Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 34

Yoonhwa, Hyun, and the woman walked down the hallway.

A tense silence stretched between them, as if each was pondering how to break the awkwardness.

Yoonhwa had to figure out what the woman wanted and why she chose this method. Hyun stayed by her side, concerned for her safety.

The woman carefully descended the stairs one step at a time.

Only the elegant sound of her heels echoed against the walls.

Before long, they reached the first floor and stepped outside the inn.

The two figures and the fox faced each other in the cold night air of the inn’s yard.

Yoonhwa and Hyun took cautious steps ahead, while the woman followed, glancing around.

The woman gracefully seated herself on a bench at one side of the yard. Her posture still radiated confidence, and her gaze was calculating.

Yoonhwa and Hyun stood a bit of a distance away from her.

Yoonhwa’s eyes were fixed on the woman, while Hyun remained alert beside her.

In the stillness of the night, a heavy silence loomed over them.

“You came for my Fox Orb, didn’t you?”

Yoonhwa’s voice carried a tone of firmness.

The woman lowered her head for a moment, deep in thought, then slowly raised it to look at Yoonhwa and Hyun.

“You’re right; I came because of the orb you possess.”

“Hand it over to me.”

Her words left no room for negotiation, sounding more like a command.

She made it clear that she’d stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

“I see you’re human…”

“Why do you need the orb?”

The woman frowned at Yoonhwa, seeming rather annoyed.

“I don’t think I need to tell you.”

Yoonhwa’s gaze flickered between contemplation and resolve, and her voice grew more assertive.

“I can’t give you the orb.”

“That orb is mine.”

Yoonhwa met the woman’s gaze directly, asserting her position.

Her demeanor clarified that she wouldn’t concede to the woman.

The woman, seemingly unfazed by Yoonhwa’s refusal, instead smiled as if she had expected this reaction.

“Haha… I won’t take the orb from you.”

Her smile mixed mockery and confidence as she slowly stood and stepped toward Hyun.

“Do you know that this woman is a Nine-Tailed Fox?”

Hyun momentarily faltered at her unexpected question.

His gaze flickered with confusion but quickly settled down as he composed himself.

“I know.”

The woman nodded, intrigued by his response, a more mischievous smile creeping upon her lips.

She placed the teacup and spoon she was holding down on the bench.

Then she pulled out a strange object from her pocket.

It looked like an ancient coin tied to a thread.

Quietly, the woman began to gently sway the coin by the thread close to Hyun.

The coin produced odd sounds as it struck against the thread. She smiled as she shook it.

Yoonhwa’s heart raced at the sight.

“What, what are you doing?!”

But the woman continued to focus on Hyun, ignoring the question while still jolting the coin.

Her gaze was locked onto Hyun, observing his reactions closely.

Hyun initially seemed bewildered, but gradually wore an expression as if he were being drawn in by the sound.

His eyes began to lose focus, taking on a trance-like state as though he were under a spell.

Yoonhwa’s anxiety escalated at Hyun’s transformation.

“Hyun, are you okay?!”

“Stay away from that woman!”

Yet, Hyun showed no reaction whatsoever.

He appeared entirely absorbed by the coin the woman swayed back and forth.

Feeling the urgency to change the situation, Yoonhwa dashed toward the woman and tackled her.

“Stop it!”

Like a bolt of lightning, Yoonhwa snatched the coin out of the woman’s hand, forcefully severing the thread.

The coin tumbled to the floor and rolled helplessly away.

The woman fell to the ground after Yoonhwa tackled her.

Hyun still stared blankly at the sky, devoid of any reaction.

Surprised by Yoonhwa’s sudden move, the woman quickly regained her composure, her face breaking into a maniacal grin.

“It’s not like I did anything~?!”

“What do you mean by stop?!”

She shouted, struggling to escape Yoonhwa’s grasp while crying out in pain.

“It hurts! Let go, what are you doing?!”

Yoonhwa hesitated, confused by the woman’s words, but her determination quickly returned.

“What have you done to Hyun?!”

Even as the woman writhed beneath Yoonhwa, holding onto her, she laughed as if in sheer madness.

There seemed to be no semblance of pain or fear in her laughter.

Instead, an uncanny vibe of enjoyment radiated from her.

“Hahaha!!! It hurts, I tell you…!?”

She threw a mocking look at Yoonhwa, her eyes devoid of light yet filled with an odd delight.

“Do you know how foolish you are?”

“What have I done to that guy?”

Her voice escalated, filled with both anger and defiance, as she struggled to break free from Yoonhwa’s grip.

But Yoonhwa held her tight, the woman’s struggles growing weaker.

“It’s an order. Let me go now.”

“I feel like my bones are going to break—”

Before the woman could finish her sentence, Yoonhwa shouted at her.

“What did you do to make Hyun like that?!”

Yoonhwa gripped the woman even tighter. The woman, in pain, shouted at Hyun.

“Can’t you see this?! Get this girl off me at once!”

Her voice dripped with desperation and rage.

Hyun, as though responding to her command, approached Yoonhwa with a disoriented, dreamlike shuffle.

His eyes were still vacant, but he instinctively moved at the woman’s bidding.

Hyun tried to pull Yoonhwa away, but his strength was insufficient to shift her.

Yet he continued to tug at her arm.

Yoonhwa was taken aback by his actions.

She never imagined Hyun would turn against her.

Surprised by his resistance, Yoonhwa momentarily lost her focus.

“Hyun, snap out of it!”

“It’s me, your friend! Yoonhwa!”

Despair tinged Yoonhwa’s voice, yet Hyun still didn’t respond.

His eyes were caught in some strange power that gripped him.

Seizing the moment, the woman broke free from Yoonhwa’s grasp.

Her dark-colored dress was stained with dirt, and she seemed furious at the sight.

She called out to Hyun.

“Come here.”

Hyun quickly complied, kneeling before her as if drawn to her voice.

Yoonhwa stared in disbelief at this unfolding scene.

The woman looked down at Hyun, saying,

“That clueless little fox.”

“Kill her.”

After uttering this command, the woman pulled out a knife wrapped in cloth from her pocket. She held the handle of the knife, directing it at Hyun.

Hyun nodded, gripping the blade tightly with both hands.

His hands stained with blood as they cut into his skin.

Without a care, Hyun drew the knife toward the handle.

Yoonhwa gasped in horror at his bizarre actions and the woman’s cold directives.

Hyun approached Yoonhwa, expressionless.

Tears streamed down his face, and the unstable knife hovered ominously nearby.

Hyun’s movements seemed like they were controlled by an external force, his gaze still devoid of clarity.

Yoonhwa looked into his eyes and realized his consciousness hadn’t returned.

She grasped his hand, desperately trying to pull the knife away, but to her surprise, his grip was extraordinarily strong.

Yoonhwa feared that forcibly taking the knife would break his fingers.

Filled with rage, she pushed past Hyun and charged at the woman.

Her eyes sparkled with fury, fists clenched tight.

The woman stumbled back, raising her hands defensively.

“Don’t come closer!”

But Yoonhwa didn’t heed her warning and continued advancing.

In a frantic rush, the woman scrambled to pick up the fallen coin and thread, trying to reassemble them.

Her hurried movements appeared frantic and flustered.

Just before Yoonhwa reached her, she snatched the coin and forcefully bent it in half with both hands.

The coin crunched as it split apart.

The woman’s face expressed sheer terror as she took in the scene.

Her expression was one of disbelief, mingled with fury and despair as she screeched.

“What are you doing?!”

“Y-you monster…!!”

Despite the woman’s screams, Yoonhwa maintained her resolute stance, locking her gaze on her.

“It’s over now. Your tricks won’t work anymore.”

“Did you enchant him?!!”

“Are you controlling him?!”

The woman laughed at Yoonhwa’s questions, replying nonchalantly.

“It’s a secret~.”

Yoonhwa felt her anger surge at the woman’s audacity.

She roughly seized the woman by the collar, lifting her off the ground so that her feet dangled uselessly.

“What are you?!!”

“Let Hyun go! I swear I’ll kill you..!!”

Yoonhwa raised her voice, fire flickering in her eyes as she clutched the woman’s clothes tightly.

The woman seemed taken aback by Yoonhwa’s strength, but soon a mocking smile returned to her face.

“This lovely lady is quite fierce…”

Despite the woman’s taunts, Yoonhwa remained unyielding.

“If you don’t return Hyun to normal, I might really hurt you.”

In that instant, the woman’s expression turned serious for a brief moment.

She hesitated, taking note of Yoonhwa’s determined posture and burning gaze.

The woman spoke, her voice feigning calmness as she choked back, “I can’t breathe.”

“Is this how you treat your guests?”

“Let go.”

Yoonhwa glared at her.

“Turn Hyun back to normal..!”

The woman’s voice grew panicked.

“I… I’m really going to die?…”

“If I… struggle, he’ll lose value…”

Her face reddened, and signs of fear and suffocation became evident in her eyes.

Yoonhwa realized that she was genuinely struggling to breathe.

After a moment of hesitation, Yoonhwa finally released her grip.

The woman inhaled sharply, backing away as she steadied herself, glaring at Yoonhwa.

Catching her breath, the woman spoke again. This time her voice was imbued with mockery and threat instead of earlier fear.

“Khuh… Really foolish…”

“How dare you…”

She continued, pointing at Hyun.

“If I say a word, I can have that man killed instantly.”

“Hand over the Fox Orb.”

Yoonhwa approached Hyun, tears streaming down her face.

Her emotions mingled fear and desperation as they overflowed.

Hyun still stared blankly at her, but there was an indistinct glimmer in his eyes.

“Hyun… snap out of it…”

Her voice trembled, struggling to articulate her words.

She cupped his face in her hands, pressing her forehead against his cheek as she gazed at him closely.

“It’s because of me…”

His eyes still looked far away. But Yoonhwa refused to give up.

She grasped his hand tightly, desperately trying to sense his warmth.

The woman looked on with a mocking gaze, an ironic smile on her lips.

“How touching~.”

“But I’m about to lose my mind with excitement right now?”

“I’m angry too.”

“Kill her. Do it quickly…”