Adam Dale struggled, but no sound escaped his mouth. He was terrified, and after an unknown amount of time, the black cloth over his eyes was finally removed. He found himself in a room with a bronze door, stone walls all around, and a single window.
Four iron chains hung nearby, and some dry straw was scattered on the ground. Adam sat on the straw, shivering. He had no idea what had happened; daylight still shone outside.
At that moment, the iron door opened. A child entered, cheeks rosy and slightly older than Adam, with strikingly handsome features. He carried a steaming bowl of food, set it down, and was followed by several servants.
"Eat up. You'll need your strength for what's coming next."
The child was Xu Fu. He looked at Adam with a gentle expression, and Adam, naive and unsuspecting, lowered his guard and devoured the food ravenously.
"What is this...?"
After Adam had eaten his fill, a strong medicinal aroma wafted in. Hugh Xu entered, carrying a bowl of medicine.
"Adam, drink this medicine."
Xu Fu was startled, glancing at Hugh Xu.
"Father, hasn't this medicine killed people before? Why...?"
"Hmph, enough. This medicine is highly effective against chills. Some have been cured, especially in the early stages—the success rate is high. Maybe it’s the ingredients or dosage. Don’t worry."
Adam was frightened. He pinched his nose, unable to stand the pungent smell.
"Hold him down."
Four people rushed in and pinned Adam down. He screamed in terror until someone struck him, silencing him.
"Listen, Adam. Dr. Henry Lin sold you to me. All you have to do is eat well every day and drink these bitter concoctions. That’s it."
As Hugh Xu spoke, Adam whimpered. Someone pried Adam’s mouth open with an iron tool, and Hugh Xu slowly fed the medicine to him.
Afterwards, to prevent Adam from spitting it out, several people clamped his mouth shut and then forced him to drink some sugar water.
All night, Adam clutched his stomach in pain, while Hugh Xu and Xu Fu watched.
"Dad, is this formula really correct?"
"Don’t fuss, Xu Fu. I paid dearly for this formula. There might be minor flaws, but as long as we control it, it’ll be fine."
For several days in a row, Adam Dale was forced to take the same medicine. He vomited repeatedly, and by the third day, blood was running from his nose and his face had turned pale.
"Useless brat. Looks like he's doomed. Hmph, I'll settle the score with that old bastard Dr. Henry Lin."
Adam showed signs of poisoning and was barely conscious. Hugh Xu was deeply annoyed, but at that moment, Xu Fu directed the servants to force water into Adam to flush out his stomach.
After vomiting several times, Adam was left barely alive, curled up on the straw. All night long, Xu Fu would come by to check on him.
Yet, the next day, Adam didn’t die. In fact, he miraculously recovered quite a bit.
Hugh Xu was surprised. He understood why Adam had been poisoned—three days of continuous dosing had built up toxicity. Still, Hugh Xu was pleased; Adam had survived, and he was satisfied.
The experiment was a success. Hugh Xu controlled the dosage, and with this medicine, he made a fortune.
Adam spent his days in a daze, trapped in the little hut, which reeked of urine and feces.
"Eat your meal."
When the door opened, Xu Fu pinched his nose and ordered the servants to clean up. They tossed Adam’s food carelessly onto the floor. Starving, Adam hurriedly ate.
"No, I don’t want any more of that bitter stuff."
After eating, Adam was immediately grabbed again. Xu Fu watched him quietly and smiled.
"This is your fate. You have to eat it."
Adam struggled, but was still forced to take the medicine. Every day he endured this inhuman suffering. Even with enough food, Adam wanted nothing more than to escape.
Adam began to resist. Seizing his chance when the door opened, he dashed out, knocking down two people. He shoved past Xu Fu, yelling and heading for the exit.
But Adam was caught again, his hands and feet bound with chains. Xu Fu, furious, whipped Adam mercilessly.
Adam had had enough of this dark, endless life. He wanted to leave. Every day, he stared through the iron window at the sky outside, crying and screaming until his voice was hoarse, but no one pitied him.
Gradually, Adam began to hate. He hated Dr. Henry Lin for selling him into this place. Now chained up, he couldn’t leave, only wailing in that cramped room day after day.
One day, Xu Fu opened the door, his brow furrowed as he looked at Adam. Outside, Hugh Xu was grumbling and cursing.
"That bastard Dr. Henry Lin is trying to get us killed. Damn him."
As the cursing continued, more soldiers entered the room, carrying long halberds.
"Dr. Xu, hurry up. The Sovereign is still waiting for you."
Hugh Xu's face was grim.
"Yes, I know. I'll pack up and leave right away."
"Maybe if you do enough evil, retribution catches up. Adam, for a while, you won’t have to take any medicine."
Adam didn’t understand what Xu Fu meant, but Xu Fu just laughed.
"There may really be gods watching over us."
Xu Fu and Hugh Xu left, and Adam was no longer forced to take medicine. For more than half a month, the Xu father and son were nowhere to be seen. Adam only had to eat; nothing else was required of him.
"The bad people are gone. Heh, heh."
Adam giggled strangely. After the drugs had eroded his mind, he became even less lucid. With the Xu father and son gone, the servants often neglected Adam’s room. The place filled with stench, and insects frequently visited.
Half a month later, Adam saw Xu Fu again. He cried out, but Xu Fu cut Adam with a knife and forced more medicine down his throat.
After only three days, Xu Fu left in a hurry. Adam, though barely conscious, prayed every day for the gods to save him.
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No one knows how many years passed, but Adam sensed the smells of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. One day, the person who brought him food didn’t come. The next day, still no one came.
Adam hadn’t felt hunger like this in years. He shouted and screamed, but no one heard him. He went mad, yelling at the top of his lungs.
By the fourth day, Adam couldn’t shout anymore. Exhausted and starving, his hands and feet were bleeding from struggling against the chains. He lay weakly in the filthy room, staring out the window at the sky. He thought most about his mother—how much he wanted to see her again.
Adam felt he had done nothing wrong. Why didn’t his mother want him anymore?
On the fifth day, Adam couldn’t move. He lay dying on the floor, his vision spinning, his lips cracked and face pale, almost dead.
On the sixth day, Adam stared upward, eyes wide. Just then, there was a creak—the door opened.
"Dad, there’s someone in here."
A shrill scream rang out. Adam Dale looked over and saw a woman, beautiful as a goddess. It was as if he saw a ray of light. He whimpered, reached out his hand, and then fainted.
When Adam woke up, he smelled food and a hint of bitterness. A bowl was brought to him, and he devoured it ravenously.
But as soon as he finished eating, the lovely young woman brought over a bowl of medicine. Adam reflexively knocked the bowl away and glared angrily at the frightened woman who fell to the ground.
"This is medicine. You're weak and need it to recover. Don't be afraid—we're not bad people."
The woman's voice was gentle. Beside her stood a pale young man, an old man, and an elderly woman.
"Child, don't be afraid. We're not bad people and won't hurt you."
Adam gradually calmed down. The old man sighed as he looked at Adam.
"Sigh, looks like he's a medicine slave from Xu's Herbal Shop. I never imagined such misery."
The old man’s family name was King. They were doctors who had just bought Xu's Herbal Shop.
The Xu family’s business declined after the deaths of father and son. Relatives fought over the inheritance, dividing up everything piece by piece.
Finally, Adam let down his guard, drank the medicine, and curled up on the bed, falling asleep.
After many days, Adam recovered and dropped his defenses. Dr. Albert King, seeing Adam’s pitiful state, took him in. Dr. King had heard a bit about Adam’s story.
Adam began working for the King family—fetching water, chopping wood, sweeping the floor. Whatever needed doing, Adam handled it alone. Dr. King admired Adam’s diligence; with Adam around, they needed fewer servants.
"There’s a saying—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Fate turns like a wheel, right, Ethan Zhang?"
I nodded, looking at Xu Fu.
"Maybe it’s true—do enough evil, and retribution comes. I grew up in luxury, always by my father’s side. He taught me a lot, especially about strategy. But the decades that followed were miserable for me."
"Didn’t you gain favor from Qin Shi Huang, and trick him into sending you overseas in search of immortality?"
As soon as I said that, Xu Fu’s expression changed drastically. Fierce and grim, he lowered his head, lost in thought.
Soon, Xu Fu smiled again and looked at me.
"Alright, Ethan Zhang, that's enough for now. I need to rest tonight. We’ll continue in the morning."
"Was seeking immortality overseas something you’re ashamed of?"
"I suppose so. It’s haunted me my whole life—a nightmare, really..."
Xu Fu paused, then continued speaking.
"It’s something that’s kept all thirteen of us living in nightmares for a lifetime."