Disease rights policy

Qiao Ran didn't intend to sit idly by and wait for her fate. She felt relieved once Qin Huai and the others left. She also planned to leave the village before the soldiers arrived, taking Chen Jiu as her bargaining chip.

Chen Jiu was pushed to the ground by Qiao Ran, who was not very gentle. He said in a deep voice, "You can't escape from here. It's even more impossible for you to take me with you. I advise you, young lady, that you might have a chance to survive if you go on your own."

Qiao Ran sneered, "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me. Young Master Chen, you don't need to worry about me being lonely on my journey to the underworld."

Chen Jiu: "..."

Perhaps Qiao Rantian was unlucky. She had just used the guise of bandits to force the sickly Chen Jiu to the village entrance. With the ruthlessness she had accumulated from her two lifetimes, the simple villagers could not stop her. She had just suppressed her brows and smiled slightly, about to speak, when the ground beneath her feet began to tremble.

Qiao Ran's expression hardened; a large group of people was approaching.

Chen Jiu felt it too, of course. He pulled away from Qiao Ran's hand, his icy fingertips brushing against the woman's warm palm.

"Miss Qiao, aren't you leaving yet?"

Anyway, Chen Jiu wasn't planning to leave, and he was too old to keep up with Qiao Ran's antics.

Qiao Ran stared at him, resigning herself to her fate, and pursed her lips slightly. "Now it's your turn to laugh at me. Where do you think you're going?"

Chen Jiu pointed his pale finger to the mountain road in the village, "It's up to you. If you leave now, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

Qiao Ran: "I underestimated you, you sickly little thing. I'm afraid I'll be caught by the people looking for you before I even get out of here."

The approaching troops kicked up dust in the distance, their hooves thundering as if they were right in front of her. Qiao Ran was indeed a little flustered, wondering whether she should run or not.

Seeing that she was still hesitating, Chen Jiu slowly said, "I know you want to take me hostage."

"Good to know." Qiao Ran gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "Anyway, I won't run away. You're in my hands, what can they do to me?"

Chen Jiu looked at her with pity and laughed, "Naive. Miss Qiao, how can you withstand the army alone? Even if I were to threaten you with my life, my first-class guards could shoot you full of bullets while ensuring my safety. Why make things so difficult for yourself?"

Qiao Ran thought about the scene for a moment, shuddered, and pretended to be calm, saying, "So what? If I run for my life now, will I be riddled with bullets by your guards? Young Master Chen, I'm not easily scared. I'll fight you to the death."

"So what if I die? Maybe I can travel back in time," Qiao Ran comforted herself.

Hearing the approaching hoofbeats, Chen Jiu pointed to the road leading to the back mountain of the village and said, "Miss Qiao, most people in this world are afraid of death, and you are no exception. I assure you, if you leave now, I will not let my men who are looking for me catch up with you."

Qiao Ran was stunned, wondering how much of Chen Jiu's words were true or false. "Why?"

Chen Jiu didn't answer, but smiled faintly. His sickly aura made his every move seem harmless. He coughed and said, "As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. Are you going to run or not?"

Qiao Ran pondered: "..."

It was so humiliating. She was so determined to get the 'Spring and Autumn Annals', but when a large number of people arrived, she was trembling with fear.

To fight to the bitter end... that's it!

Qiao Ran looked embarrassed and glared at Chen Jiu before turning and heading towards the back mountain. Once she entered the vast mountains, she had plenty of ways to leave Sichuan. After all, when she was forced into the dangerous rainforest during a mission, she was able to escape for months.

"Until we meet again, Young Master Chen!"

Just as Qiao Ran's figure disappeared from sight, the soldiers who had come to find her arrived. Leading them was a troop of fast horses, each carrying a sword on their left, and they were in front of Chen Jiu in the blink of an eye.

The man at the front dismounted before the horse even stopped and knelt down in front of Chen Jiu, saying, "Old Master Jie is late, causing the young master to suffer."

This dignified seven-foot-tall man, who looked tall and strong, choked up after saying just one sentence.

Chen Jiu stepped forward to help Xie Laoshi up. Xie Laoshi knew the young master's health and dared not let him exert himself, so he got up on his own. "Young master, are you alright?"

Chen Jiu truthfully replied, "It's not good. Did Old Qu come along?"

Xie Laoshi hurriedly shouted, "Bring Doctor Qu here, quickly!"

Chen Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. Old Qu had been Chen Jiu's attending physician since childhood and knew Chen Jiu's illness better than anyone else.

Old Master Xie had prepared a warm carriage in advance. He led Chen Jiu into the carriage, and the warmth made Chen Jiu feel much more comfortable. Old Master Qu then glanced at Chen Jiu and shook his head, saying, "Young Master, you scared us to death."

As Chen Jiu relaxed, the pain that had been suppressed for so long suddenly came rushing back, and within a few words, he felt dizzy and his ears were ringing.

Old Master Qu said, "We've been caring for him in Sichuan for so long, but after this ordeal, it's all been for nothing... If Master and Madam find out..."

Despite feeling tired after taking the medication, Chen Jiu comforted him, saying, "I've had this illness for so many years, it's always been recurring, so one more time won't make a difference."

Old Master Qu was saddened. "What are you saying, young master? People have to suffer."

Hearing this from outside, Xie Laoshi was filled with rage. His face darkened, and he ordered, "Damn bandits, capture them alive!"

Those who dare to harm their young master will be made to pay the price and regret their actions.

Chen Jiu leaned against the soft pillows, holding a hand warmer in his arms. The medicine had a strong aftereffect, and because he had stopped taking it, he felt extremely uncomfortable after taking it. He said to Xie Laoshi outside the carriage, "Let's go back. As for the people who kidnapped me, there's no need to chase them."

Xie Laoshi thought Chen Jiu meant that the people had already run far away and there was no need to go to great lengths, so he replied, "Young master, don't worry. After I received the news that you were trapped here, I divided my forces into three groups and ordered them to surround the mountain. They will surely walk into the trap, and then you can do whatever you want with them."

Chen Jiu was drowsy and didn't hear very clearly. Thinking that he would definitely listen to what he said, he fell asleep under the influence of the medicine.

When Master Qu came out, he sighed deeply and said to the indignant Master Jie, "Young Master was on the verge of death this time. He just took a large dose of medicine and can't hold on any longer."

Old Master Jie stared wide-eyed, pointing to his own eyes and ears.

Master Qu understood what he meant; he was asking, "Is the young master blind and deaf again?" Master Qu nodded. "Let's take the young master back to the other courtyard as soon as possible."

Xie Laoshi turned to the others and instructed, "I will escort the young master back to the villa. You wait for the bandits to be caught, take him to the villa's dungeon, and let him go through the torture instruments first!"

Even living a life worse than death is too good for them.

Xie Laoshi quickly brought Chen Jiu back to the villa in Shu. Although it was the dead of winter, the villa was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Built against the hot spring mountain, it was warm as summer all year round. The prime minister and his wife had spent a lot of money to secretly build it so that Chen Jiu could recuperate. Every piece of the interior was pleasing to the eye and exquisitely elegant.

Carrying the unconscious Chen Jiu into the house, Xie Laoshi asked, "Elder Qu, will the young master be alright?"

Master Qu had already ordered more medicine to be prepared. Chen Jiu had been a pharmacy since childhood. After carefully examining Chen Jiu's pulse, he said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Send a message to the capital as soon as possible."

Old Master Xie was anxious and grabbed Old Master Qu's arm, saying, "You absolutely cannot let anything happen to the young master."

"Tenth Brother." Old Master Qu frowned, his usual kind face now filled with gloom. "Young Master has suffered a serious injury this time, but fortunately, he has a strong will and has held on. He has endured so many times before, so I believe in him."

Old Master Xie panicked even more. He glanced past Old Master Qu at the patient lying on the bed, whose breathing was so weak it was almost nonexistent. He gritted his teeth and turned to leave.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in his young master, but his illness was incurable; he had been fighting death for years, and each severe relapse meant death. Who knew which time his young master wouldn't be able to hold on any longer...

"Damn those bandits!" Xie Laoshi wiped away his tears and strode angrily out of the main courtyard. "Have they caught them yet?"

A guard immediately came over and reported, "Two have been captured, but the others have escaped."

Old Master Jie was even more furious, "Ignorant brat, you still want the 'Spring and Autumn Annals'? I'll take your life now, go get the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' from hell!"