"So this is the first reward you ever received?"
I watched as Xu Fu pulled out the Golden Dragon Jade Scepter he had just described from his pocket. The golden hue remained, but the jade beneath had turned black.
"Yes," he chuckled. "Want to take a look?"
I gave a noncommittal response and took it from him, eyes widening in surprise. Despite its arm-length size, it was completely weightless—lighter than a feather.
"It's considered a top-tier Taoist artifact," he said. "But in my hands, it's useless now. How about I give it to you? You have a Taoist priest by your side, don't you?"
At that moment, I sensed a dark aura emanating from the Golden Dragon Jade Scepter. I placed it on the table and shook my head.
"What happened afterward? What's the story with those medicine slaves?"
"Back then," he said, "many doctors kept them at home. Some people are born with strong immunity, rarely sick from childhood, but they're usually poor. Doctors would search for such individuals, buy them, bring them home, and feed them medicine."
I stared blankly at Xu Fu.
"The person I mentioned, Ah Da, was also one of the Thirteen Alchemists," he laughed. "You might meet him someday."
Of the Thirteen Alchemists Xu Fu spoke of, they are the twelve gold-masked ones besides himself. The ones I've met so far are Warren Qi, Life, Death, Prisoner Chongyuan, Lu Lingming, Wu Yi, and Zuo Quanyi. The others I haven't seen yet—five gold-masked alchemists remain, and Adam Dale is one of them.
"Back then, in an era when science was barely developed, treating illness was never easy. Having a medicine slave to test drugs was the only real choice. Most medicine slaves were young and rarely lived past twenty. Every medicine carries poison. Adam Dale was six years older than me at the time."
Xu Fu spoke, stretching lazily. I checked the time—it was already past 4 a.m. He went to brew tea while I sat in silence, deep in thought.
"Human experimentation started in those times. Don't forget the story of Shennong tasting a hundred herbs—that was human experimentation too. These shadows buried in the dust of history are things most people today will never know. Science is piled atop countless deaths."
I couldn't argue with Xu Fu. He was right—even modern medicine relies on clinical trials. At least now, people have rights. In the past, there were none.
"Aren't what you're doing now even more vicious than in ancient times?"
"Yes."
Xu Fu sat down and handed me a cup of hot tea. I took a sip. He didn't bother to justify himself.
"After all, we're human. Only humans can do such cruel things. Sometimes, people are scarier than ghosts."
I nodded. Thinking back on my journey, most of the people I've met—except for the special cases in the Eternal Life Society—would do anything to reach their goals. They're scarier than ghosts.
"Let me ask you again, Ethan Zhang. Do you think what we've done is wrong?"
"Yes, it's terribly wrong."
Xu Fu smiled indifferently, his wicked face staring at me.
"Hypocrite suits you, but not entirely. When things get tough, you'll do inhuman things too. Yet you cling to your beliefs—it's a contradiction."
I couldn't refute Xu Fu. That's what it means to be human.
"Don't dodge the question. Just tell me what happened next!"
For five days straight, the Queen Dowager was able to get out of bed, her complexion much improved. But every so often, pain would flare up inside her, especially in her abdomen.
"Doctor Xu, what exactly is wrong with my mother?"
Five days had passed. Hugh Xu and Xu Fu had already come up with how to answer King Tianjian. Before, Hugh Xu claimed further diagnosis was needed.
"Majesty, the Queen Dowager's illness is due to overwork and exhaustion, causing her discomfort. She needs time to recover. It's nothing serious."
Xu Fu's gentle voice made King Tianjian overjoyed, and he praised Xu Fu repeatedly before sending them away. But he strictly forbade them from leaving the palace.
This troubled Hugh Xu. The new medicine hadn't been tested on Adam Dale yet—only on chickens, ducks, and cattle, all of which died from poisoning. The drug, Ephedra, was supposed to calm nerves and relieve pain.
Though the Queen Dowager's spirits had improved, at night she often woke in pain, drenched in sweat. These nights, Hugh Xu and Xu Fu kept watch at her door, not daring to slack off.
They insisted on further diagnosis just to keep their heads attached. The Queen Dowager suffered nightmares, and the effects of astragalus and licorice faded with time.
Now Hugh Xu urgently needed Xu Fu to go home and experiment on Adam Dale. No one else in the family understood medicine or dosage. His wife had once overdosed a medicine slave and killed them. The other servants couldn't be trusted. Only his son, Xu Fu, could be relied on.
Another day was almost over, night was falling. The Queen Dowager's symptoms had grown worse—Ephedra was needed, but if anything went wrong, they couldn't bear the consequences.
Father and son paced anxiously around the room.
"Don't worry, Father. Later, I'll go with you to see the Queen Dowager. I'll beg her myself."
When the palace lights came on, Hugh Xu used the excuse of diagnosis to take Xu Fu to the Queen Dowager's room. King Tianjian was busy with affairs of state and would come later.
"Queen Dowager, I miss my mother. Please, let me go home and reunite with her for three days. I beg you."
Xu Fu cried out, kneeling and bowing his head. The Queen Dowager, being reasonable, agreed. But when King Tianjian arrived, he was still reluctant to let Xu Fu go.
"Majesty, I need to replenish some herbs. If Fu'er goes home, he can help bring them back for me."
King Tianjian was no fool. He knew if the Queen Dowager's illness couldn't be cured, Hugh Xu might send his son home to escape and take the blame himself. After all, the Queen Dowager woke three or four times each night.
But the Queen Dowager pleaded again and even got angry. King Tianjian finally agreed to let Xu Fu go home, but sent a general and three hundred soldiers to guard him, forbidding him to leave Linzi even for a moment.
Frightened, Xu Fu returned home and immediately threw himself into his mother's arms, sobbing. The general, moved by pity, left the Xu Family Herb Shop's main hall, while the soldiers surrounded the shop, sealing it off.
After briefly explaining the situation to his mother, Xu Fu rushed to the backyard, grabbed several brown, stick-like herbs, ground them, and boiled them for an hour. He hurriedly opened an iron gate in the backyard.
"Someone, bring food for Adam Dale!"
With a clatter, a filthy, strong man in white looked up, his eyes burning with anger. Chains bound his neck, hands, and feet. He roared and lunged at Xu Fu, but the chains stopped him a meter away.
"Let me go, young master! I can't take it anymore. I beg you—I'll do anything, just let me out!"
Xu Fu pinched his nose—the place reeked of filth. Soon, someone brought in a roast chicken and plenty of food.
"Eat, Adam Dale. Only if you're full will you have the strength for the experiment."
Adam Dale, though resentful, devoured the food. Xu Fu, his eyes cold, drew a knife. Seven or eight servants entered the room.
"What are you doing? What are you going to do to me?"
Adam Dale had just finished eating when he was pinned to the ground. With a rip, Xu Fu tore his pants, exposing a thigh. Xu Fu held the knife. Adam Dale whimpered, tears streaming, but he was held fast.
"Hold on, Adam Dale. It'll be over soon."
With a slash, the knife cut into Adam Dale's leg. Blood gushed out as he screamed in agony. The wound was deep. He was pinned down, his mouth stuffed, able only to whimper.
"Bring the salt."
Xu Fu spoke, and a servant brought a stack of salt. Adam Dale whimpered harder. Xu Fu took a pinch of salt and, when the bleeding slowed, sprinkled it on the wound.
Adam Dale screamed like a slaughtered pig, his face twisted in pain. His mouth was pried open with iron tongs, and medicine boiled from Ephedra was poured down his throat through a reed tube, bit by bit.
No matter how Adam Dale struggled, after a while, the pain drained the color from his face.
"Does it still hurt?"
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Adam Dale stopped struggling. Sweat soaked his body. He stared blankly, shaking his head weakly.
"Not... much pain... I just... want to sleep."
With a thud, Adam Dale's head hit the ground and he fell asleep, looking peaceful.
For three days straight, Xu Fu sprinkled salt on Adam Dale's wound and fed him Ephedra. Adam Dale survived. The pain from the salt could be endured, and Xu Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After packing up a large amount of Ephedra, Xu Fu returned to the palace.
Seeing Xu Fu, Hugh Xu was overjoyed. Learning the experiment's result, father and son were relieved. That night, they brought the boiled Ephedra to the Queen Dowager.