A Gatekeeper And The Celestial Sovereign - 59 Once upon a Christmas eve 4

The sky became cloudy as Ben Zi’s roars filled the air, “Gatekeeper!!!!”

Mao Lu’s fists clenched. “How do I restrain it without hurting Ben Zi’s body? If I throw objects at him like Chàng Bo did then even if the Irregularity left his body, he may end up crippled or dead. No I can’t let that happen. I won’t let there be more casualties due to this Irregularity. I won’t let Ben Zi die. What’s the point of having all this power of I can’t protect the person in front of me.”

Mao Lu watched as Ben Zi continued howling at the sky. The Irregularity had a hideous expression. It made Ben Zi’s face smirk in a cruel and smug way.

“This Gatekeeper is rather pathetic. I thought he would kill this body straight away and try to eradicate me. But it seems he is neither rational, or intelligent.” The Irregularity grinned and giggled to itself. It’s eyes flitting around until it rested on Chàng Bo.

“That body looks nice and strong. I want it.” Ben Zi’s mouth drooled slightly. “His heart is filled with insecurities and although his mental strength is decent it’s weak compared to the Gatekeepers. With a little effort I could have his body.”

Ben Zi’s face contorted into a hungry smile as it gazed at Chàng Bo.

Chàng Bo in turn scowled at it and turned towards Mao Lu.

“What is your plan? Why aren’t you sealing it like you did last time?” Chàng Bo asked as he glanced at the creature warily. He didn’t like the way it was looking at him.

“It’s not that simple. I can’t get rid of it whilst it’s hiding in Ben Zi’s body. I need to force it out.” Mao Lu answered quietly.

Chàng Bo’s eyes lit up, “Then if we break Ben Zi’s body the Irregularity will have no choice but to leave him.”

“If we do that we risk killing Ben Zi.” Mao Lu said through gritted teeth.

Chàng Bo raised an eyebrow and he couldn’t help but laugh, “So what.”

“So what?” Mao Lu repeated angrily.

“Don’t be an idiot. Look how many people died already.” he pointed at the corpses near Ben Zi. “People die all the time Lu. As a Gatekeeper I’m sure you know that more than me. If the best option to solve this is to kill that boy, then we should do it. It’s not like you have any close attachments to him anyway.”

Mao Lu glared at Chàng Bo, “Stop thinking so little of life like that. Ben Zi is an innocent person that was dragged into this against his will. I’m not going to let him die.”

Chàng Bo sniggered, “How do you say such crap with such a straight face? It’s not just me who thinks so little of life. Everyone does even you.

I’ve never seen you consider an ant you step on. I’m sure people are dying all the time in this realm yet I’ve never seen you going out of your way to help them or prevent their suffering. Don’t you think now is the wrong time to start acting all humanitarian and considerate of life.”

He was a hypocrite. When he became a Gatekeeper he never thought about saving lives he thought about himself. He had just obediently trained and never went out of his way to help others. He’d gotten so much money from his inheritance yet he hadn’t done anything with it, he hadn’t donated it or used it for a cause. He justified himself by saying “the Realm is too big to save everyone”, “The role of a Gatekeeper is to observe”, “I don’t have enough power to help them all.”

But all these justifications were just excuses. Even if he couldn’t save them all he could save a few, but he’s ever done that once when he completed the Merging stage.

Mao Lu had thought he was different from the other Gatekeepers, but it turned out that he was just as arrogant. Choosing who to help and who not to.

Even now with Ben Zi he wanted to feel the self satisfaction of saving someone.

‘A Gatekeeper is supposed to be someone with a pure heart and strong convictions.’ Mao Lu had never truly believed that. Since he knew his own heart and his own actions were filled with many contradictions.

Mao Lu felt angry because he agreed with Chàng Bo.

He clenched his fists and he bit his lip, his expression became incredibly stubborn.

“Before being a Gatekeeper, I am a human being. It is in human nature to be proud, insatiable and greedy. Yet it is also human nature to be kind, generous, helpful. I am a hypocrite and what you said is true, I wasn’t considering life properly before. But this is the right time to be acting humanitarian. If I don’t start now then when will I ever start. After today I’ll be a better person. I’ll help where I can and I’ll throw out all my excuses. And I’ll start this by saving Ben Zi.”

The air around Mao Lu crackled, his hair rippled, and his eyes filled with bright light.

Gates wished it had hands so it could give a round of applause. “This is why he’s so talented, not only does he have the perfect body for the Gatekeeper path, he also has the best mentality. He is not setback by obstacles, he embraces them and adapts from them. He knows his flaws yet stubbornly continues with his own convictions. Yes this is how a Gatekeeper should be!”

Chàng Bo was taken aback by the powerful aura emanating from Mao Lu. He saw the stubborn expression and the burning gaze, and could only sigh “Fine do what you want.”

Mao Lu nodded as he gazed at the Irregularity.

When their eyes met, the Irregularity couldn’t help but shrink back in fear. The pressure in Mao Lu’s eyes had sent tremors across its being.

“I have a plan.” Mao Lu said to Chàng Bo as he ran towards the Irregularity.

His steps were faster than light.

His expression was filled with concentration, as he got closer to Ben Zi and controlled the essence around him.

Mao Lu had decided to create a Vacuum.

With his ability to control the Realm Mao Lu could move all the essences within the Realm, this included the essences that made the air.

If Mao Lu removed the air essences or all atmospheric essences surrounding Ben Zi, then he would in effect create a Vacuum.

A Vacuum is a space where there is no matter and the pressure is extremely low. In a vacuum a human body would lose consciousness in 15 seconds due to the lack of oxygen.

That was what Mao Lu was aiming for, he wanted Ben Zi to pass out from the lack of oxygen. When the Irregularity realised it could no longer move the body around then it would be forced to leave Ben Zi.

….

The Irregularity suddenly felt the veins in Ben Zi’s body bulge, it grabbed it’s throat and gasped. All of sudden it had become lighter.

Ben Zi began to float a little as the blood rushed to his head. His eyes became bloodshot as he gasped.

The Irregularity grabbed it’s throat, it couldn’t breathe.

In that same moment Mao Lu was next to it.

Ben Zi’s mouth twitched, his voice was strained as he said, “Mao Lu stop please don’t kill me. The Irregularity has left already, please let me go.” he begged.

Mao Lu’s expression darkened as he maintained the vacuum and watched as Ben Zi’s face became rapidly grey. “Do you take me as a fool?”

Ben Zi smiled as frost spread across his skin, “Yes.” The Irregularity laughed one final time and then Ben Zi’s head drooped.

Mao Lu immediately released him. The wind rushed in as the air filled the empty space and Ben Zi, who’d been suspended above the ground, fell.

Mao Lu caught him in his arms.

Ben Zi was extremely cold. His life essences were rapidly turning grey

Mao Lu moved his hand towards Ben Zi’s chest.

Just as he was about to use the time essences to rewind the effects of suffocation and heal him, he felt a vice like grip on his neck.

Ben Zi laughed raspily, “You are a fool Gatekeeper. As long as the body is intact I can use it.”

He was strangling Mao Lu, his grip was so strong Lu felt like his throat was going to be ripped out.

Ben Zi laughed maniacally but his laughter was cut off abruptly as a lamp post came hurtling through the air and stabbed straight through him.

A figure landed on top of the lamp post, pinning Ben Zi to the ground.

“You’re right, even if this body was a corpse you could still control it. For you to come out it needs to be destroyed.” Chàng Bo said darkly as he glared down at Ben Zi.

Blood filled Ben Zi’s mouth. The Irregularity had a silly grin. “I really want a body like yours. Destroy this body and I’ll come straight to you.” It gurgled through the blood.

Chàng Bo ignored it, instead he watched as Mao Lu pulled himself away from Ben Zi.

“I admire your conviction Lu, but Ben Zi is already dead. Even if the Irregularity left now there’s no saving this boy, not only is his body damaged but his soul probably has already gone. You can be a humanitarian next time. Now is the time to get the job done.”

Frustrated tears fell from Mao Lu’s eyes. “Why am I so useless? Why can I never do what I want to do? Why can’t I help the people that I want to help!?” he shouted.

As he yelled droplets of rain descended from the grey sky. Soon it was pouring and Mao Lu’s tears were indivisible from the rain.

He stood up and cried some more. Chàng Bo didn’t intervene. He just silently watched.

The Irregularity laughed, “M’lady told me that Gatekeepers were cold callous monstrosities. I never expected one to be such a weak crybaby. Hahaha!”

Chàng Bo frowned as he heard this. M’lady? Who was that? Was there someone informing the Irregularity?

Mao Lu’s expression hardened as he ignored the Irregularity and said to Chàng Bo “Destroy the body, I’ll start to seal it.”

With that he crossed his legs and sat down in the road. In the rain he chanted the incantation.

Chàng Bo nodded quietly as he watched the Irregularity. A twisted cruelty and viciousness appeared in his gaze.

He agilely jumped down from the lamp post, landing heavily on top of Ben Zi’s body. The sound of breaking bones filled the air.

Chàng Bo then snapped his fingers, his nail filled with Celestial essence causing a small flame to appear on the tip of his finger.

He casually flicked that flame on to Ben Zi and within seconds his body had caught on fire.

Despite being burned alive the Irregularity didn’t stop grinning at Chàng Bo.

Mao Lu only had to chant the incantation three times and he was ready.

His eyes burned like a blue star in the depths of space. His hair rippled and the space around him tremoured.

He watched solemnly as Ben Zi’s body burned.

As the corpse was eaten away by the flames the Irregularity made its move. It jumped out like a white willow-o-wisp.

Aiming straight for Chàng Bo.

“GIVE ME YOUR BODY!!!!!” It screeched.

Chàng Bo didn’t flinch or move away.

The moment the Irregularity was near him it stopped and flailed about like a fish caught in a net.

“Did you really think I would let you go into his body.” Mao Lu’s voice was filled with cold rage.

“SEAL” he said, the Irregularity screeched as its body was constricted to the size of a speck of dust.

“EXPEL”

The Irregularity was forced out of the Realm. As it left it screeched in agony as its body dissolved.

….

Silence descended on the street.

The rain continued to pour.

Mao Lu watched as the flames went out and all that remained was a pile of ash.

He sighed, “Let’s just go home Chàng Bo.”

Chàng Bo strolled up to Mao Lu who seemed drained of energy and disheartened. He didn’t know what he could say that would comfort him.

He cupped Mao Lu’s head in his hands and gently wiped away his tears.

“Yeah let’s go back.” he said softly as he looped his arm in his.

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