Just as we were losing heart, Old Qin suddenly asked, "Judging by your looks, you don't seem to be surveyors. Are you looking for something? Surveyors have come here several times, always with long guns and cameras, this instrument, that tool—never empty-handed like you."

Wang Jue and I shared a self-deprecating smile. I took up the conversation and told Old Qin, "That’s right. We are looking for the ruins of an ancient mountain. This mountain once appeared on an old map, but later survey maps omitted it, so we came here in person to see what the deal is."

"Do you have maps with you? May I see them?" Old Qin seemed eager to help all the way, enthusiastically offering to study the maps with us.

Wang Jue took two maps out of his backpack and spread them flat on the wooden board in front of us. Old Qin put on his reading glasses and began to examine them.

I pointed to Li Xiaohao's map and said, "What I'm looking for are the ruins of this Silent Mountain, which historically appeared right here." Then I pointed to the current map and explained to him, "But on today's map, there's a school in this spot; the original mountain has vanished."

"When was this old map drawn?" Old Qin took off his glasses, lifted his eyes from the map, and looked at us both strangely.

I shook my head. "It shouldn't be too recent in history."

Old Qin picked up his kettle and refilled our water, then said slowly, "There's a village nearby called Jingyin Village—the name is the same as the mountain you're looking for. This village is incredibly old, over a thousand years of history, and the people there have preserved their ancestors' legends and customs through generations. Someone there should know about Silent Mountain."

Seeing a lead, I let out a long sigh. Perhaps my elder sister was even in that village.

Wang Jue wasn't so relaxed; he respectfully continued to ask, "How do we get to this village?"

"This village..." Old Qin suddenly paused, stumbling over his words as if he had misspoke just now. "You aren't absolutely determined to go there, are you?"

"We are. We must go there," Wang Jue replied decisively upon noticing the shift in Old Qin's demeanor.

Old Qin looked troubled and said, "I can lead you to other places, but I can't guide you to Jingyin Village."

I wondered what unusual story this Jingyin Village held that even leading the way was impossible. Wang Jue also remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate.

After a moment of silence, seeing us waiting attentively, Old Qin had no choice but to continue, "This village is very strange. I've been there about seven or eight times over the years, always at night. You absolutely cannot find this village during the day. The first time I went there, I got lost walking at night and stumbled right into the village. A group of young people were gathered around a bonfire, chatting. Seeing me arrive from outside, they invited me to sit down and warm myself by the fire.

"I chatted with them for a long time and learned the village was called Jingyin Village. They have lived there for generations, rarely interacting with the outside world. I told them some outside news, and the young men were extremely interested. As dawn approached, one of them offered to see me out of the village. He then escorted me with a lantern to a main road I knew, and I followed that familiar road back to the school.

"Later, I searched for it several times along that main road. Every time I reached the spot where I parted ways with him that day, I just didn't know where to go next. I walked around and around the vicinity, going in circles many times, but couldn't find any trace of the village.

"But the night is different. Several times, when walking that road late at night, I could spot the village after just making a small circle around that area. Those young men love the bonfire; every time they saw me, they invited me over to tell them stories about the outside world. Sometimes I would give them cheap trinkets I bought at the market town, which they accepted like treasures. Every morning just before dawn, a young man would take me back to the original parting spot, and I would walk back on my own as usual. But no matter what markers I left, it was impossible to find the village the next day."

Hearing this, Wang Jue and I involuntarily took a deep breath. It seemed finding this village would depend entirely on luck!

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