Episode 40. Smile While You Still Can
Hongshin couldn’t move an inch—her pressure points had been sealed, and thick ropes bound her entire body.
To make things worse, the place she was trapped in was a filthy, run-down barn. Rather than fear, a weary sigh escaped her lips. Had she understood her opponent’s temperament earlier, she would have fled long ago.
Even now, she kept thinking about how to talk her way out once the impostor sect master appeared. But she found no clever plan—because when she looked into that stranger’s eyes, she felt something off.
‘He’s not your average lunatic.’
She’d met all sorts of madmen in the martial world, but never one whose eyes carried that peculiar blend of madness and clarity. It wasn’t just insanity she saw—it was confidence, pride, arrogance… and a stubborn refusal to listen to anyone.
And more strangely, there was something playful about him—somewhere between jest and dead seriousness. In short, her conclusion was simple: he wasn’t an ordinary madman. It wasn’t a hasty judgment either—she’d fought him and spoken with him. That was enough to know.
But instead of the fake sect master, another familiar figure entered the barn—a man she’d seen a few times before: Chief Byeok.
Unease prickled through her as she asked, “Chief Byeok, what are you doing here?”
He bowed slightly as he stepped inside. “Orders from the Lord. Forgive the intrusion.”
“If you know it’s rude, you should leave.”
“How can I? Orders are orders.”
Several men entered behind him, set down a small desk and chair, then left. Chief Byeok sat and took out a thin brush and some paper.
Hongshin frowned. “What the hell are you doing?”
He chuckled faintly, holding up the brush. “The Lord wants me to draw your face in detail. I’m old, but what choice do I have? I only follow orders. He’s more terrifying than you imagine, so don’t hate me for this.”
“My face? Why!?”
To her, the wrinkled old man suddenly looked like a pervert.
He gestured with the brush as if measuring proportions. “If you run or refuse to cooperate with the Black Cat House, he said he’ll send this portrait to the Martial Alliance. You’ve heard of their anonymous report system, haven’t you? They’d love a wanted sketch of a famous thief.”
“Stay still, and I’ll make it accurate. By the way…”
“What?”
“You’re remarkably well-formed.”
“Shut up!”
He laughed like a mad artist. “Ha ha, I meant as a work of art! Don’t misunderstand. Now, let’s begin.”
“Where are you looking!?”
“How can I draw without looking? When one sees mountains, one paints mountains. When one sees rivers, one paints rivers. And I am painting you.”
His nonsense made her skin crawl. “Chief Byeok, go call my senior!”
“He’s taking a nap. He’ll come when he wakes. Be patient.”
“Hey!”
“Even if you’re on equal rank with the Lord, you’re still young enough to be my granddaughter. Being yelled at by you doesn’t sit right with me.”
“So what if it doesn’t?”
She snapped back instinctively and immediately regretted it. Chief Byeok smirked. “Shall I make the portrait a nude, then?”
“….”
She fell silent at once. He smiled. “Good. That was a joke. Don’t be angry. I’ll finish quickly—I just want to keep living, you see.”
He studied her face again, brush hovering, and said quietly, “Since I’m older, let me give you some advice.”
“Don’t need it.”
“Still.” He leaned closer and whispered. “As you’ve guessed, the real Lord is dead.”
Hongshin swallowed hard, listening as his voice took on a chilling tone, like an old ghost whispering from a temple ruin.
“He died without even a proper fight—crashed into a wall, bones crushed to dust. We didn’t even have time to mourn. Not that I cared much for him anyway. And you… I saw earlier, you only got slapped once. But listen carefully when a man smiles. I don’t yet understand the new Lord’s temperament. Honestly, I thought you’d be torn limb from limb by now. So—smile while you still can.”
He lifted his gaze from the paper and stared at her. “Understand?”
Hongshin managed only a slight nod. He returned to his drawing and said in his normal voice, “Good. Hold that pose. Perfect.”
I awoke from a brief nap to the sound of loud wailing echoing through the training yard. After giving a quick order to So Gunpyeong, I strolled lazily toward the barn.
Inside, Hongshin sat wearing the black robe I’d given her, looking half-dazed. I glanced at her and Chief Byeok. “What’s this? Why does she look like that? Did she steal something again?”
Hongshin replied softly, “No theft. Senior, you’re here.”
“Yeah.”
I peeked at the drawing and nodded approvingly. Chief Byeok smiled proudly. “How is it, my Lord?”
“You’ve captured her perfectly. Ha ha ha.”
“Thank you.”
“If she dares get insolent again, make copies and send them everywhere—the Martial Alliance, the sects, the clans that hunt thieves. A bounty will appear soon enough.”
“Understood, Lord.”
“Good. Dismissed.”
Once he left, I crouched in front of Hongshin and met her eyes. “Should I untie you?”
“Please.”
“Not yet. Your acupoints will release soon anyway.”
She sighed. “Who are you really? Your martial path, your movements, your voice, your personality—all different from Senior Myo. Even your eyes.”
“A thief like you notices well.”
“A mask can’t hide everything. Who are you to treat the disciples of the Great Demon Monk so rudely? Can you bear his wrath?”
“If I feared him, I wouldn’t be doing this, Hong-sister.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Fine—thief.”
“Call me sister.”
“Fake Senior,” she said, flashing a sly smile. “You must want something from me, otherwise you’d have killed me already. I care about one thing—money. If the price is right, I’ll cooperate.”
I went straight to the point. “I plan to kill the Great Demon Monk.”
Her face hardened instantly. “He’s strong. Far stronger than people think. His reputation hides his true ability. You’re not enough to face him.”
“Noted. I just need to know if you’ll betray him. Not that I’d believe you even if you said yes right now.”
“Then why ask?”
“Simple. I’ll take care of his Twelve Generals first. Cut off his limbs before cutting the head.”
“Like you did with Senior Myo?”
I stood up. “Want to join him?”
“No thanks. How long do you plan to keep me locked up?”
“So Gunpyeong’s making a poison. Guess who’s taking it? You.”
Her face went pale. “Please don’t. Give me an order instead. I’ll obey. You already have my portrait.”
“Still don’t trust you.”
People of the dark world couldn’t be trusted—especially thieves. Every word from their mouths was a lie.
So Gunpyeong entered with a black pill on a white cloth. “Lord, this is the poison you requested—the Purple Mist Gu.”
“Feed it to her.”
Without a word, he pried her mouth open and shoved the pill in. “She’s not swallowing. What now?”
“Beat her until she does.”
Before he could move, she gulped it down herself. Then she looked up and asked in a resigned voice, “What do you want?”
I gave the order based on what I remembered from the Twelve Generals’ dossier and my previous life. “You have ten days. Return by then for the antidote. Kill Baekja, Hwang-o, and Nok-sul. Know why those three?”
She immediately saw the pattern. “They’re infamous killers and robbers. But killing three of them in ten days is impossible. Just kill me.”
“You can at least take one.”
“One?”
“Bring me the head of any one of them within ten days, and you’ll get the antidote. We’ll talk more then. Untie her.”
So Gunpyeong cut the ropes. I stepped closer as she regained slight movement. “You know stealth and assassination. If you truly want to live, ten days is plenty. Killing a fellow general won’t make the Great Demon Monk angry—it’s allowed.”
“If you’re strong enough, why not kill them yourself?”
“Because a commander doesn’t do a soldier’s job.”
I tapped her acupoints, releasing them fully. She stretched her neck and said, “At least tell me who you are. I can’t figure it out. Are you from the Martial Alliance?”
“I’m just a shop boy from the next village.”
So Gunpyeong glanced at me in panic, thinking I’d revealed too much. Hongshin blinked. “So you won’t tell me. Fine. I’ll kill one of them and come back.”
This time So Gunpyeong stared at her, shocked by her nonchalance.
I called out as she turned to leave. “Sister.”
“Yes?”
“You like gambling, right?”
“Love it.”
“When’s the most thrilling moment?”
“When you win against the odds.”
I smiled. “Even with poison in your stomach, the choice is yours. You can crawl to your master, expose me, and face me in battle. But winning that won’t pay much.”
She turned to look back. “And if you win, what do I get?”
“Nothing special.”
“Then why side with you?”
“Because then you won’t have to obey that old monster anymore—no more fetching girls, stealing money, or killing whoever he orders. That’s reason enough.”
“The Four Envoys and his guards won’t make it easy.”
I tapped her forehead lightly. “That’s why it’s a long shot. Think it over for ten days.”
“I will.”
She walked a few steps, then burst into motion—light-footed and swift, leaping over the wall and vanishing from sight.
So Gunpyeong frowned. “The poison was just some crushed laxatives and antacids. She might… you know… have an accident while running.”
“Diligent work, Deputy So.”
“What if she realizes it’s not poison?”
I lifted my mask slightly and grinned. “Doesn’t matter. For a gambler, betting on the long shot—that’s the real poison.”