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墨書 Inktalez
Lao Sun was a genuine outlaw (I privately referred to him as "One-Seventy-Five" due to his height of 1.75 meters). He was born in a place known as the "Life Forbidden Zone," Zang Xixi Sheng Tang. In his teenage years, he ventured out into the world with Uncle Chen, engaging in smuggling firearms, trafficking jade, and committing murder and robbery... he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. In the industry, he was quite a prominent figure.
However, as the great river flows eastward, washing away countless heroes and cowards alike, even the mightiest will eventually meet their end. Lao Sun met a tragic fate at the hands of a millennia-old female demon, which could be considered poetic justice; he died as he lived.
As for the Ancient Guge Silver Eye, Lao Sun did mention it once during his lifetime. It was when he was a teenager, trying to atone for his grandfather's past by leading a group of Red Guards and educated youth into the depths of Ali Granny Mountain to "destroy the Four Olds." They inadvertently stumbled into one of the ruins of the Guge Dynasty and faced misfortune; out of a group of over ten people, only two survived.
Reflecting on this event could take several chapters, and I genuinely do not wish to revisit that painful experience. Although I wasn't involved at the time, Lao Sun's recounting was vivid and complete. Whenever he reached an emotional peak in his storytelling, he would even break down in tears, providing an immersive sense of reality that conveyed pain comparable to that of those who participated in the actual events.
In terms of storytelling, I must commend Lao Sun. If I were to tell this story back then, I doubt I could achieve the same effect. Even now, if I were to parrot his account, I wouldn't possess his talent, and it would detract from the original essence of the story. For those interested, you can refer back to my notes in the second part of Errand Runner titled Emerald Villa for a complete account.
By the way, the Guge Ruins mentioned by Lao Sun are not the same as the current Guge Ruins tourist site in Ali. That area of golden earth has yet to be discovered by the world; it is likely protected by an unknown burial cave behind Nai Nai Mountain. If you read those chapters and feel tempted to "pan for gold" in Ali, it would be wise to reconsider.
People die for wealth; birds perish for food. We are all intelligent individuals; I won't say more—please weigh this carefully.
However, since the Ancient Guge Silver Eye has surfaced here and is closely related to our Shimen's unique symbols, considering a trip to Tibet should be on our agenda.
As my senior sister said, the Zhou Yi Bagua is not an exclusive creation of our Shimen; anyone familiar with Zhou Yi can utilize it. But I refuse to believe that such coincidences exist in this world. Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of a connection, I must see it for myself.
Of course, I haven't made this decision public yet; it's still too early. Frankly speaking, whether we can leave here safely remains uncertain—I don't want to add any psychological burden on everyone.
The others were also drawn over by my junior brother's shout. Four beams of 50-watt strong light illuminated the giant Buddha statue, instantly revealing its mysterious features clearly. The clearer they saw it, the more breathtakingly awe-inspiring it became.
I have never been particularly interested in temples and deities, but upon seeing the complete Ancient Guge Silver Eye, I couldn't help but feel a deep respect. It was as if a hundred war drums were beating in my chest, sending shivers through my heart and resonating in my lungs.
The Buddha Niche extends about sixty meters deep and is over forty meters wide from north to south. The statue itself stands more than one hundred twenty meters tall, with the head alone occupying a quarter of that height. With hands pressed together and legs crossed, it sits on a double-layered Lotus Throne, its bent arms reaching approximately thirty meters to the throne, which is thirty-five meters high.
Looking up from below felt like gazing upon a deity. My legs began to weaken involuntarily, and I felt an overwhelming urge to kneel down.
Upon closer inspection, the Ancient Guge Silver Eye wears a crown adorned with Buddhist symbols, its hair styled in waves resting atop its head, draped in a robe. The face is plump, with a slender jaw; the eyebrows are sharp like sword tips, and the eyes are long and narrow, with the outer corners slightly raised. The most striking feature of the face is the three eyes: one horizontal eye on each side and one vertical eye in the center of the forehead. All three eyes gleam with vitality, sparkling under the flashlight's reflection, appearing almost lifelike and instilling fear.
The Ancient Guge Silver Eye has four arms: one arm is pressed together at its chest, another rests on its leg, one arm is raised high above, and the last bends at the waist. Each arm holds a different implement, exuding an air of authority and order while revealing both sanctity and majesty.
Its lower body features crossed legs, with the right leg resting atop the left. It sits elegantly on a beast-shaped Lotus Throne. The feet are clad in knee-high boots inscribed with Sanskrit; they appear simple yet fluid, though the specific content is too distant to decipher. However, even if we could see it clearly, none among us could read Sanskrit; we were all blind to it and thus did not bother to investigate further.
The base of the Lotus Throne consists of two layers separated into four sections each. The upper four sections depict mythical beasts corresponding to the four yin trigrams: Xie Zhi, Longtail Chicken, Chongming Bird, and Kui Niu. The lower four sections represent the four yang trigrams: Bo Ma, Azure Dragon, Giant Boar, and Tao Tie. These carvings are intricately detailed and lifelike. All mythical creatures face towards the Ancient Guge Silver Eye as if in worship, creating a scene reminiscent of stars surrounding the moon.
Due to being buried underground for years, the statue has been relatively well-preserved. Although some areas show signs of weathering, it does not detract from its overall artistic value; the craftsmanship of this Buddha sculpture remains breathtaking.
Of course, the unique allure of the Ancient Guge Silver Eye extends beyond this.
The Guge Dynasty was renowned for its expertise in metallurgy and gold-silver craftsmanship. It is said that during the reign of Ali Sanwei (4th to 5th century AD), who divided his territory into inner, middle, and outer parts—collectively known as Ali Sanwei—the metal statues and ritual implements from four subordinate temples led by Toling Temple were crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, and copper. The craftsmanship was exquisite; there were no seams visible throughout their entirety, making them appear as one solid piece—far surpassing pure gold statues in value.
Among these treasures, the most legendary is undoubtedly the Ancient Guge Silver Eye. It is said that only Guge could create such a masterpiece. After the sudden disappearance of the Guge Dynasty overnight, the Ancient Guge Silver Eye also vanished without a trace for many years; thus it became an extraordinary rarity that remained unknown for a long time. It wasn't until 1997 that archaeologists uncovered its ancient mystery during excavations at Piyang Ruins' Dukang Hall.
Lao Sun has spent years traveling around discussing such rare treasures extensively. According to him, thirty years ago a chicken egg-sized Ancient Guge Silver Eye sold for seven figures; so what would be the value of this magnificent Ancient Guge Silver Eye before me after thirty years? Surely it must be worth several times that amount now!
Of course, we wouldn't actually sell it. First, we can't move it, and second, no one could afford the price. So, in this world, the most valuable thing is called a "treasure beyond price," but the least valuable thing is also a "treasure beyond price." (To be continued.)
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