Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 140

Grandfather stopped watering when he heard Eunho’s footsteps.

He slowly turned around and gave Eunho a warm smile.

The moonlight illuminated Grandfather’s face, making it glow softly, and joy lingered at the corners of his eyes.

“It’s been a while, Darkness Demon.”

“What brings you here?”

Grandfather’s voice was soft and filled with welcome, his tone revealing the warmth of greeting a long-absent grandson.

Eunho responded to Grandfather’s warm smile but looked a bit apologetic.

“Grandfather, could I possibly have one more key??”

“Something urgent came up.”

A fleeting look of mild displeasure passed over Grandfather’s gaze.

However, he quickly softened his expression and pulled something from the thin pocket of his robe.

What he held was a golden key.

Grandfather extended the key to Eunho and said, “I told you to keep it safe so you wouldn’t forget…”

Eunho couldn’t hide his surprise at finding out that Grandfather had the key.

His eyes widened, shooting an incredulous look at Grandfather.

“Grandfather, how did you know I was coming??”

“Do you carry the key around in your pocket??”

Grandfather smiled for a moment while looking at Eunho.

“I prepared one for the fox.”

“I thought you might need it.”

The word “fox” especially caught Eunho’s attention.

“Grandfather, could it be—this Qi I’m sensing is really Yoonhwa..?”

Grandfather nodded in response to Eunho’s question.

“Yeah, the fox is in that room.”

“If you want to see her, you might want to go check it out.”

Eunho felt a sudden rush of tension, but Grandfather’s words reassured him a bit.

He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and cautiously made his way across the garden toward the traditional Korean house.

His steps were heavy but filled with anticipation at the same time.

His relationship with Yoonhwa was complicated and challenging, yet Eunho was going to greet her.

As the door creaked open, Yoonhwa looked at him.

Her gaze held a sparkle of surprise, and she couldn’t hide her flustered expression upon seeing him.

“W-What? Eunho??”

Eunho smiled at Yoonhwa’s startled reaction and carefully stepped inside the room.

He warmly greeted her, saying, “Hello, Yoonhwa..! It’s been a while!”

“Did you come to learn how to control your Qi by listening to me?”

Yoonhwa hesitated for a moment, then expressed her gratitude.

“Y-Yeah! Thanks, Eunho, because of you I met Grandfather and Tori.”

“What are you doing here??”

Her voice was mixed with curiosity and a bit of caution.

Eunho glanced around the room and replied casually, “I came to get something from Grandfather.”

He looked directly into Yoonhwa’s eyes and cautiously added, “You haven’t eaten a human yet, have you?”

Yoonhwa momentarily panicked at Eunho’s direct question before responding.

“No, that will never happen.”

“And I won’t ever do it.”

Eunho smiled at her answer and nodded.

His smile conveyed understanding and respect.

“Right… I respect that.”

“It must be hard to go against your instincts, but that’s impressive…”

He paused for a moment, lost in memories of the past.

A hint of regret flickered across Eunho’s face.

“I’m really sorry about that time…”

“I still regret how I acted back then.”

“If you ever need anything, Yoonhwa, just call me anytime.”

He took a small bell from his pocket and handed it to Yoonhwa.

The bell was darkly glowing, with delicate carvings etched into it.

As Yoonhwa accepted the bell from Eunho, her whole body stiffened at the cold weight she felt in her hand.

She carefully placed the bell on her palm and examined it closely.

It was exactly like the bell Miryeong had used just a few days ago.

That bell had summoned dark and mysterious powers, bringing much chaos and fear.

Yoonhwa’s eyes widened as her heart began to race.

The face of Miryeong and her last moments flashed through her mind like a spark.

The fear and despair of that moment pressed down on Yoonhwa again.

She looked at Eunho, unable to hide the tremor in her voice as she asked, “This bell…!”

Seeing the fear in Yoonhwa’s expression, Eunho paused for a moment.

He cautiously approached and gently held her hand.

His voice was warm and sincere.

As the Darkness Demon, Eunho understood the fear she felt, and he vividly recalled that scene.

“That bell back then… must have belonged to that monster.”

“I’m not sure, but… it probably summoned the monster when shaken.”

Feeling Yoonhwa’s anxiety, Eunho leaned closer and whispered.

“That woman’s bell must have summoned that enormous monster.”

“But this bell is meant to call me when you need me.”

“Whenever you call, I will come to you, Yoonhwa.”

His voice was earnest, aiming to give her strength as he gently squeezed her hand.

Eunho’s gaze was resolute, his words enough to provide her with comfort.

Wishing for Yoonhwa’s tension to ease a little, he smiled lightly.

“Honestly, I wonder if you’d even need a Darkness Demon like me, Yoonhwa, since you’re so strong.”

“Scary things might see you and run away instead.”

A small smile played on Yoonhwa’s face at his words.

For a moment, she seemed relieved by his joke.

“Maybe you’re right. Haha…”

Seeing Yoonhwa share a little smile lightened Eunho’s heart.

As she appeared to find some comfort, he felt his role was coming to a close.

“I’m glad to see you can smile a bit more now, Yoonhwa.”

“I’ll be going now.”

He carefully withdrew his hand from hers and stood up.

Yoonhwa’s eyes followed him as he got up.

As her gaze followed his movements, Eunho sensed that her lingering worries and anxieties had eased just a bit.

“Always remember, call me anytime.”

His voice was soft and sincere.

“Thanks… take care..!!”

Eunho smiled one last time at Yoonhwa and began to leave the room.

As he closed the door, Eunho quietly walked down the hallway of the traditional Korean house.

With each step, he felt relief and a newfound sense of responsibility regarding Yoonhwa.

The door behind him softly shut, leaving only the sound of his footsteps filling the quiet night of the house.

As he passed through the hallway, he headed towards the next room.

That room belonged to Tori.

Eunho arrived at the door and carefully opened it.

As he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Tori’s adorable little face.

Tori’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Hey, Tori! How have you been?”

Eunho gently asked.

Tori eagerly nodded his head and pulled him in.

“Long time no see!”

Stepping into Tori’s small room, Eunho smiled.

The room was warm and cozy.

Various nuts collected by Tori were neatly arranged against the wall.

Tori hopped cheerfully onto Eunho’s shoulder.

Crunching on the acorn in his tiny hands, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“What’s up? Did you come to meet the Guardian?”

“Was something special happening?”

Eunho hesitated for a moment, hearing Tori munching away.

“I just came to see Grandfather, but I thought I’d say hi to you too.”

Eunho nodded after a moment’s hesitation.

“It seems like I should hurry, as I have something urgent to do…”

Tori looked a bit disappointed but tried to understand Eunho’s situation.

“Is that so? You’re busy. Take care, then!”

“Come visit again!”

Eunho gently ruffled Tori’s little head with a smile.

“I’ll come again~.”

He carefully set Tori down from his shoulder.

Closing the door, Eunho slowly walked down the quiet hallway of the traditional Korean house.

His heart now felt completely at ease, satisfied that he had checked on Yoonhwa and Tori, ensuring they were doing well.

As he strolled down the quiet corridor, his steps were calm, and the shadows reflecting on the house’s wall were long and stretched.

Grandfather was tidying up wilted flowers while planting new ones.

The moonlight softly bathed the garden, and occasionally a gentle breeze fluttered Grandfather’s white beard.

Eunho approached and stood beside Grandfather.

“Grandfather, I’m going to head out now.”

“Thank you so much for today.”

Eunho spoke quietly.

Grandfather paused his work and looked at Eunho.

A gentle smile played on his lips. “You can come back anytime, Darkness Demon.”

“There will always be a place for you here.”

“Thank you, Grandfather.”

“I’ll come again next time.”

Bowing slightly, Eunho addressed Grandfather before slowly leaving the garden.

The sound of Eunho’s footsteps gradually faded into the darkness, completely consuming his figure.

He quietly disappeared into the shadows.

Grandfather, beneath the moonlight, watched his departure with a soft smile.

The only sound filling the garden was the gentle whisper of the wind through the grass.