Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 114

Yoonhwa bounced towards Hyun, Nomi, and Sohee, waving her hands.

Her face was full of bright smiles, and her gestures conveyed a mix of bittersweet farewell and hope.

“Take care!”

Hyun and Nomi turned back, waving at Yoonhwa.

There was a hint of sadness in their eyes, but they masked it with warm smiles directed at Yoonhwa.

“Let’s definitely meet again!”

Sohee also waved at Yoonhwa, quietly encouraging her efforts with a gentle smile.

“I believe you’ll do great. Bye bye~”

As their gestures and smiles crossed paths, Hyun, Nomi, and Sohee slowly walked towards the village, their figures gradually fading away.

Yoonhwa stood waving until they were out of sight.

Her heart was a flurry of worry for Hyun and Nomi, excitement for her training, and the hope of meeting again.

A squirrel lightly leaped over Yoonhwa’s head.

Its small, nimble movements quickly found stability among her hair.

The squirrel’s sharp nose poked at Yoonhwa’s head, as if sensing her Qi, exploring around her.

The squirrel looked at Yoonhwa and said in a cheeky voice.

“Ugh, your Qi is annoyingly strong.”

“It looks like food that monsters would covet!”

“You’re excellent bait, visible to every demon out there!”

“They say the stronger the Qi smells, the tastier it is!”

Grandfather chuckled at the squirrel’s words and reassured Yoonhwa.

“Don’t worry, fox.”

“Those are just silly rumors.”

“Squirrel, stop scaring her…”

Grandfather scolded the squirrel and flashed a smile at Yoonhwa.

“You just need to focus on what you have to learn.”

“I’ll take care of the rest…”

He gently patted Yoonhwa’s shoulder.

“Now, let’s head up the mountain.”

“It’s time to start your training.”

Yoonhwa felt relieved by her grandfather’s words and began to climb the mountain with him.

Her heart swelled with excitement for the new training, and the squirrel’s playful words had transformed into mere amusement.

The mountain path grew steeper and rougher as they climbed.

Yoonhwa trudged up slowly, each step an effort.

Seeing Yoonhwa’s weary state, Grandfather paused for a moment.

His grip tightened on the cane as leaves began swirling around him.

Suddenly, he struck the ground forcefully with his cane, and the swirling leaves enveloped him, lifting him skyward in an instant.

Yoonhwa was left speechless by the sight.

Her grandfather’s magic was astonishing.

The squirrel poked at Yoonhwa’s head, ordering her.

“Come on, let’s hurry!”

Yoonhwa looked up at the steep mountain trail with uneasy eyes.

‘How am I supposed to climb that…?’

After some thought, she resolved to try her best to jump high.

With a strong leap, Yoonhwa suddenly felt the ground beneath her hands at a height.

She firmly grasped the earth and pulled herself up.

The squirrel widened its eyes in shock at this scene.

“W-What is this…?”

Seeing Yoonhwa successfully reach the mountain top using her magic, Grandfather burst into laughter.

“Haha, looks like you have talent too!”

Yoonhwa was amazed at what she had achieved unknowingly, but at the same time, she felt a sense of pride in herself.

Yoonhwa stood atop the mountain.

The steep path ended, and flat ground unrolled beneath her.

She looked around, astonished by the scenery in this place.

The forest spread out in the distance, with sunlight streaming through the clouds performing a breathtaking display.

Her gaze turned to a traditional Korean house situated in the center.

Despite its unusual location on a mountain peak, the house blended in as if it had been there for ages.

The tiles of the hanok sparkled in the sunlight, and the well-kept garden was beautifully adorned with various flowers.

In the middle of the garden was a small pond, where fish swam leisurely.

The squirrel jumped down from Yoonhwa’s hair, moving swiftly among the colorful flowers of the garden.

With its small, agile body, it approached the pond, scooping water with its tiny hands and sprinkling it over the surrounding flowers.

The water droplets shimmering on the petals looked almost magical in the sunlight.

Yoonhwa was drawn to this splendid scene, momentarily forgetting all her worries and immersing herself in the moment.

“Really beautiful…”

She whispered.

At that moment, Grandfather approached Yoonhwa and said.

“You look uncomfortable in your human form, fox.”

Yoonhwa stared at Grandfather with wide eyes.

Her tail and ears were her biggest features that revealed she was a nine-tailed fox, but she had hidden them among humans.

“How did you know??”

Grandfather chuckled and replied.

“The fox demon doesn’t reveal its tail and ears…”

“It’s pretty obvious—so obvious.”

“This is the mountain peak…”

“No one but us comes here.”

“You don’t need to hide your true self.”

With Grandfather’s comforting words, Yoonhwa slowly gained confidence.

Cautiously, she revealed her ears and tail.

Her usually-hidden ears were a vivid pink, moving gently to sense the surrounding sounds.

Yoonhwa’s tail gleamed pink and unfurled beautifully.

All nine tails moved gracefully, demonstrating her majestic nature as a nine-tailed fox.

The squirrel, taken aback by Yoonhwa’s transformation, stepped back in surprise.

Its small eyes flickered between Yoonhwa’s tails, a glimmer of caution appearing.

Although the sight of Yoonhwa’s dancing pink tails was enchanting, to the squirrel, it was a source of fear.

The instinctual awareness that foxes were the natural predators of squirrels filled its mind.

The squirrel’s little heart raced with anxiety.

Startled by Yoonhwa’s transformation, the small creature instinctively darted away to escape the danger.

In the blink of an eye, it leaped behind Grandfather’s leg, seeking refuge.

Grandfather smiled at the sight of the squirrel retreating.

He sensed no malice or danger from Yoonhwa and wanted to make the situation even more amusing.

So he slowly moved his leg, gently placing the squirrel in a position to face Yoonhwa directly.

The squirrel looked at Yoonhwa with wide eyes, and Yoonhwa, locking eyes with the squirrel, showed a hint of playful revenge for its previous teasing.

Yoonhwa bent down slightly, speaking in a cute voice to heighten the squirrel’s fear.

“Squirrel, you look absolutely delicious~”

Her gaze was filled with mischief, but to the squirrel, it felt like a serious threat.

The squirrel’s heart tightened in panic, and it began to fidget in fear.

Boom!

At that moment, the squirrel shut its eyes tightly and, with a strange little sound, transformed dramatically.

In an instant, it turned into a boy with hair resembling the color of a squirrel.

The transformation had happened so quickly.

He still looked shocked, as if the water on his hands hadn’t dried yet from the change.

His outfit looked like it had jumped out of a cartoon, with bright overalls.

Yet, despite this cute appearance, the boy’s face was filled with pure terror.

His big eyes wobbled towards Yoonhwa, and his mouth trembled.

“Ahhh!”

He screamed in fright, turning on his heels in an instant.

His tiny legs looked confused and anxious, but his movements were incredibly quick and decisive.

He darted into the hanok, heading for his room in a flash.

As soon as he entered the room, he slammed the door shut and leaned against it, trying to catch his breath.

Grandfather burst out laughing at Yoonhwa’s antics.

Delight filled his eyes as he watched the squirrel’s transformation and the boy’s hasty escape.

Seeing the squirrel’s transformation and the boy’s retreat, Grandfather nodded slightly at Yoonhwa.

His gaze was filled with affection and understanding.

“Haha, it seems our squirrel isn’t going to warm up to you anytime soon, fox.”

There was a playful tone in Grandfather’s voice.

He recognized that Yoonhwa’s prank might have gone a bit too far, yet he understood and accepted her mischief.

“The squirrel, no, I guess now he’s our boy.”

“That boy’s a bit timid and playful, so if you play too rough, he’ll get startled.”

Grandfather spoke gently to Yoonhwa, giving her advice on how to develop her relationship with the squirrel-turned-boy.

His words carried the wisdom of experience.

“But don’t worry, over time, you’ll get to know each other.”

“He’ll figure out that you’re not scary.”

Grandfather’s words held a belief that the misunderstandings and fears between Yoonhwa and the squirrel would dissolve with time.

Grandfather approached Yoonhwa with a warm smile and cautiously suggested.

“Looks like our squirrel friend got a bit scared.”

“Should we lighten his mood?”

With that, Grandfather pulled out a few acorns from his ample sleeve and placed them in Yoonhwa’s hands with a gentle motion.

“How about using these acorns to cheer up the squirrel?”

Grandfather’s eyes were filled with encouragement and expectation, and Yoonhwa looked slightly surprised by his suggestion but soon wore an intrigued expression.

Yoonhwa looked at the acorns in her hands, pondering for a moment.

Then she decided to follow Grandfather’s advice and approach the boy.

“Okay, I’ll give it a try!”

Yoonhwa tightly gripped the acorns and cautiously headed back into the hanok.

Her steps were gentle and soft, and she did her best to project a non-threatening presence to the squirrel.

Knock knock…

As Yoonhwa gently tapped on the door, a sharp voice came from within.

“Go away! You—bad fox!”

That voice belonged to the small friend who had just transformed from a squirrel into a boy.

His voice was filled with fear and anxiety.

Yoonhwa felt a bit startled but gathered herself, recalling Grandfather’s words.

In a soft voice, she replied.

“I’m sorry… it was just a joke.”

“Would you like to have some acorns…?”

Her voice carried sincerity, hoping that her true feelings would reach him amidst the silence in the room.

However, no further response came from within. Only a quiet silence filled the space.

After a brief moment of silence, the door creaked open, revealing a small head peeking out.

The boy cautiously surveyed Yoonhwa, extending his hand towards the acorns she held.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally grabbed an acorn from Yoonhwa’s hand and disappeared back inside.

As the door closed, his small figure took the acorn with him into the room.

Yoonhwa smiled at the boy’s action.

In her heart, affection for him began to bloom little by little.

Hope filled her mind that, as Grandfather had said, with time, the boy would no longer fear her.

Grandfather quietly observed the exchange between Yoonhwa and the squirrel, smiling contentedly.

When Yoonhwa’s gaze met Grandfather’s, he began to speak softly.

“Yoonhwa, can I share something with you for a bit?”

Grandfather kindly asked Yoonhwa.

She nodded, listening closely to his words.

Her ears and tail twitched slightly with curiosity as she awaited Grandfather’s next words.

With a soft smile, Grandfather continued.

“Well—about the little friend, the squirrel.”

“I gave him a name.”

Yoonhwa looked at Grandfather with wide eyes full of curiosity.

“His name is Tori.”

Grandfather explained with a smile.

“That name comes from the acorns, his favorite food. We shortened it to Tori.”

Yoonhwa smiled at Grandfather’s story and nodded. ‘Tori’ seemed like a perfect name for him.

Grandfather went on.

“Tori is a bit timid—and playful, but once he opens up, he’s a truly lovable child. You’ll discover that.”

Yoonhwa listened to Grandfather’s words, reflecting again on her relationship with Tori.

Thanks to Grandfather’s warm story, Yoonhwa wanted to find ways to deepen her bond with Tori.

Grandfather took Yoonhwa’s hand and led her into the warm sunshine-filled hanok.

As they stepped inside, a peaceful and warm atmosphere welcomed them.

The interior followed the traditional Korean architectural style, every corner meticulously attended to.

“Now, this will be your room.”

Grandfather gently said, guiding her to a small, cozy room located on one side.