Xu Zhiwu’s sigh caused Laba’s face to darken as well. He quietly poured himself a bowl of butter tea, took a gentle sip, and followed with a long, drawn-out sigh.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy with melancholy, and I felt it inappropriate to interrupt. I could only surmise in silence that the Golden Eye Silver Bead seemed to be an old possession of the Laba family, and from the tone of his voice, it must have been lost and was now back in his hands. But—what was the connection between this Golden Eye Silver Bead and the Guga Silver Eye? Were they both eyeballs made of silver?

After a period of silence, Laba finally spoke, “Once something is given away, one never thinks of taking it back. Especially since this item was tribute meant for the Emperor.”

Tribute for the Emperor! I was so astonished by this revelation that I couldn't utter a single word. No wonder it possessed such unmatched splendor and luster; it was an imperial offering. But how did it fall into civilian hands, and furthermore, how did it return to the hands of its original owners? This was rather peculiar.

Xu Zhiwu offered a few more reflections, then carefully rewrapped the Golden Eye Silver Bead and returned it to Laba with both hands. “Keep it safe,” he said. “Now that I’ve confirmed it’s the right item, I have what I need.”

Laba took it and walked toward the inner room. Xu Zhiwu suddenly asked me, out of the blue, “Do you know how this thing was presented as tribute to the Emperor?”

I shook my head dumbly. Xu Zhiwu leaned in conspiratorially, “It was Laba’s grandfather who had the Qing official stationed in Tibet, Sheng Tai, take it to Beijing to present to the Old Buddha… You might argue that the imperial palace is filled with every rare treasure imaginable, so why would they care for such a thing.”

I quickly interjected, “No, no, I believe this is an exceptionally precious treasure.”

During the conversation, Laba emerged from the inner room, refilled our butter tea, and asked Xu Zhiwu what we were discussing.

Xu Zhiwu replied, “We were talking about your treasure.”

Laba waved his hand dismissively. “What treasure? It’s just something that was offered up and then tossed into a garbage bin.” He sounded profoundly disheartened.

Xu Zhiwu became serious. “Laba, what are you thinking? Can anyone else under the heavens craft a Golden Eye Silver Bead with this level of artistry? Beyond your Laba lineage, who else in the world can locate a craftsman from the Guga Dynasty?”

Xu Zhiwu’s words evidently worked their magic. Laba immediately brightened, letting out a couple of hearty laughs. “It’s not quite as miraculous as you say, but back then, a direct descendant of a Guga artisan happened to drift to my home and served as a serf. It’s a pity he only knew how to make silver eyes and none of the other crafts; he could only manage to create this Golden Eye Silver Bead, which is unfit for public display. Otherwise, we could have made a true Guga Silver Eye.”

They spoke, leaving no room for me to interject, so I listened obediently. Yet, I had finally grasped the essence: the Golden Eye Silver Bead was a piece of Buddhist imagery made by a Guga artisan serving the Laba family. While the Guga Silver Eye was already exceedingly rare, this Golden Eye Silver Bead, relying on the now entirely lost technique of the ‘Silver Bead,’ was enough to be unparalleled in the world.

Xu Zhiwu offered a few more compliments to Laba, mostly praising how remarkable he was. Laba readily accepted the praise and proceeded to recount tales of the skilled artisans among the serfs back in the day, mentioning that the Guga artisan only knew how to make silver eyeballs, and all the other aspects of the work had to be completed by his other serfs.

After some casual chatter, Laba finally remembered me, dropping the subject of the Golden Eye Silver Bead and instead asking, “Brother Luo, Zhiwu mentioned that you have seen the Faceless Demon, is that true?”

I nodded: “Yes.”

His expression instantly turned grave, laced with worry. “It seems our Tibetan people cannot escape this calamity.”

I hadn't expected him to say something so serious. I paused, trying to comfort him. “Perhaps it’s not that severe, and besides…” I was about to say that the Nameless One was already dead, but the words caught in my throat, remembering that the Qing official was also faceless. I choked off the sentence and couldn't articulate anything coherent for a long moment.

Xu Zhiwu took over. “Laba, don’t worry. I’ve found some clues. This Golden Eye Silver Bead also shows promise. Take it slowly; we will find a way.”

Laba pulled out a cigarette, took a deep drag, and sighed. “If this is heaven punishing us, and the appearance of the Faceless Demon signals the opening of the gates of hell, how can merely you and I stand against fate and dispel this disaster?”

Xu Zhiwu countered, “Laba, you can’t be so negative. Here is what I think… I suspect the Golden Eye Silver Bead never actually left Lhasa. That’s why, after circulating for so many years, it could safely return to your hands. This has a lot to do with the Faceless Demon.”

I was utterly confused. What did Xu Zhiwu mean by suddenly linking the Golden Eye Silver Bead to the Nameless One?

Laba picked up Xu Zhiwu’s thought. “I only know that when the Faceless Demon appears, the people of our plateau suffer disaster. As for your suggestion that the Golden Eye Silver Bead is connected to the Faceless Demon, I have never heard of that.”

Xu Zhiwu pressed, “Laba, you have to trust me. My family has been researching this matter for three generations, and we are getting close to an answer now. The Faceless Demon might not be as terrifying as you imagine, and… and, in short, just trust me. We will find a way.” Having said this, he turned to me. “Right, Brother Luo?”

I nodded vaguely, having no real idea what ‘way’ he had in mind.

Laba had been depressed ever since hearing the words “Faceless Demon.” After a few more exchanges, he remained distracted. Xu Zhiwu offered some comfort, but it was useless; he just kept chain-smoking and sighing mournfully.

With no other recourse, Xu Zhiwu steered the conversation away, trying to engage him in small talk. Laba offered a few forced replies, his mood clearly unchanged.

After some aimless chatter, Xu Zhiwu finally suggested we take our leave from Laba. Laba insisted we stay, apologizing profusely for dwelling on negative thoughts and neglecting us. His insistence made us feel quite awkward. After much back and forth, we finally managed to depart.

Xu Zhiwu asked if I wanted to return to the hospital first or drive around for a bit and find a quiet place to talk. Naturally, we chose to talk; I was still reeling from the encounter.

Xu Zhiwu seemed intimately familiar with Lhasa. He skillfully navigated away from Laba’s shop, drove straight down Yu Tuo Road, and settled into a quiet private booth at a Tibetan tea restaurant.

“Brother Luo, I actually had another reason for bringing you to see Laba. He was reluctant to believe the Faceless Demon had truly appeared. I told him about you, and he said if I could really bring you to him, he would share a secret about the Faceless Demon with me—you don't mind that, do you?” Xu Zhiwu said immediately upon sitting down.

I didn’t feel offended at all and just smiled. “It’s fine.”

Xu Zhiwu watched me, seeing that I genuinely wasn't upset, and continued, “Of course, Laba hasn't told me yet. For the moment, I’m not interested in his secret. There was a reason for you to meet Laba. That Golden Eye Silver Bead follows the same principle as the Guga Silver Eye. You must know that it is an immensely valuable object. But the fact that it could surface here in Lhasa gives me a strong premonition that this item never actually left Lhasa, not even for a step... What do you think?”

“Me?” I pointed to my own chest, surprised. “What do I think?”

Xu Zhiwu nodded. “Yes, what’s your take?”

I shook my head immediately. “To be honest, I’m still completely lost right now; I haven’t grasped the full picture.”

Xu Zhiwu gave a bitter smile. “It’s my fault; I was too eager and didn't explain everything clearly to you. Let me put it this way. I currently have two suspicions. One is that Sheng Tai, who was entrusted with taking the Golden Eye Silver Bead for the Laba family, never actually returned to Beijing. The other is that the Faceless Demon is connected to Sheng Tai. This is because when my grandfather was young, he happened to accompany a German expedition team into Tibet by chance. That group of Germans had dealings with Sheng Tai and even tried to use him at one point to locate the Faceless Demon, only to be met with a firm rebuff. But that German group made it very clear to my grandfather that Sheng Tai had his own agenda and was also searching for the Faceless Demon.”

I was still somewhat confused. “What does all this have to do with the Golden Eye Silver Bead?”

Xu Zhiwu smiled knowingly. “Ah, you don't see the connection yet... Of course, there’s no direct link. However, the Court, even the Old Buddha, feared foreigners. Sheng Tai, a mere high official stationed in Tibet, wouldn't dare openly offend the Germans, no matter what. So, those Germans would occasionally bring my grandfather along to pester Sheng Tai relentlessly for assistance. Over time, my grandfather became quite familiar with Sheng Tai. Coincidentally, around that time, conflicts arose between the various factions of the Gelun government in Lhasa. Laba’s grandfather, the chief steward of the Potala Palace, became entangled in this. He sought support from the Qing court and thus indirectly approached my grandfather, asking him to find a way to persuade Sheng Tai to help present this Golden Eye Silver Bead to the Emperor... Now you know why I’m so close to Laba. We are old family friends.”

I remained confused; he had spoken at length but hadn't reached the core point, so I asked, “Didn't you say the Golden Eye Silver Bead is related to the Faceless Demon?”

Xu Zhiwu slowly took a puff of his cigarette, then sipped his tea before replying, “I suspect there is a connection between the Faceless Demon and the Golden Eye Silver Bead, but I’m highly suspicious… not certain. Because over the course of my grandfather’s interactions with Sheng Tai, he vaguely learned that while Sheng Tai was publicly the High Official stationed in Tibet, he held another, secret identity: the Imperial Envoy tasked with searching for the secret of reincarnation. The Qing government was plagued by internal unrest and external threats, unable to control the situation in Tibet. They wanted to use the matter of reincarnation to reverse the entire situation in Tibet. Yet, upon arriving in Tibet, Sheng Tai didn't bother controlling those so-called reincarnated living Buddhas—let alone whether he had the power to control them… The first thing he did upon reaching Tibet was to inquire about the Faceless Demon, sending people everywhere to gather information on the subject…”

I was growing impatient. Why was this man deviating so severely from the topic? Wasn't I asking about the connection between the Golden Eye Silver Bead and the Nameless One? Why was he drifting so far afield? “After all this talk, what does it have to do with the Golden Eye Silver Bead?” I asked, barely suppressing the urge to strangle him.

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