Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 19

After finishing the dishes and while everyone was chatting, a sudden knock echoed through the room.

The knocking became a series of rapid thuds.

The atmosphere among friends instantly turned tense.

“Who could it be? This early in the morning?”

Seojin whispered.

Eunho scanned the surroundings, trying to calm everyone down.

“I don’t sense any Qi. It’s not a demon tiger like the Jangsanbeom.”

Yoonhwa said firmly.

“Don’t worry. Whatever happens, I can handle it by myself!”

Yoonhwa tucked her tail and ears away.

With confident steps, she approached the door and opened it.

To her surprise, standing behind the door was a man with a sheepish expression.

His face was filled with signs of hunger and exhaustion.

“Um… is there any food…?”

His voice trembled with apology and hope.

Hyun understood the situation and thought of the leftover fried rice.

“Uh, um— just a sec, I’ll get you the leftover fried rice.”

He headed toward the kitchen.

Seojin cautiously spoke to the man.

“Please come in. We’ll serve you a meal.”

The man carefully stepped inside at Seojin’s warm invitation, and everyone welcomed him kindly.

The man’s eyes held no glimmer of hope.

He sat there expressionless, but a single tear silently streamed down his face.

It was a mix of guilt and fear.

His tears startled the friends. Kangtae gently asked,

“Are you okay…? Has something happened?”

Yoonhwa instinctively felt that deep within the man’s heart, he carried a heavy burden.

She got up and sat beside him, offering comforting words in a warm voice.

“Please rest easy here.”

Hyun filled a bowl with the leftover fried rice from the kitchen.

The aroma of the fried rice filled the air, a comforting and sweet scent that eased everyone’s spirits.

Hyun brought the bowl and a cup of water to the dining table.

The man’s gaze lit up at the sight of the fried rice. But at the same time, a complex emotion clouded his face.

Hyun gently spoke.

“Here, it’s fried rice. Just eat a bit to regain your strength. I also brought water.”

The man stared longingly at the fried rice, and then broke down in tears.

He approached Yoonhwa, still sobbing.

Yoonhwa asked in a worried tone,

“Why are you…?”

Before she could finish, the man shouted,

“I’m sorry!!…”

With a trembling hand, he thrust a knife towards the back of Yoonhwa’s neck.

As the blade grazed her skin, a sudden pain surged, and Yoonhwa spat out blood.

The friends gasped at the scene, and Eunho rushed forward, hoping to assist.

When the man pulled the knife away from her neck, surprisingly, there was a glimmering Fox Orb stained with blood lodged at the end.

The orb emitted a mysterious light, illuminating the surroundings in red.

Unconsciously, Yoonhwa brought her hand to her neck, gasping for breath.

Her eyes reflected a mix of fear and confusion.

She knew many demons were after the Fox Orb, but she never imagined it could be taken from her like this.

The man’s tears fell like rain, ceaseless.

After stabbing Yoonhwa, he swiftly yanked the shining Fox Orb from the knife and clenched it in his hand.

His actions were quick and resolute.

He suddenly turned and bolted out the door as fast as he could.

Yoonhwa felt overwhelmed by the shock of being stabbed and the confusion and helplessness of her Fox Orb being stolen.

She understood that the orb was directly tied to her abilities. Without it, she couldn’t wield her original power.

Without the Fox Orb, she wouldn’t last a month before turning into a fox.

Yoonhwa quickly reacted and chased after the man, but he was already far away.

Normally, it wouldn’t take Yoonhwa more than five seconds to catch up, but without her Fox Orb, it was impossible.

Feeling greatly limited in her abilities, despair filled her heart.

Just then, Eunho dashed past Yoonhwa, chasing after the man with astonishing speed.

Eunho’s movements surpassed human speed, and he quickly closed the distance between himself and the man.

“Don’t let him get the Fox Orb—!”

The man fled without looking back.

Eunho swiftly tackled the man down.

He charged at the man gracefully. His movements were shadow-like, fast and precise.

The man couldn’t evade Eunho’s quick approach. Eunho mercilessly slammed him to the ground.

The man looked up at Eunho with eyes filled with terror.

Eunho’s gaze was cold and determined.

He didn’t hesitate, placing his hand on the man’s chest.

Fear and despair pooled in the man’s eyes. His body trembled, and his breaths became shallow.

“Ah… please help me…”

Eunho coldly drove his hand deep into the man’s chest.

The man’s scream tore through the still air.

Eunho’s hand radiated intense power, and in an instant, the man’s life force drained away.

The man’s body flopped, and Eunho retrieved the Fox Orb from his grasp.

It shimmered with a mysterious light that sparkled in Eunho’s hand.

He sighed deeply while looking at the Fox Orb.

The moment the friends discovered the man’s lifeless body, disbelief shadowed their eyes.

Yoonhwa brought a hand to her mouth, stepping back.

“Eunho… what is going on?”

Her voice trembled, her eyes glistening with tears.

Seojin and Kangtae exchanged stunned glances.

Seojin muttered,

“Did it really need to come to this…?”

Kangtae maintained an uneasy silence, turning his head away.

Hyun watched Eunho in muted astonishment.

“Eunho, you…”

His voice trailed off, and his gaze revealed a storm of complex emotions.

However, Eunho’s demeanor was different from the others. There was no hint of guilt or regret in his gaze.

Instead, there was a chilling determination and a will to control the situation.

Calmly, he said,

“This man intended to kill Yoonhwa. It was a necessary judgment.”

The friends were increasingly taken aback by Eunho’s response, feeling a growing distance from his coolness.

But Eunho seemed unfazed, staring coldly at reality, smiling at Yoonhwa as he asked,

“First, Yoonhwa, are you okay?”

Staggering with heavy steps, Yoonhwa managed to take a few strides but ultimately collapsed in the middle of the road.

Blood poured incessantly from her neck, staining the surroundings red. The friends rushed to her side in panic.

“Yoonhwa, are you okay? Yoonhwa!”

Seojin called her name with a trembling voice while Hyun hurriedly examined her wound.

Kangtae was in a frenzy, insisting they needed to get her to the hospital.

Eunho smiled, showing the Fox Orb in hand.

“If you have this Fox Orb, you’ll recover quickly.”

“It’s just that she’s suffering because she doesn’t have it right now.”

Hyun spoke with a sense of relief.

“Thank goodness! We need to absorb the Fox Orb quickly!”

“What do we need to do?”

Eunho glanced around before helping Yoonhwa into the house, along with the man’s lifeless body.

Changing the mood, Eunho quietly told his friends.

“First, we should darken this place.”

“Everyone, please turn off the lights and close the curtains.”

Complying with Eunho’s words, the friends hurriedly switched off the lights in the room and pulled the curtains tightly shut.

The living room was quickly engulfed in darkness, and under Eunho’s command, everything grew quiet and shadowy.

In the dark, only the Fox Orb glowed faintly.

Eunho carefully took out a small dark object from his pocket. It resembled a tube of ointment.

He opened the lid and smeared the black ointment on his fingertips.

“This will help you feel better quickly.”

His tone was somewhat significant, and in the darkness, friends watched his actions with intensity.

Eunho carefully applied the black ointment to Yoonhwa’s wound on her neck, the bloodied area.

As it touched the wound, smoke wafted up, and the bleeding stopped as the wound began to close.

The friends couldn’t help but stare in amazement at Eunho’s deftness.

In the darkness, his movements seemed almost magical, and seeing Yoonhwa’s wound heal, everyone breathed out sighs of relief.

However, Eunho’s expression remained cold, a hint of deep planning lingering in his gaze.

As soon as Yoonhwa regained consciousness, her first question was about her Fox Orb.

Struggling to sit up, she looked at Eunho and asked,

“What about the Fox Orb…?”

Her voice carried deep concern and worry.

The Fox Orb wasn’t just an object to her; it was the source of her power and life.

Losing it meant a tremendous loss for her.

Eunho paused, then answered while holding up the Fox Orb.

“Don’t worry.”

“I’ll keep the Fox Orb safe.”

Yoonhwa’s face lit up with relief at Eunho’s words, but her gaze still remained focused on the orb.

Eunho then declared as if he had a brilliant idea.

“Just a moment, everyone go into the room.”

“Only Yoonhwa and I should stay behind.”

His voice was serious, as if he wanted to discuss something significant.

The friends exchanged puzzled looks but quietly exited the room, seeing his earnest demeanor.

Now only Eunho and Yoonhwa remained in the living room, lit solely by the glow from the Fox Orb.

Eunho sighed deeply, looking at Yoonhwa.

The living room was shrouded in darkness, and the friends had retreated inside, leaving Eunho and Yoonhwa alone.

Eunho’s voice resonated clearly amidst the darkness.

“Yoonhwa, I have a few questions.”

“If you answer them all, I’ll return the Fox Orb to you.”

“…It’ll be interesting.”

Yoonhwa gazed at Eunho with anxious eyes.

“What… what do you mean?”

Eunho posed the first question.

“Do you think a nine-tailed fox can live with humans?”

Yoonhwa confidently replied.

“Of course! I’m already doing just that…!”

Eunho continued with the second question.

“Then, can you refrain from harming your human friends?”

Yoonhwa’s voice trembled.

“I… I don’t want to hurt them. No way.”

In the third question, Eunho’s voice lowered.

“The burns on Hyun’s body were caused by you, Yoonhwa.”

“…What do you think about that?”

Yoonhwa agonized over her answer.

“W-what… really?! No!…”

For the fourth question, Eunho asked about the Fox Orb.

“What does the Fox Orb mean to you, Yoonhwa?”

Yoonhwa sighed deeply.

“It’s… my everything.”

“My power, the source of my existence.”

In the final question, Eunho’s voice almost became a whisper.

“This is the last question, Yoonhwa.”

“Are you going to live with humans again like before?”

“Will you end up killing them all again?!-”

Yoonhwa cried out in despair.

“T-that… it will never happen again!.. Never…”

Eunho replied cheerfully.

“Sorry, I’m just not patient…”

“This Fox Orb is no longer acceptable.”

“If you wear this necklace, you won’t turn into a fox…~”

Yoonhwa received the dark-colored necklace Eunho offered, perplexed.

“What is this? Eunho, what the heck…!!”

Eunho began to fade into the shadows, leaving behind his last words.

“Have fun, Yoonhwa-.”

Yoonhwa, left alone in the dark living room, stared at the necklace, tears streaming down her face.

“Ah…!”

As her sudden cries of despair echoed in the living room, the friends rushed out from the room.

Their faces were filled with deep worry and confusion.

“Yoonhwa!! What happened? Are you okay?!”

Seojin’s voice trembled as she cried out.

Kangtae and Hyun approached Yoonhwa, equally bewildered.

The air in the living room was thick with heavy silence, save for the erratic thumping of someone’s heart.

Yoonhwa wiped her tears with a hand as she looked at her friends, but her eyes displayed a profound sense of despair and loss.

Her gaze seemed to look far away, filled with pain that words could not express.

“Everything… is fine. I’m okay…”

Yoonhwa’s voice trembled, but there was no assurance in her words.

Instead, her statement deepened her friends’ concerns.

Kangtae felt anger bubbling inside as he glared in the direction Eunho had vanished.

Hyun supported Yoonhwa, assessing her condition.

“Yoonhwa… where did your Fox Orb go…!”

His words trailed off.

Worry and helplessness flickered across his eyes.

The friends surrounded Yoonhwa, trying to comfort her, but her tears showed no signs of stopping.

Yoonhwa’s desperate sobs filled the living room, echoing like a wound that ran deep.

In that moment, the friends shared Yoonhwa’s pain, joining her sorrow.

They embraced her tightly, trying to convey that she wasn’t alone, but the deep despair lodged in Yoonhwa’s heart was not easily soothed.

This despairing morning would leave an indelible mark as an unforgettable wound for both the friends and Yoonhwa.