A Gatekeeper & The Celestial Sovereign

In a large sapphire pavilion, panicked voices could be heard.

"What are we going to do!? How can the entire Village be surrounded by Grotesque!!!!" A fat male cried out. His pointed ears sagged down to his bulging stomach, and his triple-chins trembled as he spoke. The many rings and jewellery hanging off his body jingled like wind chimes.

As his words echoed across the wide blue crystal chamber, the tens of others seated began to quiver in fear and join him in ruckus outbursts and fretful mutterings.

"Why is this happening to us?"

"Grotesques are vengeful spirits, I've heard how they can rip bodies apart with only the tips of their claws. They'll dance in our blood!"

"What did we do to deserve this, this has never happened before!?"

"We must have angered the Forest."

"Won't the good practitioners on the border save us?"

"Don't be a fool, they don't care, Practitioners are all hypocrites, they're the ones making this happen, they want our River of Blessings."

A woman wearing violet armour, decorated with runes, said with a stern expression "I believe it's all that Outsiders fault, we have never faced such a disaster before and now only a few days after he arrives this happens. He has to be related to this; we should have never let that Mao Lu into our village. He must have caused-"

The female soldier abruptly bit her tongue, stopping the next words from leaving her throat as she saw the dark expression on Sea Karne's face.

Sea Karne was sat slumped on his throne in the centre of the chamber, light from above descended down from the sapphire ceiling and illuminated him in a sombre blue hue.

His usually youthful features appeared haggard.

The Elders gloomily sat around him like stone pillars facing the council members.

The female soldier paled, her orange scales turning a dull yellow. "I am apologise if my words rude Chief, but I honestly don't trust that outsider!" She yelled. Getting out of her seat and onto her knees.

Sea Karne's expression remained dark, he sighed, "It's not Mao Lu who caused this conflict, if there is anyone to blame...blame me…"

As he said these words Mao Lu and Mero quietly entered the sapphire pavilion.

Sea Karne paused and his expression turned complex. "The river of blessings...for a long time I have lied to you all about this River.

Being mortals, you can't see the real power that lies behind it. The river in truth, or the water that flows through it, is in fact a natural and pure source of life-essence. And not just some run of the mill life essence but essence so potent that one drop can extend a lifespan by a year, a cup of it could make someone live for thousands more. It is a resource that Practitioners would easily kill for." Sea paused; his gaze became distant. "Being a practitioner isn't easy, every day is a struggle for survival and a fight for resources, and if you can't become stronger you die along with your dreams of power.

When I discovered the river long ago, I had reached my limit, I could no longer go down the path of power and I was reaching the end of my lifespan. Finding the river was a blessing, it saved my life, hence why I named it the River of blessings.

For many years after that I hogged the river for myself and benefited from it greatly, my powers even increased despite my previously hopeless situation. Because of this I grew paranoid I was scared someone would take this river from me. When the righteous practitioners made this region a safe haven for mortals, I decided to build this mortal village here, no one would think such a treasure would be hidden in a mortal village. I pretended to be a saviour, a righteous practitioner, but I did it all out of self-interest."

Everyone in the chamber didn't know how to react, their expressions were frozen.

Mero's eyes went wide in confusion and disbelief.

"I wasn't the only one to do this, many others pretended to be good Righteous practitioners and 'Protect mortals', so that they could hide their treasures on this continent, monopolise resources and territory."

Sea Karne sighed again, heavier this time, "I spent one thousand years founding the village and keeping the river all to myself before I reached another bottleneck. I couldn't break through to the immortal stage no matter how hard I tried, even with this river I wasn't talented enough.

At the time I felt bitter, I gave up and I thought about leaving this place. But then I looked around. I saw the people and the small civilisation I'd made, and suddenly I felt like staying. And as more time passed, I regretted my early motivations, so I decided to stop being a fraud, to honestly protect the people. That's when I completely gave up the practitioner path. I found my happiness in living with all of you, I found love and I was so caught up in everything that I overlooked the danger that the river presented."

Sea Karne's eyes glanced around the chamber, staring at the shocked faces. His gaze lingering on Mero who stood framed in the doorway. Mero's conflicted expression reflected in his pupils.

His heart twanged.

"It started two weeks ago. I attended the annual meeting for practitioners protecting the mortal lands, and I was approached by a Dao Seeking expert named Wind. He had somehow found out about the river.

Wind is only a righteous practitioner in name, he's a very ruthless, powerful man that I can't fight. I knew that as soon as he had discovered the river, he would go to any means to obtain it. So, I made a deal with him. I asked him for a half a years’ worth of time, so that I could move the village, and after that time all of the river would be his.

He agreed and promised to hurt no one as long as he got what he wanted. Of course, I knew he might betray me and try to kill everyone who knew about the river. But I thought I had more time. I never expected him to come so quickly and with an army of Grotesque as well… That's why if you must blame any practitioner for this, you should blame me. My selfishness, my greed, my lack of foresight."

There was long silence in the room before one of the Elders touched their wrinkled face with shaking hands, "So that's why you never let us drink from the River" he grumbled, "We could be young, and we could be beautiful and you lied to us all and kept it to yourself. Even when your wife died you never gave her water from the river to save her. You're heartless, all you practitioners are heartless!"

Sea Karne frowned, "You're wrong, I kept you all from the river because your mortals, you can't handle its power. If you drank from the river your mortal bodies would explode, you can't handle essence as pure as that which flows in the River, you haven't trained to use essence. It's of no use to you!"

"LIES!!!!" the Elder screeched, "How can we trust you?!!!! All you practitioners are the same!!! If I'm going to be devoured by Grotesque I want to die young and handsome like I used to be!!" the old elder yelled in hysteria as he ran out of the chamber, pushing past Mao Lu and Mero as he leapt through the Pavilion doorway, heading in the direction of the River.

Sea Karne visibly crumpled lower in his throne, "Think what you will, but I shared what I could, I gave you enchanted garments using the rivers power." he saw the distrust that now bloomed in the council members eyes. "Choose to listen to me or not, but everything I have said here has been entirely honest. Regardless, the fact won't change that there are thousands of Grotesques out there, we're trapped and surrounded, and as we speak, they are eating away at the barrier around this Village. We merely have hours before they swarm in here…"

"Chief…. cccc-can't you protect us, you're a strong practitioner. You can fight these creatures, right?" A frightened council member asked.

Sea Karne slowly shook his head, "These creatures are undead, they're pests that will only multiply when killed. And one is equal to practitioners at metamorphosis or body tempering stage. One, two or maybe even a hundred I could manage with ease, but from the hundreds of thousands outside, I know that I won't last long. And even if I do survive to the end of this battle, I would have been too preoccupied protecting myself than being able to protect any of you. The only way to stop these monsters is to kill the man who summoned them, and who knows where Wind is hiding. He could be miles away."

The heavy atmosphere only grew.

"But this is not the end!" Sea Karne announced as he arose from his throne suddenly.

With all eyes upon him, he strolled down the long path from the centre of the chamber to the doorway. He looked at Mao Lu with a piercing gaze before dropping onto his knees and bowing so low that his head slammed so hard on the sapphire floor that cracks appeared.

"O great one, I'm sure you've heard my shameful words, and I know I am taking advantage of your kindness, but please have mercy. Please help us! I do not have the power to protect this Village!!! I can't protect the people... but I know that you can! I know that you can...so please, I beg you... help us!!"

Tears of desperation rolled down Sea Karne's cheeks as he cried at Mao Lu's feet. "These people are my family, I have long since given up my path as a practitioner, I'm weak and I can't protect them."

As his pitiful begging rang across the room, many were startled and began looking towards Mao Lu. New hope gleaming in their eyes.

Mao Lu gazed at the prostrating Sea Karne. Many thoughts went through his head before he crouched down and gently patted Sea Karne's head.

"You shouldn't let your people see you in such a weak state, they'll lose faith in you." He said.

Sea Karne lifted his head up and replied, "Their faith in me is a small price to pay for their survival."

Mao Lu sighed, “I will help you. So, get up now."

Sea Karne grabbed Mao Lu's hand, muttering, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" as they both stood up.

Mao Lu glanced around. He was the centre of attention.

He mustered up all the courage within himself, before announcing, "I will save you. I will fight these creatures for you. I will stop this Practitioner named Wind."

Mao looked around himself, these people looked nothing like him, they had scaled skin and pointed ears, but that didn't change the fact that they were people all the same. These people just like people everywhere, just like those that lived in his realm, and lived on Earth. They all had a right to survive, to have freedom, to be happy and live fulfilling lives, by virtue of being living beings.

Nobody should have to go through the horror of war, be slaughtered unjustly, or live in the destitution of poverty.

Mao Lu didn't want to see their lives ruined. He knew that he couldn't save everyone, he knew that if Chàng Bo were here he'd mock Mao Lu for his useless heroism and hypocritical self-serving need to give aid, but was it really so wrong to want to help?

Mao Lu didn't want to be useless, he remembered how Ben Zi died, his fists clenched. He was going through this trial to get stronger, so that he could be useful, so that he could help.

Even though he was yet to become strong enough, he was still going to try.