Disease rights policy

The torrential rain continued for half a month, and dark, gloomy clouds covered the sky above Kyoto. The floodwaters in the canals surged one after another, and the noise became the best cover for the glint of swords in the rainy night. The rain washed away the bloodstains on the green stone slabs and poured into the ditches along with the dirty mud.

"Close the door! Drag him inside!"

The chilling, bone-deep sound, coupled with the violent clanging of armor as the soldiers ran, and the ghostly patter of raindrops, concealed the executioner's face in the rainy night. Dozens of streets around the executioner were heavily guarded, and no one had entered or left since the curfew.

"Are there any survivors?" The man with the cold blade asked emotionlessly from the blood-soaked courtyard, his shoulder armor gleaming with sharp light in the reflection of the water.

"General, not a single one survived."

Beneath the mask, his dark eyes deepened, and his voice grew even more resonant. "Search again, be thorough. Retreat after an incense stick has burned."

"Yes!"

The cries of agony came and went quickly, for the executioner's blade was even faster.

Qiao Ran woke up in this hellish scene. She was being pressed down by something heavy, her vision was blurry with blood, and her body was soaked by the cold rain. She opened her eyes in a daze, her head throbbing and her whole body aching terribly.

Her instincts were sharp enough to detect danger. After hearing the noisy footsteps, Qiao Ran held back and didn't dare to move. A few seconds later, her consciousness gradually returned, and she realized that the person pressing down on her was a corpse. The blood flowing down her forehead into her eyes was of either of them, and she didn't know whose blood it was. A flash of silver light appeared before her eyes, and a long knife slid smoothly into the body of the person on her back.

The knife tip pierced through the corpse, the sharp edge narrowly missing one of Qiao Ran's bones. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and swallowed the mouthful of traditional Chinese food.

They've even stabbed the corpses! What kind of place is this?!

"Check carefully!"

There were too many people. Qiao Ran saw that they were wearing black armor, their faces were completely covered, and not a single inch of their skin was exposed. She didn't know how much time had passed before they were about to leave.

Qiao Ran still didn't dare to move. Taking advantage of this long and terrifying time, she seriously thought back. This time, she was probably not framed by her rivals. This scene was too terrifying. What kind of rivals would organize such a big event to target her? Moreover, judging from the situation, it wasn't specifically to target her.

About two meters away, a woman was crawling pitifully, covered in gold and jade silk. Even in the darkness, Qiao Ran could see clearly that it was all real!

Depend on!

Real gold and silver!

Even someone as powerful as her, with her incredible skill, has a day when she sees a real treasure but doesn't dare to touch it. How unlucky!

This shouldn't be fake. Although Qiao Ran didn't know what had happened to her, she clearly understood that she hadn't survived the building explosion during her last mission. She didn't know how she ended up in this place, and the key point was that this mess was quite serious.

She's in deep trouble now that she's openly stabbing people to commit murder.

The black-armored soldiers moved with practiced ease, and in the blink of an eye, they destroyed the evidence and left the courtyard in a state of carnage, leaving behind a scene of carnage. The sudden night rain washed away much of the stench of blood.

The gate was slammed shut, and apart from the torrential rain, there was only deathly silence. Despite such a horrific massacre, no one outside the wide gate seemed to have been disturbed. Qiao Ran endured the chill and numbness that gripped her body, her heart filled with horror.

Once she was sure there was no immediate danger, Qiao Ran struggled to lift the corpse off her body. Just as she was about to struggle to get up, the pain made her gasp.

"Hiss..." Wiping the rain off her face, Qiao Ran clutched the wound on her waist and abdomen, and looked around blankly at the scene before her. It was a wealthy family with a grand and prosperous atmosphere. Even though it was pitch black in front of her, the mahogany pillars in the front yard still stood majestically to the side, as if they were about to reach the sky.

Qiao Ran was well-versed in historical texts and had a thorough understanding of China's treasures spanning five thousand years. She possessed an innate ability to distinguish the genuine from the fake. Wiping the raindrops from her eyelashes, she staggered toward the fallen woman and slowly knelt down to examine her. Her hairpins lay scattered on the ground, and her bright red silk collar was stained with blood, making the woman's face appear even paler. It was clear that she had lived a very comfortable life, and even in her old age, her beauty had not been ravaged by time. The woman did not close her eyes until her death, staring intently in one direction.

Terror was the last message Qiao Ran gleaned from her eyes during the raging night.

She was looking in her own direction. Qiao Ran belatedly realized what was happening and immediately looked down at her own clothes. Her long hibiscus dress was equally luxurious, and her delicate wrists gave her a rough idea of ​​her current relationship with the woman.

Taking a deep breath, Qiao Ran closed the woman's eyes and said in a low, heavy voice, "Every profession has its rules. The dead are the most important. I won't take anything from you. I'm new here and don't know if what's happening is unfounded or not. I'm not good at distinguishing things from things, and this place is not safe to stay for long. I can only protect myself for now. Don't blame me."

After taking one last look, Qiao Ran turned and walked across the courtyard. She roughly memorized the layout of the mansion and quickly searched within her capabilities for an hour. Gradually, she became somewhat exhausted. She couldn't find any letters or introductions. The study was ransacked and in a mess. On the desk lay a corpse, a high-ranking official of the imperial court, dressed in civilian clothes and still holding a brush dipped in ink. He had been killed with a single stab.

Those men in black armor were absolutely brutal.

With less than an hour until dawn, there was a faint commotion outside. Qiao Ran dared not linger. She found the young lady's boudoir, bandaged her wound simply, changed into an inconspicuous set of clothes, and glanced at her reflection in the mirror before leaving.

"Tsk tsk," Qiao Ran sighed, "A beautiful woman is a source of trouble."

With some loose silver in her pocket and a light bundle retrieved from the young lady's boudoir, Qiao Ran slipped away through a hidden door in the corner of the mansion that very night.

The world is vast, but survival is paramount. It's not that Qiao Ran doesn't want to know the truth, but everything has happened too fast—only an hour has passed since she woke up—she hasn't had time to consider it carefully.

This is wiping out an entire family. Anyone would have to run away as fast as they can, otherwise another wave of people will come early in the morning, and she, the survivor, might die in several different ways.

No sooner had Qiao Ran left than another group of men in black armor burst through the gate, their screams instantly shaking the heavens. In no time, soldiers could be seen everywhere on the streets.

"Seal the city gates!" shouted the black-armored rider as he galloped past. "Search the city!"

As soon as dawn broke, panic gripped the city. Qiao Ran hid in the abandoned City God Temple in the east of the city, applying ointment she had picked up along the way to her wounds, and spent an hour dealing with the situation with trepidation.

The street was buzzing with gossip, but Qiao Ran, squeezed in among them, wasn't particularly conspicuous. In the blink of an eye, she had already swiped seven or eight heavy purses. The title of "modern-day ghost hand" wasn't given lightly. She boasted that after her rebirth, in this era with zero technology, there was nothing she couldn't get.

"Oh my god, this is utterly depraved!"

"The dignified academy director was wiped out overnight. No wonder the Imperial Guards went to such lengths. I heard that His Majesty was so grief-stricken that he fell ill from anger."

"..."

Sighs and groans filled the air.

"Hey, big brother." Qiao Ran walked over and spoke, covering half her face with her bundle, "What happened earlier about the Zhiyuan family being wiped out?"

"The Privy Councilor Qiao, whose residence was located on Anding Street, was brutally massacred last night, with no survivors."

Qiao Ran suppressed her shock, "Why?"

The eldest brother shook his head. "Who knows? The Qiao family is a century-old family." He lowered his voice as he spoke. "Not only is the family large and powerful, but Qiao Zhiyuan is also deeply trusted by His Majesty. He is a first-rank official. I don't know which江湖 ...乐子人] , suffering this disaster, not even leaving behind a single bloodline.

The sound of galloping hooves was deafening. Qiao Ran instinctively shrank her neck and caught a glimpse of soldiers in black armor riding past, their imposing presence just like the executioner from last night. In an instant, her back was soaked with sweat.

"It's the Imperial Guards, searching the city to apprehend the criminals." The older man next to him spoke with a trembling voice.

Qiao Ran cursed inwardly, thinking, "The thief is crying 'stop thief!' The Imperial Guards are the emperor's personal guards, the proper imperial army. Who are they searching the city for at this time? According to procedure, they should have discovered she was missing when they counted the bodies this morning."

Thinking of this, Qiao Ran panicked even more.

The Qiao family was slaughtered by the Imperial Guard, which means it was ordered by His Majesty. The intricacies involved are the secrets of the nation and the people. What heinous crimes could the Qiao family have committed to end up like this? Qiao Ran huddled in the crowd, trying to find a way out of the city as soon as possible.

With a skill to rely on, Qiao Ran wasn't afraid of not being able to leave. She first went back to the City God Temple, where she had left the bundle she had taken from the young lady's boudoir. She found the bundle in the haystack and put the stolen purse inside as well. Only then did she see a box inside the bundle.

"What is this?" Upon opening it, she found a military topographic map, clearly marking the military strongholds of Daliang. Qiao Ran frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then put the "treasure" back. Outside, a light drizzle began to fall again.

Just as Qiao Ran was about to leave, there was a loud scraping sound outside. The Imperial Guards had come to search her. She used her agility to hide behind the statue. There was nowhere else to hide in this dilapidated place.

We can only pray that the search by the Imperial Guard is completed quickly.

Footsteps sounded, and swords clashed against her waist armor. Qiao Ran held her breath, thinking about how to survive if she was discovered.

...The possibility of breaking through is zero.

"The General didn't rest all night, and we dare not slack off either. We have to search every inch of the capital to find him."

"Silence."