"Devin! Devin, wake up!" Brian shouted, shaking his friend by the shoulder.
Devin opened his eyes and looked up at Brian, a confused expression on his face. "What is it? What's happened?"
"I have news," Brian said, panting heavily. "I found out what happened to my family."
Devin sat up straight, his eyes fixed on Brian. "What did you find out?"
"They're being held in the capital," Brian said. "And I think the royal family might be involved somehow."
Devin's face went white as a sheet. "The royal family? Are you sure?"
Brian nodded. "I overheard someone talking about it in the city."
Devin stood up and walked over to the kitchen, his mind racing. "I used to work for the royal family," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I did operations for them. I might be able to get in touch with some of my old contacts and see if they can give us any information."
Brian's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! Do you think you can find out what's going on?"
Devin nodded. "I'll do my best. I'll start making some calls as soon as I can."
As Devin began preparing a Korean dish for dinner, Brian sat down at the table and watched his friend work. He knew that this was only the beginning of their journey to bring his family home.
Devin quickly set to work preparing the bibimbap, heating up a large stone pot on the stove and adding in a variety of ingredients, including sliced beef, vegetables, and a fried egg. As the dish cooked, the aroma filled the small cottage, making Brian's mouth water.
Devin expertly mixed everything together, adding in a spicy gochujang sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Finally, he scooped the steaming bibimbap into bowls and served them to Brian and himself.
As they sat down to eat, Brian couldn't help but feel grateful to have Devin by his side. With his help, he knew that they could find a way to rescue his family and uncover the truth about what had happened to them. He picked up his chopsticks and dug into the bibimbap, savoring every bite.
As they finished their dinner, Devin turned to Brian and said, "I think it's best if I go to the capital and try to get in touch with my old contacts. They may be able to give us more information about your family and what happened to them."
Brian nodded eagerly. "I agree. Anything we can do to help them is worth it."
"It's settled then," Devin said, standing up and stretching. "I'll leave first thing in the morning. The capital is at least three months away by horseback, so it will be a long journey. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help your family."
Brian smiled, feeling a sense of hope and determination wash over him. "Thank you, Devin. I'm grateful."
The two of them spent the rest of the evening eating and drinking, talking and laughing late into the night. Despite the challenges they knew lay ahead, they were both filled with a sense of hope and excitement for the future.
Brian was awoken early the next morning by Devin shaking him gently. He groaned, feeling a headache throbbing behind his eyes.
"Come on, it's time to get up," Devin said. "I've got a long journey ahead of me and I want to get an early start."
Brian grumbled and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Right, sorry. I'm up."
Devin chuckled and helped Brian to his feet. "Don't worry, I know how it feels to have a little too much to drink. But it's all worth it to celebrate a new adventure, right?"
Brian grinned sheepishly and followed Devin to the kitchen, where a spread of breakfast foods was laid out. There were bowls of steaming rice, spicy kimchi, and savory tofu soup, as well as fried eggs and savory meat patties.
As they ate, Brian wished Devin luck on his journey and thanked him for everything he had done for him. Devin, in turn, offered some words of wisdom, reminding Brian to take care of the house, to be respectful to others, and to not be careless.
"And one more thing," Devin said, pulling out a small cloth pouch. "I found this herb when I was out hunting in the mountains. It's an ordinary rank cultivation herb called Celestia, I hope it will help you in your cultivation journey."
Brian's eyes lit up as he accepted the gift.
"Thank you, Devin. I promise to work hard and make you proud."
With a final farewell, Devin mounted his horse and rode off, leaving Brian standing in the doorway, feeling a mixture of sadness and determination. But he knew that he had a lot of work to do, and he was determined to make the most of his time while Devin was away.