Two Oaths Two Fates Connected

Discomfort bothered Yao Guai.

The sensation of wetness alongside the uneven hard or oddly soft textures poked against his back, drenching his coarse clothes. An awful stench permeated the air, a smell so bad the man could almost taste the foulness within while tears gathered at the edge of his eyes.

Seeking the source of his troubles, Yao opened his eyes. The colors of the world unfolded, revealing something he quite didn't expect.

Green walls tainted by dirt and grime towered into the skies. Walls resembling sky scrapers forming a rectangular cage with him in the middle. Like a frog at the bottom of the well, the blue sky where clouds ran free was too far out of reach. Something in the air seemed to seep into the man's eyes. Stinging them and making him squint in pain. It smelled like death had chosen to stick around in gaseous form and be a general asshole.

'What the hell?' Yao coughed. 'The last thing I did last night was call some girls over. Get wasted then have a wonderful time...' He squinted his eyes again and blinked. Sitting upright, his eyes finally took in more details about his surroundings.

Heaps of plastic, random junk and degrading matter lay scattered around him. Forming a disgusting bed which granted him a tiny bit of comfort just before he woke up. He didn't recall jumping into a dumpster as one of his past late-night activities.

Suddenly he raised and gazed at his hands, hands too small, soft and tender. Dirtied they were those hands of his couldn't hide the soft supple light skin underneath. Yao scanned his body. Each passing second adding onto the growing panic inside of him.

"Wawawa!" (Godddd Damnnnn...) The man cursed.

At least he tried. Ultimately failing since baby babble escaped his mouth.

'Oh, my fucking God.' Yao facepalmed.

Didn't he wish upon a falling star last night? He didn't expect any change from the wish even if he poured his heart out. The world is no fantasy, it's a harsh unforgiving place.

But it seems some fantasies come true?

Shouldn't he had wished for something else then?

Yao quickly discarded that thought. He wished to actually be alive, not to just exist. To find joy and contentment in the game called life. He wouldn't wish for power nor riches since he is confident in getting them using his mind and skills only.

'How does being a dumpster baby relate to being alive?' Yao firmly questioned his situation. The more he stays in the dumpster, the nearer his life insurance would trigger. An experience quite opposite of being alive.

Yao made up his mind. Actions must be done. Despite turning into a helpless infant, he wasn't that helpless.

He had his mind with him, the mind of an adult.

'The walls of this disposal bin are too tall...' Yao compared his fat feeble arms to the dumpster walls four times his height. The lack of footholds or anything he could grab onto to climb his way out presented a dilemma.

He can't climb out.

'Unless I make my own way out.'

Determined, Yao endured the searing fumes of the garbage underneath him. He ignored the disgust arising from his hands digging into the trash. Yao Guai kept on digging and dismantling. Pulling up junk from the mess under him then segregating them into different types.

The biodegradables were ignored and tossed aside. What he was after were the harder more durable stuff.

Glass bottles. Card boards. Plastics. Generally anything that can be assembled together to for a stairway that will not crumble under his weight.

The little infant no less than two months old crawled and diligently paved a path. A stairway to heaven. Glass bottles served as the foundation, with them being planted softly into the decomposing floor. Plastics came next and soon card boards ruled the top parts.

Seconds turned into minutes. And minutes soon nearly turned into an hour.

Yao started coughing, breathing seemed to elude him and his vision started going blurry. The miasma of decomposing matter was just too much for a baby to endure. Yao did see some dead rats in the corner of the garbage bin.

'I think I'm going to throw up.' The man kept on enduring the now present nausea.

Yao urged himself forwards. Crawling up the stairs he stared down at a long drop. Cracked stone bricks lined the bottom of the dark alley he was in.

'This is going to hurt...' Yao braced himself.

He kicked down a soggy cardboard box onto the floor and simply-

Rolled over.

Thunk!

In that dark alleyway a baby clutching his head lined with a bit of gray hair crawled out of the dumpster and fell. His back slammed against the wet rectangular cardboard box that softened his impact. Turning the hazardous fall into a painful inconvenience.

"Ngnhhng!" Yao groaned. Pain is nothing new to him but after inhaling too much unhealthy noxious fumes from the dumpster his head was spinning.

The boy retched. Yao threw up saliva and felt much better afterward.

Yao capitalized on his success. Collected himself and carefully crawled out of the dark alley.

Soon the light at the end of the alley shone down on him. And with a smile he collapsed into the pavement.

Tired. He was so tired.

His head spun and he was simply too weak to continue forwards. Feeling himself walk at the line between consciousness and unconsciousness, he resolved himself.

'If someone adopts me this time. I'll repay your kindness as best as I can.'

'I will live my new life to the fullest.'

Darkness consumed his vision.

=====

On the Douluo Continent, continent under the rule of the mighty Sun Moon Federation. On its eastern part laid a certain city.

East Sea City wasn't too small that it lacked desire-able government institutes nor was it big enough to compete with the likes of Shrek City or Bright City which was the federation's Capital.

But it could still be called a first-class city and it was a land ripe with opportunities. Built beside the sea, many precious resources were harvested from the tame waters. Ranging from rare sunken ore or the sparse spirit beasts that could be found if you looked far and deep enough.

Mechas, gigantic robots commandeered by successful pilots called mecha masters roamed the streets. Most of them bearing the insignia of a golden anchor on an azure circle, labelling them as part of the states' local security.

On a particularly crowded street full of stalls and bars, commotion arose.

Bang!

Tables flew. Vulgarities were spat out.

The peace of the morning broke like paper cut with scissors.

"Yun yun you fucking WHORE!" A man stormed out of a bar. Standing at six feet two inches, he was quite tall. His body wasn't muscular but it was well toned. Wearing a white long-sleeved leather jacket paired with white flowing pants and shoes, the already large man stood out like a splotch of white ink on a black canvas.

As if to add on his attention drawing presence, the man's head was fashioned into a strange hairstyle that jutted out forwards in the form of a rounded off pompadour, like it was some sort of reddish-brown bread attached to his noggin.

The man gave an air of rugged barbarity and had a roguish mature charm to him.

[Guang Long Appearance]

Guang Long was simply not having the best of days right now. After pulling an all-nighter getting inebriated and passing out, he woke up finding his wallet missing.

Stomping his way downtown, Guang Long gritted his teeth.

He found out yesterday about his girlfriend cheating on him and the worse part was that she cheated on him and ran away with a guy from a rich and influential family.

Even if he was the younger brother of Eastsea City's Mecha Brigade Vice Captain, there are some people that cannot be touched without repercussions.

Plus, he didn't want to burden his older brother. His older brother had already done so much for him that he felt guilty by simply existing.

Eyes befitting judge mental hawks had no reason to exist on the heads of the bystanders staring at the man as if he was some sort of lower being.

"Look at that. Its Guang Long again..."

"Rank twenty-one soul grandmaster in his early twenties. That's disgusting."

"If it isn't for his elder brother then he wouldn't amount to anything at all. No one will really care about him except for his unlucky brother."

"I know right? He could just keel over and the only one who'll cry will be Guang Biao."

"If I had a brother like Guang Biao then I would be a rank fifty soul King at least. Not like this trash leech."

Hushed whispers. Conversations of bystanders combined with piercing gazes caught Guang Long's attention. Those jeers about him tested the limits of his patience and self-control.

Always thinking they could do better. Always masking their disdain through whispers behind his back. If he were to approach them at the moment those mocking people would suddenly turn polite and respectful.

Outside he wore a simple frown. Seemingly distracted. However inside of him he was already burning. Burning in the sheer fury welling up inside his heart.

'None of you understand. None of you know what it's like being me.' Guang Long's steeps hurried and he growled. 'None of you even went through what we did!'

A burst of powerful wind rocked around the man. Rank twenty-one soul power swirled and he transformed. Scales grew on his arms and he grew a bit bigger.

Bang!

"I see you! Don't even dare run!" The man laughed, madness seemingly overtaking his sanity. Guang Long broke into a sprint. As if a transforming into a shark smelling blood he ran. Escaping the eyes of the people who easily recognized him.

This silenced the few soul masters who had been trash talking him. Fear re writing their expressions as they hastily snuck away.

Guang Long run with a bloodthirsty grin. Pursuing something that run into the alleyways.

But in reality, everything was just an act. A show to make them stop.

All the man wanted was to just get away from those judging eyes. Those eyes that made him uncomfortable.

Did he want to escape because their words struck true and hurt more than blades?

Or did he run out of fear of failing to hold back and ripping the gossiping bystanders apart and making more trouble for his brother? The exact reason was unknown.

He was quite strong for a rank twenty soul master. His innate strength combined with his land dragon martial soul ensured that even a rank thirty soul master would take some time in taking him down.

Guang Long ran into a dark alley. Hiding from the crowd and he sighed.

The tall man leaned back against the walls. Slumping down and he sat still, legs splayed out and he resembled a broken puppet.

"In a way they are right..." Guang Long clenched his hands. His fingers clawed into the stone pavement.

He was indeed pathetic. Just because of an event in the past he lost motivation to grow stronger and train diligently. Although he wouldn't have reached the level of his genius older brother, the gap between them wouldn't have been so vast like it is now.

The man can already see it.

From now on he would live his life like a waste. Like trash. Getting drunk, messing around and chasing skirts while using his strength and influence to bully those weaker than him.

Afterall, what was left for him to do?

His life just felt so stale, so bleak and pathetic. If humans were but a speck of dust to the universe, then what was he? A speck of shit?

"It's like I can't do anything good." Guang Long laughed at himself and stood up.

The mockery aimed at him struck true. The man decided that if that was what everyone thought of him then he'll live up to their expectations. He'll live like a wastrel.

It would bring a headache to his brother but that would be fine. Guang Biao would only have to deal with giving him monthly allowance for drinking and eating.

"This way... I won't have to think too much. And I won't spend too much." Guang Long resolved himself. Pursuing strength as a soul master would be less costly than eating and drinking at bars from time to time. He was not young anymore and his cultivation speed had slowed down considerably.

Guang Long thought of the mecha brigade his brother lead. He could try his hand at being a mecha master but he quickly felt hesitant.

Being a mecha master was too expensive. Hell even cultivating to be a higher ranked soul master was already taxing by itself. Knowing his brother, Guang Biao would buy him expensive items if he started showing signs of wanting to get stronger.

Guang Long sighed and turned his back against the future. The future didn't matter for he had no future. All he had was the present.

Thunk!

Something fell and landed nearby.

"Who?" Growing vigilant, the troubled young man turned his head side wards.

And he saw a baby climb out of a dumpster.

Guang Long rubbed his eyes. 'Am I still drunk?' The man squinted his eyes and held his head. His hangover was still there. His mind was throbbing as if it was being hit by a tiny mallet.

But he is fully conscious.

He isn't seeing things.

Cough! Cough!

Guang Long eyed the baby wearing a diaper and wrapped in cloth who started emptying their stomach.

The infant's choked breathing made him wince and feel bad.

Though weakened the child crawled on. Crawling until the reaching the other end of the dark alleyway and fainted. The baby was small, so weak and helpless but it didn't give up.

Guang Long approached the dumpster. Eyes widening at the meticulously arranged stairs of garbage leading out of its interior.

Witnessing such a spectacle, Guang Long felt ashamed.

The baby knew of their situation. And it didn't give up nor cry for help. It got out using their own efforts anyway when the situation was terrifying and seemed bleak.

"Even this baby has more will to live than me." Guang Long chuckled. He found it funny that a baby had more determination than him. Sure the infant was weaker than him, but they already shown that they were mentally stronger than him.

Slowly he approached the baby. Eyes growing softer at the still breathing and weak figure of the child.

He was so small and so helpless.

Alone and with no one to turn to.

The baby triggered a memory inside the man. The memory of his younger years as a child. His parents passed away, most of their thing stolen by relatives who cast them out and in the end all he had was his brother who promised him that everything would be alright.

The man's arms reached down ward. Scooping up the foul-smelling baby. The man known for his excessive arrogance and violent means became gentle.

"Hey now little guy. You were thrown away just like me?" The man spoke softly to the baby, his voice almost a murmur as if he feared waking the infant.

For a brief moment Guang Long felt angry. Angry at how shitty life can truly be sometimes.

All children deserve parents. And he and his brother had theirs robbed away at an early age.

Looking at it now, Guang Long knows that if no one takes care of the baby he would turn out to be like him or much worse.

"You don't have to worry though. I'll take care of you."

Guang Long's eyes turned soft and the man wiped off the dirt on Yao's hands and face with a cloth ripped from his own clothes.

People kept on saying that he couldn't do anything good. Guang Long agreed with them earlier but things were different now. He could actually do something good.

He made a decision.

"I'm going to raise you into a man of great status. And me and brother would be the best family you'll ever have." Guang Long chuckled and walked out of the alleyway with newfound motivations. Heart finding peace in the idea of being a wonderful elder brother.

Yes, if it was like that, even if he wasn't that strong or influential, Guang Long would be happy. At least he would have the smiles of his brother and the child he picked up to warm up this cold icy world.

In his sleep, Yao felt comfortable and he smiled.

On that day started the tale of the man who shocked the world.

The Sovereign of Technology