Master Yukhap said to me,

"Haomun Leader, aren’t you looking down on me too much?"

"Not at all."

"I’ve seen plenty of guys like you in Jianghu. Especially in the black factions."

Master Yukhap seemed to be angry.

"Is that so?"

"Relying on their power and getting arrogant, then dying. Trusting in their martial skills and becoming conceited, then dying. Underestimating me because of my ugly appearance, then dying. You’re no different. You seem to think I’m a joke because I walk around with bugs."

Master Yukhap smiled at me.

It was obvious that once he gave the order, the seven bugs would charge at me, willing to die.

Meanwhile, I sat calmly in the main hall, patiently waiting for Master Yukhap’s command.

Master Yukhap stared at me for a while, then tilted his head and said,

"...It’s strange. You’re young, yet too calm."

The First Bug spoke to Master Yukhap.

"Master, shall we kill him?"

"Wait a bit."

"Yes."

"Look at the Haomun Leader’s expression. He’s strange."

Without much reaction, I simply said to Cha Seong-tae,

"Seong-tae, bring some Dukangju."

"Yes, sir."

Cha Seong-tae came out from inside, set the Dukangju down on the table, and disappeared again.
Master Yukhap asked me,

"Is there poison this time?"

Without answering, I poured myself a glass and drank it.

I wanted to pour a drink for the bugs, the ones who had died by my hand in my past life, but with the suspicious Master Yukhap watching, that wasn’t possible.

After drinking three cups alone, I stared at Master Yukhap’s pathetic face.

Just like in my past life, I could see an emotion uglier than his looks in his expression.

Having an ugly face doesn’t mean your heart has to be ugly too.

But this bastard was ugly both inside and out.

Later, he would earn the title Crazy Demon because of how rotten his heart was. Maybe that’s why his appearance would become even more hideous with time.

Feeling the alcohol rising inside me, I said to him,

"Master Yukgap."

"It’s Yukhap."

"Looking at you now... you’re really ugly."

"……."

"Your face is truly hideous. If we’re talking about looks alone, you’re uglier than even these bug bastards here. Is that why you deliberately picked ugly servants? So you could wander around with a whole gang of ugliness? Am I wrong?"

Master Yukhap looked truly furious.

"……."

He was so angry that even as he blinked slowly, he couldn't say a single word.

Meanwhile, the Seven Silver Bugs kept their heads bowed, likely knowing well that Master Yukhap hated comments about his appearance the most.

Master Yukhap smiled coldly and said,

"You’re a dead man."

I also smiled and replied,

"Why? Because I called you ugly?"

"……Am I really that ugly?"

I rested my chin on my hand and studied him.

"Let’s see. Let’s take a good look. Look once, twice, even thrice."

"……."

"You’re damn ugly. No matter how many times I look, it’s still awful. Master Yukgap."

Maybe because I was being too direct, the anger that was about to explode inside Master Yukhap suddenly fizzled out with a snort of laughter.

"How absurd."

I laughed along while watching his face.

"Of course it’s absurd. It’s absurd for me too. It’s rare to see someone who even looks ugly while laughing. Ugly. Just ugly."

"Pavilion Lord, are you finished talking?"

Thinking he might attack me any moment, I replied ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) appropriately,

"No, not yet. There’s something else I have to tell you. I know why you’re ugly."

Master Yukhap's eyes widened.

"What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Listen carefully. I never avoid a fight. Whether I die or you die, I want to make sure I say this. Listen. I know exactly why you’re ugly. I even know how to fix it. You can fight me after you hear me out."

I said it with a genuinely serious expression.

Meanwhile, Master Yukhap, with his ugly face, stared at me like I was insane.

Like trying to calm a rabid dog, I gestured at him soothingly.

"Will you hear me out? If you don’t, you’ll regret it. There aren’t many who know this."

Master Yukhap, breathing heavily, glared at the bugs.

The bugs just kept their heads low, like people about to be executed.

Master Yukhap spoke,

"Speak."

"Master Yukgap... don't get too worked up. Listen carefully."

Suddenly, Master Yukhap slammed the table repeatedly and shouted,

"I told you it’s Yukhap! Not Yukgap! Yukhap! Yukhap! Yukhap! You bastard! Is it so hard?! You damn wretch, I’ll tear you apart!"

I lowered my hands to calm the Crazy Demon from my past life.

"Alright, alright. Don’t lose your mind. Master Yukhap, listen carefully. I’ll explain."

"Speak."

I drank a cup of Dukangju and then asked the bugs,

"Anyone want a drink? No? Good. I’ll drink alone. Let me explain."

I began to preach my Theory of the Ugly Man seriously.

"This is quite a profound issue. Men are divided into two categories: born handsome and made handsome. Similarly, there are men who are born ugly and men who become ugly later. Born handsome means someone who's had good looks since birth. You follow so far?"

Master Yukhap glared at me.

"Keep going."

I pointed at him with my finger.

"You were born ugly. That means you were already a mess from the moment you popped out."

Master Yukhap stared at me with his mouth half-open.

"……."

"But the real problem is that you turned yourself into a made ugly as well. Do you know why? Because even someone born ugly can become handsome later. That’s always been my belief. Especially for martial artists like us.
You just don't know how."

"Still sounds like bullshit."

"What do you think that means? It means even a born handsome man can end up ugly. The key lies in the harmony between the heart and the expression."

"That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."

I nodded.

"If you don’t understand it, it would sound dumb. When a man smiles, his face and his heart should be in harmony, like internal energy and external energy working together. If your mind is plotting to hurt someone, but your face is smiling, over time your muscles will twist into ugliness."

"……."

"Of course, I’ve smiled while hiding killing intent too. But mostly, I smile because I’m genuinely happy. You, on the other hand, have an already ugly face, but your mind and expression are also out of sync. You keep worsening your own face. A man’s face usually changes every ten years. Even if you’re born ugly, knowing this can change your aura — just like a martial artist’s internal energy can change with training. Is it difficult? Honestly, it’s so profound and subtle that explaining it is harder than teaching martial arts."

I drank another cup of Dukangju and stared at Master Yukhap.

Master Yukhap said to me,

"Explain more. Surely that’s not all. If you fail to convince me, you’ll die here tonight."

"Save those brainless threats for your minions. Fine, the example was wrong. I’ll explain it properly. There were men whose smiles I thought were truly splendid. Do you know who?"

"Who?"

"Do you know the Sword Demon?"

"The Sword Demon from the Demonic Cult?"

I nodded.

"That man smiled big only once in front of me. And that smile was unforgettable. Why? Because a man who almost never smiled showed it so rarely. He was someone who would never smile casually. But when he did, he smiled with genuine sincerity. You at least know who the Sword Demon is, don’t you?"

"Of course I do."

"This was the first case. The second was when Alliance Leader Im Sobaek smiled. Ah, he was a man who, just like the Sword Demon, almost never smiled. If you put the two of them together, I swear they would have an emotionless conversation for a hundred days straight. Alliance Leader Im always kept a strong, stoic expression, making it extremely difficult to catch even a glimpse of a smile. But he definitely knew how to smile. After confirming the safety of his subordinates and successfully completing an operation, he would let out a faint, genuine smile."

"So what about it?"

I glared at Master Yukhap.

"Even if you smile just once a year, that’s how a man should smile. When you do, no matter how ugly you were born, you can become handsome later. Especially for those of us in Jianghu, where aura and presence matter even more. The smiles of the Alliance Leader and the defected Sword Demon were rare sights.  It’s because they had very few moments they could truly smile about. Genuinely smiling is that difficult.
Meanwhile..."

I pointed at the bugs with my finger.

"Look at these bugs that have been snickering ever since they walked in. Not a single one of them actually laughed out of genuine amusement. None of them laughed because they were happy with their lives. They were forcing smiles while nervously shoving terrible food down their throats, wondering if there was poison. Is that a real smile? Every single one of them was giving fake, survival-driven, pathetic laughs because they were afraid of you, Master Yukgap. That’s why their faces are getting twisted."

I returned to the beginning of my explanation.

"This is what happens when the heart and the smile don’t match. The faces of these bugs will get uglier and uglier, and in ten years, they’ll look like monsters. I told you, didn’t I? A man’s appearance changes every ten years. It’s just like the level of internal energy. Your natural looks don’t matter to a martial artist. Every day, will you grow stronger and become more handsome? Or will you live uglier every day and become even more hideous? That’s the secret of appearances."

Since I had been explaining so seriously, I wiped the sweat off my forehead lightly and drank another cup of Dukangju.

"Now do you understand why you’re ugly, Master Yukgap?"

Master Yukhap glared at me with sunken eyes.

"Pavilion Lord, let me ask you one thing first."

"Go ahead."

"You introduced yourself properly, so why do you keep calling me Master Yukgap instead of Master Yukhap?"

I nodded and replied in a solemn tone,

"That’s just who I am."

"What does that mean?"

I lifted the corners of my mouth and grinned.

Teasing the Crazy Demon from my past life was just too much fun.

"It’s my choice. Whether it’s Yukhap or Yukgap, the fact that you’re ugly doesn’t change, so don’t get caught up in the details. What’s the difference? You’re hopelessly ugly inside and out anyway. Well... did you understand my words? I gave you a chance and information to become handsome again. I’m curious if you feel like living your life over. Wow, can you believe I’m giving out advice like this for free? You won’t find another hero like me."

While Master Yukhap took a deep breath, I continued speaking on my own.

"No matter how ugly you are, a man’s genuine smile is beautiful. Such a smile can’t be hidden by mere ugliness. Whether you die today or not, remember my words. We can all become handsome."

My lecture, which had started with the Theory of the Ugly Man, ended with the Theory of the Handsome Man.

It made me feel a little guilty, as if I had just scammed a bunch of pitiful guys.

"……."

I asked Master Yukhap in a dry tone,

"Are you going to fight? Are you going to attack me? Are you ready to say goodbye to life? What a pity."

Before Master Yukhap could answer, I called out to my subordinates.

"Seong-tae, Pavilion Head So, Master Ho Yeon, executives."

The waiting subordinates walked into the main hall and answered,

"Yes, Pavilion Lord."

"You called?"

I stared at Master Yukhap and ordered my men.

"If by any chance I fall to these bastards—"

"Yes."

"Make sure to ask my acquaintances in Jianghu to avenge me."

Cha Seong-tae nodded and replied.

"Understood."

"First, go to Alliance Leader Im Sobaek, the Sword Demon who escaped from the Demonic Cult, the Blood Night Palace Lord who was said to be the Cult Leader’s younger sister, and also contact the Wind-and-Cloud Mong Family. Tell them to avenge me against the dung-smeared second son."

"Yes, sir."

"Also, inform the Namyeonghui, Namcheonryeon, and Black Line Society as well."

"Of course."

"Now that I think about it, I have friends all across the White Path, the Black Path, and even the Demonic Path. I didn’t live in vain after all."

"That’s true."

"Also let our hometown friends from Ilyang County know. Seong-tae, you should set out for revenge in about ten years. Your skills are still too pathetic."

"Understood."

I said in a solemn voice,

"Let them know the Haomun Leader died unfairly. Tell them he was attacked for calling Master Yukhap Master Yukgap, and for saying he was ugly. What a tragic story. Especially Alliance Leader Im Sobaek, who fought side-by-side with me against the Namgak Gang — he will surely grieve deeply. Be sure to put Master Yukhap and his servants on the martial world’s public enemy list. Remember: it’s Yukhap, not Yukgap."

Cha Seong-tae nodded.

"I’ll make sure to convey it properly. It’s Yukgap, right?"

"It’s Yukhap."

"Yes."

I grabbed the Flash Dagger, still stabbed into the table, and stared at Master Yukhap.

"Good. Now my chest feels lighter. Let’s fight."

"……."

"Master Yuk⸱gap."

I called out to the Crazy Demon from my past life and grinned widely.

Since I was teasing him for my own amusement, it was a very fitting expression.

Ah, but if I keep doing this, I might end up becoming too handsome...

.

.

.

Just a pointless worry.