"Little girl, you really know that Emanator? Quick, tell us in detail. Forget likes, I'll give you the full triple-click treatment!"
"Ahem… as for this matter, hmm, please watch the VOD."
Guinaifen tapped a video open. The crowd crushed closer, eyes glued to the tiny phone screen.
In the video, the Trailblazer, out on an ordinary stroll, seemed to be pulled by some strange gravity, dazedly stepping into the shop…
Without hesitation, she slapped down a Penacony shareholder's account card and bought one of the pricey trash cans.
Then she struck the classic pose of Lordly Trash can, flexing like a bodybuilder, and shouted, "I'm the woman who will become the Queen of Trash cans!"
The screen spun wildly, as though time and space themselves were twisted. Everyone in the video froze like their souls had left their bodies.
The onlookers knew—they had entered a strange spiritual realm, where they beheld an Aeon!
The video ended.
"Holy crap! Do you think that girl became an Emanator because of that trash can?"
"Don't even joke… but actually, it could be. What kind of Path starts with a trash can? It must be something about the trash can itself."
"Too bad the Cloud Knights came so quickly and locked the place down. I wanted to buy one too."
"Of course they'd lock it down. If news spreads that opening a trash can brings an Aeon's gaze, not just the Xianzhou—the whole universe will come running to buy trash cans!"
"I wonder how much one costs. If it could make me an Emanator, I'd gladly spend the rest of my life driving luxury rides and living in mansions."
"Hah! You really don't lose out on anything, do you?"
"So envious… just hoping that the Cloud Knights don't shut the store down for good."
…
Outside, the crowd swelled ever larger. People stood on tiptoe, straining to peek past the Cloud Knights' barricade.
Some even approached with trays of tea and fruit, trying to bribe their way into gossip.
But the Cloud Knights stood firm, unmoved by snacks or small talk. Their only reply was, "No comment."
They were just ordinary patrol knights keeping order. Matters like Emanators were as distant to them as the stars. Their captain had already reported upward, but no new orders had arrived. All they could do was hold the line.
Meanwhile, on the shop's second floor—
A handsome young man, barely past adulthood, dressed plainly, looked helplessly at the Cloud Knight captain before him.
What, selling trash cans deserved this kind of lockdown?
It was only an Aeon's passing glance—what was the big deal?
Back in his old world, the waifus on his phone outnumbered Emanators by far!
The heiress of the IPC, the Genius Society's life-science scholar, the scatterbrained thunder-wielding housewife, the Luofu's Dragon Lord…
Ahem. Scratch the last one.
Thinking back, the boss of the [Curio Trash Cans] shop, Sylvester, could only sigh.
Just a week ago, he had finally gotten lucky—pulling Firefly 2+2 after 200 rolls.
He was ready to celebrate, when tragedy struck. Firefly's lifespan was short; before he could even unlock Eidolons, a crack of thunder sent Sylvester straight into the Xianzhou Luofu… still clutching his mouse and keyboard.
"Huuuh…"
Sylvester pulled himself from memory back to reality.
Looking at the neat rows of trash cans stacked in his room, he felt a little consoled.
He hadn't been abandoned entirely—shortly after arriving, he awakened the "Multiverse Curio Trash Can System".
Just signing in each day earned him new trash cans.
Selling them upgraded their quality—the more sold, the higher the odds of incredible treasures inside.
And for every hundred sold, he received a special trash can as a reward, boosting his own strength and unlocking strange, wondrous abilities.
Trash cans? No—these were treasures beyond priceless relics.
"Huuu."
Crossing one leg over the other, Sylvester sipped from his teacup.
"Sir Cloud Knight, my shop is no bigger than a palm. Surely the inspection won't take this long?"
Casting a glance at the soldiers holding order outside, Sylvester spoke with calm confidence: "All my papers are in order. You can't keep my doors closed forever."
Those papers—even his identity records—had been granted by the system. Without them, as an outsider, he would have been forced into shady labor just to survive.
"My apologies, Mr. Sylvester. We came on orders. Please wait a little longer."
The Cloud Knight's tone was uneasy. Strictly speaking, Sylvester had broken no law of the Luofu. There was no grounds for enforcement.
"But rest assured, Mr. Sylvester—the Xianzhou values fairness above all. This is only because the situation's influence is too great. I promise, the higher-ups won't treat you unfairly."
As he spoke, the knight's eyes drifted toward the row of trash cans.
A bold thought flashed in his mind.
Paths, Aeons, Emanators—they were inseparable.
But who was to say that girl's ascension to Emanator had nothing to do with the trash can?
After all, these were called Curio Trash cans.
"Mr. Sylvester, are there really Curios inside these trash cans?"
"Of course," Sylvester chuckled. "How else could one bypass a Path itself, drawing an Aeon's gaze directly?"
He read the knight's reaction as clearly as day.
Indeed, Curios could attract an Aeon's attention.
But not every trash can would. This time was simply a stroke of luck.
"So, it really is true!"
Even prepared, the Cloud Knight felt his worldview collapse.
More than anyone, the knights understood what a Path meant—after all, Jing Yuan himself was an Emanator, and also the Arbiter-General of the Luofu.
Which meant that gray-haired girl, had she not been an outsider, would instantly be elevated to one of the Six Generals of the Alliance.
The thought quickened his breath.
"Naturally, the trash cans contain all manner of Curios. Anything you can imagine, it might hold. Want to try one?"
Business was business. A sale was a sale, no matter who the customer.
And the Cloud Knights? If they spread the word, he could sell in bulk. Much easier than peddling one by one.
"How much for one?"
At that, the knight's heart leapt.
If he could become an Emanator…
Heaven itself! He could skip centuries of toil, marry into wealth, and stand at life's pinnacle. Perhaps even overcome the curse of his demonic body, grasping true immortality.
Only—please let the price be reasonable.
"Um. Normally 1 million credits per trash can. But for the grand opening—only 880,000!"
Sylvester snapped his fingers, forming the gesture for "eight," and added with a smile: "The treasures inside vary infinitely. An Aeon's gaze isn't even the limit. Greater wonders await, it's only a matter of probability. With luck, you might soar to become an Aeon yourself. With misfortune… you might just get a can of soda-bean juice."
The knight: "…"
880,000 credits. Not ruinous, but not cheap. Enough to sting a family's savings.
And chance was everything.
As Sylvester said—unlucky, and you walk away with nothing.
Sure, an Emanator had emerged—but the knight knew his luck wasn't that divine.
If even the IPC's elite had never managed it, what hope did he have?
For ordinary folk, it was gambling with their lifeblood.
In a way, it was fair.
But fairness didn't mean affordable.
Seeing the knight hesitate, Sylvester said nothing further.
These trash cans were pricey, yes. But for those desperate to pursue their Path, the allure was irresistible.
For the wealthy, a handful of cans was nothing. Even cracking open 180 cans would hardly make them blink.
After all, to behold an Aeon, to gain the might second only to THEM—how could credits ever compare?
Buying wasn't just winning. It was winning beyond all measure. Winning until you could no longer even count the winnings.