Returning to Laba's house, after a few pleasantries, Xu Zhiwu pleaded a sudden dizziness and retired early. Since Nyima had arrived, he and Laba had much to discuss, so he gallantly offered to share a bed with Old Li and me.

Nyima quickly protested, insisting he could manage for one night. Laba, as the host, naturally couldn't let a guest be inconvenienced, and quickly countered that if sharing was an issue, staying at a hotel would be just as fine.

After this exchange of polite refusals, Xu Zhiwu ended up sharing our bed after all. Once he was settled, the rest of the conversation lost its savor. Everyone soon drifted off to sleep.

Old Li and I pushed open the door and went in. Xu Zhiwu was already lying on his side, motionless, facing away from us.

“Keep it down, don’t wake him,” Old Li whispered to me.

I nodded in understanding and quietly shut the door. To our surprise, the moment the door clicked shut, Xu Zhiwu instantly rolled over, his eyes wide open, now facing us.

“You weren’t asleep?” Old Li and I were both startled, asking in unison.

“Shhh… keep your voices down,” Xu Zhiwu simply sat up, shaking his head. “I wasn’t sleepy at all; how could I be asleep? I have something to tell you both.”

“What is it?” As he spoke, Old Li and I sat cross-legged on the floor, still wearing our clothes.

“It’s like this…” Xu Zhiwu glanced cautiously toward the door, as if fearing eavesdroppers, and lowered his voice. “Nyima’s visit this time is quite strange.”

Nyima? Old Li and I exchanged a look of confusion, staring at him suspiciously.

“Nyima and that foreigner… remember? The foreigner that you, Xiao Luo, ran into several times. They weren’t talking about Tibetan traditional culture at all. They were discussing the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl!” At Xu Zhiwu’s words, Old Li and I were dumbfounded. Could those Europeans possibly have been tracking me? How could I have been so careless!

“But you don’t understand Tibetan, do you?” Old Li hit the nail on the head with his question.

Xu Zhiwu gave a sly smile. “I sensed something was off with Nyima a long time ago, so I pretended not to understand Tibetan, just to see what they were really saying. Turns out, everything they discussed was related to the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl. Nyima asked the European how he could still be so persistent after all these years. The young man replied that until the second relic was found, he would never give up. I was startled when I heard that. How could he know about the second Golden Eye and Silver Pearl…” Xu Zhiwu’s question was exactly what I was about to ask.

But he didn't leave us in suspense, immediately continuing: “Nyima gave him a scornful look and said that regardless, since their grandfathers’ generations, they’d been at odds for so long, there was a certain bond between them. Therefore, he advised him not to try laying claim to the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl, especially since the first relic was still with Laba, guarded by you and Old Li—no matter how capable he was, it probably wouldn't be easy to get.” So, that young man was also after the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl. Judging by Xu Zhiwu’s tone, it seemed their fathers’ generations had also been searching for the relics too? This was becoming tangled and complex.

“As soon as Nyima finished speaking, the young man glanced at Laba and said nothing. I saw his look clearly; it was deeply contemptuous, as if the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl were only temporarily deposited with Laba, and he could take them whenever he pleased.” As Xu Zhiwu spoke this, realization dawned on him. “I understand now. This definitely has something to do with Himmler. I suspect that German lad who was asking questions has a significant background too.”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice, “Himmler? Are you saying that young man is a descendant of those who came to Tibet during WWII looking for the Eye of the Earth?” Xu Zhiwu had mentioned that his grandfather had dealings with several Germans during the Second World War, and also brought up things like the Undying Legion. I had taken the time to search for information on the Eye of the Earth online, which is how I knew about it.

Xu Zhiwu nodded. “That’s what I suspect. The only thing missing is proof. But judging by Nyima’s behavior, my guess is correct. Also… the fact that Nyima sold the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl to Laba suggests the situation is far from simple.”

“You mean…” Old Li rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always incisive. “Nyima was afraid he couldn’t protect the relics himself, so he left them with Laba, believing Laba had the capability to guard them?”

Xu Zhiwu replied, “Maybe so. I can only guess. But Nyima is quite daring to discuss these things in front of Laba. Laba is no fool; he must have understood everything.”

Laba and Nyima were right next door. Who knew if Laba was currently confronting Nyima about this? The three of us discussed it for a while but reached no conclusion. Since we had all been drinking, we were genuinely dizzy and prepared to sleep.

As soon as I lay down, I suddenly remembered a huge matter left unresolved. My mind instantly cleared. “There’s something else I forgot to discuss with you two,” I flipped over and sat up again.

“What is it?” Old Li picked up the question.

“Do you remember that young Tibetan girl who came to find me outside the Tibetan restaurant in Citsong, while Big Brother Zhiwu was out fetching the car?”

“There was such an incident? Xiao Luo, you certainly have a knack for attracting beautiful women…” Xu Zhiwu joked, half-sitting up as well.

“It wasn’t that kind of luck,” I said seriously. “If it were, wouldn’t I have gone quietly instead of bringing it up to you?”

Xu Zhiwu let out a hearty laugh. “That’s not necessarily true.”

Feeling helpless, I said, “Big Brother Zhiwu, I’m anxious about this, don’t tease me…”

Xu Zhiwu immediately turned serious. “Alright, what is it? Do you need my help?”

I thought about it first, still unable to figure out who that person might be, and said, “That little girl said someone wanted her to pass a message to me—to stay out of the Golden Eye and Silver Pearl business. That part isn’t strange. The odd thing is how deeply respectful she was when speaking, completely like a servant addressing a master… I’m just an ordinary person; where would I command such high status!”

After speaking, I looked expectantly at Old Li and Xu Zhiwu, hoping they could offer an explanation.

Old Li initially looked as if he was waiting for an amusing story, but as I finished, his expression grew very grave. “She must be from one of the established families. There are still families in Tibet that retain the old rules… However, people from such families usually don’t flaunt it; they only adhere to the old ways among their own people, appearing modern when dealing with outsiders.”

According to Old Li, that young girl must have come from a prominent family. I had thought so too, initially. But thinking it over, I hadn’t cultivated any relationships with people from such powerful families anywhere in Tibet, or even across the country. Did that mean there was an incredibly discreet master near me?

Xu Zhiwu could only watch with a worried frown, unable to offer any assistance. Old Li also frowned deeply. “Technician Luo, when you arrived in Tibet, you went straight to our communications station… I never saw you mingling with any Tibetan nobility… It couldn’t be those herders who go hunting in the mountains—if they associate with you, they’d hardly be high nobility… Doesn’t fit, doesn’t fit…” He kept shaking his head as he spoke. I agreed with him; from any angle, those herders whose faces were cracked by the wind and hands were calloused didn't seem like scions of great families. Furthermore… besides Nyima, Laba, and Citsong, I hadn't had much contact with any other Tibetans. When I voiced this to Old Li, he suddenly slapped the quilt covering him and exclaimed excitedly, “Technician Luo, why didn’t you think of Zhuoma Yangjin!”

“Her?” I couldn’t help but scoff. “Up on the mountain, she was healthier and more agile than me, a grown man, handling climbing and rough terrain with ease. You think she’s a noble young lady? Come on, I wouldn’t believe it even if you killed me.” I added, “It doesn't fit at all.”

Old Li mused upon hearing this. “Yes, she really doesn’t seem like it.”

Unwilling to give up, I pressed on. “That little girl was singing Tibetan opera! Look at Zhuoma Yangjin’s demeanor; does she look like someone refined enough to listen to opera?”

“Well…” Old Li hesitated again. “People shouldn’t be judged by appearance… perhaps…”

Xu Zhiwu, who had been listening quietly, interjected at this point. “Tibetan opera… I wonder which school she belongs to. If we knew that, it wouldn’t be hard to track down the person who sent her with the message.” Xu Zhiwu truly lived up to his reputation as an expert in Tibetan culture, hitting the mark immediately. He continued, “If I had been there at the time, looking at her attire, demeanor, and expression, I might have been able to guess where she was from.” Unfortunately, he had been driving then, and it was impossible for me to describe the girl’s clothing in detail. I never had a good sense for such things.

“Forget it, forget it,” I sighed dejectedly. “I’ll call Citsong tomorrow and ask.”

After much discussion, the matter remained unresolved and without a clear path forward. The three of us went to sleep, feeling bored.

With the unresolved issue weighing on my mind, I had strange dreams all night. One moment I seemed to be in the underground tunnels of Qamba Gye Mountain; the next, I was on the streets of Lhasa, filled with strangers whose eyes were all wide open, staring at me, the outsider. Then Zhuoma Yangjin would appear again, much more beautiful than on Qamba Gye Mountain. She looked at me tenderly for a moment, then suddenly, inexplicably, drew a knife and threw it to the ground, turning away with resolute finality. Her retreating figure cast an incredibly long shadow, and though there were lamps all along the roadside, their light never seemed to reach her. No matter how hard I tried to see, I couldn't make out her face…

After tossing and turning all night, I woke up the next day with dark circles under my eyes, earning a good round of teasing from Old Li, who claimed I couldn't sleep whenever Zhuoma Yangjin was mentioned. I couldn't be bothered to argue; I just let him talk.

After breakfast, Xu Zhiwu casually asked Nyima, “Nyima, Xiao Luo mentioned they perform Tibetan opera in Citsong. I’m quite interested in that… I’d like to go see it. Do you know which school they follow?”

Nyima must have smoothed things over with Laba last night, as there was no trace of tension between them now. “Shambha Tibetan Opera,” Nyima replied without hesitation. “I’ve seen it before.”

Xu Zhiwu looked eager to learn. “Isn’t Shambha Tibetan Opera the kind Master Padmasambhava used for exorcism? Performing that at a Tibetan restaurant… isn’t that a bit…”

Nyima shrugged. “It doesn’t matter; it’s all performed for the ignorant outsiders. As long as it’s lively and everyone, host and guest, is happy, what’s wrong with it?”

Xu Zhiwu murmured an “Oh,” and said no more.

Laba became very silent, glancing at us several times with particularly complex expressions.