23 His name is Chàng Bo (2/2)

\”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.

…..

In five minutes Chàng Bo came in to 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.