A Gatekeeper & The Celestial Sovereign - Chapter 25

As Mao Lu drunkenly wandered into his home, entered the North building, and staggered towards the kitchen in search of water. He wasn’t expecting to see the sleeping beauty that had been asleep for the last two weeks standing there. He also hadn’t expected the kitchen to look like a disaster.

“I can explain!” shouted the sleeping beauty, “You see I found the food in this thing that I assume was the fridge, but I don’t like cold food and I was looking for things to heat it up on. And I found that magic heat box” He pointed towards the microwave. “But when I pressed the bottom, I waited a bit and the food exploded. Then I saw this fire stove!” he pointed towards the gas hob “I pressed it but only gas came out, and then when I made fire it just exploded outwards. I was able to contain it, but I knocked a shelf and this white powder went everywhere and then these eggs…and…and… I’M SORRY!” He bowed deeply.

Mao Lu stared at the young man, or rather his sleeping beauty, that was covered in flour and slightly charred. Then he stared again at the mess in the kitchen.

He burst into laughter. Mao Lu laughed so hard his sides hurt, “Ha-ha y-y-you did all this just to heat up food ha-ha,” Mao Lu knew it probably wasn’t that funny but since he was drunk this scene put him into a state of hysteria.

He laughed so hard that he began to cough. He gasped for air, went up to the sink, drank some water from the tap, and continued to laugh.

The sleeping beauty just stared at him blankly, “Are you okay?”

“Yes… Just give me a sec” Mao Lu wheezed. Splashed some tap water in his face, finally calming down.

“God you look a mess.” he grabbed the young man and dragged him to the Bathhouse in the backside buildings. He ran a bath and said, “Clean yourself up whilst I clean the kitchen.”

Chàng Bo nodded obediently, slightly dumbfounded, as he found himself sitting in the large bubbly tub. “Huh…. What’s wrong with this Gatekeeper?”

Mao Lu cleaned the kitchen. He washed the dishes, wiped the surfaces, sprayed the microwave, swept and mopped the floor until everything was glistening like a Cillit Bang advert. It was only when he was all done and the alcohol in his system faded away, did Mao Lu realise. He’s awake.

“He’s awake!” The young man that had been sleeping in his home for the last two weeks had woken up. Not only that but he heard what Mao Lu said about food being in the kitchen and he wrecked his kitchen. “And I was so drunk that I literally overlooked the entire situation.”

Mao Lu was surprised that Gates hadn’t made a comment, it had been quiet ever since they had that conversation this morning in the car. “Is it still mad at me?” Mao Lu pondered as he headed towards the Bathhouse.

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Chàng Bo had his head submerged inside the warm bath water. He felt oddly comfortable and at peace here. Chàng Bo had believed that he would be interrogated or threatened straight away, but this Gatekeeper was very peculiar. “Not only does he save my life but even when I make a mess in his home, he laughs it off and forgives me.”

Other Gatekeepers Chàng Bo had met when touring the Realms with his Father, could kill someone for even the slightest disrespect. Chàng Bo was certain that he’d disrespected this Gatekeeper too many times, to the point that even he felt guilty. And Chàng Bo wasn’t the type to ever regret or feel guilt over his actions. But what he’d said when they first met, insulting his intelligence, and now even wrecking his kitchen. Chàng Bo felt he was being shameless.

This man was a Gatekeeper, someone whose status is beyond that of any practitioner, practically a member of royalty and Chàng Bo had neither bowed to him nor shown him any respect. “I’ve never met a Gatekeeper like him before.”

When Chàng Bo finished this thought, he came up to the surface of the bath and saw the Gatekeeper waiting for him. Sitting on the edge of the bath.

“You’re awake” He stated, “How are you feeling?”

Chàng Bo wiped the water from his face and blinked, “I’m feeling very healthy, thank you very much for treating me.” he bowed deeply in the bath.

“You don’t have to bow; I mean do you usually bow to people you call retarded?” the Gatekeeper said casually with a slight smile on the corner of his lips.

Chàng Bo froze. He felt like a bucket of ice had been poured on him. He had said that hadn’t he? He had called this Gatekeeper retarded. “Do I have a death wish or something… why would I say that!?” he screamed internally.

He wanted to slap himself. Chàng Bo peeked up and saw the Gatekeeper smiling at him. It was a warm smile and he didn’t seem angry in the slightest. His light brownish black eyes were big and warm.

Chàng Bo felt the nervousness he’d had seconds ago fade away.

“You don’t want me to bow then” he said as he straightened up. “But how am I supposed to apologise for the disrespect I have shown you, and thank you for what you’ve done for me. I’m not some ungrateful swine.”

“The fact that you want to express thanks are more than enough for me. You are already not an ungrateful swine. And I didn’t save your life for thanks, I saved it because it went against my principles. If I have the power to save a life, then I should.” The Gatekeeper said.

Chàng Bo was very surprised. There was such a modest aura emanating from him. It was neither righteous nor evil. It wasn’t one of those fake hypocritical personas that Chàng Bo often saw, but a genuine one. “He helped me because it was what he could do.”

“You’re very different from any Gatekeeper I’ve ever met.” Chàng Bo accidentally said aloud.

“Am I?” The Gatekeeper had a curious expression.

“Usually they seem so stuffed with their own self-importance, they see themselves as the law, justice, and principles. Yet you’re so…” Chàng Bo couldn’t put it into words.

“Gatekeepers are people, and all people are different. I’m sure not all Gatekeepers are as narrow minded and arrogant as you believe. I’m just the first one you’ve met that’s like this, it isn’t that I’m too different.” The Gatekeeper casually replied as he held out a towel.

Chàng Bo got out of the large bath and wrapped himself in the towel.

“So, what’s your name, mine is Mao Lu.” Mao Lu said with a bright smile.

“I’m Chàng Bo, It’s a pleasure to meet you Gatekeeper Lu.” Bo extended his hand to Lu and they shook.

Mao Lu blushed slightly. “So, his name is Chàng Bo” he thought to himself.

Well this Chàng Bo was standing in front of Mao Lu wearing just a towel and acting like there was nothing bloody wrong with that. His wet ink black hair draped over his shoulders like a silk curtain, his skin slightly fresh pink from the bath.

Mao Lu didn’t know where to look. Chàng Bo’s body was like one of those sculptures you see in museums, carved by ancient Greeks, and shaped to perfection.

Mao Lu had never seen such well-defined muscles before. They were impressive and taut, yet they weren’t bulky but rather slimming.

Mao Lu wasn’t a pervert, but he was beginning to feel a bit hot.

He really didn’t know where to stare. In the end he decided eye contact was the best option, but when he looked directly at Chàng Bo he felt like he was being sucked into those blue starry eyes.

Chàng Bo was confused since this handshake was going on for a lot longer than handshakes normally went on for. “Maybe the culture is different in this realm and this is how long you’re supposed to shake here.” He thought.

“Are you going to make friends with him or are you going to interrogate him Mao Lu.” Gates whispered.

Mao Lu was instantly snapped out of his daze. He pulled his hand away from Chàng Bo and turned away from him to hide his blushing cheeks.

“You go and put some clothes on, a-a-and then meet me back in the main building where the living room is. There are some things I must discuss with you.” Without looking back Mao Lu scurried towards the main house.

His heart was thumping loudly in his chest. This was weird. This was really weird. Mao Lu wasn’t usually the type to stutter and he hardly ever blushed. This was so unlike him.

“I’m not that easy, am I? I mean sure he’s good looking but that’s no reason for me to react like this. I’ve seen good looking guys before; I mean not that good looking but still. What’s going on with me.” Mao Lu touched his cheeks, they were warm.

“Is it because I saw his body, during the two weeks I never took off his clothes other than his outer robe, it’s probably because it’s my first time seeing it. Maybe I’m just sexually frustrated.”

He sat down on the sofa in the living room. He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing until his head was clear again. Regardless of whether Chàng Bo was extremely attractive, or Mao Lu was just sexually frustrated, Mao Lu wasn’t going to let this distract him. He needed to find out why this man had a Gatekeepers key and why he used it.

And if he was in the wrong Mao Lu had to punish him. In some way. Additionally, Gates had told Mao Lu during the two weeks that Chàng Bo was asleep, that the Gatekeeper association (A group made of the top 100 ranked Gatekeepers) would soon become aware of the Gatekeepers key being used. Mao Lu would have to report to them about what had happened.

Gates had told him that the longer he took to report the worse the association would look upon him, and the association was the core of the Gatekeepers, Mao Lu needed to have a good relationship with them.

Thus, information about the Gatekeepers key was important first and foremost.

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Within five minutes Chàng Bo came into the living room wearing his star patterned robes. The garments, just like Mao Lu’s official Gatekeeper outfits, didn’t seem to get dirty and always appeared fresh and brand new.

He calmly sat opposite Mao Lu on a matching cream coloured leather sofa.

“I’m sure you know what I want to discuss with you.” Mao Lu’s eyes were serious, and his voice was stern.

Chàng Bo nodded, “I am aware.”

“Then tell me now where you got this Gatekeepers key. You best not lie to me; I am the Gatekeeper of this realm and In this realm, I can sense your deceit.”

Chàng Bo hesitated slightly before saying, “I will be honest with you. Not because you are a Gatekeeper but because you saved my life.” He resolutely stated.

“Firstly, you should know that I, Chàng Bo, am the son of Chàng Xing. The Supreme Lord of stars, a practitioner at the God stage who is ranked as the most powerful practitioner among Celestial realms. One day soon he will break through to the stage beyond God, and may join the Deities living in the Deity realms.

My Father was always praised as a genius since he was young. He achieved the Dao at the age of 1,000 and could even defeat practitioners two stages above him easily even back then. The Chàng family is an old family that has existed for billions of years in Celestial realm 348, the Star realm. An imperial family that is untouchable. That’s why it came as a shock to many when my Father married my Mother, a slave that he bought from an auction.

Many thought it was a joke or that my Father was blinded by her beauty. But when my Mother revealed her true power, being a God stage practitioner, all the sceptics were humbled to silence. Many wondered where this powerful practitioner had come from and why she disguised herself as a slave. Yet my Mother’s past was shrouded in mystery. Even today I don’t know anything about my Mother. Where she came from or what her name was before she married my Father. And my Father is very tight lipped about the subject. He doesn’t like me talking about it, so I never bring it up.

When I was born, I was born as the child of the mighty Chàng Xing and Chàng An. We were a happy family.

Yet when I was five my Mother gave me a golden key. She told me it was a Gatekeepers key and told me I must hide it with my life. She made me promise to never reveal it unless it was the last option. Only to ever use it when my life was really at risk. Soon after she made me promise that, she vanished. Perhaps dying somewhere or running away. I don’t really know what happened.

As I grew up, I found out that the Gatekeepers key was a long-lost tool allowing you to enter any realm without permission. And that the Gatekeepers had lost these items and are looking for them. I realised what a precious treasure it was, and I know that the law states that I must hand it in to the Gatekeepers. But I wanted to keep my Mother’s last request. I wanted to hide it for her.”

Mao Lu quietly listened. With his inner eye he watched the essence around Chàng Bo. With his sense of the realm he could hear and feel Chàng Bo’s heartbeat, he could hear the intonation of every word he spoke, he could smell the honesty in his words. Chàng Bo was telling him the truth.

“Recently I broke through to the Dao. Yet straight after I was cornered by practitioners who are supposedly loyal to my family. They claimed that I killed a woman named Lee Jingyi, the daughter of the ruling practitioner of the realm of Demons, realm 349. But I didn’t do it, I neither have qualms with Lee Jingyi or motive. Killing her could lead to another war between the Star realm and the Demon Realm, something I would never want.

They also accused me of stealing an artefact from the Domain of deities. But that was also something I didn’t do. Basically, I was framed. And when I tried to go find my Father about these accusations. That poison awakened within me.

I felt myself dying and I felt an impending danger. If I didn’t leave, then whoever activated my poison would have finished me off. I had no other escape tools then the key on me. I used it because I had no other choice.” Chàng Bo sincerely said this.

“So, you were given the key by your Mother and you have no knowledge of where she got this key or the locations of the other 7 keys that remain lost? You only used the key because your life was in danger.” Mao Lu summarised.

“Yes exactly. I have no idea about the locations of the remaining 7 or where my Mother could have gotten it from.” Chàng Bo nodded.

“Hmm I see. Well I will have to report this to the Gatekeeper association. And you also broke the rules, since you didn’t hand this item in when you knew you should have. So, I am going to have to request that you stay here until I get a reply from the association and I see what punishment you are due. But you shouldn’t be worried. It’s not like you were plotting anything evil or used this key as a threat to the Gatekeepers.” Mao Lu said this aloud whilst he conversed with Gates.

“He may appear to be telling the truth but there are ways for practitioners to trick your power to sense the realm. You must report this immediately and detain him here for as long as possible until they pass judgement.” Gates told him.

“I will do so, but I don’t think he is lying. He seems sincere to me.”

“It is always best to be careful Mao Lu, especially concerning topics like the Gatekeepers key. This is the first time in billions of years since that incident that one of the missing keys has resurfaced. It is a sensitive topic.”

“I understand.”

Aloud Mao Lu said, “You are welcome to stay in my home for as long as it takes until I hear back from the association.”

Chàng Bo nodded “I was planning to stay here and lay low regardless. I still have no idea who is after my life, and I have also been framed for these crimes, so I’m rather thankful to you for letting me stay.”

“That reminds me,” Mao Lu looked closely at Chàng Bo, “You were poisoned, and I did save your life, but I was unable to remove the poison. It seems to have been hiding in your body for numerous years. I fear that if you run into whoever activated it, then you may end up being put in a life-threatening situation again. So be careful.”

“Thank you for the warning Mao Lu.” Chàng Bo smiled sincerely at him.. Mao Lu was taken off guard yet again and he found his heart thudding in his chest.