Chapter 41: The Car Goes Out of Control

"You don't need to worry about this; I have my own way!"

"Now, take us to the River God Spring immediately!"

A powerful aura emanated from Jiangnan, pressing Li Dong to the point of breathlessness.

Li Dong stared at Jiangnan's resolute gaze, a strange sense of trust rising in his heart; he clenched his teeth and said:

"Alright! I'll take you there! But you must be careful; that mist... is truly strange!"

"Take this! Keep it with you; it renders you immune to all poisons."

Jiangnan fished a Talisman from his coat, its paper swirling with golden light and emitting a faint fragrance.

Li Dong carefully took the Talisman, his eyes full of doubt. It looked ordinary—could it truly repel that bizarre fog?

Su Meiruo, seeing this, hurriedly urged:

"Li Dong, trust the expert Jiangnan! Since he says so, he must be confident! Your sister Si Si is still waiting for us to rescue her!"

Li Dong clenched his teeth and finally took the Talisman.

He inhaled deeply, gripping the Talisman tightly, and a strange warm current instantly spread through his body, dissipating much of his fear and unease.

"Alright! No time to waste; let's set off now!"

Li Dong's eyes were firm, his tone becoming resonant and powerful,

"Moreover, as long as we can rescue Si Si, what is my life worth!"

The group boarded the car again; Li Dong started it and slowly drove into the dense fog.

However, shortly after the car left the county town, they saw numerous vehicles strewn haphazardly along the road—some smashed against the guardrail, others plunged into ditches, bodies twisted and deformed, glass shards scattered everywhere, the scene a total wreck.

"What's happening?" Murong Wan exclaimed, her face turning deathly pale.

Li Dong was also terrified, his soul rattling; he slammed the brakes, the car emitting a harsh screech and coming to a halt.

He said in a trembling voice:

"This... how could this be? These cars... seem... seem to be controlled by something!"

Jiangnan's gaze burned like a torch through the window, fixed on the wrecked cars. He let out a cold snort:

"It's not 'seems'; they're being controlled! The evil thing in this mist has already begun to wreak havoc!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the car jolted violently, the steering wheel turning uncontrollably, sending the vehicle toward the roadside ditch.

"Bad!"

Li Dong's face turned ghastly as he desperately tried to steady the wheel, only to find it futile.

"Hmph! Insect Carving Minor Technique!"

A cold glint flashed in Jiangnan's eyes; he suddenly lunged, grabbing Li Dong's wrist, a surge of powerful true qi flooding into Li Dong's body.

Li Dong felt a warm current sweep his body, the previously uncontrolled limbs instantly regaining control. He jerked the steering wheel; the car let out a sharp screech and barely stopped at the ditch's edge.

"That was close!" Li Dong, still shaken, broke out cold sweat on his forehead.

Jiangnan gave a cold smile, his eyes full of contempt: "Such a worthless little brat dares to show off in front of me!"

He slowly raised his hand, fingers together, forming a Daoist Hand Seal, muttering incantations; a golden light flickered at his fingertips and instantly merged into the car.

"With me here, who dares move again!"

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding swirling mist steadied noticeably in an instant.

"Keep driving!"

Jiangnan gave a casual command, then returned to the passenger seat, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.

Li Dong, seeing this, felt his mind calm considerably.

Mr. Jiangnan truly is a master! Yet... he still seems rather young.

……

The car continued to crawl laboriously through the thick fog, the surrounding atmosphere oppressive enough to choke the breath.

Li Dong gripped the steering wheel tightly, his palms slick with cold sweat, knuckles whitening from the strain.

Jiangnan sat in the passenger seat, eyes half-closed, expression indifferent, as if everything around him mattered not.

Murong Wan stared intently ahead, her fine brows knit, heart filled with unease.

They drove on for a while, and everyone assumed nothing would happen. Then Li Dong's face suddenly changed, and he slammed the brakes hard!

The brake pads scraped, emitting a harsh screech.

Due to inertia, Murong Wan and the others on the car swayed forward and backward a few times.

Fortunately, they were buckled, so no one was hurt.

"What's happening?" Murong Wan, still shaken, spoke with a trembling voice.

Li Dong's face turned ghastly as he pointed ahead, stammering:

"There... someone!"

Through the thick fog, a vague silhouette could be seen, standing upright in the middle of the road, motionless like a bizarre statue, exuding a chilling aura.

"Unlucky! Standing in the middle of the fog, looking for death?"

Murong Wan muttered a low curse and moved to open the door to get out,

"I'll go take a look!"

"Don't move!"

Jiangnan snapped his eyes open, his tone icy and unquestionable.

Murong Wan was startled by his sudden harsh command, frozen in place, looking at Jiangnan in confusion:

"Mr. Jiang, what's wrong?"

Jiangnan coldly scanned the figure ahead and said gravely:

"Keep driving, crush it."

"What?"

Li Dong and Murong Wan both exclaimed in surprise, doubting that they had heard incorrectly.

"Mr. Jiang, this... this is a life! How can we possibly..."

Li Dong's face turned deathly pale, and he shook his head repeatedly. Although he trusted Jiangnan completely, this kind of outright crushing action was still hard for him to accept.

After all, killing a person demands a life in return!

Su Meiruo also frowned, her tone carrying a hint of hesitation: "Mr. Jiang, this is still a life. Do you think we should..."

"If you don't want to die, do as I say!"

Jiangnan's tone left no room for doubt, his gaze sharp as a blade, sweeping over the two.

Li Dong was stunned by Jiangnan's gaze, a nameless fear rising in his heart. After hesitating repeatedly, he finally gritted his teeth and said in a trembling voice:

"Fine... fine then..."

He slowly released the brakes, pressed the accelerator, and the car emitted a low rumble as it drove slowly toward that silhouette.

But just as the car was about to collide with that silhouette,

Li Dong again slammed the brakes hard,

"No! I can't do it!"

Li Dong's face was full of agony as he struggled on the steering wheel, saying:

"I... I really can't! This is killing someone! I..."

He violently pushed the car door open, leapt out, and shouted toward that silhouette:

"Hey! Are you okay? Move out of the way quickly!"

"Li Dong! Come back!"

Murong Wan shouted anxiously, but Li Dong ignored her.

Jiangnan sat in the car, his gaze icy, saying nothing, merely watching Li Dong's actions quietly.

Li Dong's face was full of vigilance as he tried to communicate with that silhouette.

But at that moment, the silhouette suddenly moved!

The silhouette lunged at Li Dong with lightning speed; Li Dong had no time to react and was knocked to the ground.