Xu Zhiwu regarded me with a hint of playful reproach. "Xiao Luo, listen to me slowly... Don't rush. If I don't explain the whole background to you, you won't understand anything even if you listen for ages." He then gave me another soft smile.

I sighed, resigning myself, and merely said, "Then... continue."

Xu Zhiwu pulled back the curtains, revealing the glaringly bright sky outside. He gazed out for a while, lost in thought, remaining silent for a moment. After a pause, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Look at me, getting sidetracked again."

I smiled, took a sip of water, and stayed quiet, waiting for him to pick up the thread.

Xu Zhiwu continued, "Xiao Luo, the reason I link the Golden Eye Silver Bead to the Faceless Demon is that this bead was originally supposed to be in the Imperial Palace in Beijing. My grandfather personally witnessed Sheng Tai securing it back then. Even if the Qing Dynasty collapsed and it was destined to fall into common hands, it shouldn't have surfaced in Lhasa. But... do you know? When Laba received the Golden Eye Silver Bead, it had been treasured in a local Tibetan family's home for over a hundred years. Do the math: didn't Sheng Tai pass away in 1892? That's precisely over a hundred years, isn't it?"

I was startled and couldn't help interrupting, "Are you suggesting that Sheng Tai never actually brought the item back to Beijing?"

To my surprise, Xu Zhiwu shook his head. "No, it's not that he failed to bring it back to Beijing. It's that I suspect he never returned to Beijing at all. After Sheng Tai died, didn't a military official commit suicide to follow his master? I suspect something fishy went on there—perhaps he... Forget it, this is a major issue; I dare not speak carelessly. Just believe me, the Golden Eye Silver Bead is definitely connected to the Faceless Demon, and..." He paused here, clearly reluctant to elaborate, shifting his tone. "Until you encountered the Faceless Demon, this item hadn't appeared in the Tibetan region for over a century."

"That's not right!" Remembering the Faceless King Wei Cheng, I interjected, "It has appeared before. It showed up in the Qamba Gorge mountains as well."

Xu Zhiwu looked greatly surprised. "Oh? Such a thing happened?" He then murmured quietly to himself, "It seems I underestimated the situation."

In truth, I could have told him almost without hesitation that his suspicions regarding Sheng Tai were correct. However, I felt strongly that I should consult Zhuoma Yangjin about this first. Only if she agreed to me sharing the information would I tell Xu Zhiwu.

Xu Zhiwu's expression grew increasingly serious. "Xiao Luo, I must have been mistaken. Some things are far more complicated than I imagined. It seems the Qing government had a plan long in advance."

Of course, there was a plan; otherwise, how could there have been so many coffins of Han soldiers in that cave, and how could they have set up so many reanimated corpses and those emerging Qing soldiers along the route in such a hurry?

I drifted off into my thoughts, lost in the contemplation. Xu Zhiwu had to call my name twice before I snapped back to attention. "Xiao Luo, we absolutely must visit the home of the Tibetan family that kept the Golden Eye Silver Bead. This is crucial for my research. I really need you to accompany me."

"Me—" I was a little taken aback and asked doubtfully, "Me, go with you?"

Xu Zhiwu looked at me earnestly. "Yes, perhaps only you can help me. My family has been plagued by this problem for three generations... It's not far by car anyway, don't you think?"

"Let me consider it first," I hesitated. Who knew what I would get entangled in by going there? Yet, my interest in Qing history was profound. If the Qing official in that coffin really was Sheng Tai, he must have died carrying an earth-shattering secret, and he must have been extremely panicked before his death, otherwise how could such a precious treasure as the Golden Eye Silver Bead have been left behind in the hands of a Tibetan commoner? Thinking this only deepened my curiosity. Well, I was free for the time being anyway; following him for a look wouldn't hurt.

So, I nodded, implicitly agreeing to Xu Zhiwu's request. He was overjoyed, gripping my hands excitedly and shaking them vigorously. "That couldn't be better! We'll leave for Zhaburang Village in Ngari Prefecture right away!"

...

By the time we reached Zanda County, dusk was approaching. I suggested we just stay the night in the county seat, as Zhaburang Village was still some distance away. But Xu Zhiwu was extremely eager to find that particular Tibetan family and insisted on pushing on.

On the road toward Zhaburang Village, Xu Zhiwu asked me, "Xiao Luo, do you know what Zhaburang Village is famous for?"

I replied naturally, "Isn't it just where the Tibetan family you want to see lives?"

Xu Zhiwu gave a mysterious smile. "You could put it that way, but... do you not know that it is also the site of the ruins of the Guge Kingdom?"

"What?" If I hadn't been sitting in the car, I might have jumped up. "The Guge ruins are right there?! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The car took a sharp turn ahead. Xu Zhiwu had to wrestle with the steering wheel twice before, once we cleared the bend, he offered an expression of complete innocence. "I assumed you knew... I only realized you didn't after watching you talk the whole way, so I..."

I suddenly grew agitated, intensely eager to see the remnants of a kingdom that vanished as suddenly as the Maya civilization. When I first arrived in Tibet, I had heard tales of the legendary Guge Kingdom and longed to visit. But I had never found the time, nor did I know its precise location, only that it was in Ngari. Now, I was about to see it immediately.

"Faster, faster! Drive quickly," I urged Xu Zhiwu, my heart pounding with excitement, desperate to arrive sooner.

Xu Zhiwu's SUV performed excellently. It sped along the ragged road from Zanda County to Zhaburang Village. Before darkness truly fell, we had arrived at Zhaburang Village. In the deepening gloom stood a low hill dominating the center of the village, surrounded by a dozen scattered homesteads from which faint, yellowish lights emanated. An indescribable sense of melancholy and antiquity hung over the entire hamlet.

As our car entered the village, dogs began to bark. Xu Zhiwu called Laba on his phone from the car. "Laba, I'm in Zhaburang Village... Yes... right on the roadside near the village, ask your friend who has the Golden Eye Silver Bead to come out and meet us... Yes, I'm with Xiao Luo... Yes, I know, I know... Don't worry. Okay, thank you... Yes... Goodbye."

After hanging up, Xu Zhiwu pointed toward the prominent hill and said to me, "Xiao Luo, that is the site of the Guge capital."

I was overjoyed and immediately urged Xu Zhiwu to drive over there.

Xu Zhiwu sighed. "Still a child at heart. It's too dark to see anything now. Besides, we agreed to wait here for Laba's friend to fetch us; we can't just wander off."

It was utterly disappointing. By my own nature, I would have stayed up all night with a flashlight just to see it. But since I was following Xu Zhiwu, I couldn't act so arbitrarily. So, I sulkily waited obediently in the car for Laba's friend to arrive.

Xu Zhiwu laughed at me, "Xiao Luo, you are so impatient... truly like a child."

... Not long after, a deep, resonant bark came charging toward our vehicle. Xu Zhiwu quickly rolled down the window and called out loudly, "Are you Laba's friend?"

The man replied in extremely fluent and authentic Mandarin, "Yes, I am Nyima, Laba's friend. Are you Mr. Xu Zhiwu?" His speech was not only fluent but even carried a touch of Beijing accent.

Seeing that he was Laba's friend, we quickly got out of the car and introduced ourselves. After a few pleasantries, he directed us to park the vehicle to the side. I felt a bit concerned about the car's security, but Nyima seemed to read my mind, laughing heartily, "Don't worry. There are only a dozen or so families here; we all know each other well. There are no bad people here."

My face flushed right to my ears, realizing I had been overly anxious. Luckily, it was dark now, so they couldn't see my embarrassment.

Nyima was as warm and cheerful as Laba. He hospitably led us to his home. As soon as we stepped inside, a woman in her late forties, wearing a sapphire-blue Tibetan robe, bowed deeply to present us with khatas and said in Tibetan, "Tashi Delek."

We quickly accepted the khatas and draped them around our necks. Nyima immediately urged us to sit down, then asked the woman to serve butter tea. Once all formalities were observed, he introduced her. "This is my wife, Denzing Zongji." Throughout the introduction, Denzing Zongji kept her head bowed and did not look up at us.

I was quite struck by his use of the word "wife" (neizi); it sounded so archaic, almost like an ancient saying. But as it was our first meeting, I kept the thought to myself.

I am not very comfortable speaking with strangers, so the conversation was mostly between Xu Zhiwu and Nyima. Denzing Zongji kept busy, serving us tea and water nearby. I knew that in the past, women in large Tibetan households were traditionally not allowed to be seen above the waist by strange men; they had to keep their heads lowered. Judging by the scene, even though many people no longer strictly adhered to these customs, Nyima seemed quite mindful of the old rules.

After chatting for a while, Denzing Zongji withdrew to prepare dinner. Nyima was incredibly considerate. Though I was quiet, he frequently turned to me during his conversation with Xu Zhiwu, asking, "Mr. Luo, do you agree with this?" or "Mr. Luo, are you and Zhiwu both scholars studying Tibet?" I answered each question with a polite smile. He was so courteous and attentive that he made sure I didn't feel neglected or bored.

After the initial pleasantries, the conversation finally turned to the main topic. Xu Zhiwu, who never beat around the bush, stated directly that our purpose in coming was to inquire about the Golden Eye Silver Bead.

Hearing the words "Golden Eye Silver Bead," Nyima's usual cheerfulness faded. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "This matter... this matter... Since you are Laba's friend, you are naturally my friend too. I will certainly tell you everything I know, holding nothing back. However... I hope that once I have said all I am permitted to say, you will ask no further questions about anything else."

Xu Zhiwu quickly agreed, "Of course, of course."

I also pledged not to press for more information.

Nyima's voice took on a distant quality. "We are actually not native Tibetans. None of the dozen or so families living around these Guge ruins are truly, completely pure-blooded Tibetans."