Chapter 118: The Arrogant and Pretty Heart
Chapter 118: The Arrogant and Pretty Heart
“You were much prettier back then.”
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon lightly hopped over a trap. At his words, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master beamed.
“Don’t say such things. I wasn't quite that much of a beauty.”
“No. In my eyes, you were far better.”
A veteran of countless battles, the Smiling Demon remained utterly unfazed even by the sudden ambush of her charms.
Still, his gaze eventually drifted toward Lee An. Indeed, it was no easy feat for anyone to tear their eyes away from a woman so breathtakingly beautiful. Even then, the Smiling Demon had not yet recognized the woman who had entered with them.
It was the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master who acknowledged her first.
“Congratulations, Martial Artist Lee.”
She was calm, as if she had known it would turn out this way all along.
“Thank you, Pavilion Master,” Lee An replied.
Upon hearing Lee An’s voice, the Smiling Demon’s eyes widened in shock behind his mask.
“Wait, that Ugly Heart? No way. Seriously?” he asked, his voice rising in sheer disbelief.
He was so startled that he repeated himself twice.
Lee An smiled softly. “Yes. I am that same Heart—the one who was plain but possessed a few amusing tricks.”
The Smiling Demon sprang up and approached Lee An. He stared intensely at her face from a hair’s breadth away. Under the cold pressure of his white mask, Lee An trembled slightly with nerves.
The Smiling Demon tilted his head.
“There’s a slight resemblance, but no. It can’t be. It’s definitely not her.” He turned his gaze toward me. “Are you trying to mock me?”
“I did come here to tease you, but she really is that same Heart,” I replied.
“She is?” The Smiling Demon scanned Lee An once more. “Impossible. No, absolutely not!”
Even as he denied it vehemently, he looked back at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master. She gave a single, firm nod, her expression confirming the truth.
The Smiling Demon turned back to me, stunned. “What on earth happened?”
“This was her original appearance. She had only gained weight as a side effect of her Body Protection Art.”
“She looked like this and yet she served as a simple guard? That is the greatest waste of talent in the history of our Cult!”
Coming from him, this was the ultimate compliment.
Lee An smiled at him and said, “That was because I wanted to protect the Young Master.”
Of course, I was the one to set the record straight. “Do you think she did it because she wanted to? You know better than anyone how things work in our Cult.”
“It’s because the Cult is so cold-blooded that we get to play the roles of Demon Lords and successors. However…” The Smiling Demon’s gaze shifted back to Lee An. “I suppose I’ll have to make an exception for this case.”
A new sense of admiration colored the way he looked at her. It wasn't just for her beauty, but for the weight of her sacrifice.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master walked over to Lee An and took both her hands warmly.
“You are so beautiful. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, come with me. I shall complete your transformation.”
“Complete it?”
“You don’t know how to apply makeup, do you?”
“…No.”
Having lived her entire life as a hidden guard, when would she ever have had the chance to learn such things?
“In life, there are times when one must fight with things other than a blade. For a woman, makeup is a weapon more powerful than a sword.”
The Pavilion Master led her out of the room. Lee An, perhaps curious to learn, allowed herself to be pulled away without resistance.
“It’s stuffy in here. Let’s head out as well.”
“Fine by me.”
I left the room with the Smiling Demon. The area around the Pavilion Master’s residence was beautifully landscaped, making it a pleasant place for a stroll.
“Being with the Second Young Master is truly a series of surprising experiences.”
“I imagine you were shocked. Even I, who cleared the side effects of her martial arts, was surprised.”
However, the "surprising experience" the Smiling Demon was referring to wasn't Lee An, but our recent battle.
“During that fight, I truly thought we might die at the hands of Baek Mang-gi.”
I hadn't expected him to be that strong either. But the truly surprising thing wasn't Baek Mang-gi’s strength—it was the fact that the Smiling Demon was being so honest about his feelings.
“I felt the same way.”
“But you killed him, Second Young Master.”
“If you hadn't helped me, Lord Smiling Demon, I would be the one dead.”
That was the plain truth. The Smiling Demon stared at me intently.
“I think I know what you’re thinking right now, Lord Smiling Demon.”
“And what would that be?”
“‘So, this fellow really was the one who killed the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord!’”
The Smiling Demon let out a loud, genuine laugh.
“Wrong. Didn't I tell you before? I already believed that. It was because I believed it that I stood my ground against Baek Mang-gi. If I hadn't, I would have fled that place without looking back.”
“You trusted me? Even with your life on the line?”
After a brief pause, the Smiling Demon answered. “I suppose I did.”
We walked in silence for a while. The experience of facing death together had created a profound shift in our dynamic. When the Smiling Demon’s mask had nearly been cleaved, I had felt a surge of genuine rage.
It was then I first realized how much I had come to care for him. I suspected he felt the same.
Suddenly, the Smiling Demon picked up a fallen branch and drew a long line in the dirt.
“How far have we come now?”
I took the branch from him and drew a line across the point we had once called the "survival line."
“I believe we’ve come this far.”
It was the very point I had once told him he must reach before I would let him live.
In that moment, I saw it. Through the eyeholes of his white mask, I saw him smile. A genuine smile. He laughed without making a sound, and it wasn't a laugh born of madness or anger. It was pure and natural.
I had never seen that smile in my life before the regression, yet remarkably, I was seeing it now at the end of this journey.
“Of course, the line will move depending on what you and I do from here on out. It could move further this way, or it could return to the starting point.”
“What happens if we reach the very end?”
“We would become true friends. We’d eat together, drink together. We’d share joys and arguments. If one of us fell into danger, the other would rush to the rescue. And when one of us eventually dies, the other would pour wine over their grave.”
“All of that sounds unnecessary, hypocritical, and burdensome.”
“They’re also things that turn out to be quite simple once you actually do them.”
I didn't expect that much from the Smiling Demon. My initial goal was simply to reach a point where we were neither enemies nor allies. At the very least, it seemed I had achieved that through this trip.
Just then, Blue Face appeared. He handed something to the Smiling Demon—a white mask.
“Here, as promised.”
The Smiling Demon handed the mask to me. On the day we fought Baek Mang-gi, he had promised to give me a new mask, and he hadn't forgotten.
“Thank you.”
I tried on the new mask. It was certainly lighter and more comfortable than the previous one.
“This is good. It feels like it won't get sweaty easily.”
“Blue Face made it himself. My mask was also crafted by him.”
“You have impressive skill.”
At my praise, Blue Face gave a slight, humble bow.
Then, two people walked into the garden. It was Lee An and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master returning from their makeup session. Not only was I stunned, but the Smiling Demon and Blue Face were frozen in place as well.
With makeup, Lee An looked like a completely different woman. She was alluring, sensual, intense, and radiant.
“Martial Artist Lee has such natural dignity that I decided to create a different atmosphere for her,” the Pavilion Master explained.
It felt as though I were looking at a world-class beauty from another realm. Makeup is a woman’s weapon? If so, we were looking at the greatest sword under heaven.
“From now on, I shall call you the Pretty Heart instead of the Ugly Heart.”
Even the Smiling Demon seemed secretly pleased by Lee An’s transformation.
The Pavilion Master remarked pointedly, “She’s prettier than I was in my youth, isn't she?”
The Smiling Demon turned to Lee An and said coldly, “Make sure you pay me back for the carriage!”
Meanwhile, upon realizing through their conversation that the beauty before him was indeed Lee An, Blue Face was utterly shocked.
“This lady is... Martial Artist Lee?”
Lee An smiled at the stunned man. “Yes, Blue Face. It’s me.”
“Is it truly you?”
His shock was so great I could practically see his expression through his mask. He was usually extremely cautious and soft-spoken in front of the Smiling Demon, but he had completely forgotten his surroundings. Realizing his lapse, Blue Face quickly stepped back.
Then, Lee An spoke to me tentatively. “May I wear that mask?”
Thinking of the stares she had endured on the way here, I could understand her. She wasn't the type to enjoy that kind of attention.
“I don’t mind, but you should ask Lord Smiling Demon for permission. He’s the one who gave it to me.”
Lee An turned to the Smiling Demon. “May I wear that mask?”
“No!”
Then I won't be able to see that pretty face, will I? I suspected that was his true thought.
“Why not?”
“It will ruin the makeup that was so painstakingly applied. Do you know who did that makeup for you?”
The Smiling Demon gave the perfect answer right until the end. The Pavilion Master, pleased, gave his arm a playful pinch. She was likely the only person in the world who could get away with that.
“You may wear it if you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Lee An was delighted. She took the mask from me and placed it over her face. She looked at me and asked, “How do I look?”
“How do you look? It’s a mockery of beauty and a source of despair for every man in the world.”
“You told me I should be happy, didn't you? I think I’ll be happier with this.”
I walked over and slid the mask up onto the top of her head. “When it’s just us, wear it like this. That way, your mask will be looking at the sky.”
“I like that.”
Perhaps emboldened, Lee An turned to Blue Face. “By the way, does a honey trap work on you?”
Blue Face didn't understand the joke and hesitated. I, however, could guess what she was getting at.
“With you, it would work on anyone. You could make a monk who’s been meditating for a hundred years break his vows.”
“You’re exaggerating!”
“Just wait and see if I am.”
Lee An spoke to Blue Face again, her tone turning serious. “What I said just now was a joke. Blue Face, I would like to invite you to be the First Team Leader of the organization I intend to create.”
Blue Face was stunned by the unexpected offer. As he hesitated, the Smiling Demon spoke up.
“I give you a mask as a gift, and the first thing you do is try to steal my man?”
“Please don't misunderstand. Blue Face was my first candidate even before I received the mask.”
“You’re asking him to give up his position under a Demon Lord to become a team leader. Do you realize what you’re saying?”
“Yes!”
“Does Blue Face look like a fool to you?”
“No. I believed he was someone with the courage to throw himself into a new life at least once.”
“When it comes to courage, you’re the best, you Arrogant Heart! To say such things right in front of me.”
“I just went for it because I trust the Young Master. I apologize.” She bowed politely to the Smiling Demon.
I saw it then—the conflict in Blue Face’s eyes. Indeed, any man would feel conflicted if such a beautiful leader made an offer. However, I worried her beauty might actually be a hindrance. If she were the old Lee An, he might have accepted more easily, but some men wouldn't want to look like a shallow person who only followed her because she became beautiful.
“Please, do give it some thought,” she added.
Blue Face gave a slight nod.
Even seeing that, the Smiling Demon didn't say much else. Even if Blue Face decided to go, the Smiling Demon seemed like the type who would just call him an idiot and let him leave. If he showed that kind of grace, the line I had drawn in my heart would move even further to the right.
The Smiling Demon said to me, “Second Young Master. Let us head back now.”
“You go on ahead. I’m going to spend a little more time with the Pretty Heart before I head in.”
I wasn't doing it for myself, but for Lee An. Now that she had shed her old skin, she deserved to fly a bit before going back inside. The Pavilion Master saw right through my intentions.
“The Second Young Master is a truly kind person.”
To which the Smiling Demon replied, “Don’t be fooled. He is a villain among villains. Can’t you see that mask? He’s a man who was born wearing one. Right now, you’re looking at two people standing there in masks.”
The Pavilion Master smiled. “That’s why they look so good together.”
As I turned to leave with Lee An, I looked back at the Smiling Demon once more.
“Thank you for showing me a wonderful world. Please show it to me again sometime.”
Before we parted, the Pavilion Master said, “Second Young Master, please look after my older brother from now on.”
Normally, it would be Lee An saying, Please look after my Young Master. But the Pavilion Master was playfully, yet seriously, entrusting the Smiling Demon to me. Had she seen something in the relationship between us?
At the very least, one thing was certain. The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master was the only person in this world who truly cared for and understood him.
I laughed and shouted back, “Yes, Pavilion Master! For your sake, I’ll take good care of the Smiling Demon from now on.”
Leaving the exasperated Smiling Demon behind, I took Lee An’s hand and turned away.
“Let’s go, Lee An. Let’s go see the Central Plains.”
From now on, the world before her would be entirely different from the one she had known.