Chapter 452

“There are many techniques for disguise, but the most important thing isn’t changing your face.”

“Uh, then what is it?”

“It’s changing the features. People often decide your impression the moment they see you. Honestly, I learned that too, but it’s pretty believable since that dude became somewhat famous using physiognomy while playing the role of a quack Daoist.”

The “dude” refers to the late Merchant Shintu.

Honestly, the teacher-disciple relationship in Shintu involves a pretty wrecked state of having completed the Yulryu Yeonryeon training while still being unable to break the chain of inherited hatred and grudges.

So Cheon Yu-hak’s trips with his disciples are really enjoyable and happy.

Even after enduring those brutal trainings, the good disciple still wags his tail at his master.

Of course, there’s a long-standing, painfully devoted soul behind all this, but since Qing doesn’t acknowledge it, no one in this world does, making it truly a story of a hidden hero.

“Oh, features. What do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s the parts that stand out the moment you see them. Since you’ve been hiding your face all along, just wrapping up your chest as much as you can is basically your disguise.”

At that, Qing’s expression soured.

“Do you know how frustrating and uncomfortable that is? I need to have a real chest to—”

“Actually, that’s better. That’s why I had my eye on you as a disciple.”

“Eh? Master? You looked at me that way—”

“Hey now, don’t say such horrendous things even as a joke. Honestly, someone with such distinctive features as you has an easy time disguising. Good-looking guys and pretty girls benefit from disguise. Since you’re famous for your beauty, as long as you wrap up that chest of yours, you could throw on a random face and become a totally different person.”

When Cheon Yu-hak evaluated Qing, not only did he possess extraordinary martial skills, but he was also truly a genius at disguise.

Just look at how he doesn’t sweat a single drop.

Once he sticks on some makeup, it won’t budge.

If he had just been a bit more ordinary-looking, he could have gone around with dozens of identities without being discovered. What a pity!

“Honestly, you wouldn’t even need to layer anything on your face. Just disguise the chest, change the hair, and it would be hard for anyone to recognize you. Plus, if you wore glasses, let’s give it a shot.”

Thus, following Cheon Yu-hak’s instructions, Qing thickly painted her eyebrows, coated her lips in bright red and exaggeratedly outlined them.

“Jang Myung? Thirty-one.”

“Yeah, thirty-one.”

Then, the two of them began parting her hair down the middle, twirling it into circular buns on each side of her head.

Afterward, they covered it with silk and tied it nicely with a ribbon, achieving the popular “dumpling hairstyle” favored by parents of young girls in the Central Plain.

This hairstyle keeps it cool in the summer and is quite convenient for parents since they don’t have to keep fixing the hair daily.

Qing then put on Cheon Yu-hak’s disguise glasses.

“Jang Myung? How do I look?”

“Ooh. I can’t recognize you! And you look really smart!”

“It’s not just looking smart; I actually am! Look here, Confucius said: ‘The one who knows cannot defeat the one who loves, and the one who loves cannot defeat the one who enjoys.’”

“Those who know cannot outdo those who love, and those who love cannot outdo those who enjoy.”

Actually, this was something Qing already knew from before she set off.

She never thought it would turn out to be a quote from Confucius.

“Wow. You’re smart. Keep going! More!”

At that, Cheon Yu-hak looked at his disciple with a face that seemed to say he was quite absurd.

“Confucius said: Don’t associate with those who are beneath you. Huh? Wait a minute. What about Jang Myung? According to Confucius, shouldn’t Jang Myung avoid speaking to me?”

“Don’t make friends with anyone less intelligent than yourself.”

And at that, the vein in Cheon Yu-hak’s forehead bulged.

He then tossed the piece of pork fat he was holding at Qing’s face with a slap.

Jin Jangmyung’s oddly satisfied expression was a bonus.

“Hey! When Confucius said not to befriend the incompetent, he wasn’t saying you can’t have friends who are less capable; he meant that there’s no one in the world more incompetent than you! Confucius, who said every stranger on the street could be a teacher, wouldn’t classify someone as incompetent. Who interprets it that way?”

“Ah! Scholar O from Yeongcheon said that!”

“This guy! What does a third-place loser know about interpreting anything? Because you’re a third-place loser, does that mean everyone else at the academy is your friend? This is precisely why half-baked learners spread nonsense like this.”

Qing might feel wronged.

No one knows Confucius’s true intentions except Confucius himself.

After all, the characters in the Central Plain are so underdeveloped that interpretations vary dramatically based on who’s reading them.

Cheon Yu-hak’s words were merely the most moderate interpretation.

Some interpret the “not” differently, claiming there are no friends better than those around you, hence don’t bias toward favorites or be biased in your judgments.

Others interpret that “those less capable than oneself” refers not to knowledge or wealth but rather morality.

Then the interpretation shifts to “Avoid those who are immoral or villainous.”

Had Qing known all this, she could have rebutted that no singular interpretation could be the answer.

But Qing didn’t know. How could she?

So sadly, her claim of being smart doesn’t hold any ground, making it null and void.

Either way, while inspecting the mercury mirror firmly secured to the wall in the lavish guest room, Qing exclaimed.

“Wow, is that me?”

With a rather vivid reaction, Cheon Yu-hak smiled with satisfaction.

But honestly, Qing was just thinking about wanting to try out the lines she had in mind.

Even without disguise, being the beauty reflected in the mirror was always a strange sight.

If the mirror was shaky, it wouldn’t matter, but seeing her own reflection in the Central Plain wasn’t an easy task, so she wasn’t accustomed to it.

Nevertheless, it was fascinating to see a different kind of beauty—a ladylike, brainy beauty that seemed exceptionally intelligent.

However, Qing felt a bit let down.

The disguise she initially envisioned was something different.

Of course, she wouldn’t hold back her thoughts.

“But is this it? Isn’t there anything more, like putting on a whole fake face or something?”

“Hey! The simplest and most straightforward way is the best. Do you think anything you stick on your face stays for more than a day or two? If you’re someone who’s greasy all over, you won’t last two hours before it all comes off. And using harsh stuff just makes it a pain—skin problems and festering and all that. It’s such a hassle.”

Of course, the term “festering” isn’t meant for serious diseases but refers to acne or pimples from where Qing is from.

“What about that ‘Inpi Myung-gong’?”

“Do you think it works if you slap something on your face? Of course, there are things that work, but they’re mostly pricey and not easily obtained just because they’re gold or silver. More importantly, wearing them is uncomfortable. They might keep you warm in winter, but in times like these, do you know how much sweat you produce? It pools under your chin like a water bag, ugh!”

“That! That! That’s how I feel when I wrap my chest! Do you get it now? You know that sticky skin-on-skin feeling? The moment I lift it, the sweat just cascades down!”

“Hey! There are certain things you don’t say to your master. What kind of ridiculous talk is that?”

“You wouldn’t understand unless you’d felt it yourself!”

“Hmph. When would I need to worry about such things?”

That’s a mystery too.

How would anyone assume they know what’s it like?

Life could change in a heartbeat.

Touching my own is one thing, but after a few days, it loses its excitement. But I’d absolutely love to play with someone else’s forever.

Hmmm.

Qing’s eyes turned mischievous as they glanced over to Jin Jangmyung’s chest, which then drooped with disappointment as the corners of her eyebrows fell.

I should’ve brought the cute young lady, huh…

I left her behind thinking I’d let Hui-young teach her some fight, saying she wouldn’t even know how to use the skills she’s just learned.

I searched to see if she was taught some odd techniques, but it didn’t show up.

So, when I doubted whether it was for real or not?

According to her, it’s supposed to be the best divine skill, and the only downside is that it’s not yet fully mastered.

To that, Qing just gave a mild nod.

If it isn’t a complete martial skill, naturally it could be hidden.

If it’s incomplete and can reach a supreme level, it’s worth calling it the best.

I might struggle to learn it.

I want to pick on her, play with her.

Jang Myung is still a kid.

Why is Jang Myung still a kid? Isn’t it strange?

How long will she stay a kid?

As Jin Jangmyung followed Qing’s gaze, her expression turned pitiful, as if she was seeing someone who couldn’t possibly be more unfortunate.

“What kind of look is that supposed to mean?”

“Come on, quit messing around. If you conceal your existing features and add new ones, no one would recognize you even after they get used to your face. Qing, all you need is to twist your nostrils a bit.”

Thus, Cheon Yu-hak passed on the secret technique of Shintu’s transformation arts, adding a crooked line on Qing’s perfect nose.

Jin Jangmyung was fortunate to steal a glimpse of such wonderful techniques.

But instead, she was indifferent and showed only her boredom while sticking close to Qing, breezing through the Lamentable Skill.

Qing inspected the mercury mirror again.

Just twisting a nose changes the impression enough to make someone look completely different.

“Like this, people will look at you and sigh, saying if only that nose were fine, you’d be a perfect beauty! That’s the impression of a person.”

Memory isn’t about creating a perfect portrait but rather matching those distinctive features.

“So what about Jang Myung?”

“First, we need to create a feature. Do you think guys check a girl out and direct their gaze where?”

“To the chest.”

“Hmm. You didn’t need to ask that, did you?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t know? Especially since I’ve been covering my face, I hardly look anywhere else. I understand though.”

“Guys are just naturally made that way; don’t take it too offensively. But so when girls disguise, it’s advantageous to either completely hide or disguise it to not show off those features.”

At this, Jin Jangmyung’s expression sharpened like a blade.

Cheon Yu-hak merely chuckled in response.

And then the next lesson began.

How to make an astonishing fake chest.

It was a refreshing relief, akin to a drizzle during a drought—like the sweetest water in the desert.

Qing’s expression blossomed brightly.

“Wow, really? Is it really convincing?”

“You’ll be shocked when you see it too.”

“Make it right now!”

Seeing Qing’s excitement made Cheon Yu-hak giggle.

I’d heard this was one of the several techniques a Merchant Shintu might suggest to lure their disciples, so clearly this was working wonders.

Qing carefully followed along, learning the systematic art of crafting a fake chest, and when she finally laid her eyes on the finished product, she couldn’t help but gasp.

Wow, what is this? It looks just like a real chest!

The size, shape, and weight were perfect, only the texture felt slightly sticky, creating a sense of awkwardness, and although there was a hard bean at its center…

But then suddenly a thought crossed her mind.

Isn’t this strange?

Didn’t she say I was the first woman disciple she’s ever had?

So why is she putting so much effort into making fake chests?

A fake chest in the Central Plain would typically just be a stitched cotton stuffed ball or something, but this felt like a product that leaped through the ages.

Qing couldn’t keep her curiosity bottled up.

“Is this also part of the family technique? Why do you go to such lengths for it? What’s it even used for with this kind of detail?”

With Jin Jangmyung around, it wasn’t just a “Merchant Shintu” anymore; even Cheon Yu-hak only ever referred to it as a family technique.

“Hmm? Naturally, we put effort into making a chest. Cough. Ahem.”

Cheon Yu-hak answered, sounding baffled as if asking why on earth she’d even wonder about something so obvious.

Thus he recalled that the girl often acted just like a boy, sometimes forgetting herself, but after all, she was still a gal.

He thought back to the late Merchant Shintu.

– “Hey, wise disciple, all brains, and no martial skill—I’m sure you’re missing the mark on this one. Just hurry and catch some Merchant Shintu techniques, then I’ll teach you something phenomenal.”

– “Like what?”

– “How to make a woman’s chest.”

– “Wow, that’s dope! Master, could you please teach me right now? I’m ready to take notes.”

“Cough, well, when it comes to disguising, the best method is hiding your gender, isn’t it? Women can wear veils without raising suspicion. Just draping a cloth like this could make you look like a woman.”

“You’d think that wouldn’t look realistic? Wow, it looks just like the real thing! Isn’t that right, Jang Myung?”

“Yeah, it’s true. The texture is a bit off, but when you throw on some clothes, wow, it looks the same!”

“The texture could be improved, right? Hey, Jang Myung, this is incredible! Absolutely incredible!”

“Right! Totally!”

Cheon Yu-hak was sweating buckets.

To be honest, this remarkable fake chest, perfected through the intense obsession of past Merchant Shintu, was the heart of this technique.

However, Cheon Yu-hak did feel a tinge of indignation for being grouped into the same category.

It just so happened that he had no real interest in women and, with his circumstances being what they are, he preferred wandering through the world instead of meddling with girls.

Plus, being from a wealthy family meant he never lacked for girl attention, so he’d never been in want along those lines.

So even when playing with this creation, he had no intentions of improving it.

But to say so would sound too much like an unconvincing excuse, wouldn’t it?

In truth, he was just relaying what he had learned.

In his younger years, he’d crafted a few out of sheer curiosity but never got around to properly experimenting with them.

Of course, while serving his Master, he often came across chests needing proper covers more times than he could count.

And how often did he end up spilling and needing to change the bedding?

Hmm, objectively, if ranked, even among beauties, about nine times out of ten, his Master had no relation to women at all.

To Cheon Yu-hak, it seemed evident that his teacher only became a Daoist to cover up that he lacked women entirely.

In any case, Cheon Yu-hak felt incredibly wronged and frustrated.

To think he couldn’t say what was wrong!

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