"": 200,
"": "",
"": "What a tremendous snowfall. It had fallen for almost seven days and nights before finally easing and stopping.
What an enormous temple-or, more precisely, Buddhist compound. It stood on a hillside, though the hill was not high, its slope rising gradually from a flat stretch of snow.
Most mountains in the Tibetan Lands were like this, with plains running straight into their slopes.
The towering mountains that thrust abruptly skyward were another matter. Those were true snow peaks, frozen all year round.
Red temple walls and golden eaves lent the place a solemn yet magnificent air.
Ladders leaned against the walls, and lamas wielding long poles were knocking snow off the roofs.
Ordinary snowfall was harmless, but the snow these past few days had been so heavy that the roofs might collapse under its weight if it was not cleared away.
Above the compound's main entrance, a huge horizontal plaque bore the words "Dergé Thangka Temple."
Beneath the familiar lettering was a string of oddly shaped Tibetan characters.
"Looks like a Ghost-Drawing Talisman," Xu Lu muttered.
Beside him, Bai Xian gave him a sidelong glance, raised a finger, and gestured for silence.
"Heh." Xu Lu chuckled. "Most of them can't understand us. Just smile, and they'll even praise you."
Xu Lu had originally intended to visit the Scripture Printing Institute, but the snow had lasted too long. The institute was far away, and the route ran through mountainous terrain. No driver was willing to take them for fear of an accident.
They could only settle for their second choice: Dergé Thangka Temple, which was closer and stood on gentler terrain.
Of course, that did not mean Dergé Thangka Temple was inferior to the Scripture Printing Institute. It was simply that the institute held the largest