Chapter One Hundred: The Relic

Finally, the pair of blue and white porcelain vases were sold to a ceramics merchant for 200,000 Hope Coins.

Fang Nian carefully examined the vases. Though he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about antiques, having watched many appraisal movies and TV shows in his previous life, he naturally had some ability to appreciate such items.

Liu Yunduo pointed at the pair of porcelain vases, describing them with such rapturous praise—stunning and exquisite—that Fang Nian nearly believed her. But a second glance revealed they were just a pair of vases; the delicate carvings were fine, but hardly as magnificent as Liu Yunduo claimed.

In this world where survival is the foremost concern, antiques have naturally become luxury goods. After the devastating war, surviving antiques have become increasingly scarce, making them valuable in wealthy circles.

However, their market value generally caps at around 100,000, rarely exceeding 150,000. Yet Liu Yunduo had managed, with her sweet talk, to push the price up to 200,000. One had to admit, she was quite a persuasive talker.

Of course, this was a matter of willing buyer and willing seller. The buyer, someone with some discernment, knew the vases were not worth that much, but to show support and gain some popularity, spending a little extra was understandable. Besides, there was no strict limit on donations; usually, giving five to ten was enough and not very costly.

“The second auction item is...”

The auction was in full swing, with donation amounts steadily climbing. It had to be said, Liu Yunduo was quite skillful. Thanks to her presence, the prices of auction items had at least doubled.

Fang Nian, however, was quite poor and didn’t want to be the proverbial fool. If he had money, he preferred to spend it wisely—like buying templates in the system shop.

“Alright, the next auction item is a relic donated by an anonymous individual who wishes to remain unnamed. They have pledged to donate all proceeds from this auction, so on behalf of our compatriots outside the city, I thank them.”

With that, Liu Yunduo took out a bead the size of a quail egg from the tray. The bead was irregularly shaped and pale purple, emitting a faint glow that made it strikingly beautiful.

The chubby man, who usually loved legendary ancient artifacts, immediately became interested.

“Wow, a relic? I’ve heard about this before—it’s said to be something only obtained when a high monk passes away and is cremated. I never thought I’d see one today. But I also heard many are fake, and most are only about the size of a fingernail. This one’s as big as a quail egg, and the donor says it’s free. Could this one be fake too?”

Fang Nian smiled wryly. He had actually done some research on relics, so he focused his vision power to examine the relic on the tray carefully, his brow furrowing slightly.

The chubby man knew Fang Nian must have noticed something, so he asked,

“Old Fang, did you figure something out? I know you’re learned. Tell me, what exactly is a relic? What’s it for? Is this one real? You know I like these things, and if it’s not too expensive, I’d like to buy it for my collection.”

Fang Nian rolled his eyes at him before explaining.

“Relic is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word ‘śarīra,’ which refers to the remains of a deceased person in India. In Buddhism, the hair, bones, ashes, and other remnants left after a monk’s death are all called relics. After cremation, the crystalline formations that appear are called relic beads or ‘sarira.’”

“The formation of these crystalline relic beads is still not conclusively explained by scientific research. According to Buddhist scriptures, relic beads are naturally formed as a result of a monk’s virtuous cultivation of precepts, meditation, and wisdom. Most theories suggest the formation involves chemical reactions from the cremation of bones and other materials. Folk beliefs say that when the essence is abundant after death, solid relic beads are formed.”

“Relics and relic beads are revered and venerated in Buddhism. Based on the doctrine of dependent origination and emptiness, Buddhism teaches that relic beads are merely material elements without supernatural qualities. Buddhist devotees respect the relics of the Buddha and his disciples primarily due to the merits, compassion, and wisdom these venerable monks possessed during their lifetime.”

At this point, Fang Nian’s brow furrowed more deeply, and he continued.

“But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Generally, relic beads, although irregular in shape, do not have cracks. But this relic bead has a very fine crack inside it. I’m not sure what could cause this.”

To allow everyone a better look, a waitress began carrying the tray around to show the relic bead. When she reached the chubby man and Fang Nian, the chubby man examined it thoroughly from every angle but couldn’t see any crack at all.

“Old Fang, don’t fool me. I’ve looked at it closely and see no crack. You’re seeing it from so far away? Come on, show me where this crack is.”

Fang Nian shrugged helplessly and did not explain further. Perhaps due to his enhanced vision power and insight skill, he could see the crack hidden within the internal patterns of the relic bead.

When the relic bead returned to Liu Yunduo’s hand, she smiled calmly and said,

“Everyone knows, according to the Buddhist sutras, relic beads are refined through the virtues of the ‘Six Paramitas’ and the ‘Threefold Training’—precepts, meditation, and wisdom—and are rare and highly respected. The modern master Guangyin also said that relic beads are formed by the spiritual power of practitioners due to their training in precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The external form represents the unity of mind and Buddha and has nothing to do with the essence-energy-spirit discussed in Daoism.”

“Buddhism emphasizes that relic beads are related to the merits of the practitioner’s cultivation, and according to Buddhist doctrine, it also affirms the impermanent, material nature of relic beads. Master Shun Yin believes that relic beads are merely calcified residues of flesh, marrow, and fat after cremation—material elements without supernatural properties. Devotees respect relic beads because of the compassion, wisdom, and merits of the great monks.”

“So, the value of this relic bead is far beyond what money can measure. However, to help our fellow citizens outside the city live happier lives, our fundraising is a charitable act and an immeasurable compassionate merit. Thus, this relic bead carries great value.”

At this, Liu Yunduo pointed to the relic bead and said,

“This relic bead’s starting bid is zero, with no minimum or maximum limit. Everyone is free to bid—100, 200, even 100,000 or 200,000. The highest bidder wins. It all depends on how you define charity. Let the bidding begin.”