Page 76 of Gumiho Kiss
Hyun Soo’s face sagged.Up until now, he’d carried a sliver of hope that, even amid such terrible odds, somehow he’d find a way through.He needed to survive to warn Sokju just how bad this threat truly was.
But determination would only get him so far when he was this outnumbered.From what he’d seen, at least thirty men were actively pursuing him.Where the other troops were, he had no idea, but that hardly mattered.Thirty was still too great a number for a single man to overcome.
A crash grabbed his attention, and he whirled toward it.A body lay on the ground between the building he was crouched by and the next one over.Had the governor come through, after all?
Hyun Soo called to his would-be rescuer.“Identify yourself.Did Governor Choi send you?”
“Not exactly,” replied a voice from above.
Hyun Soo’s lungs shuddered as he stepped away from the safety of the barracks to get a glimpse of the speaker.That voice.It couldn’t be.
But atop the roof of the adjacent building stood a black-clothed figure with a familiar mask and topknot.
Chapter28
The Reunion
Chin Sun tramped up the mountain, rolling her eyes when she glanced over her shoulder and saw how far behind Min Joon had fallen.
“Do you need me to carry you?We could get there a lot faster,” she mocked.
Her friend grumbled under his breath but didn’t take the bait, climbing at the same, steady pace he’d maintained for most of their journey.They’d been doing this for the past few days, stopping to eat and rest when Min Joon grew too exhausted, then picking back up where they’d left off as soon as he was ready.Much to Chin Sun’s frustration.With her gumiho powers restored, her speed and stamina far outweighed her friend’s, meaning she spent a lot of time waiting, waiting, waiting.
She’d nearly left him several times, but whenever she was ready to succumb to the temptation, Hyun Soo’s scolding voice would pop into her thoughts.“Going into a fight unprepared is the quickest way to lose your life.”
Even though it tested her patience, bringing Min Joon along was smarter than going alone.He was a skilled negotiator, fighter, and held a certain level of authority as a police inspector.Besides, Gwishin couldn’t testify about this illegal operation, whereas Kang Min Joon’s word held significant weight since he belonged to one of the most powerful yangban families in the region.
During her waiting stints, Chin Sun often shifted into her nine-tailed fox form, which allowed her to scout ahead and circle back with greater speed than her human legs afforded.She’d ached to walk on four paws again, become part of the forest in a way humans could never understand.Her senses picked up so much more this way, including the faint tracks leading up the mountain.They had to be Hyun Soo’s; they just had to be.
It was evening when their path evened out.They must be getting close now.Chin Sun stopped and leaned back against a thick tree to give Min Joon time to catch up.She examined her nails, willing them to transform into claws, then shorten again.
Agh, why were humans so slow?
When Min Joon finally appeared, she took a breath to speak, but he gave her a dark look as if to say,Don’t you dare.
Chin Sun shut her mouth but didn’t try to hide her amusement.
Min Joon grumbled some more as he passed, but he didn’t engage with her.
She placed her hands behind her head and shut her eyes with a satisfied grin.Having an advantage over her friend again felt good.
“Get up here.I can see the base,” Min Joon called.
Chin Sun’s eyes flew open, and she pushed off from the tree.She came up on her friend’s right as he gaped at a large fortress tucked into the side of the mountain.Torches illuminated the tops of the walls and watchtowers, evidence of the enemies lurking within.
Chin Sun had to stop herself from gaping, too.“That’s not something for overtaking a city,” she pointed out, ignoring the fear shooting down her spine.
“Indeed it’s not,” Min Joon said vaguely.
What in the world was it for?Protection against Jurchen attacks?Relations between Joseon and its northern neighbors were complicated, with frequent skirmishes occurring near the border despite Joseon’s best efforts to end the bloodshed.Or perhaps it was meant to be a place to hole up in the event of a Japanese invasion?
Chin Sun turned to Min Joon.“The first thing we need to do is locate Hyun Soo.He can tell us what we’re dealing with here.”
“Agreed.Except ...”Her friend’s head swiveled, one eyebrow raised.“Hyun Soo’s safety isn’t our first priority.Protecting the people of Sokju is.If it comes down to it, can I count on you to make the hard call?”
Heat blossomed in Chin Sun’s cheeks, but she met Min Joon’s eye steadily.“I haven’t lost sight of our objective.And I won’t let the people down.”
He nodded, satisfied, then his lips twisted into a wry grin.“Then let’s go find your bodyguard.”
