It was the one Monk Jing'en had given him earlier for protection against the Six Desires Demon Lord.
But thanks to the trap laid by the entire Rosy Clouds Temple, along with Jing'en's own sacrifice, it had remained unused even at the very end.
The instant he took it out, the Six Desires Remnant in his robes shuddered, but ultimately did nothing and slowly settled down again.
The auctioneer took the relic in a fluster, glanced at it, and then suddenly looked astonished.
"Is this... an Arhat Relic?"
"...Didn't I just say that?"
"...Guaranteed genuine?"
"If you don't believe me, have someone examine it."
The auctioneer fell speechless at once. Then he lowered his head and, after a moment's thought, addressed everyone.
"My apologies, everyone. We'll pause the auction briefly. I don't know much about Buddhist artifacts, so I'm afraid I'll need to bring in a specialist..."
With that, he hurried off the stage and behind the curtain.
A moment later, more whispers arose. Some still speculated about the secret hidden in that lump of iron, while others wondered what the Eight-Treasure Arhat was after. But most were wondering about something else.
Just who was this man who could casually produce an Arhat Relic?
...Well, Zhou You's title, Heaven-Piercing Sword, was certainly well known. The trouble was that Pass Mountain City lay thousands of miles from the Five Aggregates Temple's territory. He had also been absent from the public eye for years, and looked very different from his younger self. It was only natural that these people failed to recognize him.
Watching this, the young gentleman in brocade in the private room smiled.
"Ziyuan."
"I'm here, young master."
"Was that relic he took out genuine or fake?"
The bodyguard deliberated for several seconds before answering.
"I've never practiced Buddhist arts,