Chapter 30: Ripples

　　Part 1: The Three-Eyed Giant　　The statue standing atop the white stone altar was solemn and imposing. A dark gold helmet crowned a face of gilded complexion. A crimson cloak, half-wrapped around a suit of lamellar armor, draped its form. In its right hand, a vajra scepter taller than a man was held lightly between three fingers. The entire figure was embedded seamlessly into the smooth stone wall, its eyes, brows, and flowing hair all oriented toward the altar before it, emanating an almost palpable, overwhelming pressure.　　"It's King Gesar! This place venerates King Gesar too!" Mr. Egg exclaimed repeatedly at the statue, not forgetting to pull out his phone and take several pictures.　　"This is way more spectacular than that broken-down temple in the Qinling!" I couldn't help but marvel.　　"No kidding! There's no comparison!"　　"What are these? The Chinese zodiac?" Young Master Feng stood by the altar, pointing at a circle of animal stone figures and counting them off.　　"Should be!" Mr. Egg said. "Legend has it the Tibetan zodiac was introduced to Tibet by Princess Wencheng. The locals took it to heart! Even the sacred mountains in Tibetan Buddhism are assigned zodiac signs."　　"Like Kawa Karpo being a 'Sheep' year?" I recalled a guide on a trek to Yubeng years ago with a senior tour group, who had earnestly told us that doing the kora around the mountain in a Sheep year multiplied one's merit. Personally, I put no stock in 'merit,' but I remembered several elderly folks in the group sighing, lamenting their poor timing.　　"Exactly!" Mr. Egg snapped his fingers.　　But why was such a temple here? Standing in the center of the hall, I was utterly perplexed.　　"What if," Young Master Feng suggested, squatting by the altar and fiddling with something, "the ancient Tibetans built this to commemorate that Battle of Menling you mentioned?"　　"Doesn't seem like it!" Mr. Egg was still studying the ritual implements scattered around. "For commemoration, you'd expect systematic murals or written records. And..." He took a few steps, looking around. "This looks more like the scene of some ritual. But where are the monks?"　　"Must have packed up and left ages ago!" Young Master Feng chuckled.　　"What I mean is,"