Chapter 21: The One Who Returned, Axe-Handle Rotten

　　In ancient times, a man took his axe up the mountain to gather firewood. On the way, he came across some people playing chess. The woodcutter set his axe on the ground and stood by the chessboard to watch. When the game was over and he went to pick up his axe, its handle had rotted away. Returning to his village, he found it completely transformed. No one recognized him. When he mentioned events from the past, only a few elders had heard of them, and they said those things had happened hundreds of years ago.　　"Yes, that's the exact story!" Mr. Egg nodded vigorously.　　"And then? It's just a time-travel story. What's it got to do with Ciqu's grandfather?"　　"A great deal! By analogy and substitution, Uncle Rendoje is alsoa 'woodcutter of the rotten axe-handle'!"　　Mr. Egg explained that decades ago, long before Ciqu was born, Uncle Rendoje had worked as a guide for a scientific expedition to the southern slopes of Namcha Barwa. They were reportedly searching for a long-extinct prehistoric creature. Later, the entire expedition went missing. Only Uncle Rendoje returned alone.　　"Missing? How?"　　"Don't know!" Mr. Egg spread his hands. He said on the night the expedition reached their base camp at Lake No. 1, strange phenomena occurred in the mountains. The expedition leader ordered Uncle Rendoje to stay behind alone while the rest of the team headed for the Yanglang Zangbo Valley. They never returned. The next morning, Uncle Rendoje went out to search for them. Not only did he fail to find anyone, but he also slipped, fell into a ravine, and was knocked unconscious. When he