This is a stone bridge, connecting the two banks of the river.

Its shape is like an arch bridge, the body of the bridge is made of stones, appearing ink-black, the whole bridge is a natural masterpiece, ingeniously crafted by nature itself.

This bridge connects the two banks of the river, spanning several hundred meters. Yet, at a glance, it gives a strange sense of grandeur. Su Mu wondered if it was his illusion, as he kept feeling a slight eeriness.

As Su Mu approached, he carefully examined the stone bridge, becoming more amazed the longer he observed. This kind of construction technique was truly breathtaking to him.

He reached out his right hand, and the instant his palm touched the stone surface of the bridge, an intense chill coursed through his body, making him involuntarily shiver. In just a moment, goosebumps rose all over his body.

Seeing this, Su Mu quickly withdrew his right hand.

This chill wasn't the normal kind touching the flesh, but something that reached straight to the soul, making even the soul tremble.

.....

This place was desolate, devoid of any households; the only living people he had seen were those taking boats across the river.

Then, who had built this bridge?

The purpose of the bridge is to connect both banks, serving as a means of transportation.

Could it be that there are people living on the other side of the river?

With this question in mind, Su Mu stepped onto the stone bridge.

As soon as he took the first step onto the bridge, he noticed something was amiss; there were tiny black dots moving across the bridge surface.

After squatting down, he found that there were countless small ants crossing the bridge.

Su Mu extended his index finger, placing its tip on the bridge surface, and these ants crossing the bridge instantly froze, not taking a detour, but simply being blocked by Su Mu's fingertip.

Ants are two-dimensional creatures; anyone who has played with ants as a child knows that if you draw a circle around an ant with a pen, it can't get out of that circle.

Because in the ant's world, there is only a flat plane.

Su Mu lifted his index finger, and the ants began to cross the bridge again.

....

These ants crossing the bridge appeared chaotic when standing up to observe, but bending down to examine closely, he discovered that the ants were orderly, not running or crawling chaotically.

Su Mu was no longer a kid, unable to continue studying ants here.

...

He stood up and continued walking on the stone bridge.

With every step, he crushed a bunch of ants, but these ants seemed unafraid of death; even if they were crushed, the ants behind them continued moving forward.

Su Mu was merely walking normally, and the crushed ants were simply in the way.

He had seen dog lovers and cat lovers, but hadn't heard of ant lovers yet.

.....

Thus, Su Mu quickly reached the highest point of the stone arch bridge, looking towards the opposite bank.

Only to discover that there were no households on the other side either, so what purpose did building this bridge serve?

Of course, this wasn't something worth delving into deeply.

Possibly, many years ago, households used to exist here, homes were inhabited, and they might have moved away, leaving the stone bridge as nothing unusual.

However, the ants on this bridge were truly numerous!

Su Mu, who hadn't found any other anomalies, felt disinterested and walked down from the stone bridge.

....

For some reason, this bridge was not very long; after just a few hundred meters, he surprisingly felt somewhat fatigued.

Su Mu plopped down on a pebble to take a rest.

Sitting down, he started observing the ants crossing the bridge again.

He discovered that these ants, ceaselessly, emerged from the river, climbed onto the riverbank, and then continued onto the stone bridge.

Ants living in water?

Are they water ants?

However, considering this world is a Mystical World, it should be quite normal for ants to live in water.

Could they be Treasure Ants??

Su Mu's eyes lit up, standing up and catching one ant with a swift motion.

Examining it closely in his palm, he found that it was just an ordinary ant. He put it into his mouth and chewed gently.

Suddenly, a foul stench spread in his mouth.

Su Mu quickly spat it out.

Damn it!

It tastes awful!

From this taste alone, one could tell it wasn't a Treasure Ant.

Even if it wasn't a Treasure Ant, why did it taste so bad?

This stench wasn't ordinary, but like the smell of a corpse rotting for several days.

...

After resting, Su Mu prepared to head back home.

At this time, after a few steps, he noticed a patch of red flowers growing by the riverbank beside the stone bridge.

Quickly catching sight of them, Su Mu's eyes sparkled.

A treasure, perhaps?

As he got closer, he found that these were Lycoris Radiata flowers and immediately lost interest.

He wondered what it could be.

Lycoris Radiata, also known as Red Spider Lily, has red petals, a funnel-shaped perianth, resembling a spread-out thin-leaved lotus, liking to grow in the moist cracks of stones by the water's edge.

This flower, in fact, is quite common back in Su Mu's hometown.

.....

However, it's worth noting, there is a folk legend about the Lycoris Radiata flower, shrouded in mystery.

The Lycoris Radiata is also known as the "Other Shore Flower."

Legend has it that... it is a flower of the Celestial Realm, blooming in the lunar July, growing in summer, and flowering in autumn.

Su Mu had heard older folks make up stories about.... the Other Shore Flower, being a flower willingly plunging into hell, sent back by demons, but still lingering on the Path to the Underworld; moved by its persistence, the demons allowed it to bloom on this path, offering guidance and solace to the souls departing the human realm.

Su Mu wasn't fond of these mysterious tales; his strongest impression of the Lycoris Radiata was its significant medicinal value, as the bulb of Lycoris can be extracted for "galantamine," useful for polio treatment.

.....

Why is Su Mu so familiar with flowers?

This is because, in his past life during university, Su Mu took an elective course in "botany" and gained some research knowledge about flowers.

Mostly, it was because of an interest in the language of flowers.

For instance, the language of roses represents passionate love, making it suitable for lovers in love.

Carnations symbolize motherly love and gratitude, perfect for gifting mothers.

Mentioning this, Su Mu couldn't help but think of a very special flower—the "Steel Wool Flower."

The language of steel wool flowers symbolizes forbearance and wealth.

This flower meaning was once shared by a roommate in his university dormitory, who reportedly later found favor with a rich woman and ascended to the peak of his life.

He eventually went to guard a reservoir, but having crossed over now, perhaps he's the one faring the best among his dorm mates??

.....

Su Mu walked to the patch of Red Spider Lilies and examined them closely.

He found these Red Spider Lilies were not quite the same as the ones he was familiar with from his past life; these petals were not purely red but tinged slightly with purple.

Moreover, as he approached, a peculiar fragrance hits his nose.

Smelling this fragrance, Su Mu suddenly became alert.

Could it be a treasure?

When uncertain about a situation, trying it out first is always a good idea!

Thus, Su Mu plucked a petal and put it into his mouth.

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