Disease rights policy

The martial arts world is full of rising stars. This time, in order to punish the "Number One Thief Under Heaven" and settle personal scores, most of the martial arts world has inexplicably gotten involved, mostly just to watch the show. They thought that once they quietly left Sichuan and the news died down, no one would remember the matter.

As a result, Qin Huai himself almost bumped into this group of people.

He was extremely depressed.

Qiao Ran offered a forced smile and a comforting tone, "It's alright, we can just cover our faces when we go out and still make a name for ourselves."

Qin Huai suffered a heart attack and thought about what had just happened again. He analyzed, "These people were serious. They attacked us with knives and guns without holding back. Logically speaking, we're after money, not lives. They wouldn't go so far as to kill us for that little bit of money."

Qiao Ran gradually came to her senses and pondered, "What you said makes sense. At first, I thought they had lost face under my command, which is why they were so aggressive in trying to get justice. But we stayed at Chen Jiu Villa for a month, and we hadn't heard from them in Shu. They should have left by now. Why are they still here?"

"Something's not right." Qin Huai felt a sudden pang of panic. "I haven't been able to contact the other brothers for a while. I suspect..."

Qiao Ran's eyes widened. "They didn't fall into the hands of these people, did they?"

Qin Huai nodded.

He and Qiao Ran had been missing for a month. The other brothers waited in Gongzhou for them to return, but they did not. Meanwhile, the heroes of the martial arts world in Sichuan had been gathered for a long time. The brothers were worried that Qin Huai and Qiao Ran had fallen into the hands of the righteous sects who came to punish them, and that they might return...

"I have to go back again; I can't rest easy," Qin Huai said.

He had to go back and find out why this group of people were so reluctant to leave Sichuan. Could it really be because of the money he and Qiao Ran had stolen?

Qiao Ran stood up, patted the dirt off her knees, and said, "I'll go with you."

Qin Huai shook his head. "You wait outside the city. I'll go in first to scout things out. In case something goes wrong, we can't both get arrested."

“Then I’ll have to go,” Qiao Ran said as she walked. “Your portraits are everywhere in the city. I’m safer than you. You wait outside the city.”

Qin Huai suddenly said, "No."

How could a grown man like him let a young woman like Qiao Ran be put in danger?

Qiao Ran remained resolute, refusing to waver despite Qin Huai's attempts to persuade her along the way.

“I won’t act rashly. I’m just going into the city to gather information. If our brothers really have fallen into the hands of these martial arts sects, I’ll meet up with you and we’ll figure out a way to rescue them.” Qiao Ran patted Qin Huai on the shoulder. “It’s decided then. Wait for my news.”

Qin Huai stayed outside the city, while Qiao Ran sneaked in to gather information. If Qiao Ran hadn't left the city within an hour, Qin Huai would then enter.

"Be careful," Qin Huai instructed.

Qiao Ran made a reassuring gesture, then turned and left.

After Qiao Ran entered the city, the commotion on the streets had subsided, but the talk about the city-wide manhunt was still going on, and she overheard a few snippets.

"This 'ghost hand' is too cunning; so many righteous people couldn't catch him."

"They really let this kind of scoundrel get away!" one person angrily cursed. "I never thought this scoundrel had been hiding in our Sichuan for so long. He's really sullied the land of Sichuan."

Qiao Ran: "??"

She turned her head and glanced at the older man, thinking to herself, "How am I a scoundrel?"

“Oh, by the way, I heard the real ‘Ghost Hand’ is a woman,” someone interjected.

"Wasn't the portrait being distributed a man?"

The person who interrupted then gave him a look that said, "You must be so ignorant," and said mysteriously, "It's a woman, a woman, but nobody knows what she looks like. The man in the portrait is said to be her most trusted henchman."

Qiao Ran stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening beneath her hat. What? Qin Huai? Her lackey?

Are you sure Qin Huai won't scream and yell after hearing this?

Someone nearby scoffed, "She's committed countless atrocities, yet she doesn't even dare to show her face. This female ghost must have a terrifying, ferocious face that she can't bear to be seen by anyone."

As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately echoed, "Yes, yes, yes, it's something that can't be shown to others."

Qiao Ran was both angry and indignant, and she couldn't move. She stood there and touched her delicate face hidden under her hat. What on earth had she done that was so outrageous that these people in Sichuan were making such a fuss about her?

The insults continued unabated, and Qiao Ran wished she could plug her ears. She barely managed to suppress her temper when another commotion broke out not far away. She looked up and saw a group of people dressed as soldiers pushing through the crowd.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way."

"what happened?"

Someone voiced what was on Qiao Ran's mind. Qiao Ran clutched her sleeve, buried her head, and squeezed through the crowd to see. The soldiers had posted a portrait of Qin Huai at the notice board. Qiao Ran frowned.

Some people pointed and whispered, "Isn't that the thief who escaped from the city?"

“Oh right, the lackey of ‘Ghost Hand’.”

Qiao Ran gave the person who said it a deep look. The person felt a chill run down their spine and shivered. They looked around but didn't find anything wrong.

The official with the sword at his side slammed the hilt of his sword heavily onto Qin Huai's face, his eyes wide with anger. "Everyone, take a good look! This is a wanted criminal issued by the government. There will be a generous reward for anyone who reports it."

Everyone took a slurp of cold noodles, and Qiao Ran, pushed to the front, heard everything very clearly.

"Sir, didn't the thief already escape from the city?"

"He murdered the magistrate, a crime deserving of death!" the indignant official shouted. "This matter has already been reported to the imperial court. Where can the villain escape to? Everyone, please report any trace of him you discover."

Another wave of sighs and curses erupted from the crowd, condemning the thief's cruelty.

Qiao Ran broke out in a cold sweat in the front row. How could the second-in-command of Sichuan be dead? Qin Huai and she had become scapegoats for no reason. She thought she had to hurry out of the city to tell Qin Huai the news and tell him not to go back into the city. Who would have thought that she hadn't even taken two steps before she learned another shocking piece of news.

"The Prefect is usually a kind and approachable man who has never offended anyone. How could he have been poisoned while gathering with friends? It's utterly despicable!!"

"Master Kongji and the Prefect were friends for many years. Both of them died in Wuting Hall. The Hall Master of Wuting Hall is also involved. He swore in the hall to kill the 'Ghost Hand' family and avenge Master Kongji. I heard that now, apart from 'Ghost Hand' and her number one henchman, everyone else has been captured. They will be beheaded and displayed to the public in Wuting Hall at noon tomorrow."

Qiao Ran knew that Wuting Hall had stood strong for nearly a century in Sichuan. This gathering of heroes from Sichuan was undoubtedly due to the instigation and provocation of Cang Zhengqing, the leader of Wuting Hall. Qin Huai had said that this man was unfathomable and not a good person. Qiao Ran was wary of Wuting Hall because of its deep roots and had never taken anything from them...

According to rumors circulating on the street, Cang Zhengqing invited the highly respected Master Kongji, who in turn invited a court official in Sichuan to the hall. As a result, both of them were poisoned to death in Wuting Hall.

The culprits were eventually discovered to be the infamous No. 1 Thief Gang in the world. The gang leader, "Ghost Hand," and his trusted confidant, Qin Huai, became the ultimate targets of the manhunt. The operation targeted not only various figures in the martial arts world but also the government officials of Sichuan.

The imperial court is also involved!

Not good!

Qiao Ran quickly left the crowd, unsure whether to be thankful that she had been imprisoned by Chen Jiu for a month and that this had saved her life, or to be thankful that the wanted posters in Sichuan did not include her portrait, which had saved her a lot of trouble.

We must tell Qin Huai quickly that the other brothers may have really fallen into Cang Zhengqing's hands and will be innocently killed at Wuting Hall tomorrow at noon.

Qiao Ran glanced at the time; the appointed time had not yet arrived. She hurried toward the city gate, her forehead covered in sweat.

With all the city gates in Sichuan sealed off and soldiers guarding the area layer by layer, Qiao Ran was trapped inside the city. She looked at the surging crowds on the street and was extremely anxious.