to exchange his identity with me.”
”A florist's life was indeed very simple, but beautiful too. I've seen flowers blooming, a serious but caring father, a mother who lived his son so much but like to quarrel with daughter in law, a wife not so pretty but interesting, and a cute child who liked to cry all the time. I then understood that a normal life enquired careful calculation of money, fighting with colleagues, etc. All these were very interesting and full of fun. I did not grow tired of it even after half a year.”
Meng Qi frowned. The Night Emperor's ideas and behavior was a bit unique and rebellious. He then asked, ”You now become a florist for the Night Emperor. Are you planning to return to your identity of the Night Emperor after this journey?”
Lishang nodded slightly and said, ”I did not get tired but I'm afraid that he would be completely addicted to his fake identity of the Night Emperor and would not be able to return to his normal life. Therefore I planned to exchange back identities after arriving Frost Sea and Northern Star World and then send him back to Rosy Cloud Island. But I met you here. What a shame, he has to leave early.”