Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 100: An Excellent Choice

A shortcut!

Sohwa’s eyes widened with excitement.

She would gladly take the faster route if it existed.

“You must embrace me.”

“...!”

Her hand, mid-reach for a jujube, froze.

She turned to him in disbelief.

“What did you just say?”

“This teacher has accumulated great spiritual power through secluded training. If I transfer it to you, your tails could sprout as soon as tomorrow.”

“....”

‘Is this man out of his mind? How dare he spout such nonsense, insulting a married woman with his glib tongue?’

“Do you think I’m an idiot? As I said, I’m a married woman. Stop trying to pull your tricks on me.”

“Tricks? That’s quite hurtful.”

“Ugh, they say a fox can’t change its whiskers. Seems you’re no exception, teacher.”

“As promised, I only wish to see my student grow nine tails.”

“There’s no need for further discussion. I won’t meet with you alone again.”

It had felt wrong from the start.

Even if it wasn’t intentional, wasn’t she essentially meeting another man behind her husband’s back?

What if Dohwi frequently visited Lady Beomhee, claiming it was to become a white tiger? She’d die of fury.

The tails were tempting, but....

‘Dohwi wouldn’t approve.’

She couldn’t keep meeting with this ‘teacher’ unless she got his permission.

No matter how much she wanted the tails, it just didn’t sit right.

Sohwa was about to tell him to take the fan and leave the mountain as soon as possible when he suddenly spoke.

“I heard you borrowed an Imoogi’s orb to have a child.”

“That’s....”

Before she could respond, Noksu opened his mouth.

She couldn’t fathom what bizarre thing he was about to do, but then she saw it—a glowing jade orb resting on his red tongue, shining faintly in contrast with the dimness of his mouth.

“What... what is that?”

Slightly mesmerized by the sight of the mysterious orb, Sohwa stared at it until Noksu closed his mouth.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and then he spoke.

“It is a fox orb.”

“...!”

A fox orb.

The legendary weapon of the gumiho, said to rival even the legendary orb of a dragon and the mighty claws of a tiger.

‘f I can have that, I wouldn’t need the Imoogi’s orb to have a child.’

If Sohwa could acquire that orb, Dohwi wouldn’t bear any karmic debt to an Imoogi.

They could have children anytime, in spring, summer, or whenever they pleased!

As Sohwa lost herself in thought about the fox orb, Noksu licked his lips, a faint smile playing on his face.

“They say the fastest way to transfer spiritual power is through intimacy, but if my student refuses the shortcut, I suppose I’ll have to find another way.”

“There’s another way?”

She had resolved to cut ties with this cunning nine-tailed fox, but at that moment, she was drawn in once again.

With his signature serene smile, Noksu took a step closer.

“Take my hand, then.”

He extended a hand, its fingers slender and elegant like carved jade.

Sohwa instinctively hid her own hands behind her back, shaking her head.

“That’s impossible. My husband has a nose sharper than any dog’s. If I take your hand, he’ll hunt you down and eat you alive.”

“And who says a gumiho can be so easily devoured?”

His pride wounded, Noksu’s eyes flashed with a sudden sharpness.

Yet even as his demeanor grew intimidating, Sohwa stood her ground.

“My husband is the hero of the mountains, the Mountain Lord, and a divine guardian spirit—or so they say. But in truth, he’s the most terrible tiger in all the land. Not just any tiger, but a vicious one.”

“A vicious tiger, you say?”

“In some remote areas, they call him that. How disgraceful.”

“Ha! So he’s THAT ferocious.”

“Let me tell you something....”

Lowering her voice like a conspirator, Sohwa whispered as if sharing a state secret.

“As his wife, it pains me to admit this, but my husband has a truly wretched disposition.”

“What shall we do, then? The only way I can transfer my spiritual power to you is through physical contact....”

“Hm, this is troublesome. Is there really no other way?”

“Regrettably, there isn’t.”

Noksu smiled sweetly, trying to coax her as he watched her conflicted expression.

“Then perhaps you might allow me just one finger?”

“Just one... finger?”

“Yes, just one.”

If it was only a finger, surely that wouldn’t be too much.

If she could become a gumiho and gain the fox orb, a single finger would be a small price to pay.

Sohwa glanced at her hand.

‘Let’s give up the most useless one.’

Among her five fingers, the pinky seemed the least significant.

It wasn’t as functional as the thumb, index, or middle fingers, and the ring finger already bore her wedding band, making it off-limits.

Surely, Dohwi could forgive me for giving up just one insignificant finger.

Having made her decision, Sohwa finally raised her head.

“In that case, I’ll give you my pinky.”

Noksu smiled and reached out to take her pinky.

“An excellent choice.”