Chapter Thirty-Four: A Heart of Venom and Malice

On the spacious bedroom balcony, Nangong Mei lounged leisurely in a recliner, a slim cigarette held between her fingers, the other hand gripping her phone, a cold sneer playing at the corner of her lips. "Anqi, the gates of heaven stand open yet you refuse to walk in, and now you throw yourself into hell with no escape; you have only yourself to blame."

Nangong Mei dialed a number and spoke in a low, chilly voice: "You can move now. Arrange an accident—make Anqi disappear from this world. Remember, be clean about it. If anything goes wrong, don't bother coming back."

Hanging up, Nangong Mei took a fierce drag of her cigarette, her handsome face twisting with malice.

Unaware of the looming danger, Anqi had only one thought in her mind: to find Ling Tian. She drove out from the Nangong estate, heading straight for Azure City. So anxious was she that it didn't even occur to her that it was already past six in the evening and that Azure City would have long since closed for the day. Nor did she notice the black SUV trailing her from behind.

"I must find that master," Anqi muttered to herself, racking her brain for any recollection of Ling Tian’s face. Yet it remained frustratingly blurred in her memory—for she had been entirely focused on the talisman at the time.

Still, Anqi believed that if she ever met that mysterious expert again, she would recognize him instantly.

Distracted, Anqi almost crashed into the landscaping as she took a turn, the scare jolting her into alertness. Suddenly she noticed the black SUV still following her. At first, she thought little of it, but after half an hour, the vehicle remained on her tail.

A sense of foreboding crept over her—was someone really following her?

It was early evening, the height of rush hour, and the already congested roads were now even more clogged. Growing impatient, Anqi decided to take a detour onto the expressway, hoping to skirt the traffic and reach Azure City by a less direct route.

But as soon as she merged onto the highway, she realized with a jolt that the black SUV was still behind her. Now fully alert, Anqi realized she was indeed being stalked.

"Someone must want to hurt me." Though not a formidable woman, Anqi was sharp and quick-witted. Her mind raced as she sifted through possible suspects, but she had always led a low-profile life—who could bear her such ill will?

Suddenly, one name sprang to mind—Nangong Mei. Only she hated her with such venom, and the SUV had begun tailing her the moment she left the Nangong home. The realization made Anqi's face blanch with anger and fear. What was this venomous woman scheming now?

Passing through a section of road with no surveillance cameras, Anqi caught a glimpse in her rearview mirror—the black SUV suddenly accelerated, its engine roaring as it shot toward her car like a bolt of black lightning.

The timing was perfect—the SUV rammed squarely into the center of her vehicle. The impact, combined with her car’s own speed, sent Anqi’s car crashing into the highway barrier. After a brief, shuddering pause, the car flew over the edge and plunged into a three-meter-deep ditch by the roadside.

The vehicle was utterly mangled; anyone inside would be either dead or grievously injured.

The black SUV, clearly modified for such purposes, emerged with only a bent bumper and little other damage. The killer stepped out, surveyed the scene, and muttered irritably, "Of all places, why the expressway?" Stopping on the highway risked drawing unwanted attention.

He glanced down at the wreck in the ditch. Years of experience told him that no one could survive that. He snapped a few photos on his phone and sent them to his employer, along with a message: "The job is done."

He then swapped out his license plates and drove off.

Passing motorists soon spotted the wreck and called the police.

As the car smashed through the guardrail and plummeted into the ditch, Anqi had only one thought—she was doomed. At over a hundred kilometers per hour, the collision was enough to destroy any car. Worse, as the car hadn’t struck head-on, the airbags hadn’t deployed.

Suddenly, a faint golden light radiated from her body, enveloping her in warmth, as if she were submerged in gentle waters. The violent impact softened, the crumpling metal was held at bay by the golden aura, and everything became surreal and wondrous. When the car finally came to rest, the golden glow faded.

Anqi realized all this was thanks to the protective talisman. She fumbled in her bag and found it had turned to ashes. She couldn’t help but feel a rush of gratitude—had she given the talisman to Nangong Xue as she’d intended, she would certainly have died this time.

Though unhurt, Anqi was trapped. She reached for her phone to call for help, only to discover the battery was dead.

Fortunately, she hadn’t driven far from the city. Soon, an ambulance arrived at the scene, escorted by police. The paramedics, seeing the mangled wreck at the bottom of the ditch, could only wince.

In all their years, they had seldom seen such a catastrophic crash. The center of the car was crushed; anyone inside would have been flattened. The rest of the vehicle was so damaged, anyone within would be pulp.

“How tragic,” murmured one doctor, shaking his head in silence.

The police quickly secured the scene and began searching for the hit-and-run vehicle. Preliminary investigation made it clear this was no ordinary accident—the car had been deliberately rammed off the road.

The paramedics began prying open the wreck, not expecting to find anyone alive. Preserving the body intact would already be a miracle.

Hearing voices outside, Anqi pounded on the window and shouted, "Is anyone out there?"

The rescue workers jumped, startled—was this a haunting? Had the voice been weak, they might have expected it, but it was strong and clear, full of life and vigor.

Once they pried open the door, Anqi, who had been wedged in the center, shielded by the twisted frame, crawled out.

When she emerged without a scratch, everyone—police and paramedics alike—stood frozen with shock.

The wreck was twisted almost beyond recognition, yet she was unscathed. Was her fate so extraordinary that even the heavens dared not claim her?