Be Careful When You Smile
Hongshin was bound tightly with ropes all over his body, unable to move an inch.
Moreover, the place was nothing short of a shabby barn.
Instead of fear, a deep sigh escaped him.
If he had understood the nature of his opponent from the start, he would have fled long ago.
Even in this situation, he constantly pondered what words to use to persuade the mysterious man pretending to be the Black Cat Lord.
However, no clever ideas came to mind.
When he looked closely at the stranger's unusual gaze, an odd feeling washed over him.
'This doesn't seem like an ordinary madman.'
It was the first time Hongshin felt an extraordinary madness just from someone's gaze.
It was strange that the feeling did not appear to be mere insanity.
There was a mix of confidence and pride, an arrogant air about him.
There was also a stubbornness that refused to listen to others.
Was it just that? The ambiguity of whether he was joking or serious was evident not only in his eyes but also in his tone.
In short, Hongshin concluded that this was not an ordinary madman.
This conclusion was drawn not just from his gaze but also from their martial exchanges and conversations.
However, a moment later, it was not the fake Black Cat Lord who suddenly appeared in the barn, but the Wall General, whom Hongshin had seen a few times before.
Feeling a sense of foreboding, Hongshin opened his mouth.
“Wall General, why are you here?”
As the Wall General entered, he replied, “I came here on the orders of the Lord. Please forgive my intrusion.”
“If you know it’s an intrusion, wouldn’t it be better to leave immediately?”
“Can someone who receives orders do that? If commanded, I must comply.”
Then, people entered, setting down a small desk and chair before disappearing.
The Wall General settled down and took out a thin brush and paper.
Hongshin, startled, asked, “What on earth are you doing?”
With the brush in hand, the Wall General grinned. “I was told to draw a detailed portrait of Hongshin’s face. What power do I, an old man, possess? If I must draw, then I shall. He is a more terrifying figure than you might expect. Since I am fulfilling an order, please do not hate me too much.”
Hongshin shouted, “Why my face!”
Suddenly, the Wall General appeared to Hongshin like an old pervert.
The Wall General held out the brush, measuring the composition as if he were gauging something.
“If the Lord suddenly runs away or refuses to cooperate with the Black Cat’s affairs, I will hand over the portrait I create to the Martial Alliance. Have you heard of the Martial Alliance’s anonymous reporting system? It will be sent there. I hear you’ve made quite a name for yourself through thievery? Just stay still. I will draw you in detail. By the way, I wonder if I can say this...”
“What?”
“Your figure is truly splendid.”
“Shut up!”
The Wall General laughed like a madman while holding the brush. “Hehehe, I mean it as a work of art. Please do not misunderstand. I will begin now.”
“Where are you looking!”
“How can I draw without looking? Just as one draws mountains when seeing mountains and water when seeing water, I will draw you.”
Hongshin felt a chill run down his spine at the Wall General's nonsense. “Wall General, call my brother.”
“He will wake up from his nap and come when the time is right. Please do not rush.”
“Hey!”
“Even though you are a Lord of the same rank as the Lord, it does not feel good to hear casual words from someone who is like my granddaughter. It is quite unpleasant.”
“What will you do if you feel unpleasant?”
Hongshin blurted out in anger, then realized his mistake.
The Wall General threatened him with a pitiful expression. “Shall I draw your portrait in the nude?”
“...”
Only then did Hongshin close his mouth.
The Wall General smiled slyly. “Alright. That was a joke. I will draw you soon, so please do not hate me too much. I have no choice but to do this to survive.”
The Wall General, still holding the brush, carefully observed as if measuring the length and then said, “Let me give you a piece of advice from my years of experience.”
“I don’t need it.”
Even though Hongshin said he didn’t need it, the Wall General whispered to him in a small voice, grinning. “As you may have noticed, the Lord you originally served is dead.”
Hongshin swallowed hard as he listened to the Wall General's words.
The Wall General's following voice sounded eerie, as if spoken by a strange old man guarding a deserted place.
“I died without even being able to resist properly, crashing into a wall and shattering all the bones in my limbs. There was no time to mourn. It wasn’t that sad, really. I wasn’t particularly fond of the person I served. By the way, I caught a glimpse earlier, and it seems you only received a slap... When you speak while smiling, be careful. I still have not grasped the character of the new Lord. To be honest, I expected you, Hongshin, to be torn apart and die. Be careful when you smile.”
The Wall General took his gaze off the drawing and stared at Hongshin intently. “Do you understand?”
Hongshin barely nodded his head once.
The Wall General then measured the composition again with the thin brush and spoke in his original voice. “Alright. The pose is just right. Please stay still.”
After taking a short nap, I woke up to the loud wailing from the training ground.
I quickly gave orders to So Gunpyeong and then staggered toward the barn.
Hongshin was sitting there, wearing the black robe I had given him, with a dazed expression.
I looked at Hongshin and the Wall General and said, “What’s going on? Why does he look like this? Did he steal something again?”
Hongshin replied, “I didn’t steal anything. Brother, have you come?”
“Yeah.”
As I casually glanced at the Wall General's drawing, he asked with a satisfied expression, “Lord, what do you think?”
I nodded vigorously. “You’ve captured Sister Hong perfectly in the drawing. Hahaha.”
“Thank you.”
“If Sister Hong acts arrogantly, I will make several copies of this drawing and send them to the Martial Alliance, as well as to the sects and families that have heard rumors of capturing thieves. The bounty will be placed accordingly.”
“Of course. I will do that.”
“Good. Go take care of your business.”
“Yes, Lord.”
I squatted down and made eye contact with Hongshin. “Shall I release you?”
“Yes.”
“It won’t do to release you just yet, as the blood path hasn’t been undone.”
Hongshin spoke in a resigned tone. “By the way, who are you? Your martial arts style is different, your movements are unique, your voice is different, and your personality is different. Most importantly, your gaze and the shape of your pupils are unlike those of the real brother.”
“Is it because I’m a thief? Your observation skills are impressive.”
“I can’t just hide my identity with a mask. Who are you to be so rude to the disciples of the Great Master? Can you bear the wrath of my master?”
“If I feared the Great Master, I wouldn’t have done this in the first place. Sister Hong.”
“Don’t call me sister.”
“Thieving girl.”
“Call me sister. By the way, the fake brother must have kept me alive for a reason, right? Money is the most important thing in my life. If the amount is sufficient, I can cooperate fully with the fake brother’s business.”
Hongshin smiled slyly as she spoke.
I wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so I got straight to the point. “I’m thinking of killing the Great Master.”
“...”
Hongshin’s expression suddenly darkened. “The Great Master is strong. Stronger than what the people of the martial world know. He hides his true strength behind his infamous reputation. I feel that the fake brother’s strength is a bit lacking.”
“Well, I’ll take that minor information into account. I’m an honest man. I just need to confirm whether you have the intention to betray the Great Master. Even if you say you’ll betray him right here and now, I won’t believe you.”
“Then what do you want me to do? If you won’t believe me even if I say I’ll betray him?”
“What do you mean? You should either kill all twelve guardians or trap them in this barn and then strike the Great Master. It’s only right to cut off their limbs first and then make your move, isn’t it?”
“Like the fake brother?”
I replied as I stood up, “Should I send you to the rabbit as well?”
“No. By the way, how long are you going to keep me locked up like this?”
“So Gunpyeong will soon bring a poison. I wonder who will eat this poison. Of course, it will be our Sister Hong.”
Hongshin’s complexion turned pale as she soothingly said to me, “Brother, please don’t do this. Just give me an order. I will carry it out thoroughly without betraying you. After all, you’ve already drawn my portrait.”
“Yeah. I don’t believe you.”
After all, the black-hearted ones are not to be trusted.
Especially women with thieving tendencies, I knew that every word they uttered was a lie.
At that moment, So Gunpyeong entered, placing a black pill on a white cloth.
“Lord, this is the Zihua Gu poison you mentioned.”
“Feed it to her.”
So Gunpyeong approached silently, opened Hongshin’s mouth with his hand, and placed the Zihua Gu inside.
So Gunpyeong looked at Hongshin and then asked me, “What if she doesn’t swallow it?”
“Beat her until she does.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Hongshin gulped down the Zihua Gu with a resigned expression.
She then said to me, “Please tell me what you want.”
I issued my command based on what I remembered from the Twelve Guardians’ strategy guide and what I knew from my past life. “I will give you ten days. By then, you must return and take the antidote. Kill Baekja, Hwang-o, and Noksul. Do you know why I’m asking you to kill only these three?”
Hongshin naturally knew the commonality among the three Twelve Guardians. “They are notorious for their evil deeds, murder, and robbery. However, it’s impossible to kill three of them in ten days. Just kill me now.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. With your strength, one is more than enough.”
“One?”
“If you bring me the head of one of the three within ten days, I will give you the antidote. Let’s continue our conversation then. Release me.”
So Gunpyeong approached and untied the ropes binding Hongshin.
I then approached Hongshin, who was still stiff from the blood path not being undone. “You have learned thievery and know the basics of assassination. Honestly, if you set your mind to it, ten days will be enough. After all, among the Twelve Guardians, it’s permissible to engage in life-and-death battles, so it wouldn’t be a crime to kill the Great Master.”
“Why don’t you just kill him yourself if you have sufficient strength?”
“It’s inefficient for a general to do what a captain can do. Naturally, it should be done by a sister.”
Only then did I undo Hongshin’s blood path.
Hongshin moved his neck around and replied, “By the way, could you please tell me your identity? I really can’t figure it out. Are you from the Martial Alliance?”
“I’m just a fortune teller from the neighboring village.”
So Gunpyeong seemed to think I revealed my identity too quickly and looked at me in a hurry.
“...!”
Hongshin replied, “It seems you have no intention of revealing it. I understand. I will kill one of the three and return, then we can talk again.”
As Hongshin answered oddly, this time So Gunpyeong looked at him with a surprised expression.
“...!”
I called out to Hongshin, who was trying to rush out of the barn. “Sister.”
“Yes?”
“Do you like gambling?”
“I do.”
“When is the most thrilling moment in gambling?”
“When I win with a reverse payout.”
I tied Hongshin’s interests and life direction to the reverse payout in gambling. “Even though you’ve taken the Zihua Gu, the decision is yours. You can stick to the Great Master, take the antidote, and expose my identity. Waging war against me and winning won’t yield much reward.”
Hongshin turned to me. “If the fake brother wins, what benefit do I get?”
“Nothing much.”
“If there’s nothing in it for me, why should I side with the fake brother?”
“Your old master used to say, ‘Bring me a young girl, get me money, kill someone, steal something.’ You won’t have to see that nonsense anymore.”
“It’ll be hard to kill him because of the Death Guardians and the escorts, right?”
I poked Hongshin’s forehead with my finger and said, “What I mean is... that’s why it’s a reverse payout. Think carefully for ten days.”
“I’m leaving.”
After taking a few steps from the barn, Hongshin suddenly unleashed his lightness skill and dashed away, effortlessly leaping over the wall and disappearing in an instant.
So Gunpyeong asked me with a puzzled expression, “Do you think it’ll be alright since the Zihua Gu was made so carelessly?”
“What did you make it with?”
“I just mixed some laxative and digestive medicine together and kneaded it by hand. She might end up soiling herself while running.”
“Indeed, our So Gunpyeong is thorough.”
“What if she realizes it’s not a Gu poison?”
I lifted my mask and smiled slyly. “It’s fine. For a gambler, a reverse payout is the true Gu poison.”