Chapter 4: Heaven's Gate

Author's Notes: Once again thanks for the comments. Sorry for being late with the update, couldn't write for a few days due to my schedule and thus this chapter is an example of fast writing with less revisions, so I don't know if its publish ready but I don't have time for smooth revisions.

About: the future comments Don't worry, going to the future is not going to be a new adventure, it can't even be considered as a subplot. But since you guys are not thrilled about it, then I will endeavor to make it shorter than planned. However, the couple just really need this moment before I plunge them into the despair of war. It is opportunity they can never have in the ancient times because they are just too busy its hard to find time for each other. But also it is essential to the plot and the development of the couple...

To: faith2012 Definitely they will be back as the core of the story resides in Goryeo. And our precious Wu Dal Chis are there.

edits: corrected some grammatical errors in chapter 1 and 3. Changed the word spurned to propelled in chapter 2, why I used that word incorrectly is beyond me. If anyone finds anything confusing or wrong in the words I use please don't hesitate to comment or send me a message if you don't want to comment in public.

Once again any thoughts on the story is welcome, positive or negative. I need honest opinions. Thanks.

-same disclaimer as previous chapters-

...

Yoo Eun Soo closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the door inside one of the hospital restroom stalls. The operation had gone successfully. She was filled with immense relief that she felt her entire body weaken from the release of tension.

"Loosing a patient eventually happens to every surgeon if you stay long enough in this field." Her co-workers would say. They always said that when someone looses their first patient. It was meant as a consolation but she didn't believe the words made anyone feel better at all. And to those who haven't experienced it yet, the words became a dreadful prediction of the future.

Fortunately for Eun Soo, she was one of those surgeons who could close her thoughts to anything once she started on an operation. Her focus was what made her exceptional in her field. No matter how uncertain she was or sometimes even scared, like when she did her first heart transplant, the moment she faced her patient, everything disappears. Fear, uncertainties, doubts and even concern. She would close her heart to everything and simply focus on the job at hand.

It would be after the operation that all the fear and doubts would flood through her body. And she would hide inside one of the restroom stalls until she felt she could once again put on a smile.

The patient wasn't a hundred percent safe yet of course. They will have to observe her for a few days to be sure. But at the moment there was a high chance she would recover. She did a really good job. She was a great surgeon.

But as always when it came to this kind of operation, along with her sense of accomplishment came a sense of depression. The girl she had just operated on had multiple stab wounds in her chest and abdomen. The wounds had been inflicted by her own husband.

Eun Soo was a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, as such she wasn't usually called in to operate on trauma patients. But the current patient had required thoracic surgery and lately Eun Soo had been called into the emergency room for those kinds of trauma operations due to her multiple successes as well as her cool-headedness during an operation.

But she hated the thought of the violence that led her patients to the operating table. And she hated the stench of blood that always clung to her after such an operation.

Why had she even wanted to become a surgeon anyway? She could not remember exactly when and where she'd decided to be one. Well, she heard doctors got paid a lot of money. And it was probably her talent of being clinically aloof that led her to surgery. That and the fact that she didn't really like hand holding her patients, it just made her feel miserable.

She had finally felt better enough to go out, her frustration of what her patient had gone through replacing her weariness. She was walking towards her office when she saw a man berating a child in the hallway. The child was about eight or nine and he was holding a bouquet of white flowers.

"Have your parents not taught you any manners?" The man said in a loud angry voice. "This is a hospital, you should not be running in the hallways."

"I'm sorry." The boy said apologetically.

"Sorry is not going to fix anything." The man continued. "These are very expensive shoes, and you made me spill coffee on them just because you were not watching where you're going."

"I'm so sorry." The child repeated.

In anger the man took the bouquet of flowers the kid was holding and threw it on the floor. The flowers scattered all over the place. "If I say I'm sorry, will those flowers suddenly become a pretty bouquet again? No! It would still be trash on the floor."

This time the child didn't say anything. The man had his back on Eun Soo and the child was facing him, so as she approached them she could clearly see the child's eyes. She wondered at the look on the child's face. There was no fear or anger, or even an ounce of sadness. Just acceptance.

"Hey! He is just a child, I think a little bit of consideration is necessary." Eun Soo addressed the man.

"And who do you think you are?" The man turned to face her. "This is my coffee. These are my shoes. And this kid is the reason I spilled one on the other." He said gesturing to his cup then to his feet. "And unless you are this child's mother coming to scold him, you better just go away. People like you are the reason kids nowadays are spoiled rotten. They just get away with everything just because they are little. Well, I am going to teach this kid a lesson..."

His voice trailed off as Eun Soo stuck up her index finger in front of his face. "Stop being a bastard and just give the kid a break. It's not his fault your parents never loved you."

The man's eyes lit up in rage but before he could speak up Eun Soo moved her finger as if to flick at his face but stopped before it touched him. "Don't dare open that disgusting mouth. Your breath stinks."

Eun Soo could see his anger had doubled but he backed away. "You seem to be an employee of this hospital." He said looking at her white coat. "This rude behavior will be reported to your superior. I'll get you fired, you'll see." And with that he left.

Eun Soo turned to the child who was looking at her with a blank look on his face. Then he began to giggle. And the giggle turned to laughter. "You were awesome." The child said still laughing.

Eun Soo smiled in relief, she had been concerned at the child's previous impervious expression. But he knew how to smile, and that's what's important.

Then to her surprise the child picked up one of the blossoms from the scattered flowers on the floor and offered it to her. "Here, maybe this would cheer you up." The child said with a smile.

When Eun Soo just looked at him in confusion instead of accepting the flower he explained. "Your smile does not cover the sadness in your eyes, you have to do better if want to hide it. And besides this is a Sweet Asylum, one of the most fragrant flowers in the world. It can help mask the stench of blood."

Eun Soo was now looking at the child at a new light. He was a very perceptive kid. She took the flower. "Where are your parents?" She asked.

"They are back at the hotel." The child replied matter-of-factly. "They came all the way here from China when they heard of my sister's accident, but they are too proud to visit her. They disowned her when she married a Korean man. They don't like him because he's poor."

Eun Soo's eyes narrowed as she observed the child's clothing. He wore branded clothes and shoes and the watch on his wrist seemed to be really expensive. "It doesn't look like your family is in need of money."

"Oh no, my parents are very rich." He said, still in that matter-of-fact tone that sounded as if he didn't really care. "They are both renowned plastic surgeons back in China, so we have tons of money."

It dawned to Eun Soo that the child was Chinese. "You speak really good Korean." She observed.

"Yes I learned it from my sister's husband way back when he would visit her in China. They say I have a talent for languages among other things. I learn very quickly."

Eun Soo nodded then smiled at the child again. "I guess you need to go see your sister now."

"Right." He said smiling back. He turned to go then stopped and looked back. "By the way, my name is Taizu. Nice to meet you." He waved at her then he was once again dashing through the hall.

...

Choi Young winced every time the carriage hit a rough spot. He held Eun Soo to his side closer to steady her, doing his best not to move her so much as the royal doctor instructed. "If what she says is true about a pebble sized metal inside her body, it is important that she doesn't move much as we don't know what internal organs might get harmed if it moves deeper inside her." Ha Kyung had said before they left on a carriage for heaven's gate.

Eun Soo was still unconscious but he could feel her breathe on his neck, assuring him she was still with him. There was no assurance that the gate to heaven would be open once they got there, so the King had commanded the royal doctor to go with them to take care of Eun Soo and do everything he can for her until the gate opens. He was now outside on horseback, saying he preferred the feel of the cold air than being stuffed inside a carriage. Choi Young allowed it. There were five other Wu Dal Chi's guarding the carriage on horseback outside. They should be able to protect him.

Choi Young believed the gate would open. He had to believe it would open, just as he believed she would come back to him in the four years she was away.

She was hot to the touch and her breathing had gotten harsher just this morning. The fear that clutched his heart since he saw her bleeding on the floor had not diminished, instead it accelerated to heights that if he didn't have to take care of her he would be completely immobilized by it. She had only been fully conscious once since then.

...

A few days ago...

Choi Young was holding Eun Soo's hand as he sat on a chair near her bedside willing for her to open her eyes. They were at Jeon Eui Shi and although the royal doctor had stopped the bleeding Eun Soo was still unconscious. "It's a very small wound." Ha Kyung had said while studying the damage. "I don't know what kind of powers could pierce like this though. I believe she's just unconscious from the shock."

He had long since left to make more medicine and Eun Soo was still unconscious.

Choi Young tightened his grip on her hand. He wanted to shake her awake so he could look into her eyes and be assured she was well. As if summoned by the power of his will, Eun Soo's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at where she was but the moment she laid eyes on him she smiled. "Hi there partner." She said playfully, although the weak sound in her voice didn't manage to make it come out the way she wanted.

He couldn't say anything. He was just so happy she was alive it was hard to even breathe.

"And once again you are sitting at my bedside nursing me. This is beginning to get shameful." She smiled self-deprecatingly as she tried to get up. The expression turned to pained shock as pain pierced through her waist. She immediately fell back to the bed. Choi Young called for the royal doctor.

"You have a hole in your side, so please don't try to get up yet." Ha Kyung instructed whilst inspecting her bandaged wound, making sure she hadn't started bleeding. The royal doctor was in his late thirties, with mid length hair tied neatly in a ponytail. He had a calmness in him that reminded her of Jang Bin, the previous royal doctor who had been her dearest friend. He had died at the hands of people who had been trying to find her.

"The bullet?" Eun Soo asked concerned. "Were you able to take it out?"

Ha Kyung didn't seem to understand and Eun Soo looked at him in horror. "We need to take the bullet out. It's like a small pointed rock made of metal. I don't know where it's lodged inside, I might have internal bleeding."

The doctor looked at her as if she was talking in a foreign language but as Eun Soo tried to sit up with the intention of taking the bandage off and checking on her wound, the pain made her swoon and she had to lie back down again. She could not operate on herself like this. It just wasn't possible.

Maybe it had lodged somewhere that would not harm her. She knew of some people who lived with bullets inside their bodies. But she had no way to be sure. And without antibiotics she was very much in danger of blood poisoning. She had to find a way. She could not get worse than she already was, else Choi Young would blame himself if anything happened to her. She could not bear the thought of it.

"What's this about a metal?' It was Choi Young who asked softly, looking at Eun Soo. He had gone pale as he listened to their conversation. It didn't seem like she was going to be alright. There was something that was lodged inside her body that could kill her if it wasn't taken out. And it didn't seem like they knew how. And as he looked at her he felt helpless. He didn't know anything about healing a person, all he knew was how to take lives. He'd promised he'd protect her. He'd just gotten her back.

Fear was not something Choi Young knew how to deal with very well. Although he wasn't careless with his life like he was before he'd met Eun Soo, he was still confident of his skills in battle that even when surrounded by enemies he knew he'd find a way out. That no matter how thick the walls, he could charge his way through. Even when he had swords pointed at him, he would assess the situation calmly. Fear was something he only experienced at the thought of loosing her.

At that moment Eun Soo wished she'd left Taizu in the herb gardens to die. And then she felt guilty to even think it. She was a doctor, doctors didn't choose whose life was to be saved. That was their code. But she would have given anything to erase the look in Choi Young's eyes right now.

She gestured with her right hand for him to come closer and he immediately moved to take her hand and sit on her bedside. "I'll be fine." She tried to assure him. "You're not going to get rid of me so easily." Ha Kyung left the room quietly.

Choi Young didn't say anything but the grip on her hand tightened. Eun Soo felt exhausted, she just needed to rest a bit and then she will find a solution later. She needed to talk to Ha Kyung as well. Maybe if she gave him explicit instructions he will be able to take the bullet out. But before she could rest she needed to make this person holding her hand believe that she would be fine. It tore at her heart that she made him feel this way again.

"Hey." She said softly, looking straight into his eyes. She pulled her hand away from his grasp and stuck her pinky finger out pointing towards him. She smiled knowing he would remember what it meant. He always remembered everything she said. He was never interested on the things she taught him about heaven and he never tried to learn anything as well. But he'd always remembered. Partly because he had really good memory and observation skills but mostly because no matter how disinterested he might seem, his mind would always focus on her whenever she was near, as if she was his whole world and there was no one else.

It almost broke her heart when he slowly raised his own hand and linked his pinky finger into hers. Tears clogged her throat, making it hard to speak. "I will never leave you again." She managed to get the words out whilst keeping her smile. She gestured with her thumb to meet his and he replied in kind. "I promise." She said as their thumbs met.

He nodded. She closed her eyes still smiling and fell into slumber. And that's when the King arrived with Do Chi and some of the Wu Dal Chis guarding him. He went inside the room alone, while his entourage waited outside. Choi Young laid Eun Soo's hand slowly on the bed then got up to give the King a bow.

The King waved his bow away reminding him he didn't need such display when they were alone. "How is she doing?" He asked without really expecting an answer. "I heard from Ha Kyung just a moment ago that she might have been hit by a weapon from the heavens. He said she seemed to recognize what it was the attacker used. That she mentioned needing a metal taken out from her?"

Choi Young nodded. He kept glancing at her, just to assure himself that she was still breathing. Yet he was also worried that the King after just being attacked was roaming around the palace grounds, but he just couldn't muster the strength to give him a lecture about safety.

"In that case, she should be fine if you took her to heaven." The King concluded. "They should know how to cure her there."

Choi Young's eyes widened at the king's words. "It will take days to travel to the gate. And then we don't know if the gate is open or when it will open."

"It is still better than not doing anything." The King replied calmly. "Ha Kyung says it takes years to gain the knowledge that Eui Seon has of healing, even if she tries to teach him which she is not in the condition to do so."

Choi Young wanted to grab at any chance he had of saving her. However he had decided a long time ago not to turn his back on his duty. That he would not run away like his master did. The kingdom was in the midst of preparing for war. They had two hundred thousand men coming to take their capital. Now was not really the time to leave. And yet, if he had to choose between the kingdom and Eun Soo. There was really no choice. She still came first.

But she would not like it. She had worked really hard so as not to take him away. And even from before, she would hide things from him just as to not place him in a situation where he had to turn away from his duty. She even went as far as risk her life for it.

The King had on a wry grin as he watched his general. "The preparations for war is done, all that's left is the execution. I believe I have a lot of other capable generals that can take your place." Then he came nearer as he continued. "Don't misunderstand though. I am not releasing you and neither am I releasing her. I am merely sending you on a mission to cure a person who's life is important to the kingdom. You are both to come back once she is well. I'll do my best not to loose my throne until then." He said the last part in an amused tone.

Since the King had put it that way, Choi Young could not disagree.

...

Taizu was sitting on a bed inside an inn on the outskirts of Gaegyeong. He had an unsheathed sword placed on the bed beside him and he had just taken the silencer off his gun and began polishing it with a piece of cloth. That's when the messenger came in silently through the window and knelt before him. Taizu didn't even bother to look up.

"Choi Young is taking the heavenly doctor to the gate." The messenger reported. "It seems she is still alive although everyone in the palace seems to be worried about her dying." He had his head bowed whilst saying this but he raised his head as he continued. "I wonder how she survived, I've known you to never miss a target. And you were shooting to kill, were you not?"

Instead of answering Taizu took a folded piece of paper from his robe and gave it to the messenger. The messenger stood to take it. "Give that to general Sha Liu. It is a written authority for him to control the troops." He had just finished polishing his gun and had placed it on the bed beside the sword.

"You are not going to lead the invasion?" The messenger asked in surprise. Then he spoke as if in observation. "I don't think that's what the master wanted."

Taizu shrugged. "I already did my part. They can win the war without me. I have something I need to do." Just as he finished speaking he grabbed his sword from the bed noticing an intruder. "Were you followed?" He asked the messenger in exasperation. But as he turned to face the man, he was no longer there.

A hooded figure burst through the window with a sword aimed at him. Taizu parried it easily and countered with a slash of his own sword. But the intruder swiftly turned and twirled away, avoiding his sword whilst throwing a dagger at him. The dagger narrowly missed Taizu's cheek as he dodged. Without pause the intruder flew towards him with his sword pointing straight at Taizu's chest. This time instead of parrying, Taizu cloaked his hand with air and stopped the sword. With his other hand he blew the hood off the intruder's head. It was a woman.

"That's so unfair." The woman complained in Chinese. "You don't use your powers in a sword fight, that's just wrong." She pouted as she withdrew her sword.

The woman was young, about eighteen or nineteen and she was very pretty. She had long dark hair that was parted at the middle into two thick braids which hang on the front of her shoulders.

"What are you doing here Xinghua?" Taizu said in annoyance. He was now speaking in Chinese as well. "Your father is going to kill me if he finds out you have ventured into enemy territory."

Guo Xinghua's eyes narrowed in anger at the mention of her father. "If I don't kill you both first, then you are free to kill each other." Then she pointed her sword once more at him. This time Taizu neither parried nor dodged. He just stood there with the tip of her sword near his neck. "How could you Yuanzhang! How could you do this to me?" her voice was laced with hurt and anger. "Why did you consent to the marriage when we both know you have no feelings for me."

"You're still acting like a child." Taizu was getting really annoyed at this turn of events, and he usually didn't get annoyed so easily. In fact he was so busy with the many situations he had to calculate in his head he rarely had time for any type of emotion. But at the moment he felt annoyed at the messenger for allowing a slip of a girl to shadow him and this girl who was full of emotion of all the wrong kinds. "A marriage is created for the sole purpose of families gaining an advantage. Your father is in need of a strong heir and I need his backing to consolidate my authority."

She rolled her eyes at him, but withdrew her sword once more. "That's what's so unattractive about you. You are just too ambitious for your own good and you make no secret about it. What about duty and honor?" She asked dramatically. "What about love?" Then she sighed. "You have no space for a woman at all in your heart. I can't marry someone like you. Never!"

"Then you have someone you like?" He asked plainly.

She pursed her lips at him then turned around and sat on his bed, placing her sword beside her. "No, not really." She admitted. "All the men I've met so far are so boring that you actually become quite interesting in comparison. And that's saying a lot because you are still very boring."

"Well then," He said facing her. "Since there is no exact date for the wedding yet, I'll give you time. Just stay engaged to me until you find this paragon of a man you are after. When you finally give up on him, you can marry me."

"You sound so sure of yourself." She said with narrowed eyes. "I don't give up so easily you know."

"I know." He answered. But he also knew she would eventually marry him and they were just wasting time with this conversation. Fate was not something written in the stars. Fate was written by people. And he happened to be one of those people.

...

Eun Soo was hot with fever and her breathing was even worse than before. They had already gone past the village of Pogu after crossing the Amrok River by boat, thus the heaven's gate was just a matter of hours away. Choi Young had placed Eun Soo into the carriage waiting for them on the other side of the river. The carriage had been prepared by Dae Man whom Choi Young had ordered to go on ahead. After which, he had him go ahead towards the gate to report whether it was open or not so they could just stop by the nearest town if it wasn't open yet.

As the carriage was jolted again by the rocky road they were travelling on, Eun Soo came back to full consciousness. Looking at where she was, it wasn't hard to guess what was happening. "We don't know if the gate would be open." She said softly. Judging by her heart rate and her fever Eun Soo knew she was sick with Septicemia. Although the fact that Choi Young was riding in the carriage beside her would have told her already that her condition was bad. The last time when he had prepared a carriage for her was to bring her back to Gaegyeong. She had asked if he would ride with her. He had looked horrified at the thought. Thus she decided to ride on horseback with him instead.

Thinking about her situation Eun Soo deduced that going back to the future was the best solution at the moment. Judging by the signs, the infection was spreading throughout her blood and if it becomes a widespread inflammation it could cause damage to her organs.

Choi Young who was holding her close knew exactly when she returned to consciousness. But he didn't know if he should be relieved or more concerned. At least if she was asleep she would not be suffering. "I have asked Dae Man to check on it." he replied without looking at her. He couldn't bear to meet her eyes.

"If I tell you to let me go across the gate by myself, you would not agree I suppose." She said weakly. "Not even if I tell you I can just get someone to call 119 and there will be doctors who will come rushing to my aid." He didn't answer, but then he didn't have to. "The Red Turban will be attacking the palace while you are gone." She said sadly. Once more taking care of her had taken him away from the place where he should be. She had tried really hard this time. But still to no avail. It was as if the world itself was rejecting her existence and was taking it out on him. Was she not meant to be in this world after all?

"Don't even think it." This time he finally looked at her and there was anger in his eyes as if he'd read her thoughts. "This is my fault and not yours. I should have been more vigilant. You saved my life by risking yours. The fault completely lies in me." Then he looked away. "And besides, this is the King's order. It is my duty to get you there safely and take you back. Even the retainers have agreed to this decision. Your plan to be one with the kingdom must be working."

"I saved him." Eun soo said in a low voice. He wouldn't have heard her had she not been resting her head on his shoulder still. She felt him stiffen at her words. "He was dying in the gardens and I saved him. I could say I knew he was the one who saved the child and that I had to save his life in return but that would just be an excuse. I just could not let him die."

The anger was gone in Choi Young's eyes as he looked at her once more. He knew that expression on her face. It was the same anguish as when she realized she had just healed someone who was going to kill him in the future. "Why was I not informed of this? Deok Man should have been with you."

"I had him take my tools from my room at the time." She had closed her eyes although she was still wide awake. "I could not tell anyone except Deo Ki who I had sworn to silence. They would not have allowed me to heal him otherwise."

But Choi Young had stopped listening to her halfway. He could hear footsteps running towards them and he knew by the sound of their strides that they were not civilians. He gripped his sword tightly and called out the window to Hoon Jin who was riding beside them on a horse. "Protect the royal doctor at all cost." Hoon Jin understood immediately that there was impending danger. He passed the message quickly to the other Wu Dal Chi's guarding the carriage.

Eun Soo had stopped leaning on Choi Young the moment he had called out to Hoon Jin. She didn't even bother asking what was happening. She just looked at him ready for him to give instructions.

The carriage had stopped and Choi Young knelt in front of Eun Soo with a hand on each of her shoulders. "Imja, don't ever blame yourself for saving a life." His eyes were full of concern for her, then it turned cold. "But if I ever see him again, I will kill him."

Eun Soo could not respond as sounds of alarm could be heard outside. "Stay inside the carriage, no matter what happens. Could you do that?" Choi Young asked.

Eun Soo nodded and Choi Young rushed out of the carriage to assess the situation. Everyone was off their horses and Ha Kyung was standing behind Hoon Jin, who had his sword out ready to fight. He wasn't a fighter like Jang Bin was, however he still looked calm which Choi Young appreciated. He pulled Ha Kyung into the carriage. "Protect her." He told him as he pushed him inside.

He looked ahead to see what had stopped the carriage from moving. There were about twenty men standing on the road blocking their path. They were all holding swords and from the look of them they were definitely the wokou. From the reports he had of them, he knew they would sometimes use poisoned arrows so he scanned the surroundings for archers but there didn't seem to be any.

He moved forward to face the leader of the group who was standing in front of the others. Or at least he should be the leader as he was wearing polished armor while the rest were in commoner clothing. "We don't hold anything of value here, attacking us is pointless." Choi Young declared without expecting them to really understand. Besides even if they understood him he already knew what they wanted. The wokou would not just attack ordinary citizens on the road without knowledge of the valuables they carry. And when they do attack, it would be an ambush to make sure they surprised the enemy and be gone before anyone can call for reinforcements. That they were being cautious meant they wanted someone alive.

One of the wokou standing behind their leader moved forward to speak with him. The leader said something back in japanese then the wokou speaking with him looked at Choi Young. "You can all go. We just want the girl." His command of the Korean language was bad but the meaning came through.

"She's not in good condition. If you take her she might die." Choi Young responded but he was really getting annoyed. He wanted to go check on Eun Soo to make sure she had not gotten worse.

The leader and his subordinate were talking once more. "We will take her where she can be cured. Give her or you all die."

He should not have said anything. Choi Young thought. They were wasting time. He closed his eyes and sighed then drew his sword. The Wokou charged as he did this. "Stand behind and watch the carriage." He commanded the Wu Dal Chis, throwing his scabbard at Hoon Jin. "Kill anyone who comes near it."

With a slash of his sword he killed the first three men who came charging. Then he pivoted and kicked the next one with his left foot then twirled vertically to kick another with his right. He came down in a crouching position, turned and slashed the foot of another, then stood up hitting another wokou's chin with the hilt of his sword then twirling his blade slashed the head of the next one. He then shifted the sword to his left hand and slashed the other two on his left who tried to get past him.

One wokou who managed to get through, met with Hoon Jin's sword as he tried to get near the carriage. The rest of the wokou was now backing up reassessing their situation. The leader became apprehensive as he watched the carnage on the ground. All that done by one man alone. They had not expected the rumors to be true. He had been warned by another group leader that the general Choi Young would be guarding the woman. That his prowess in battle was legendary. He had snorted at such warning. Praises on the battlefield were usually heaped on the leader when it was actually his men who did all the work. It seemed in this case he was severely mistaken.

But he could not retreat now. His reputation was at stake. The other groups would laugh at them if they turn tail and run. They were fighting only six people, not to mention the other five was merely guarding the carriage, so in effect they were just fighting one man. He drew his sword, summoning his courage and rushed towards Choi Young.

That was when Dae Man arrived tumbling and kicking the leader to the ground. "The gate has opened!" He said in excitement. "It is open right now!"

Choi Young faced the rest of the wokou then raised his hands to summon lightning. As the lightning crackled on his hands the wokou fled, dragging their leader with them. They could not expect to win over such a monster.

And Hoon Jin was there leading a horse to Choi Young. Ha Kyung and Eun Soo had gotten out of the carriage with Eun Soo leaning heavily on the royal doctor. Choi Young gave his sword to Dae Man and wasted no time in getting into the horse. He reigned it near where the royal doctor and Eun Soo stood.

He met Ha Kyung's eyes and Ha Kyung took Eun Soo in his arms to pass her on to Choi Young. Eun Soo was too weak to even be surprised. He kicked on the horse and they rushed towards the gate.

...

A man carrying a woman in his arms had jumped off his horse and was walking hurriedly towards the opened gate.

Taizu was standing near a tree, about a hundred meters away from the gate using his binoculars to observe the area around it. "So you are letting her go." Suddenly the messenger was standing beside him, calmly observing as well.

Taizu had on a troubled expression as he took the binoculars off his eyes. It wasn't meant to happen that way. He could not have made a mistake. How did Choi Young manage to enter the portal?

"I don't think the master will be happy about this." The messenger continued in an emotionless voice. "If Choi Young doesn't come back, all the work we have done so far will be for nothing."

Taizu looked at the messenger in annoyance. "You don't have to tell me that." He threw the binoculars at the messenger who caught it without effort. "I'll fix it."

...

On the other side of the gate Eun Soo was doing her best to convince Choi Young to go back. It was still night time in the world of 2012 and from experience she knew only minutes had passed since she had left this world. She had already stopped a passersby to request for the person to call 119. Seeing her pale face, the blood that had seeped out of the left side of her clothes, and the fear in the eyes of the man carrying her, the woman had obliged.

Choi Young was not in his warrior armor which Eun Soo was thankful about. He still looked really out of place in his robes but it was still much better than armor. "Please, an ambulance will be here soon to take me to the hospital. I will be fine. You need to go back to the door before it closes." She held his face with both hands willing for him to understand. "I will go as soon as I am well. I will find you again, you know I will."

She made sense, Choi Young knew this. When he had kidnapped her, a huge amount of soldiers had come quickly to her rescue, it was easy to believe the same thing would happen now that she had notified someone she was back. And a part of him was concerned about the attack on Gaegyeong as well as the well being of the King and Queen. But he couldn't let her go. His arms just wouldn't comply. Instead he held her closer. And just like that the gate closed.

Eun Soo looked at him with concern in her eyes which he found ironic since she was the one in grave danger of dying. He could hear the sound of a siren getting louder and at any other time he would have looked around for the source of the sound. But her eyes had captured him and he could not look anywhere else. "Don't fight anyone." She was saying. "They will take me away. Let me go and they will take care of me. Just simply follow and they will probably let you in the ambulance with me. If anyone asks any questions don't say anything. Act like you don't understand." Then she closed her eyes as if depleted of all her strength. "If we become separated just go back to the gate and I'll come find you."

Then she lost consciousness once more.

...

NEXT Chapter 5: Can I Stay by Your Side? – Choi Young has never seen Eun Soo so relaxed and happy as she is while in Heaven. As the two wait for the gate to open again Choi Young begins to have doubts about bringing her back. And it seems that someone else doesn't want her to go back with him either.

Author's notes: Got stuck on the battle scene and had to stare at my screen for hours trying to visualize a fight. I came up with pure crap. I'll do better in the next chapters I hope. I'm so sleepy now. Goodnight.