Jiho's eyes widened slightly, her grip on the teacup tightening. "What about the barbarians?" she asked, her voice low and steady, though her heart had begun to race.
Madam Ji took a deep breath, her brows furrowed with worry. "The barbarians... they are alright."
"What!" Jiho exclaimed, disbelief flashing across her face. She hurriedly stood up, the sudden movement causing her chair to scrape loudly against the ground. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Jiho asked, her voice rising as she stepped closer to Madam Ji, her frown deepening with each word.
Madam Ji, still wiping tea from her face, met Jiho's intense gaze with a mixture of anxiety and urgency. "Commander, the scouts reported that the barbarians seem unaffected by the poison. They're moving about as if nothing happened."
