Chapter 117: Your Eyes Will Swell, Don't Cry.
Chapter 117: Your Eyes Will Swell, Don't Cry.
Lee An was startled.
Though she had been surprised many times since meeting me, she had never been quite this shocked before. Her eyes, previously half-hidden by the swelling of her flesh, began to tremble.
"Lee An, the day has finally come."
She couldn't say a word. Though she didn't show it outwardly, I didn't need to ask to know how long she had been waiting for this moment.
"When... when will the procedure begin?"
"Now."
"Truly? Right now? The moment I’ve waited for so long is just going to happen so suddenly?"
"That is how fate usually changes—it comes without warning. That’s why, looking back, it all feels like destiny or a series of coincidences."
"I’m... I’m shaking."
"It’s alright. You’re allowed to shake. As long as I don't, we'll be fine."
I playfully mimicked my hand trembling as if I were about to misplace a needle. I was joking to ease her tension, but Lee An was so nervous and excited that she just stared blankly, unable to tell if I was kidding or not.
If I could, I would have used the Space-Time Displacement Technique to open a magnificent space and perform the procedure there, but I couldn't afford the internal energy required to maintain such a field.
"Lie down on the bed over there."
Lee An did as she was told, taking several deep breaths. Even when she woke up this morning, she probably hadn't dreamed that she would be undergoing the Body Poison Purification Technique today.
I began to place the needles into the designated pressure points. I performed the acupuncture with every ounce of my strength, needle by needle. To an onlooker, it might have looked like something any local physician could do, but it required the highest level of skill.
I had to inject a specific amount of internal energy into each needle, sometimes reciting oral formulas as I worked. A single mistake would mean failure, and she would suffer severe internal injuries. Between placing needles, I periodically injected energy into her body to soothe her rampaging qi and blood.
Her body burned with fever, and sweat poured off her like rain. She groaned and whimpered under the weight of the surging pain.
"It hurts a lot, doesn't it? The pain is normal."
She tried to say something—trying to tell me she could endure it—but the words wouldn't form. That was how grueling and agonizing the procedure was.
I remained cautious until the very last moment. Once all the needles were in place, I stepped outside for a moment. I sat cross-legged, eyes closed, and regulated my internal energy. The mental exhaustion was immense.
The acupuncture wasn't a one-time affair. After withdrawing all the needles, I started over from the beginning, placing them in a different sequence. As the procedure progressed, the mental strain grew heavier, and the pain she endured intensified.
"Aaaagh!"
A scream escaped her lips. She was usually patient and stoic, but this pain seemed almost impossible to bear.
Hang in there, Lee An.
It pained me to see her like this, but she had to overcome it herself.
After the second round of acupuncture, I filled the tub I had bought with water, crushed the herbs, and mixed them in. The dosage and the combination of herbs had to be precise. Then, I performed the acupuncture one last time.
It was the final hurdle. I spoke softly to her, not knowing if she could even hear me.
"This is the last one. Endure it well."
She grit her teeth and weathered the pain. I injected internal energy to soothe her qi and blood, trying my best to lessen her suffering.
Endure it, Lee An.
Only after those three grueling rounds of acupuncture did I submerge her in the medicinal water. I fixed a long tube into her throat so she could breathe.
Everything I could do was finished. I could only hope the procedure would end successfully.
*
Lee An dreamed.
It was a dream of her early childhood.
"Can you learn the Full Body Petrification Art for the sake of the Young Master?"
What is the Full Body Petrification Art? she wanted to ask, but the atmosphere didn't allow for questions. Her Master had always been terrifying.
"Yes."
"There are side effects to learning the Full Body Petrification Art. Your body will swell."
She didn't know exactly what "swelling" meant back then.
"The swelling will not go down. Ever."
She didn't understand the weight of those words either. She didn't know how much the heavy meaning of that one word—ever—would ruin her life. She was only eight years old at the time.
"Will you still do it?"
"Yes."
The atmosphere made it feel like saying no wasn't an option. But it wasn't just the scary atmosphere that drove her decision. She wanted to stay by Geom Mu-geuk's side. She had liked him from the moment she first saw him.
Did she truly never regret it?
Time flowed forward in the dream. She stood before a cracked bronze mirror. A strange girl in the reflection was glaring at her. A girl who had become so bloated she could no longer recognize herself was fuming with rage.
Why are you the one who's angry? I'm the one who's so sad because of you.
Time flowed again. She was watching a drunken Geom Mu-geuk from behind.
"Damn it!"
She knew what Geom Mu-geuk wanted to say.
What do I have that makes me inferior to my brother!
Those were the words he couldn't bring himself to spit out. The Cult Leader trusted the First Young Master more, and rumors were flying that the First Young Master would be the successor.
After the Heavenly Demon Hall announced that anyone with the ability could become the successor, people began to openly ignore Geom Mu-geuk. Some thought that slighting him was a way to get into the First Young Master's good graces. Everyone assumed Geom Mu-geuk would lose the succession struggle and die.
Only she knew how hard Geom Mu-geuk had tried to impress his father.
Thud!
Geom Mu-geuk slammed his hand onto the table. A wine bottle fell from the broken table and shattered. She went over and cleared the shards.
Find strength, Young Master.
At some point, Geom Mu-geuk had stopped giving her even a single warm look. He was entirely consumed by whether or not he would become the successor. Even so, she still liked him.
The dream took her to another day. To that fateful day when everything began to change.
Geom Mu-geuk, having returned from the New Demon Competition, stood before the mirror. The look in his eyes as he watched her had changed.
Geom Mu-geuk asked:
— How do I look?
It had been so long since she'd seen such a warm gaze. He must be in a good mood because he won the duel, she thought.
— You are the most handsome man in the Jianghu.
— That's no fun.
— The answer to a question from the person who pays my monthly salary is always predetermined.
When was the last time they had exchanged such jokes? The Geom Mu-geuk in the mirror stared intently at her.
— Why are you looking at me like that?
At that moment, she woke up and opened her eyes. She saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Only after a moment did she realize this was the place where the Body Poison Purification Technique had been performed.
Is the procedure over?
She slowly sat up. Her body felt different. Then, she saw her hands. Slender, jade-white, long hands.
"!"
Her heart dropped for a moment before it began to thrum like a drum. She squeezed her eyes shut.
This might still be a dream. Please, don't let it be a dream!
With a desperate heart, she opened her eyes again. Her hands were no longer the bear-like paws they used to be. Her dream had simply been for them to get a little smaller, but now they were beautiful, slender hands.
Suppressing the urge to scream, she slowly pulled back the covers. They were unfamiliar legs. Two white, long legs that were incredibly beautiful.
In the end, she couldn't help but let out a cry. She experienced for the first time that when a person is too happy, they scream without even realizing it.
She stepped down from the bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, a fear surged that her legs might suddenly grow massive and she would wake from the dream. But that didn't happen. It was the moment she took the first step of her new life.
Stepping away from the bed, she walked slowly toward the bronze mirror.
"Ah...!"
A strange woman stood in the mirror. She was a stranger, yet familiar. Her childhood features were there. How long had it been since she had seen her true self?
Her face was beautiful, and her figure was perfect. How could a single face be both glamorous and innocent at the same time? Her clear, gentle eyes looked intelligent, and she carried an air of haughty elegance that made her seem untouchable.
No other words were needed. It was, quite simply, overwhelming beauty. She felt like she would burst into tears, but surprisingly, none came. It was because she was still in a daze, unable to tell if this was a dream or reality.
Then, she noticed a set of undergarments and a white palace dress laid out for her next to the bed. The moment she saw them, her heart swelled, and she realized this was all real.
— Who are these for? They're for a very slim woman.
— There's someone I want to give them to.
— If you're giving undergarments as a gift, it must be someone very close to you.
— They are close.
The clothes Geom Mu-geuk had prepared for someone "close" were for her.
She put on the undergarments and the palace dress and stood before the mirror again. She looked even more beautiful than before. She was so happy that Geom Mu-geuk had bought these clothes for this very moment. His consideration for her felt wonderful. At least in this moment, Geom Mu-geuk's heart for her felt even better than having the side effects cured.
She walked slowly toward the door and went outside. The person she wanted to see most was standing in the yard with his back turned.
Lee An called out to him softly.
"Young Master."
Geom Mu-geuk slowly turned toward her. He saw her standing there in the palace dress. For a moment, his eyes widened.
He had already seen her beautiful transformation when he laid her on the bed after the procedure. But seeing her standing before him with her eyes open was different. She was so beautiful he was momentarily lost for words.
"The Body Poison Purification Technique was a success. Congratulations, Lee An."
Only then did tears finally spill from her eyes.
"Your eyes will swell. Don't cry on a day like today."
"It's okay if they swell. I've lived my whole life swollen."
"You have to live differently now."
"No, my life hasn't changed. Whether it was before the procedure or now, I am the same Lee An."
"Yes, you are the same Lee An to me as well."
Lee An ran to him and threw herself into his arms. She wept in his embrace for a long time. She didn't say thank you; she felt that saying it out loud would only diminish the depth of her gratitude.
"Can I ask you again?"
"What?"
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
"Don't ask. It's a question you'll have to ask again soon enough anyway."
"Pardon?"
With an inscrutable smile, Geom Mu-geuk took her hand and led her away.
"Let's go. We have to go show you off."
"To whom?"
"Who else? Starting with the worst bastard in the world, the one who teased you by calling you an 'ugly heart.'"
At his words, Lee An broke into a bright smile.
*
I walked down the street with Lee An.
People parted to the left and right like the sea. Everyone stared at her, dazed. Men, of course, but women too. Children watched, and the elderly stared. Monks looked, and Taoists gazed. Even a barking dog stopped its noise to look at her.
— Everyone is staring at you. How does it feel?
— It's a bit overwhelming.
— Enjoy it.
— How can I enjoy it when they're staring like that?
— Just enjoy the attention. Ah, I wish people would look at me like that.
— Please, take the attention for yourself!
— You won't say that once you get used to it.
It was the same when we arrived at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion. Everyone's gaze was fixed on her. Gasps of admiration erupted from all corners.
Among the courtesans were famous beauties, but there was simply no comparison. It was the same category of beauty, but Lee An possessed a noble dignity. Though she wore no makeup, her face seemed to radiate light.
In that manner, we entered the room where the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master were. The Smiling Demon was lying with his head on the Pavilion Master's lap.
"Fortunately, you're still here."
"I was waiting for you to arrive. What were you so busy with?"
The Smiling Demon glanced at me, then looked at Lee An beside me and jumped in surprise. He sat bolt upright.
I felt that Lee An's beauty could be summarized by this one scene: a beauty so great it made even the lounging Smiling Demon sit up straight.
"Who is this?"
"My new heart."
"What about the old one?"
"I threw it away."
"Did you happen to kill that ugly heart?"
Knowing he was asking in earnest, I laughed.
"Yes, I killed it with my own hands."
"Why would you kill it?"
"Why? Don't tell me you miss the ugly heart?"
"No, she hasn't finished paying back the money for the carriage repairs yet."
At those words, Lee An laughed heartily. As she laughed, it felt as though the entire room brightened.
Then, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master asked the Smiling Demon pointedly:
"She's prettier than I was when I was young, isn't she?"
I quickly looked at the Smiling Demon.
Careful! It's a trap, Smiling Demon.