The breeze was cool, and waves bloomed across the water. Huo Lishang knew full well that he was facing the greatest crisis of his life.
"I'm not the Night Emperor."
"How could I possibly be the Night Emperor?"
When he spoke those two sentences, Huo Lishang felt a faint sadness. Against the backdrop of his earlier, confident declaration that the game was over, it sounded almost as if he were denying himself.
Could it be that I really am no longer the Night Emperor?
He had no time to agonize over such metaphysical questions. Under the all-encompassing gaze of the man in feathered robes and a starry crown, he gave a bitter smile. "I wish I were the Night Emperor, too, but it could only ever be a beautiful dream."
"A year ago, I met the Night Emperor. He asked me to switch identities with him: he would become me, and I would become him. For a certain period, I was the real Night Emperor. His concubines, subordinates, treasury, and power were all at my command. Those were the most dreamlike months of my life. Surrounded by beauties, my every word became law. I enjoyed a freedom and pleasure I'd never known before. I even forgot that it was all a game and thought I really was the Night Emperor. Unfortunately, in the end, I was returned to my original form..."
Huo Lishang imitated the way each fake Night Emperor had acted when leaving, his face a picture of varied emotions.
Only this explanation could account for all the strange things that had happened and fool the heavens!
After saying those words, he suddenly felt dazed. Was he really the Night Emperor or not? Could he be one of the former fake Night Emperors who had refused to return to