A Gatekeeper & The Celestial Sovereign - Chapter 43

“Let’s go Gates, we have an irregularity to destroy.”

Gates appeared in front of Mao Lu in its large book form. It wrapped around him and when it pulled away, Mao Lu was dressed in his formal Gatekeeper clothing.

His hair tied up in a bun as he wore battle attire and latticed armour.

“Mao Lu, before we leave, I suggest we take that Chàng Bo with us.” Gates said.

“Why?” Mao Lu was confused, why would it be necessary to bring Chàng Bo along.

“Firstly, he’s a Practitioner at the Dao stage. In this weak Realm the most powerful practitioners are only at the Immortal stage, those of higher levels tend to move to more stronger Realms with greater and more pure essence. Chàng Bo is currently the strongest practitioner in Realm 145.

Secondly, you’re only at the Awakening stage, although you have Sensed the Realm you have yet to fully Control the Realm. Because of that, despite your immense power you lack the necessary skills and techniques. Even with your ability to control Time you still haven’t progressed on that path sufficiently enough yet. You haven’t even mastered the incantation Expel, Seal and Allow, the basic Gatekeeper techniques that allow you to expel, allow or seal things in your Realm.

You haven’t even chosen your sacred weapon yet.

I was planning on teaching you these techniques when you entered the Merging Stage, I didn’t think there would be a fight so quickly. Right now if you fight the irregularity alone there’s a chance you won’t survive.

That’s why you should take Chàng Bo along with you. He is skilled practitioner at the Dao stage. The Dao stage isn’t something to be looked down upon. We don’t know what form the irregularity will take, it would be a safe bet with him.”

As Gates explained this, Mao Lu who had been all gung-ho and ready to run out there and fight, slowly lost his enthusiasm and found himself sitting on his bed with a dumbfounded expression.

“Are you saying I’m completely helpless and useless?” Mao Lu couldn’t help but ask with exasperation.

“You are not useless or helpless, you are the only one that can locate and seal this Irregularity.

Through your training you’ve been able to greatly improve your senses and cultivate your body. At the moment your entire body is tougher than a tier 1 heavenly item, your blood is thicker than Mercury and imbued with the purest essence.

Your regenerative abilities are at the level of a common Dao stage practitioner. Your skin and internal organs are so strong that even the sharpest knife could not pierce it. Your training so far hasn’t been for nothing. Even without skills or techniques you could easily defeat a practitioner at the Nascent stage with your physical body alone. Your perception allows you to see the entire Realm, no one would dare sneak up on you or scheme against you.

However, against an irregularity that could potentially collapse this Realm, you still have a way to go. That’s why it would be helpful to bring along Chàng Bo.” Gates explained thoroughly, “It isn’t that you are useless or helpless. Do not worry, when we reach the Irregularity, I will teach you how to Seal it and Expel it.”

Mao Lu couldn’t help but sigh, it was like he was going into war with a gun that he didn’t know how to shoot. He had a feeling that getting rid of this irregularity was most definitely not going to be easy.

“Then let’s go.” Mao Lu stood up and opened the sliding wooden doors, Gates transformed back into a keychain and hooked itself to Mao Lu’s belt.

As Mao Lu pushed apart the sliding doors, and they slid open, he saw white snow across the landscape.

The courtyard was covered in blankets of thick snow, as Mao Lu used Sense of the Realm, he realised that the entire of Beijing was covered in snow. The entire city had transformed into a winter wonderland.

It was December now, so snow wasn’t uncommon, but Mao Lu hadn’t seen such heavy snow in his entire life.

“You did this as you trained, the weather around you reflects your heart. As you suffered there was a blizzard.” Gates commented.

“I did this.” Mao Lu was stupefied. He hadn’t realised he had such an ability.

“As you merge with the Realm more, the more your emotions will affect the Realm. Luckily, you were able to complete Sense of the Realm or you might have enveloped this entire planet and perhaps many more into an eternal winter.” Gates said nonchalantly

Mao Lu went a bit pale just thinking about that.

Earlier he’d felt his mind fading away and he really felt himself disappearing. He’d realised at that moment that he overestimated himself, that he didn’t have the strength to continue. But, then Chàng Bo’s voice came to him like a blessing from the heavens, giving him strength to achieve his goal.

He blushed just remembering Chàng Bo saying “I admire how hard you train… You have nerves of steel…I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard.”

A silly grin came over Mao Lu’s face. “He was worried about me… He admires me.”

Mao Lu did a little dance in happiness as he jumped onto the surface of the blankets of snow. His body became extremely light and weightless, he easily skipped over the snowy surface without sinking into it, and made his way through the courtyard.

He stopped in front of a peculiar spherical mound of snow. He gently brushed the snow aside and soon saw Chàng Bo.

Chàng Bo was sitting still, cross legged, and meditating. He floated slightly above the ground and his aura made a spherical forcefield around him.

“Hello Chàng Bo,” Mao Lu said with a smile, his voice gentle and tender.

If Gates had eyes it would have rolled them and if it had a mouth it would have faked being sick. Mao Lu’s voice was just too gentle and too sweet.

Chàng Bo’s blue star filled eyes snapped open and gazed at Mao Lu.

As Mao Lu stood in his blue Gatekeeper robes, that had the time essences running across the fabric, his long hair tied up in a bun. With his appearance more flawless and surreal, his lips pink like ripe fruit, and his eyes gleaming a soft purple green. Against the canvas of the winter snow he was truly stunning.

Chàng Bo blinked repeatedly as he glanced up at Mao Lu. He felt something stir in his heart slightly.

He smiled up at him. “Is everything okay?”

“There is something dangerous running around in my Realm and I was about to head out to deal with it. Would you like to come with me? As they say two is better than one.” Mao Lu said softly.

“You want me to help you! Would I not just drag you down?” To Chàng Bo a Gatekeepers abilities far exceeded his own. Wouldn’t he just drag Mao Lu down…but then it occurred to Chàng Bo. This was a perfect opportunity to deepen their bond, he shouldn’t refuse this.

“No, you wouldn’t drag me down, I’d like it if you accompanied me.” Mao Lu replied quickly.

“Then I won’t refuse you.” Chàng Bo responded just as quickly.

Mao Lu smiled widely “Good let’s go!”

This time as Gates pulled Mao Lu onto the air, It also pulled up Chàng Bo.

To Chàng Bo an invisible force had suddenly wrapped around him and pulled him quickly into the sky at lightning speed.

This speed was hundred times faster than Chàng Bo’s movement technique Angel Flight.

Chàng Bo barely blinked before the scenery around them had changed and they were standing in a snow filled park.

It was empty.

For some reason just standing there made his skin crawl and an eerie chill seeped into his flesh. Something wasn’t right, he felt like he was being watched.

_________

TIAN’ANMEN POLICE BUREAU

Frank Wang sat at his desk. His head in his hands.

He’d been stuck at work for practically two weeks. At first the snow hadn’t been too bad but during the last two weeks the snow had gotten so bad that it went up to the waist of an average person.

And the blizzard that followed this heavy snowfall made it completely impossible to drive anywhere in this weather.

When it had gotten really bad, Frank had been at the police station. Due to the snow he, along with his other colleagues, had been stranded at the station.

Luckily, the Police station in Tiananmen was huge and had many spare rooms and beds. Many officers were also used to working overtime and sleeping over, so they were able to manage.

During the last two weeks, Frank, along with many others were helping out with the traffic, infrastructure, and emergency departments during the snowy crisis.

Frank had been working long hours helping cars stuck in the roads, because idiots thought they could drive in this weather.

Helping with general emergencies and writing reports. Sadly, despite the weather, local crime or accidents didn’t stop. The last two weeks had really been the worst.

Frank was so tired right now, and the bed he had at the station was so uncomfortable.

“Hey everyone, the blizzard finally stopped, and the temperatures are going up. Look at the weather report!” A voice yelled.

Frank Wang who’d been tiredly resting at his desk, bumped his head hard on his desktop computer the moment he heard the shout.

The entire office yelled “Yessssss!!!”

“Hooray”

“Finally, it’s over.”

Frank nursed his aching head as he made a little dance in his chair. He was finally going to be able to go home and rest.

The first thing he did was call his Mum, who was staying at his home at the moment, visiting him. To think a week after she came from England there would be such disastrous weather.

“Hello Ma, did you notice that the blizzard stopped? Yeah it has. I think I’ll be going home soon… Yh hopefully if it defrosts enough and goes down in the next 24 hours…. Yep Ma…. Cool love you.”

He hung up.

“Wow you’re such a Mama’s boy, the first thing I did was call my boyfriend. Yet you called your Ma, shouldn’t you also call Qi Zhou. Isn’t she the love of your life? Tell her your coming home soon.” Lin Yang said as she stretched.

“I will tell her, like now, geez Lin Yang go back to your own business.” Frank hissed at her.

Lin Yang just laughed.

“Frank!!!!!” Chief Wei yelled from across the office.

“Looks like you’ll have to call her later, seems like the chief wants you. What did you do this time?” Lin Yang asked curiously.

Frank was confused, “I haven’t done anything I swear.” he replied as he ran up to Chief Wei and saluted.

“Chief Wei, how can I help you?” Frank asked.

“You helped out with that weird case more than a month ago, the one concerning the missing people.”

“Yes, sir I did.”

“I know you did, I’m the one that put you on that case detective, it wasn’t a question.” Chief Wei said a bit irritably

“The case that became cold is now hot again. We’re keeping it quiet since we don’t want too much negative press, but since before the blizzard even more people have gone missing around the Tiananmen area. More specifically around Zhongshan Park.

Due to the excessive snow the investigation had to be halted and now we fear any remaining evidence may have vanished, but since the blizzard has stopped a team is going to Zhongshan Park using the police snowmobiles to find any signs of the missing people.

Since you were a part of the original investigation you should go with them. They’re leaving now.”

Frank internally moaned, but at the same time he was itching to go. He knew there had been something really off about that case. People being kidnapped and then reappearing again with no memory of the incident.

Perhaps a serial kidnapper was on the loose or some kind of crime organisation was behind this. Frank wanted to be the one to solve the case and capture the bad guy.

“Then I’ll head out Chief.”

“Good luck Frank!” Chief Wei called after him as Frank ran to his locker. He put on his winter uniform and joined the investigation team outside on their snowmobiles. Soon they were heading to Zhongshan Park.

_________

ZHONGSHAN PARK

Mao Lu’s eyes wandered across the seemingly empty snow-covered park.

Chàng Bo stood next to him staring outwards.

They both shivered slightly.

Mao Lu could feel it, the irregularity was around the entire park. He could sense it; they were literally standing in its jaws.

Mao Lu silently screamed, he was a little, no he was very scared. He hadn’t expected this thing to be so big. He was sure Chàng Bo hadn’t noticed yet, but underneath the snow, and across the entire park, the irregularity lay.

“Mao Lu, sealing is about containment. Within you and around you are your Realm. You control this Realm and own this Realm as much as it owns you.

When you seal something, you must all the essence in this realm to obey you and they will fix what you want to seal into place. Trapping it away. All you have to do is ask the essence to do this.” Gates informed Mao Lu.

“That sounds simple enough.”

“It isn’t, you are a Gatekeeper of Time, only the Time essences listen to you obediently, controlling all the other essences will take all your concentration and a lot of your energy. It is always hardest the first time and usually you should practice a bit before doing this, but seeing the size of this irregularity I don’t think there will be time to practice.” Gates explained “Let me tell you the incantation that will control the essences and bend them to your will. It is…”

Meanwhile Chàng Bo activated the Sovereign System. The display flashed again and again on his Health stat.

When he clicked the flashing notice, a warning popped up, and it the screen said:

WARNING!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!!

POTENTIAL THREAT TO YOUR HEALTH!!!

IRREGULARITY

LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW YOU

As Chàng Bo read the screen his eyes widened.. He looked down and at that same moment something shot up from the ground, aiming straight for his chest.