Obtaining the Void Candle Shears

Bronya felt a flicker of confusion, and while she was still lost in thought, Jing Yan had already completed his daily check-in task.

He had obtained the Curio, Void Candle Shears.

This thing is actually quite nice.

Jing Yan smiled.

The Curio appeared to be a pair of scissors with a white handle and fluorescent green blades.

Its ability was very simple: it could repair two previously damaged Curios.

The only damaged Curio Jing Yan had used so far was the Galactic Lottery.

Therefore, he immediately used the Void Candle Shears to repair the Galactic Lottery.

As a ghostly green light flared, the blue-and-pink gradient "lottery ticket" began to shimmer once more, glowing with light that resembled fluorescent powder and the sparkle of crushed diamonds reflecting the sun.

It looked so opulent and precious that anyone could tell at a glance it was no ordinary item.

"Not bad."

Jing Yan held the brand-new Galactic Lottery, feeling quite satisfied.

Description: After scratching, you may receive a grand prize, or you may receive a massive penalty!

The last time he scratched it, he had received a reward: an increase in his Aeon power.

However, it was hard to say this time.

A sudden premonition welled up in Jing Yan's heart that opening it this time would bring misfortune.

But the feeling was fleeting.

So much so that he couldn't even be sure of the accuracy of his intuition.

He was the Aeon of Eros, not the Aeon of Luck; in fact, no Aeon of that Path currently existed.

If one had to mention the Path of Enigmata, it might be somewhat close, perhaps capable of understanding the ethereal nature of luck.

In any case, Jing Yan lacked the ability to predict the probability of such events.

But he was unwilling to give up this opportunity.

Jing Yan chose to open it while aboard the Astral Express.

Although he couldn't rule out the possibility that if misfortune were triggered, the entire train might be struck by a meteor, or the engine might suffer a Honkai-style collapse and plummet, the Astral Express was home to many powerful individuals.

Even if misfortune struck, Jing Yan could leverage the strength of others to share the burden.

But if he were in Belobog and a misfortune event occurred, he would likely have to bear the penalty alone.

Furthermore, Jing Yan did not yet know the specific nature of the penalties if one were triggered.

If the penalty involved an Emanator of the Path of Elation—who was hostile toward him—discovering his whereabouts and pursuing him, then for the sake of his own safety and that of Belobog, choosing to board the Astral Express and set sail to evade them was certainly a very correct and prudent course of action.

Of course, it was also possible that the premonition he felt earlier was wrong.

Just like the old saying goes: dreams are the opposite of reality.

If he were on the Astral Express and the result of scratching this lottery was a reward, or even if it triggered a penalty that was only a penalty for most people but happened to be a reward for him, then he would certainly come out ahead!

Jing Yan is truly a strange man...

Bronya pondered in the Supreme Guardian's office at Qlipoth Fort, watching Jing Yan's back as he departed.

She felt something was off.

Why had Jing Yan suddenly reached out to touch her lips when he was speaking to her earlier?

Although Bronya interpreted this as Jing Yan signaling her to be silent so he could speak—an explanation that seemed perfectly fine—she still felt that something wasn't quite right.

Did this guy, Jing Yan, have feelings for her?

Bronya thought about it, but couldn't find an answer for the time being.

After all, according to her understanding, Jing Yan would soon leave Belobog with the Astral Express trio to head to other planets.

At a time of impending departure, if Jing Yan had any special intentions toward her, wouldn't it be better to be more explicit?

Bronya's mind was not entirely at peace, but she didn't let her thoughts run wild any further.

She decided to have Pela follow up on the specific details of the new faith Jing Yan had mentioned.

"Jing Yan, I have a question for you."

Just as Jing Yan stepped out of Qlipoth Fort, he received a text message.

Jing Yan pondered for a moment, staring at the sender's profile picture for a few seconds before he began to compose a reply.

"You wouldn't happen to be..."

Jing Yan thought for a moment, then deleted what he had just typed and replaced it with a simple "No!" before sending it off.

Because the person who had just messaged him was none other than his "good brother," Sampo.

As an information broker who had seen living merchants in both the Overworld and the Underworld, Sampo's capabilities were truly beyond reproach. However, because he was a Pathstrider of the Path of Elation, Jing Yan had always kept his distance from him.

At the very least, when it came to matters related to his own Path, Jing Yan generally avoided discussing them with Sampo.

"Brother Jing Yan!"

Sampo sent over a sweating, grinning emoji.

"I hadn't even stated my intentions yet, brother. What if I had just said, if I were to donate my entire fortune to Brother Jing Yan, would you accept it?"

Sampo continued to ask.

Jing Yan chuckled after reading it.

"Refused!"

He knew exactly what Sampo meant.

As the saying goes, one does not visit the Hall of Three Treasures without a reason. The reason this Sampo would send him a message was actually very clear and obvious.

It was definitely because he had his eyes on something related to his Path; after all...

There was no other reason that could explain such a display of goodwill from someone like Sampo.

Sampo was not actually a crooked merchant.

Although his personality was a bit eccentric—due to the influence of the Path of Elation—he had one redeeming quality: if he owed someone a favor, he would always find a way to repay it.

However, there were times when you needed his help and he just happened to be nowhere to be found, making him seem somewhat unreliable.

This could be considered a duality of his character.

"I'm asking, is there any possibility for me to join Brother Jing Yan's Path?"

Jing Yan smiled upon hearing this.

The other party's reply was completely within his expectations; on the contrary, it was very much in line with the daily operations of the "Masked Fools," the organization to which he most likely belonged.

The "Masked Fools," followers of the Path of Elation, loved to "don a mask" in their daily lives, which meant disguising themselves as Pathstriders of other Paths.

Perhaps doing so allowed them to experience the many facets of life while also cultivating a sense of mystery and uniqueness. Especially at the moment they revealed their true identities, they could derive an unprecedented, immense pleasure.

But in Jing Yan's eyes, their actions were extremely dangerous.

Therefore, even though he and Sampo had maintained a decent relationship since they were young, Jing Yan still had no intention of letting him in.

Because some things were unpredictable.

If the Aeon of Elation, Aha, were to seize the opportunity to infiltrate, things would take a turn for the worse.

With his current strength, he was still not enough to confront the Aeon of Elation, Aha, whose laughter could tear the universe apart.