It was just past noon when I left the prison and headed toward a quiet area of the palace.
This part of the palace was unusually still, guarded by only a few sentries. It was where the few remaining physicians of the North Sea had gathered.
Passing through the tranquil corridors, I arrived at a particular room and opened the door.
Creak.
The rusty hinges groaned as I turned the knob, revealing a familiar face inside.
Namgung Bi-ah was sitting there, mid-bite, clearly in the middle of a meal. She looked up at me and spoke, though her words were muffled by the food in her mouth.
"â¦Helloâ¦"
"Finish eating before you speak," I said, amused by her clumsy pronunciation.
Namgung Bi-ah chewed awkwardly as I waited, but before she could swallow, another voice chimed in.
"Indeed, one should always swallow before speaking. Isnât that basic etiquette, as taught by your family?"
A middle-aged man inserted himself into the conversation. I turned to him, frowning.
"And what about you burping mid-sentence? Is that also part of your etiquette?"
"Ha ha, my apologies. My digestion must not be cooperating."
I sighed as I looked at the man, whose attitude was as frustratingly unserious as ever. Despite his striking white hair and sharp blue eyes, an unmistakable resemblance to Namgung Bi-ah, his demeanor always felt at odds with his appearance.
Namgung Hyung, the Hermit of Wudang and now a one-armed man, was smiling cheerfully.
"Howâs your body holding up?" I asked him.
"As you can see, perfectly fine."
"Visually, you look far from fine."
Namgung Hyung had lost his arm and suffered a near-fatal wound. He had survived only because of his profound cultivation. An ordinary person would have died long ago.
"The fact that heâs even awake is miraculous."
The palace physicians had said heâd need at least a month in bed to recover consciousness, yet Namgung Hyung had awakened just two days ago. His recovery bordered on unnatural.
I glanced at his missing arm.
As a swordsman, losing an arm must have disrupted his martial arts. Yet, Namgung Hyung seemed unbothered.
"This is delicious today. Would you like some, young lord?" he offered, gesturing to his meal.
"No, thank you."
"Then I suppose Iâll have it alâ"
"â¦Nom."
Namgung Bi-ah interrupted by stealing his food, chewing unabashedly.
"Bi-ah, what are you doing?" he asked, dumbfounded.