"Golden Eyes and Silver Pupils?" I muttered internally, what in the world was that? I'd never heard of it. Xu Zhiwu was still on the phone, and I didn't want to disturb him, but my mind refused to settle. Escaping death this time had been difficult enough, and now, here in the hospital, someone appears to tell me about those Qing soldiers turned into zombies and the origins of the tomb's master. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I couldn't tell.

Everyone always says the less you know, the longer you live. While I don't aspire to live a hundred years, the events at Qiangbake Mountain have made me cherish my life much more. Whether to disclose these life-and-death matters required careful consideration. I hadn't seen Zhuoma Yangjin since waking up, and when I asked Old Li, he knew nothing either. I urgently needed to discuss everything about the tomb with her, and also this mysterious self-proclaimed expert, Xu Zhiwu. But... I never considered these things back on the mountain, so I never asked for her contact information. Now, besides knowing she was Tibetan, I had absolutely no trace of her, and she was a person steeped in secrets from head to toe—finding her seemed next to impossible.

Thinking of this, a wave of melancholy washed over me.

After a long moment, Xu Zhiwu ended his call, his face lit up with delight, and he said to me, "Luo Lian, no... if you don't mind, I'll call you Little Luo. Using your full name is too formal. It's a bit awkward."

I smiled slightly, signaling my agreement.

Xu Zhiwu continued, "Little Luo, there's something very important now. If you can get out of bed, we should go to Barkhor Street to find a friend of mine; he has something good he wants to show me... As for my grandfather's story, I'll tell you slowly when we have time." His words were brimming with undisguised excitement.

Go to Barkhor Street with him? I hadn't considered that. After all, I wasn't very familiar with him, and more importantly, I absolutely did not want to get entangled again in anything related to the Faceless One or anything remotely connected to it. My courage had truly thinned; I couldn't handle any more turmoil.

"I'm sorry, thank you for thinking of me and going out of your way to tell me things..." I maintained my composure, speaking politely, "It's just that I really don't know the things you want to know. So..." I left the rest unsaid, assuming Xu Zhiwu understood my meaning.

As expected, Xu Zhiwu looked understanding. "Of course, you need time to recuperate. As for whether you know certain things, none of that matters. What matters is that I know you encountered the faceless devil. That's enough. Based on that alone, you are qualified enough to meet that person." The news of the faceless devil appearing on Qiangbake Mountain had gradually spread since Xiao Zhou and the others returned to the communications post at the foot of the mountain, and as the main force in eliminating the Faceless King Wei Cheng, I was rumored to be almost mythical. Therefore, it was unsurprising that Xu Zhiwu knew about this. While I was hospitalized here at the PLA General Hospital in Lhasa, many doctors, nurses, and even other patients had come around out of curiosity to observe me.

"Meet that person?" I repeated. "And there's a qualification involved?" As soon as the words left my mouth, realizing I had already indicated my refusal to go, I quickly stopped myself from asking who this powerful figure was.

Xu Zhiwu leaned in. "He has quite the background, born into a noble Lhasa family... He grew up inside the Potala Palace. Isn't there a yellow building beside the Potala Palace? His family used to live there. If what he's showing me this time is real, I fear the whole world will be in an uproar once it's revealed." He stopped abruptly here, scrutinizing my reaction.

I had always been fascinated by Tibetan culture, and hearing this immediately reignited my accursed curiosity. "Then... then what is he showing you? It seems inappropriate for me to tag along for no reason."

"What's inappropriate about it? You are the most suitable candidate," Xu Zhiwu said quickly, seeing a flicker of interest in my tone. "Golden Eyes and Silver Pupils, heard of it?"

I shook my head. "Never heard of it."

Xu Zhiwu chuckled. "No wonder you haven't heard; this is supposed to be a secret. Let's put it this way: you know about the Guge Silver Eye, right?"

The Guge Silver Eye! I was startled. That was a priceless treasure, one of the three-eyed Buddha statues that the Tibetan dynasty, which vanished three or four hundred years ago, could produce. I stammered, "Could your friend have a Guge Silver Eye Buddha statue?"

That despicable Xu Zhiwu didn't answer, just offered a cunning smile. "You're so interested, why not go take a look?"

I admit that "curiosity killed the cat," and my damnable curiosity betrayed me once again.

"..." I hesitated for a moment, then considered: I had been through so much already. If there was now a chance to get answers, why refuse?

"Fine, wait for me to change into something presentable," I decided resolutely.

...

Xu Zhiwu's car was parked right outside the hospital entrance—a low-key SUV. Not only did the man exude a sense of weathered history, but the car did too. This person seemed to have a lot of stories of his own.

Once inside the car, I intended to press Xu Zhiwu about his grandfather's story, but he remained silent, driving fast. Although Lhasa wasn't as congested as Beijing or Shanghai where a momentary lapse could cause an accident, I still felt hesitant to say anything that might distract him from driving.

Quickly, in less than twenty minutes, we arrived at the famous Barkhor Street. The Jokhang Temple is located here. The street was lined with all sorts of stalls catering to tourists: shawls, furs, hairpins, earrings, bracelets, turquoise ornaments, prayer wheels, Khata scarves... of course, there were also antique dealers like Xu Zhiwu's friend. Whether they sold genuine antiques, however, remained to be seen.

The car stopped near a shop in the square by the Jokhang Temple, displaying a conspicuous sign that read, "Wholesale Gold." Seeing those four extravagant characters, I couldn't help but marvel, wondering if the shop held piles of gold bricks.

As soon as the car stopped, a tall man in his fifties, wearing a black Tibetan robe, approached us. He spoke in slightly broken Mandarin, "Zhiwu, you've arrived." Halfway through, he noticed me standing next to Xu Zhiwu and quickly greeted me enthusiastically, "And this young brother, Zhiwu, introduce me quickly..." As he spoke, he ushered us toward the shop.

Xu Zhiwu promptly introduced us to each other. I learned this Tibetan man was named Lhapa, the owner of this "Gold Wholesale" shop. Due to his deep family learning, he possessed a unique insight and eye for antiques and artifacts, so he also dealt in the antique business.

Since the street-level storefront needed to conduct business, Lhapa led us upstairs for a private discussion.

The second floor was furnished with extreme luxury, fully showcasing the pedigree of a descendant of great nobility. The floor was covered with a wool carpet featuring the Eight Auspicious Symbols. On both sides stood glittering cupboards, whether made of bronze or gold, with a Buddha statue enshrined between them, draped with a white silk Khata. Lhapa ordered someone to bring us yak butter tea and repeatedly invited us to sit anywhere.

Knowing the extensive rules of Tibetan etiquette, I dared not act presumptuously, following Xu Zhiwu to sit on objects that resembled sofas but were far more luxurious and beautiful.

Xu Zhiwu pointed proudly at our cushions and bolsters, as if showing off his family heirlooms. "These things, I doubt you could find a second set in all of Lhasa now. They were all hand-stitched in the old noble households. Lhapa worked hard to track them down."

I didn't know much about handmade craftsmanship, but I found the harmonious and vibrant mix of red, yellow, blue, green, and black in the room quite striking.

After speaking a few brief words about the furnishings, Xu Zhiwu changed the subject, urging Lhapa to quickly bring out the good item for us to see.

Lhapa hesitated, glancing at me, and asked uncertainly, "Bring it out now?" He was clearly concerned about my presence.

Xu Zhiwu replied, "Little Luo is the person with the incredible fortune I told you about; he's not an outsider. Take it out so I can feast my eyes quickly."

Lhapa looked at me again, not entirely reassured, wanting to say something but stopping himself. He eventually turned and went into the back room to retrieve the item.

"Perhaps I should step away," I offered, feeling that my presence might be intrusive.

Xu Zhiwu picked up his yak butter tea and took a sip. "No need, no need; the whole point was for you to see it." He drank the yak butter tea with practiced ease. Even though Lhapa wasn't present, Xu Zhiwu followed the custom: using his right little finger to dip a small amount of tea from the bowl, lifting his finger, flicking the drops three times in the air, then gently blowing away the surface oil before sipping slowly and deliberately. Midway through, he paused, waiting for Lhapa to refill the cup.

I suspected that his mastery of Tibetan etiquette and customs was the reason he and Lhapa were such good friends; otherwise, Lhapa wouldn't casually show treasures to someone who was clumsy with the rules. Nevertheless, even with my suspicions, I followed Xu Zhiwu's example and took a few sips of the yak butter tea, as a sign of respect for the host.

Lhapa had been gone for some time, and I was growing impatient when he emerged, carrying something wrapped in yellow cloth. "Zhiwu, look." Before sitting down, he impatiently unwrapped the yellow cloth. "Golden Eyes and Silver Pupils."

Xu Zhiwu received it with both hands respectfully and exclaimed in a low voice, "It truly is!"

I looked over and saw a dazzling, golden Buddha statue, about a foot high, wrapped in the yellow cloth. The Buddha wore the crown of the Thousand Buddhas, its hands pressed together in supplication, seated cross-legged on a pedestal of animal skin and lotus petals. The most peculiar feature was the face: a vertical eye situated precisely in the center of the forehead between the two main eyes, its pupil shining with a brilliant silver light against the golden countenance, piercing and full of spirit.

I was stunned by this exquisite work of art, holding my breath, afraid to even exhale for fear of disturbing the serene Buddha.

Lhapa crept over quietly to refill our yak butter tea. "You see it now, a genuine article, Golden Eyes and Silver Pupils."

Xu Zhiwu suddenly let out a long sigh. "Your family's possessions have, after all, returned."