We were chatting animatedly when he suddenly spoke a sentence that made no sense, and with a heavy accent, we couldn’t understand it at all. Lao Yang let out an “ah” and asked, “Where is ‘ah da’?”

Seeing that we didn’t understand, the old man switched to a heavily accented Mandarin and asked us, “What I mean is, where do you two want to go to do business? Are you here to dig for earth goods?”

I didn’t know what “earth goods” meant, and since people in the south are generally indifferent, very few would casually strike up a conversation at a roadside stall unless they were selling something. I didn’t know how to respond at first, but fortunately, Lao Yang reacted quickly and mimicked the old man’s accent, saying, “We— we are here to travel, not interested in local specialties. Are you— are you selling earth goods?”

The old man laughed heartily, waved his hand at us, and returned to his seat. The two of us were puzzled, and we heard him quietly tell his tablemates, “It’s nothing, nothing. Just two greenhorns who just arrived, they don’t understand, no need to pay attention to them.”

Upon hearing this, Lao Yang’s expression changed slightly, and he quietly signaled for me to leave. I found it strange, but seeing his tense expression, I dropped ten yuan and left the roadside stall with him. We walked straight to a corner, and I asked Lao Yang, “Why did we leave? We were only halfway through our drinks?”

Lao Yang looked back furtively and said, “That— that old man just told his table that we are greenhorns. I heard some of the guys in prison talk about it; ‘greenhorn’ means we are not from the underworld. These people likely have the smell of earth on them, probably here for some underground business. They came over after hearing us mention digging for tombs to inquire.”

I laughed and said, “But there’s no need to leave! When soldiers come, we fight; when water comes, we drown. In broad daylight, what can they do to us?”

Lao Yang patted me and said I didn’t understand. These matters in the underworld are complicated. The things we just said were probably all overheard, and we don’t know how much those people understood. Good tombs are hard to come by; if they have their eyes on us, it could lead to trouble down the line.

I knew he probably heard a lot of exaggerated stories from his prison mates, so I didn’t argue with him. I nodded and returned to the guesthouse.

The next day, we got up before seven, each carrying 15 kilograms of gear and provisions, and headed toward China’s largest dragon vein.

I had been to the Qinling Mountains a few times before, but each time I was led around by a tour guide and never knew how to navigate the route. So this time, I had to follow Lao Yang. He had come here three years ago as part of a tour group, and he had to follow the same path this time; otherwise, he wouldn’t recognize the way.

After about three hours on the Xi-Bao Expressway, we arrived at Changyang Mountain in Baoji, Shaanxi. Then we turned towards the source of the Jialing River.

I usually prefer straight paths, but this winding mountain road had sharp turns every five seconds and big turns every ten seconds. My head kept hitting the seat in front of me, and I felt like my insides were churning. Lao Yang was even worse; he hadn’t been in a car for three years, and he was already feeling extremely nauseous. This time was unbearable for him; he felt like he was about to vomit from fear and sweat, exclaiming, “I’m old, I’m old; I’m not useful anymore. Three— three years ago when I took this road, I could still chat with the ladies beside me; I didn’t expect this time I could barely keep my eyes open.”

I cursed, “Stop your damn nonsense! Why are you taking the winding mountain road instead of the highway? Now regretting is useless!” Lao Yang waved his hand at me, telling me not to talk to him because he was feeling unwell.

At that moment, a sudden explosion echoed from a distance, shaking the car windows and causing a stir among the passengers. I looked out the window and saw clouds of dust rising from the mountain across the way. Lao Yang was startled and asked me, “What—what’s going on? Is it an earthquake?”

A middle-aged man who looked like a local turned around and laughed, “You two outsiders don’t know? That’s someone blowing up a tomb. At this time of year, there are usually two or three explosions a day.”

I was surprised and asked, “In broad daylight, how can tomb robbers be so bold?” He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, “That mountain over there is different from this one. Even though there’s just the Jialing River between them, we have winding mountain roads on this side, while they don’t even have a path to walk on over there. Even if you call the police now, it would take them at least a day and a night to get there. Unless you can grow wings and fly over, you can only watch helplessly.”

I nodded, astonished, “Is there really such a thing?”

The man glanced at the explosion site and smiled, “This is one of the local characteristics, especially in this season. A couple of days ago, they caught a group of them. Tombs are becoming fewer and fewer; there won’t be many left to plunder in a few years. There might still be some in the deep mountains, but the roads are too difficult, so the government can only let it be. But from the noise just now, it seems they used too much dynamite.”

I said “Oh” and turned to look out the window. We were likely in one of the many branches of the Qinling Mountains, surrounded by vast forests. The scenes happening beneath the dense tree canopies were completely hidden from view.

Before coming out, I had checked some information. The Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi are distributed in a waist-like formation, with several branches extending from the eastern and western wings. The mountains and basins are interspersed, with many rivers cutting through the deep mountain ranges. The 800-mile Qin Chuan has been famous for its rich collection of cultural relics since ancient times, especially on the northern slope, which is home to numerous imperial tombs, while the tombs of other dignitaries and wealthy gentry are countless. Therefore, this place is always swarmed by tomb robbers. I just didn’t expect that even before entering the depths of the Qinling Mountains, there would be tomb robbers brazenly blowing up tombs. It seemed that finding a couple of worthwhile tombs would not be an easy task.

The local man was quite friendly. Once the conversation started, he didn’t want to stop. He offered me a cigarette and asked, “You two kids are here for tourism, right? Where are you planning to go?”

I replied, “We want to check out Mount Taibai.” He nodded and said, “If you’re not with a tour group, you won’t get far. The roads in the mountains are winding and complicated; you might get lost. Do you want me to show you the way? I live in a village right by the protection area, just over two mountain peaks. You know, when you’re out here, having a guide is necessary.”

Hearing this, I realized he was a black guide. The people in these mountains are tough, so I quickly shook my head and said, “No, no, we have our own plans.”

The man said, “Don’t shake your head just yet. This place is different from others; there are many mountains and dense forests here. If you recklessly venture deep into the mountains by yourselves, it’s easy to get into danger. You really need to think this through. I’ve gained a bit of a reputation as a guide in this area, and I promise I won’t scare you.”

I found his words sincere, so I didn’t decline immediately. I told him that I mainly wanted to visit the ethnic minority villages in the mountains and planned to stay at the foot of the mountain for a few days first, so I wasn’t in a hurry to find a guide. I said I would look for him when I was ready to head into the mountains in a few days.

He quickly replied, “Well, there’s no time like the present. I know this route best. If you want to get to the nearest Yao village, you’ll have to cross this mountain.” He pointed to a distant range of mountains, “This is called Snake Head Mountain. The highest point is over a thousand meters above sea level, and the entire mountain resembles the head of a python, which is why it’s named Snake Head Mountain. Anyone from the surrounding area who wants to visit an authentic ethnic minority village has to cross it step by step. Many people have died in these mountains; last year, a few art school students went in to sketch and haven’t come out yet. Do you really think you can go in without a guide?”

I followed his finger and saw Snake Head Mountain stretching across the horizon, lush green with its peak towering into the clouds. Due to the weather, the entire mountain range was shrouded in mist, obscuring its true appearance. Only the side facing the Jialing River was barely visible, but unfortunately, that side was a sheer cliff, and the terrain was extremely steep. I thought even monkeys might struggle to climb it.

It truly felt like “Where is home amidst the clouds of the Qinling? The snow blocks the horses at Blue Pass.” I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe, thinking to myself, “Is there even a chance of surviving after climbing over this mountain?”

After driving for about an hour, we finally arrived at the foot of Taibai Mountain. Old Yang and I stumbled out of the car, and the black guide insisted on showing us a hotel. Since we had arrived in his territory, I thought it would be rude to keep refusing his hospitality, so I followed him. He brought us to a small guesthouse run by a farmhouse. I noticed the prices were reasonable, and it seemed that he was genuinely kind-hearted.

After settling us in, he clasped his hands in farewell and left us with his phone number, saying to call him when we were ready to head into the mountains, and he would take us in.

The owner of the farmhouse was quite warm and prepared dinner for us. Feeling a bit awkward about eating with her family in the living room, Old Yang and I returned to our room, leaning against the windowsill, eating while looking at the map of the area.

The black guide was right; to enter the heart of the Qinling primitive forest from this side, we needed to cross a mountain over a thousand meters high. This was something I hadn’t anticipated at all. Given our current experience, going into the mountains by ourselves would be tantamount to signing our own death warrant. However, if we hired that guide to take us in, he would have to bring us back out. Waiting a day or two was one thing, but we could be in the mountains for a week or more, which might raise his suspicions.

Last time when Lao Yang came, his cousin had found an experienced local to guide him. Now that his cousin is serving time in prison, it’s naturally impossible to find that guide again. He hadn’t thought about coming back either, and he doesn’t remember much about the mountain roads. This time, relying on him is out of the question. I asked the landlady, and she said there was no other way. Generally, people from the villages only come out during market days, and they come over the mountains. I’ve never heard them mention any shortcuts. It seems that crossing this mountain is indeed a bit difficult.

As I was pondering what to do, Lao Yang patted me and whispered, “Lao Wu, quick—look, who is that person down there?”

I glanced out the window and saw five people in the courtyard of a farmhouse below. Upon a closer look, I realized that one of them was the old man we had encountered at the roadside stall in Xi’an.

I thought to myself, why have these people come here? Could it be that Lao Yang was right, and they are also here to scout for opportunities?

Lao Yang pulled the curtain closed, leaving a small gap, and whispered to me, “These guys are also carrying big and small bags, just like us. Could it be that they overheard us in Xi’an and are trying to follow us to seize an opportunity?”

I shook my head and watched as the landlady came out, smiling as she welcomed them inside. I said, “Not likely. Just look at how friendly they are; they probably come here often and are regulars. There aren’t many inns here, so they must have just coincidentally ended up staying here as well… If what Lao Yang said is right and they are here for the same purpose, then this must be their regular stop. They probably stay here every time they come to work.”

Lao Yang looked worried and said, “That’s not good. They’ve already heard us talking in Xi’an. If they see us here, they might take an interest in us. Should we leave tonight?”

I thought for a moment and felt that this wasn’t just a problem, but rather a good opportunity. I shook my head and said, “No, these people are like flies; they won’t miss a chance. They definitely have a target here. We have no experience, so instead of wandering around aimlessly, it’s better to follow them. First, we can see if there are any opportunities to pick up something good, and second, we can follow them over the mountain.”

Lao Yang said, “These people are desperate. They wouldn’t think twice about killing someone. If we follow them and they find us out, we might end up in trouble. Isn’t that a bit too risky?”

I chuckled and teased him, “When did you become so timid? We’re in the deep mountains; it’s not that easy to be discovered. Besides, we’re not fools; if we get noticed, won’t we just run away? If you’re really worried, let’s just follow them and see how alert they are. If we can’t keep up, we can just stop following them. It wouldn’t be a loss, right?”

Hearing my reasoning, Lao Yang didn’t have any rebuttal and could only nod. We quickly prepared our things to avoid a panic tomorrow. I was calculating that the next few days might not be easy, so I set the alarm clock earlier and told Lao Yang not to do anything else, and we both went to sleep.

The journey has been incredibly tiring. I slept so deeply that I didn’t wake up until noon, completely missing my alarm. When I opened my eyes and saw the sun high in the sky, I was jolted awake and quickly jumped up to wake up Lao Yang. When we asked the boss lady, she told us that those few people had already left and headed down Snake Head Mountain, and they hadn’t been gone for long.

In a hurry, the two of us bought a few sesame cakes for food and rushed up the mountain. After running for about fifteen minutes, we finally caught up with them at the entrance of the scenic spot at the foot of the mountain.