Alchemy of Souls (2022) s01e17 Episode Script
Episode 17
ALCHEMY OF SOULS
Who are you and why are you following me?
I said…
who are you?
Seeing that you recognize this sword,
you must be a mage.
Put down your sword.
It is dangerous to unsheathe
a sword of Cheonbugwan here.
This is Gaema Village.
Cheonbugwan mages who patrol for sorcery
are considered enemies.
If you get into a fight
and people find out that you are here,
you will not be safe.
It looks as though
you know who I am.
You carry the sword
of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju,
so you must be his son.
Does Uk not know
what his father looks like?
Are there no portraits of his father
like the one here of his mother?
We do not have any portraits
of the Gwanju.
Young Master never seemed
curious about him.
He only saw his father as a baby,
so there is no way he would remember.
He would not recognize his father
even if he were to run into him.
I only followed you
because I recognized the sword.
Do you know the owner of this sword?
The man who abandoned that sword
was a madman.
His wife had an affair and died.
Then he abandoned his own son
and public post and just ran away.
Jang Gang, the man who went mad.
Everyone secretly talks about him,
but no one has ever said that to my face.
Do you hold a grudge against him?
What if I do?
Will you take vengeance on me
on behalf of your father?
No.
Even if I am his son, it is not my place.
He would not want that.
Then why do you carry your father's sword?
If I go around
denying that he is my father,
it would make my mother
seem too pitiful.
Do-hwa…
Do-hwa was the biggest victim of it all.
Do you also know my mother?
Do-hwa was the most beautiful woman
in all of Daeho.
Everyone in Daeho knew who she was.
It seems like everyone in my family
is famous for something.
I must say,
I did not expect to run into anyone
who recognized me at a place like this.
This is where people
secretly practice sorcery
despite it being banned by Songrim.
What is the son of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju
doing at a place like this?
Well, I was told I would be able
to witness sorcery
such as curses and soul magic.
You are a mage of Jeongjingak,
yet you go around
in search of such sorcery?
Not exactly.
I am here to find a shaman
who performs such sorcery.
A shaman?
She was a shaman
who was very good at soul magic,
which bewitches souls
and drives people mad.
She was caught 20 years ago
by the mages of Cheonbugwan
and ran away after her house burned down.
What business do you have
with Shaman Choi?
How did you know that was Shaman Choi?
By any chance, were you
one of the Cheonbugwan mages
who worked with my father?
The Choi family was a family of mages
that was destroyed by Master Seo Gyeong
a long time ago.
Your curiosity will put you in danger.
If you become consumed
by your curiosity for sorcery,
its darkness will take over your soul,
and you could end up losing everything.
Once that happens,
it will be too late to go back.
Stop looking for those
who perform sorcery.
The world does not approve of such things,
and you will never be forgiven.
Wait.
Here.
Are you hurt?
Yes, I am hurt.
I am damaged
to the very depths of my soul.
Did he end up that way because of sorcery?
Bu-yeon!
My goodness, Bu-yeon!
Did she just look at me?
I am sorry.
Could you pick up the cane for me?
She is the girl I ran into
in front of the house.
Mother!
Mother.
Is she really Bu-yeon?
Yes, she is your sister.
Bu-yeon.
Bu-yeon, let me take you to your room.
You are Jang Uk's maid.
What are you doing here?
I came to help Young Lady Jin run away
from home due to her relationship.
But it looks like I just should leave.
I will be off now.
Why was Mu-deok here?
I was sure she did not recognize me.
Should I have just killed her?
Bu-yeon, I left your room untouched.
After all, I knew that
this day would come.
Let us go inside.
All your belongings
are still here.
After I almost died
when I was washed up in the lake,
I always had to wander,
unable to find a proper place to stay.
But now, I have my own room.
I had no idea I had a mother
waiting for me to return.
Every day was full of misery and distress.
My poor daughter.
I will make sure
you are always happy from now on.
Do not worry.
Mother.
Did Jin Mu really bring home
Lady Jin's daughter?
Yes, the girl he brought
opened the doors of Jinyowon.
-What?
-She opened the doors?
It takes more than a mere trick
to open those doors.
They can only be opened
by the members of the Jin family.
Does this really mean
Jin Bu-yeon has returned?
Why do my eyes hurt like crazy
every time I go to Jinyowon?
Is it because of
the power of their relics?
Mu-deok, what are you doing here?
Why were you looking in the mirror?
Did you want to look nice for me?
Do not be ridiculous.
Wait.
I want to make myself look nice.
How about you pick something suitable
for your young master?
I will pick one myself.
What do you think? Does it suit me?
Yes, sure. You look fabulous.
Of course it would look nice on me.
Let me see.
This looks nice on me too.
This is just too hard.
Everything suits me.
What is this?
Give me that. I will doll you up.
Look at you. You look stunning.
It looks like I am all dolled up now.
Now, it is your turn.
Look at how pretty you look, Mu-deok.
How childish of you.
I thought you only liked my eyes.
I know, right?
I only thought your eyes were pretty.
But your poison must have done
a number on me.
Now, you look pretty no matter what.
I see you are trying hard not to love me.
You seem distressed.
Not at all. You could not be more wrong.
If you are going to lie to my face,
at least try not to show it.
You are blushing right now.
That is because
you put all this blush on my face.
Let me see.
I must have applied too much.
It will not come off.
You kind of
look like a drunk dog right now.
You should not glare like that.
You look like a dog about to bite.
I might as well just bite you.
I will not bite. Come here.
All right. Stop.
I had to buy this because of you.
Do not use it if you do not need it.
I will use it for myself.
This is pretty too.
Mu-deok…
You were almost hit by the wagon.
Mu-deok.
Are you really drunk or something?
Did you drink without me?
I had a drink too.
How about we have some more together?
I am not drunk.
Were you out drinking?
I went to Gaema Village
and someone let me have a drink.
Did you meet Shaman Choi there?
I found a connection
between her and Jin Mu.
But I also ran into
the Crown Prince there.
The Crown Prince?
His Royal Highness is also suspicious
of Jin Mu and the Queen.
Your Royal Highness.
Are you coming back from Gaema Village?
Yes.
The place was like a maze.
It was hard to find my way out.
What is it?
-Is there something the matter?
-The Assistant Gwanju is here.
Where did you go all by yourself
without a single person to escort you?
It is embarrassing enough to be caught
after sneaking out. Please let it slide.
I just met His Majesty.
He brought up the King's Star again.
He seems to want it so much.
You should just give him a fake
constellation plate with the King's Star.
Then he must find everyone
who was born that day
and kill them.
Why?
It could be a hero like Master Seo Gyeong
instead of being a traitor
wishing to conspire against the king.
They say Seo Gyeong saved the world
with the ice stone.
But that is not true.
In truth, he controlled the world
by forbidding everyone
from using that immense power.
The ice stone enables sorcery,
which is why it is dangerous.
That is the logic set by Songrim.
The ice stone has the power
to bring eternity to finite things.
Instead of aging and dying,
its power could enable us
to stay young and beautiful.
Are you talking about
the alchemy of souls?
The sorcery that was banned by Songrim.
But what if the ban gets lifted
and the use of the ice stone
becomes permissible?
Your Royal Highness.
What do you think would happen then?
Those who possess the ice stone
will be able to live forever.
But it would be dangerous if that kind
of power can be used by anyone.
Not everyone will be able to use it.
We will create a new order
where only those specially chosen,
like you, Your Royal Highness,
will be allowed to use its power.
We need to find the ice stone
in order for that to become possible.
Jin Bu-yeon, the long-lost daughter
of Jinyowon, has returned.
-Jinyowon?
-The woman who helped
Master Seo Gyeong find the ice stone
was the first leader of Jinyowon.
And Jin Bu-yeon has divine powers
that parallel that of the first leader.
If the ice stone appears
just like it did 200 years ago,
the priestess of Jinyowon
will surely find it once again.
The eldest daughter of Jinyowon
has returned alive.
She seemed like an ordinary blind girl.
I thought she was a powerful priestess.
I wonder if she lost her power.
I guess it is possible
seeing that she failed
to find her way home for ten years.
She was brought here by Jin Mu.
There is no way she is ordinary.
Did you notice anything peculiar?
I ran into her once
in front of your house.
I remember because I picked up
the cane she had dropped.
She was in front of my house?
But nothing about her
seemed peculiar that day.
The same goes for today.
The umbrella…
She was carrying an umbrella.
I have seen that umbrella somewhere.
An umbrella?
What is so special about an umbrella?
No.
That umbrella was made
with high-quality sheepskin and bamboo.
It was very expensive.
-How did it end up with her?
-Why?
Who did it originally belong to?
The umbrella?
I do not have that umbrella anymore.
I gave it to someone.
Who did you give it to and where?
It was not intentional.
I am sorry. I know you bought it for me.
You do not need to apologize.
Did you give it to a woman?
Yes, I did give it to a woman.
Please do not be angry.
Why would I be angry?
Who was that woman?
Tell me.
Will you answer me already?
This is so frustrating.
Who was the woman you gave it to?
Mu-deok.
That is not the way to ask. Yul is…
He is pale with fear.
You sound like a wife
interrogating a cheating husband.
It is inappropriate to ask him
with such a demanding tone.
Watch and learn. Yul.
Did you give that umbrella
to a blind girl?
How did you know that?
By any chance, is she So-i,
the girl you mentioned last time?
Yes, I gave it to her.
Why do you ask?
Today, I went to Jinyowon
and saw their long-lost daughter,
Jin Bu-yeon.
She was blind,
but she was holding an umbrella
instead of a cane.
Was it the same umbrella?
Hey.
Hey, did you hear?
They found Young Lady Jin's older sister.
They found Jin Bu-yeon.
Do you hear me?
What is with this atmosphere?
What were you talking about?
We were talking about So-i,
the girl we were looking for.
So-i?
Oh, the swindler?
Did you find her?
The Jin Bu-yeon that Jin Mu has brought in
is So-i, the swindler.
She must have killed all those people
to keep her identity a secret.
Jin Bu-yeon.
I will make sure to become
indistinguishable from you.
This is exactly the same
as the one that Mu-deok had.
Why is this here?
Bu-yeon.
Do you remember
this eye mask?
The eye masks you wore
were all embroidered by me.
I was always worried that
something might happen to you
since you could not see.
So I always made you wear an eye mask
that had the crest of Jinyowon on it.
I see.
This may be old,
but it is made out of silk.
Your biological parents might be rich.
Are you sure you are blind?
I cannot find spring water
even though I can see,
but you have no trouble at all.
Bu-yeon, you always had
the ability to sense energy.
You could find things a lot better
than those who could see,
and you easily found your way
around places.
That is exactly how Mu-deok was
in Sari Village.
She found things easily
and always knew where she was going.
You were wearing the same eye mask
the very day you disappeared.
So I hoped that you might use the eye mask
to find your way back home.
She always cherished it
saying it was the only way
to find her parents.
If you had kept that with you,
I would have recognized you at once.
The eye mask that I stole from Mu-deok
was made by this woman.
In any case,
thank you so much
for coming back alive, Bu-yeon.
The real Jin Bu-yeon,
the daughter of this woman,
is Mu-deok.
My goodness, Bu-yeon!
I wonder if Mu-deok was the reason
why these doors opened that day.
Mu-deok is the real daughter.
What will become of me
if she finds that out?
Will I die?
Bu-yeon.
What are you doing here?
Are you trying to open the doors again?
No.
I just cannot believe that
I am the daughter of this family.
Do not worry.
You can believe it.
We all saw you open those doors.
By the way, about the girl
who was here with you last night…
Mu-deok?
She is not a person of Jinyowon.
Does she come here often?
Mother seemed to know her too.
Mother does not like her.
She once caused trouble, you see.
Is that so?
So that is why.
I sensed bad energy from her.
Bad energy?
The energy I sensed from that girl
was dark and unpleasant.
You should not stay close to someone
with that kind of energy.
She is not that bad of a person.
There you girls are.
Father.
Father.
Cho-yeon, your mother is looking for you.
Mother?
I thought she was no longer angry.
-I should go then.
-Go on.
I warned you to keep a distance
from my daughter.
I apologize.
We must go to Cheonbugwan
on the last day of this month.
-So be prepared.
-Yes.
Father, wait.
My lord.
Are you sure Jin Bu-yeon is dead?
What will happen to me
if she were to return?
You do not need to worry
about such a thing.
She is dead.
Even if Mu-deok is their real daughter,
no one in their family knows that.
I just need to make sure no one finds out.
I am Jin Bu-yeon.
I thought about it all night.
Although this may put my love at risk,
I will do what I must
as the heir of Songrim.
-I should tell my uncle.
-No.
You all remember seeing him
arguing with Lady Jin, right?
If we accuse her daughter
of being a fake and a murderer
without any concrete evidence,
things could get ugly
between Songrim and Jinyowon.
You have a point.
If the truth gets revealed, there will be
a fight between Jin Mu and Jinyowon.
Songrim should not get involved
if we are not sure.
But why did they bring a swindler
to act as such a powerful priestess?
Because they need someone
in that position.
What if she gets caught?
A mother would know her daughter.
In the end, she will get caught.
Why do something so reckless?
Because it does not matter.
Jin Mu must have something big
so that even if Jin Ho-gyeong finds out
her daughter is a fake,
she will not be able
to do anything about it.
Something about her is different.
She has the same scar and mole
that Bu-yeon had as a child.
But her ears are different.
The shape of our ears never changes.
Am I not remembering things correctly?
Ho-gyeong.
I am surprised you only wish to see
the inside of Jinyowon
in return for helping me find Bu-yeon.
This place was forbidden to me
although I was a member of the Jin family.
I do remember severely punishing you
every time you came close to Jinyowon.
I admit I have been too harsh on you.
I hated you for you were the result
of my father's affair,
and I despised you
for always trying so hard
to please and butter everyone up.
I am sorry.
It is all in the past.
Now that Bu-yeon is back,
you should quickly choose your successor.
Are you telling me to appoint her
as the next leader of Jinyowon?
Appointing a new owner
will bring back life to Jinyowon.
Once that is done,
I will lay the groundwork for Cho-yeon
to become the Crown Princess.
There is no need to rush.
Bu-yeon has not
fully recovered her memory,
and I am still capable
to stay as the leader.
Your power is not enough for us
to retrieve the ice stone.
When you were pregnant with Bu-yeon,
you unsealed the ice stone from Jinyowon
and gave it to Jang Gang
in order to save her.
How do you know that?
Do not be startled.
I am not trying to accuse you
of your wrongdoings.
I bet Jang Gang insisted on
sealing the ice stone somewhere else
and did not return it to you.
Do you know
where Jang Gang hid the ice stone
that he took from Jinyowon?
Now that the successor
of Jinyowon is back,
I will return the ice stone
back to where it belongs.
Jin Mu, are you saying…
Ho-gyeong.
I just told you that I would return it.
Do not be suspicious
or stand on your guard.
Think of it as a gift that came
with your daughter's return.
All you need to do is
just accept it with joy.
It sounds like you are telling me
to blindly acknowledge Bu-yeon
if I wish to receive that gift.
Get rid of your suspicions and doubts,
and you will be able to have it all.
Both the ice stone
and your long-lost daughter.
What do you want?
You must fight Songrim
in order to protect the ice stone.
You want me to fight with Songrim?
The collapse of Songrim
will allow us to possess
absolute power over the ice stone.
Are you talking about
the alchemy of souls?
The sorcery that was banned by Songrim.
But what if the ban gets lifted
and the use of the ice stone
becomes permissible?
Your Royal Highness.
What do you think would happen then?
An eternal life?
Has the petrification stopped?
He is able to breathe now.
He can also move his fingers and toes.
Master Kang was a mage
with many years of training.
How did he become tempted to use sorcery?
If Jin Mu were to approach me
and tell me I could shift my soul
into a younger and more beautiful body,
I would be tempted too.
I am joking. But I am sure
many people will fall for that.
They are merely keeping quiet
because of Songrim.
First, it was Cheonbugwan
and the royal palace.
Now it looks like Jin Mu
even has influence over Jinyowon.
But we have evidence
to prove that he has been
performing the alchemy of souls.
Once Master Kang spills everything,
we can finally put a stop to Jin Mu.
He is not scared that he got caught.
Instead, he is already
plotting something new.
I have no way of telling
how far Jin Mu is willing to go from here.
And that scares me.
What is the purpose of my visit
to Cheonbugwan this time?
Will I have to endure the pain
of another worm entering my body?
Just do as you are told.
There will be many others there,
so be careful of how you behave.
Today, I shall finally reveal
the Danju of our secret organization.
Stand before everyone here
and show your face.
The Danju is not only
the most powerful priestess of Daeho,
but also the future leader of Jinyowon.
Her name is Jin Bu-yeon.
Show your respect to the Danju.
I will use her to bring the ice stone
out into the world.
Then I shall shift my soul into her body.
That will allow me to serve you
from a closer distance,
my sister.
The leader of Jinyowon gathered
a Unanimous Assembly
-without discussing it with Songrim?
-Yes.
She sent letters to all the families.
They are now heading to Songrim.
What in the world
is Jinyowon trying to do this time?
She is the mother of the young man
who is currently lying in Sejukwon.
Why is everyone gathering here?
Jinyowon gathered the Unanimous Assembly.
Young Lady Cho-yeon is here.
Is that blind girl Jin Bu-yeon?
So-i?
Yes.
Things are proceeding
faster than expected.
They are going to use the fake daughter
to get something done today.
She must be Jin Bu-yeon.
The leader of Jinyowon has invited
the royal family and Cheonbugwan
to the Unanimous Assembly.
The Unanimous Assembly?
What for?
To announce a grave matter
that will determine the fate of Daeho.
The capital has been suffering from chaos
due to many incidents
regarding soul shifters
ever since the appearance of Naksu.
Thus, Jinyowon has
generously tried to help Songrim
find the source of sorcery.
However,
Songrim took our cooperation for granted
and arrogantly began to make
unreasonable demands and requests.
They barged into Jinyowon
as well as Cheonbugwan
with the excuse of patrolling for sorcery.
They also tried to use
the relics of Jinyowon
to investigate all the families of mages
as if they thought everyone
outside of Songrim performed sorcery.
-Unbelievable.
-Worse than that,
they even took one of our relics
into the royal palace.
Did Songrim really cast doubt on us?
That is crossing the line.
Lady Jin, did you gather
the Unanimous Assembly to vent
and complain about Songrim?
Look at him.
I have only just started speaking,
and he is already trying to shut me up.
I, Jin Ho-gyeong, the leader of Jinyowon,
wish to stop Songrim's arbitrary actions
they justify as patrolling for sorcery.
That requires me to break
the 200-year-old rule
that has been kept until now,
which is why I have gathered you all.
Bu-yeon.
She is Jin Bu-yeon,
the long-lost successor of Jinyowon
who has returned after ten years.
I heard she found her daughter.
That must be her.
I have something to show you
with the help of my daughter,
who is also the successor of Jinyowon.
Songrim has been going around
in search of the ice stone,
the source of the alchemy of souls.
However, that ice stone
has been inside Jinyowon all along.
So that was Jin Mu's plan.
He wanted to use Jinyowon
to bring the ice stone into this world.
That cannot be all.
The person who got caught
will try to shift souls.
What do you mean?
Do you not get it?
The Queen had the ice stone,
but now it is with Jinyowon.
That means the shaman's soul will shift
from the Queen's body
to someone at Jinyowon.
She will abandon the Queen's body
and shift her soul into the body
of the future leader of Jinyowon…
using the alchemy of souls.
That one in the front looks nice.
I heard the Unanimous Assembly
has gathered at Songrim
to talk about soul shifters.
Yes, apparently.
Do not buy unnecessary accessories.
Buy gold instead.
Gold is the only thing you can trust
in times of chaos.
Things will get busy
once the gathering is over.
Yes.
Once it is over,
they will all come to drink
-and talk dirt about Songrim.
-Hey.
Will you stop touching that
and just buy it already?
Goodness, give her some time.
I want to buy everything.
-Let me try that.
-This one?
Everyone in the capital is
talking about the Unanimous Assembly
and the attendance of the royal family.
He will have to show himself
with all the fuss going around.
Are you talking about Master Jang?
I found it strange that
Young Master Park kept asking me
about Master Jang.
The leader of Songrim also seemed
to be waiting for him to show up.
Keep this with you
and give it to him once he comes.
What is it?
Can I see what it is?
It is an empty piece of paper.
Did you use a spell to write a letter
just like Words of the Heart?
Once Jang Gang reads that,
he will do what is written.
By the way, do you not need
to attend the Unanimous Assembly?
I am a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong.
If I go there,
I will neither be able to admit nor deny
the actions of my master.
Does this mean Master Seo Gyeong
left an ice stone unharmed?
I thought he destroyed all of them.
Was Songrim aware of this?
If so, everything that
Songrim has done until now
under the pretext of Master Seo Gyeong
would be considered fraud.
-Do not speak nonsense.
-Fraud is what it is.
Songrim has enforced countless regulations
on all the families of mages
under the guise of patrolling for sorcery.
Do you not agree?
-I agree.
-You are right.
Did Songrim deceive us?
Have we been fooled?
-Is that what it is?
-Everyone, calm down.
The mages of Songrim
were not aware that
the ice stone was still inside Jinyowon.
We do not wish to hear your excuses.
We must discuss
what is to be done about the ice stone
that Master Seo Gyeong left behind.
We must destroy the ice stone
as it is the source of sorcery.
That is what Master Seo Gyeong
would have wanted.
We must destroy the ice stone
in front of everyone here as witnesses.
He was the one
who left the ice stone inside Jinyowon.
Following his command
would be to leave it inside Jinyowon.
Then you never should have
brought it outside in the first place.
How could you expect Songrim to stay still
after having revealed its existence?
Are you trying to make a fool of Songrim?
The leader of Jinyowon has a point.
She merely wishes to respect
Master Seo Gyeong's intentions
by leaving it inside Jinyowon.
Songrim no longer has a say
in what to do with the ice stone.
Unbelievable. Do you not even care
what Songrim thinks anymore?
The purpose of this gathering
is to discuss
how to use the ice stone
based on Master Seo Gyeong's wishes.
If Songrim has a problem with that,
you may leave.
-Here, here.
-Agreed.
Songrim has deceived us,
so stay out of this.
-Yes, you have no say.
-Stay out of it.
Leave if you have a problem.
-Just leave!
-Get out!
So this is why Jin Mu
revealed the ice stone to the world.
Now that Songrim's logic
no longer seems valid,
no one is willing to listen to them.
What are you doing there?
If Songrim is against
keeping the ice stone inside Jinyowon,
then how about
letting a third party keep it?
So here is my proposal.
How about keeping it at Gisan?
-Where did that idea come from?
-Gisan?
Why should it be kept at Gisan?
You and your family are low-level mages.
What did you say?
Your family has no right
to keep the ice stone.
-We will not allow it.
-We have no right?
My family has been around the longest
in the history of Daeho.
So we have every right
to protect the ice stone.
How dare you try to touch it!
-Are you trying to start a fight?
-Speak for yourself!
-What do you think you are doing?
-Watch your tongue.
Who do you think you are?
You little shrimp!
Did you call me a shrimp?
Hey, that is enough.
Get out of the way!
Did you just hit me?
Damn you, old man!
You little…
Get off me, you punk!
Did you just gather energy?
Fine. Go ahead and attack me.
-Damn you.
-Go ahead.
Do you…
Do you think I will not be able to?
You are as impudent as you look.
Look who is talking.
My grandfather is
at the Unanimous Assembly?
Yes.
I could not find the medical manual
you requested at Jeongjingak.
I will go to Jeongjingak
and look for it myself.
The Unanimous Assembly must be a big deal.
All the mages at Sejukwon
must have gone there.
I was told that my son
is still alive here.
Ji-ho…
You are alive.
Ji-ho.
Everyone, please settle down!
I think it is time
for Jin Ho-gyeong to get involved
and settle the issue.
Everyone! That is enough!
-I will get back to you later!
-Fine by me!
Consider yourself lucky.
Allow me to speak.
Judging by everyone's opinions,
it seems best that we use the ice stone
left by Master Seo Gyeong
for the benefit of everyone here.
Therefore,
I, Jin Ho-gyeong, the leader of Jinyowon,
would like to make a suggestion.
How about giving the rights
to gather the Unanimous Assembly
to Jinyowon instead of Songrim
from now on?
If no one here is against the idea,
I shall end the gathering here.
And as of this moment on,
Jinyowon will take Songrim's place
and take charge of holding the discussions
regarding the ice stone.
I will take that as a yes
and end today's Unanimous Assembly.
As for the ice stone,
it will remain inside Jinyowon.
The right thing to do
is to destroy the ice stone
to prevent further quarrels.
What gives Songrim the right
to make that decision?
No one here agrees with it.
The alchemy of souls has been performed,
and that was possible
because of the Soul Ejector
created from that ice stone.
First, you cast doubt
on Cheonbugwan and the royal family.
And now, you are
doing the same to Jinyowon.
I will not allow
the Unanimous Assembly to end like this.
Lady Jin.
I forbid you to take the ice stone
outside of Songrim.
Are you trying to go up against
everyone here?
No one is allowed
to take the ice stone outside of Songrim.
I order you to fight
and stop anyone who attempts to do so.
A war will break out at this rate.
The situation has turned unstable.
You should get involved, Your Majesty.
Master Lee was right.
Everyone coveted it,
which led to endless fights.
And that is why it was banned.
Everyone is fighting over the ice stone,
which means Master Lee
must also be right about the King's Star.
I can see that
all of my former masters are here.
Allow your former pupil, Jang Uk,
to greet all of you.
Who is that young man?
He is Jang Uk.
The reckless son of the Jang family
who used to be my pupil.
As I recall,
your family also tried to train him.
Yes, I remember he ran away
in just three days.
I apologize for interrupting
this passionate discussion
with the sound of the drum.
-What should I stop him?
-Let him talk.
Whatever the case,
he managed to stop the fight.
Jang Uk, son of Jang Gang.
You had better have a good reason
for interfering like this
in front of His Majesty the King.
I am here to tell you
what Master Seo Gyeong wanted.
I told him the true intentions
of Master Seo Gyeong.
I hope he uses it wisely.
I tell you this on behalf of Master Lee,
a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong.
So I expect everyone here
to show their respect
and listen to Master Seo Gyeong's will.
According to Master Lee,
Master Seo Gyeong's will
regarding the ice stone
is written in Words of the Heart.
He wrote down the reason
he left behind the ice stone
and left it for all the mages
of Jeongjingak to read,
meaning Songrim did not hide anything.
I believe most of you here
have also read Words of the Heart.
Our job is to find his intentions
in Words of the Heart.
Do you remember what it was about?
No, I read it too long ago.
Are you saying he wrote down
why he left the ice stone in that book?
Yes.
I was told that everyone will follow
Master Seo Gyeong's wishes.
So what you should really be fighting over
is Words of the Heart, not the ice stone.
Where is the so-called Words of the Heart
that he is talking about?
Songrim had been keeping it,
but we recently sent it to Jinyowon
on Master Lee's orders.
It is being kept inside Jinyowon.
Then bring the book here.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I am Jin Cho-yeon of Jinyowon.
I will bring Words of the Heart.
As it used to belong to Songrim,
I will send someone from Songrim as well.
Dang-gu, I want you to go with her.
Let us go.
It has been decades
since I last read Words of the Heart.
Can you remind me what it was about?
It is just a short piece of poetry.
Then is Uk lying?
It does not say anything
about the ice stone.
I have no idea why he suddenly brought up
Words of the Heart.
What is inside Words of the Heart?
I do not know.
He is probably just bluffing
to stall the situation.
But that book was written by Seo Gyeong.
We barely managed
to break everyone's trust in Songrim.
What if that causes everyone
to trust Songrim again?
Young Master Jang,
they seem extremely angry.
Soon, they will also be startled.
But to do that,
I need his help.
This is nothing more than just poetry.
Is there a meaning behind this?
I am not sure.
He must have used the book
to stop the fighting.
If he did it to stall for time,
I should take as much time as I can.
Let us hurry back.
No, wait.
I am extremely starving.
Do you have anything to eat?
I did not even have breakfast.
Are you purposely trying
to buy time for Songrim?
Do you want to return
and see everyone get into a dispute again?
We have no time to argue.
My mother and sister are waiting.
Young Lady Jin.
Do you really think
she is your real sister?
Why do you ask?
You know that the real culprit behind
the murder that Mu-deok was accused of
was a girl named So-i, right?
The girl you believe to be your sister
is actually So-i.
What?
I heard you told Cho-yeon that
you feel uneasy about that girl.
Yes.
I feel uneasy because I sense bad energy.
I do not wish for her
to come near me ever again.
I should always make sure
to keep you safe,
so I will get rid of her.
Thank you, Mother.
Her attitude has changed.
Does she know that she is fake?
Is she using her, knowing she is fake?
Why did you use Words of the Heart
to stall for time?
DAILY LOG OF CHEONBUGWAN
"The fifth of May."
"While Cheonbugwan's Gwanju, Jang Gang,
attempted to capture Shaman Choi
for cursing someone with sorcery,
she ran away into a fire."
"She is presumed dead."
The story we heard
from Shaman Bong at Gaema Village
actually exists as a record.
This is probably when Shaman Choi
and Jin Mu met.
Why are you so persistent
about finding this Shaman Choi?
Did you find the house that
Eunuch Kim frequented at Gaema Village?
Yes, I did.
The place he frequented was an apothecary.
An apothecary?
I have told you one thing,
so it is your turn to tell me.
Eunuch Kim
referred to the person he served
as "Shaman Choi."
The person that Eunuch Kim served was…
It was Her Highness, the Queen.
I know you have also been
suspicious of her.
The soul of the actual Queen
is still alive.
She is most likely at the place
that Eunuch Kim kept going to.
How can you be sure that she is alive?
The Queen's Lantern of Life
is still glowing.
She is a member of the Seo family.
I will find the real Queen
and reveal the true identity of the one
at the Unanimous Assembly.
So you want me to get involved in this?
This is regarding your mother.
What do you plan to do
with the ice stone
after you reveal everything?
I will follow Master Seo Gyeong's wishes
and do what is written
in Words of the Heart.
Uk.
Words of the Heart
is not about the ice stone.
I thought you lied
to buy yourself some time.
I did not lie.
The reason Master Seo Gyeong
left the ice stone
is clearly written in Words of the Heart.
The ice stone holds the power of Hwansu.
Am I correct?
It has the power
to control water, fire, and wind,
as well as the power
to freely control the souls of humans.
That is why
its power should be forbidden to mankind.
It is hard to believe that
such a small piece of ice
holds such great power.
I must see it for myself.
Has anyone here witnessed its power
with their own two eyes?
Were you fighting over the ice stone
without even having witnessed its power?
Then how about we check
how powerful it is
with everyone here as a witness?
How exactly do you suggest we do that?
If it controls souls,
then it should be able to bring back
a dead person to life.
The power of Hwansu is not sorcery,
so it is not forbidden.
And bringing someone back to life
is a good deed.
Lady Jin, you brought the ice stone here,
so you should show its power to us.
Your Majesty.
No one here is dead.
Who are we supposed to bring back to life?
Then kill someone.
Hey, you.
Come over here.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Kill her and then bring her back to life.
She is a maid who knows no spells.
So you will not have to worry about her
getting close to the ice stone.
Your Majesty.
We cannot kill someone
for a mere experiment.
What I want is
to see her come back to life
with this.
How could you ask someone
so young and weak
to do something so fearful?
Tell me.
Are you too scared?
I will pay you 100 yangs worth of gold.
What do you say?
Yes.
I will try it.
I will sacrifice myself
to show the very power
that you and everyone here
wish to witness.
This is finally my chance
to acquire the ice stone.
In order to succeed in doing that,
I must die first.
No one here cares about
whether I live or die.
They only desire to witness
the power of the ice stone.
I have no way of knowing
if I will just die
or retrieve my power
through the ice stone.
I have pushed myself
to the edge of a cliff
with the ice stone in front of me.
I also missed you.
That is my reply.
I am relieved that you did not
have to stand here beside me.
It was a desire to save the person
he cared about.
Master Seo Gyeong's Words of the Heart
was a letter written to a dying lover.
He wrote that he left something behind
in hopes to keep her by his side.
Are you saying the great hero
who destroyed the ice stone
to save the world
was tempted to use it
just to save someone's life?
It shows the foolishness
and heartache of a man
who was willing to go against
the laws of nature to save a loved one.
That is Master Seo Gyeong's confession
in Words of the Heart.
I am not happy
about this situation either.
I will make sure you die a painless death.
This is not to see me die.
It is to see me come back to life.
Bring me back to life
so no one here is disappointed.
Then let us not disappoint anyone.
A mother will be killing her own daughter.
You look beautiful.
My Bu-yeon.
Mother.
Subtitle translation by: Ja-won Lee
ALCHEMY OF SOULS
Something has gone awry.
Could something have
happened to the ice stone?
The moment we reached the gate,
a strong gust of wind hit us.
It definitely all happened
because of Mu-deok.
The kids are in there!
Yun-ok!
My energy just drained from the sword.
I think the barrier
is causing the problem.
The soul shifter, Master Kang,
has disappeared?
None of us could use spells in here.
So why can he?
We cannot all die.
I will lure and trap him
in the secret room.
Jang Uk could die!
If it is closed,
he is probably already dead.
Jang Uk, my pupil…
Ripped and synced by
TTEOKBOKKIsubs
Who are you and why are you following me?
I said…
who are you?
Seeing that you recognize this sword,
you must be a mage.
Put down your sword.
It is dangerous to unsheathe
a sword of Cheonbugwan here.
This is Gaema Village.
Cheonbugwan mages who patrol for sorcery
are considered enemies.
If you get into a fight
and people find out that you are here,
you will not be safe.
It looks as though
you know who I am.
You carry the sword
of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju,
so you must be his son.
Does Uk not know
what his father looks like?
Are there no portraits of his father
like the one here of his mother?
We do not have any portraits
of the Gwanju.
Young Master never seemed
curious about him.
He only saw his father as a baby,
so there is no way he would remember.
He would not recognize his father
even if he were to run into him.
I only followed you
because I recognized the sword.
Do you know the owner of this sword?
The man who abandoned that sword
was a madman.
His wife had an affair and died.
Then he abandoned his own son
and public post and just ran away.
Jang Gang, the man who went mad.
Everyone secretly talks about him,
but no one has ever said that to my face.
Do you hold a grudge against him?
What if I do?
Will you take vengeance on me
on behalf of your father?
No.
Even if I am his son, it is not my place.
He would not want that.
Then why do you carry your father's sword?
If I go around
denying that he is my father,
it would make my mother
seem too pitiful.
Do-hwa…
Do-hwa was the biggest victim of it all.
Do you also know my mother?
Do-hwa was the most beautiful woman
in all of Daeho.
Everyone in Daeho knew who she was.
It seems like everyone in my family
is famous for something.
I must say,
I did not expect to run into anyone
who recognized me at a place like this.
This is where people
secretly practice sorcery
despite it being banned by Songrim.
What is the son of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju
doing at a place like this?
Well, I was told I would be able
to witness sorcery
such as curses and soul magic.
You are a mage of Jeongjingak,
yet you go around
in search of such sorcery?
Not exactly.
I am here to find a shaman
who performs such sorcery.
A shaman?
She was a shaman
who was very good at soul magic,
which bewitches souls
and drives people mad.
She was caught 20 years ago
by the mages of Cheonbugwan
and ran away after her house burned down.
What business do you have
with Shaman Choi?
How did you know that was Shaman Choi?
By any chance, were you
one of the Cheonbugwan mages
who worked with my father?
The Choi family was a family of mages
that was destroyed by Master Seo Gyeong
a long time ago.
Your curiosity will put you in danger.
If you become consumed
by your curiosity for sorcery,
its darkness will take over your soul,
and you could end up losing everything.
Once that happens,
it will be too late to go back.
Stop looking for those
who perform sorcery.
The world does not approve of such things,
and you will never be forgiven.
Wait.
Here.
Are you hurt?
Yes, I am hurt.
I am damaged
to the very depths of my soul.
Did he end up that way because of sorcery?
Bu-yeon!
My goodness, Bu-yeon!
Did she just look at me?
I am sorry.
Could you pick up the cane for me?
She is the girl I ran into
in front of the house.
Mother!
Mother.
Is she really Bu-yeon?
Yes, she is your sister.
Bu-yeon.
Bu-yeon, let me take you to your room.
You are Jang Uk's maid.
What are you doing here?
I came to help Young Lady Jin run away
from home due to her relationship.
But it looks like I just should leave.
I will be off now.
Why was Mu-deok here?
I was sure she did not recognize me.
Should I have just killed her?
Bu-yeon, I left your room untouched.
After all, I knew that
this day would come.
Let us go inside.
All your belongings
are still here.
After I almost died
when I was washed up in the lake,
I always had to wander,
unable to find a proper place to stay.
But now, I have my own room.
I had no idea I had a mother
waiting for me to return.
Every day was full of misery and distress.
My poor daughter.
I will make sure
you are always happy from now on.
Do not worry.
Mother.
Did Jin Mu really bring home
Lady Jin's daughter?
Yes, the girl he brought
opened the doors of Jinyowon.
-What?
-She opened the doors?
It takes more than a mere trick
to open those doors.
They can only be opened
by the members of the Jin family.
Does this really mean
Jin Bu-yeon has returned?
Why do my eyes hurt like crazy
every time I go to Jinyowon?
Is it because of
the power of their relics?
Mu-deok, what are you doing here?
Why were you looking in the mirror?
Did you want to look nice for me?
Do not be ridiculous.
Wait.
I want to make myself look nice.
How about you pick something suitable
for your young master?
I will pick one myself.
What do you think? Does it suit me?
Yes, sure. You look fabulous.
Of course it would look nice on me.
Let me see.
This looks nice on me too.
This is just too hard.
Everything suits me.
What is this?
Give me that. I will doll you up.
Look at you. You look stunning.
It looks like I am all dolled up now.
Now, it is your turn.
Look at how pretty you look, Mu-deok.
How childish of you.
I thought you only liked my eyes.
I know, right?
I only thought your eyes were pretty.
But your poison must have done
a number on me.
Now, you look pretty no matter what.
I see you are trying hard not to love me.
You seem distressed.
Not at all. You could not be more wrong.
If you are going to lie to my face,
at least try not to show it.
You are blushing right now.
That is because
you put all this blush on my face.
Let me see.
I must have applied too much.
It will not come off.
You kind of
look like a drunk dog right now.
You should not glare like that.
You look like a dog about to bite.
I might as well just bite you.
I will not bite. Come here.
All right. Stop.
I had to buy this because of you.
Do not use it if you do not need it.
I will use it for myself.
This is pretty too.
Mu-deok…
You were almost hit by the wagon.
Mu-deok.
Are you really drunk or something?
Did you drink without me?
I had a drink too.
How about we have some more together?
I am not drunk.
Were you out drinking?
I went to Gaema Village
and someone let me have a drink.
Did you meet Shaman Choi there?
I found a connection
between her and Jin Mu.
But I also ran into
the Crown Prince there.
The Crown Prince?
His Royal Highness is also suspicious
of Jin Mu and the Queen.
Your Royal Highness.
Are you coming back from Gaema Village?
Yes.
The place was like a maze.
It was hard to find my way out.
What is it?
-Is there something the matter?
-The Assistant Gwanju is here.
Where did you go all by yourself
without a single person to escort you?
It is embarrassing enough to be caught
after sneaking out. Please let it slide.
I just met His Majesty.
He brought up the King's Star again.
He seems to want it so much.
You should just give him a fake
constellation plate with the King's Star.
Then he must find everyone
who was born that day
and kill them.
Why?
It could be a hero like Master Seo Gyeong
instead of being a traitor
wishing to conspire against the king.
They say Seo Gyeong saved the world
with the ice stone.
But that is not true.
In truth, he controlled the world
by forbidding everyone
from using that immense power.
The ice stone enables sorcery,
which is why it is dangerous.
That is the logic set by Songrim.
The ice stone has the power
to bring eternity to finite things.
Instead of aging and dying,
its power could enable us
to stay young and beautiful.
Are you talking about
the alchemy of souls?
The sorcery that was banned by Songrim.
But what if the ban gets lifted
and the use of the ice stone
becomes permissible?
Your Royal Highness.
What do you think would happen then?
Those who possess the ice stone
will be able to live forever.
But it would be dangerous if that kind
of power can be used by anyone.
Not everyone will be able to use it.
We will create a new order
where only those specially chosen,
like you, Your Royal Highness,
will be allowed to use its power.
We need to find the ice stone
in order for that to become possible.
Jin Bu-yeon, the long-lost daughter
of Jinyowon, has returned.
-Jinyowon?
-The woman who helped
Master Seo Gyeong find the ice stone
was the first leader of Jinyowon.
And Jin Bu-yeon has divine powers
that parallel that of the first leader.
If the ice stone appears
just like it did 200 years ago,
the priestess of Jinyowon
will surely find it once again.
The eldest daughter of Jinyowon
has returned alive.
She seemed like an ordinary blind girl.
I thought she was a powerful priestess.
I wonder if she lost her power.
I guess it is possible
seeing that she failed
to find her way home for ten years.
She was brought here by Jin Mu.
There is no way she is ordinary.
Did you notice anything peculiar?
I ran into her once
in front of your house.
I remember because I picked up
the cane she had dropped.
She was in front of my house?
But nothing about her
seemed peculiar that day.
The same goes for today.
The umbrella…
She was carrying an umbrella.
I have seen that umbrella somewhere.
An umbrella?
What is so special about an umbrella?
No.
That umbrella was made
with high-quality sheepskin and bamboo.
It was very expensive.
-How did it end up with her?
-Why?
Who did it originally belong to?
The umbrella?
I do not have that umbrella anymore.
I gave it to someone.
Who did you give it to and where?
It was not intentional.
I am sorry. I know you bought it for me.
You do not need to apologize.
Did you give it to a woman?
Yes, I did give it to a woman.
Please do not be angry.
Why would I be angry?
Who was that woman?
Tell me.
Will you answer me already?
This is so frustrating.
Who was the woman you gave it to?
Mu-deok.
That is not the way to ask. Yul is…
He is pale with fear.
You sound like a wife
interrogating a cheating husband.
It is inappropriate to ask him
with such a demanding tone.
Watch and learn. Yul.
Did you give that umbrella
to a blind girl?
How did you know that?
By any chance, is she So-i,
the girl you mentioned last time?
Yes, I gave it to her.
Why do you ask?
Today, I went to Jinyowon
and saw their long-lost daughter,
Jin Bu-yeon.
She was blind,
but she was holding an umbrella
instead of a cane.
Was it the same umbrella?
Hey.
Hey, did you hear?
They found Young Lady Jin's older sister.
They found Jin Bu-yeon.
Do you hear me?
What is with this atmosphere?
What were you talking about?
We were talking about So-i,
the girl we were looking for.
So-i?
Oh, the swindler?
Did you find her?
The Jin Bu-yeon that Jin Mu has brought in
is So-i, the swindler.
She must have killed all those people
to keep her identity a secret.
Jin Bu-yeon.
I will make sure to become
indistinguishable from you.
This is exactly the same
as the one that Mu-deok had.
Why is this here?
Bu-yeon.
Do you remember
this eye mask?
The eye masks you wore
were all embroidered by me.
I was always worried that
something might happen to you
since you could not see.
So I always made you wear an eye mask
that had the crest of Jinyowon on it.
I see.
This may be old,
but it is made out of silk.
Your biological parents might be rich.
Are you sure you are blind?
I cannot find spring water
even though I can see,
but you have no trouble at all.
Bu-yeon, you always had
the ability to sense energy.
You could find things a lot better
than those who could see,
and you easily found your way
around places.
That is exactly how Mu-deok was
in Sari Village.
She found things easily
and always knew where she was going.
You were wearing the same eye mask
the very day you disappeared.
So I hoped that you might use the eye mask
to find your way back home.
She always cherished it
saying it was the only way
to find her parents.
If you had kept that with you,
I would have recognized you at once.
The eye mask that I stole from Mu-deok
was made by this woman.
In any case,
thank you so much
for coming back alive, Bu-yeon.
The real Jin Bu-yeon,
the daughter of this woman,
is Mu-deok.
My goodness, Bu-yeon!
I wonder if Mu-deok was the reason
why these doors opened that day.
Mu-deok is the real daughter.
What will become of me
if she finds that out?
Will I die?
Bu-yeon.
What are you doing here?
Are you trying to open the doors again?
No.
I just cannot believe that
I am the daughter of this family.
Do not worry.
You can believe it.
We all saw you open those doors.
By the way, about the girl
who was here with you last night…
Mu-deok?
She is not a person of Jinyowon.
Does she come here often?
Mother seemed to know her too.
Mother does not like her.
She once caused trouble, you see.
Is that so?
So that is why.
I sensed bad energy from her.
Bad energy?
The energy I sensed from that girl
was dark and unpleasant.
You should not stay close to someone
with that kind of energy.
She is not that bad of a person.
There you girls are.
Father.
Father.
Cho-yeon, your mother is looking for you.
Mother?
I thought she was no longer angry.
-I should go then.
-Go on.
I warned you to keep a distance
from my daughter.
I apologize.
We must go to Cheonbugwan
on the last day of this month.
-So be prepared.
-Yes.
Father, wait.
My lord.
Are you sure Jin Bu-yeon is dead?
What will happen to me
if she were to return?
You do not need to worry
about such a thing.
She is dead.
Even if Mu-deok is their real daughter,
no one in their family knows that.
I just need to make sure no one finds out.
I am Jin Bu-yeon.
I thought about it all night.
Although this may put my love at risk,
I will do what I must
as the heir of Songrim.
-I should tell my uncle.
-No.
You all remember seeing him
arguing with Lady Jin, right?
If we accuse her daughter
of being a fake and a murderer
without any concrete evidence,
things could get ugly
between Songrim and Jinyowon.
You have a point.
If the truth gets revealed, there will be
a fight between Jin Mu and Jinyowon.
Songrim should not get involved
if we are not sure.
But why did they bring a swindler
to act as such a powerful priestess?
Because they need someone
in that position.
What if she gets caught?
A mother would know her daughter.
In the end, she will get caught.
Why do something so reckless?
Because it does not matter.
Jin Mu must have something big
so that even if Jin Ho-gyeong finds out
her daughter is a fake,
she will not be able
to do anything about it.
Something about her is different.
She has the same scar and mole
that Bu-yeon had as a child.
But her ears are different.
The shape of our ears never changes.
Am I not remembering things correctly?
Ho-gyeong.
I am surprised you only wish to see
the inside of Jinyowon
in return for helping me find Bu-yeon.
This place was forbidden to me
although I was a member of the Jin family.
I do remember severely punishing you
every time you came close to Jinyowon.
I admit I have been too harsh on you.
I hated you for you were the result
of my father's affair,
and I despised you
for always trying so hard
to please and butter everyone up.
I am sorry.
It is all in the past.
Now that Bu-yeon is back,
you should quickly choose your successor.
Are you telling me to appoint her
as the next leader of Jinyowon?
Appointing a new owner
will bring back life to Jinyowon.
Once that is done,
I will lay the groundwork for Cho-yeon
to become the Crown Princess.
There is no need to rush.
Bu-yeon has not
fully recovered her memory,
and I am still capable
to stay as the leader.
Your power is not enough for us
to retrieve the ice stone.
When you were pregnant with Bu-yeon,
you unsealed the ice stone from Jinyowon
and gave it to Jang Gang
in order to save her.
How do you know that?
Do not be startled.
I am not trying to accuse you
of your wrongdoings.
I bet Jang Gang insisted on
sealing the ice stone somewhere else
and did not return it to you.
Do you know
where Jang Gang hid the ice stone
that he took from Jinyowon?
Now that the successor
of Jinyowon is back,
I will return the ice stone
back to where it belongs.
Jin Mu, are you saying…
Ho-gyeong.
I just told you that I would return it.
Do not be suspicious
or stand on your guard.
Think of it as a gift that came
with your daughter's return.
All you need to do is
just accept it with joy.
It sounds like you are telling me
to blindly acknowledge Bu-yeon
if I wish to receive that gift.
Get rid of your suspicions and doubts,
and you will be able to have it all.
Both the ice stone
and your long-lost daughter.
What do you want?
You must fight Songrim
in order to protect the ice stone.
You want me to fight with Songrim?
The collapse of Songrim
will allow us to possess
absolute power over the ice stone.
Are you talking about
the alchemy of souls?
The sorcery that was banned by Songrim.
But what if the ban gets lifted
and the use of the ice stone
becomes permissible?
Your Royal Highness.
What do you think would happen then?
An eternal life?
Has the petrification stopped?
He is able to breathe now.
He can also move his fingers and toes.
Master Kang was a mage
with many years of training.
How did he become tempted to use sorcery?
If Jin Mu were to approach me
and tell me I could shift my soul
into a younger and more beautiful body,
I would be tempted too.
I am joking. But I am sure
many people will fall for that.
They are merely keeping quiet
because of Songrim.
First, it was Cheonbugwan
and the royal palace.
Now it looks like Jin Mu
even has influence over Jinyowon.
But we have evidence
to prove that he has been
performing the alchemy of souls.
Once Master Kang spills everything,
we can finally put a stop to Jin Mu.
He is not scared that he got caught.
Instead, he is already
plotting something new.
I have no way of telling
how far Jin Mu is willing to go from here.
And that scares me.
What is the purpose of my visit
to Cheonbugwan this time?
Will I have to endure the pain
of another worm entering my body?
Just do as you are told.
There will be many others there,
so be careful of how you behave.
Today, I shall finally reveal
the Danju of our secret organization.
Stand before everyone here
and show your face.
The Danju is not only
the most powerful priestess of Daeho,
but also the future leader of Jinyowon.
Her name is Jin Bu-yeon.
Show your respect to the Danju.
I will use her to bring the ice stone
out into the world.
Then I shall shift my soul into her body.
That will allow me to serve you
from a closer distance,
my sister.
The leader of Jinyowon gathered
a Unanimous Assembly
-without discussing it with Songrim?
-Yes.
She sent letters to all the families.
They are now heading to Songrim.
What in the world
is Jinyowon trying to do this time?
She is the mother of the young man
who is currently lying in Sejukwon.
Why is everyone gathering here?
Jinyowon gathered the Unanimous Assembly.
Young Lady Cho-yeon is here.
Is that blind girl Jin Bu-yeon?
So-i?
Yes.
Things are proceeding
faster than expected.
They are going to use the fake daughter
to get something done today.
She must be Jin Bu-yeon.
The leader of Jinyowon has invited
the royal family and Cheonbugwan
to the Unanimous Assembly.
The Unanimous Assembly?
What for?
To announce a grave matter
that will determine the fate of Daeho.
The capital has been suffering from chaos
due to many incidents
regarding soul shifters
ever since the appearance of Naksu.
Thus, Jinyowon has
generously tried to help Songrim
find the source of sorcery.
However,
Songrim took our cooperation for granted
and arrogantly began to make
unreasonable demands and requests.
They barged into Jinyowon
as well as Cheonbugwan
with the excuse of patrolling for sorcery.
They also tried to use
the relics of Jinyowon
to investigate all the families of mages
as if they thought everyone
outside of Songrim performed sorcery.
-Unbelievable.
-Worse than that,
they even took one of our relics
into the royal palace.
Did Songrim really cast doubt on us?
That is crossing the line.
Lady Jin, did you gather
the Unanimous Assembly to vent
and complain about Songrim?
Look at him.
I have only just started speaking,
and he is already trying to shut me up.
I, Jin Ho-gyeong, the leader of Jinyowon,
wish to stop Songrim's arbitrary actions
they justify as patrolling for sorcery.
That requires me to break
the 200-year-old rule
that has been kept until now,
which is why I have gathered you all.
Bu-yeon.
She is Jin Bu-yeon,
the long-lost successor of Jinyowon
who has returned after ten years.
I heard she found her daughter.
That must be her.
I have something to show you
with the help of my daughter,
who is also the successor of Jinyowon.
Songrim has been going around
in search of the ice stone,
the source of the alchemy of souls.
However, that ice stone
has been inside Jinyowon all along.
So that was Jin Mu's plan.
He wanted to use Jinyowon
to bring the ice stone into this world.
That cannot be all.
The person who got caught
will try to shift souls.
What do you mean?
Do you not get it?
The Queen had the ice stone,
but now it is with Jinyowon.
That means the shaman's soul will shift
from the Queen's body
to someone at Jinyowon.
She will abandon the Queen's body
and shift her soul into the body
of the future leader of Jinyowon…
using the alchemy of souls.
That one in the front looks nice.
I heard the Unanimous Assembly
has gathered at Songrim
to talk about soul shifters.
Yes, apparently.
Do not buy unnecessary accessories.
Buy gold instead.
Gold is the only thing you can trust
in times of chaos.
Things will get busy
once the gathering is over.
Yes.
Once it is over,
they will all come to drink
-and talk dirt about Songrim.
-Hey.
Will you stop touching that
and just buy it already?
Goodness, give her some time.
I want to buy everything.
-Let me try that.
-This one?
Everyone in the capital is
talking about the Unanimous Assembly
and the attendance of the royal family.
He will have to show himself
with all the fuss going around.
Are you talking about Master Jang?
I found it strange that
Young Master Park kept asking me
about Master Jang.
The leader of Songrim also seemed
to be waiting for him to show up.
Keep this with you
and give it to him once he comes.
What is it?
Can I see what it is?
It is an empty piece of paper.
Did you use a spell to write a letter
just like Words of the Heart?
Once Jang Gang reads that,
he will do what is written.
By the way, do you not need
to attend the Unanimous Assembly?
I am a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong.
If I go there,
I will neither be able to admit nor deny
the actions of my master.
Does this mean Master Seo Gyeong
left an ice stone unharmed?
I thought he destroyed all of them.
Was Songrim aware of this?
If so, everything that
Songrim has done until now
under the pretext of Master Seo Gyeong
would be considered fraud.
-Do not speak nonsense.
-Fraud is what it is.
Songrim has enforced countless regulations
on all the families of mages
under the guise of patrolling for sorcery.
Do you not agree?
-I agree.
-You are right.
Did Songrim deceive us?
Have we been fooled?
-Is that what it is?
-Everyone, calm down.
The mages of Songrim
were not aware that
the ice stone was still inside Jinyowon.
We do not wish to hear your excuses.
We must discuss
what is to be done about the ice stone
that Master Seo Gyeong left behind.
We must destroy the ice stone
as it is the source of sorcery.
That is what Master Seo Gyeong
would have wanted.
We must destroy the ice stone
in front of everyone here as witnesses.
He was the one
who left the ice stone inside Jinyowon.
Following his command
would be to leave it inside Jinyowon.
Then you never should have
brought it outside in the first place.
How could you expect Songrim to stay still
after having revealed its existence?
Are you trying to make a fool of Songrim?
The leader of Jinyowon has a point.
She merely wishes to respect
Master Seo Gyeong's intentions
by leaving it inside Jinyowon.
Songrim no longer has a say
in what to do with the ice stone.
Unbelievable. Do you not even care
what Songrim thinks anymore?
The purpose of this gathering
is to discuss
how to use the ice stone
based on Master Seo Gyeong's wishes.
If Songrim has a problem with that,
you may leave.
-Here, here.
-Agreed.
Songrim has deceived us,
so stay out of this.
-Yes, you have no say.
-Stay out of it.
Leave if you have a problem.
-Just leave!
-Get out!
So this is why Jin Mu
revealed the ice stone to the world.
Now that Songrim's logic
no longer seems valid,
no one is willing to listen to them.
What are you doing there?
If Songrim is against
keeping the ice stone inside Jinyowon,
then how about
letting a third party keep it?
So here is my proposal.
How about keeping it at Gisan?
-Where did that idea come from?
-Gisan?
Why should it be kept at Gisan?
You and your family are low-level mages.
What did you say?
Your family has no right
to keep the ice stone.
-We will not allow it.
-We have no right?
My family has been around the longest
in the history of Daeho.
So we have every right
to protect the ice stone.
How dare you try to touch it!
-Are you trying to start a fight?
-Speak for yourself!
-What do you think you are doing?
-Watch your tongue.
Who do you think you are?
You little shrimp!
Did you call me a shrimp?
Hey, that is enough.
Get out of the way!
Did you just hit me?
Damn you, old man!
You little…
Get off me, you punk!
Did you just gather energy?
Fine. Go ahead and attack me.
-Damn you.
-Go ahead.
Do you…
Do you think I will not be able to?
You are as impudent as you look.
Look who is talking.
My grandfather is
at the Unanimous Assembly?
Yes.
I could not find the medical manual
you requested at Jeongjingak.
I will go to Jeongjingak
and look for it myself.
The Unanimous Assembly must be a big deal.
All the mages at Sejukwon
must have gone there.
I was told that my son
is still alive here.
Ji-ho…
You are alive.
Ji-ho.
Everyone, please settle down!
I think it is time
for Jin Ho-gyeong to get involved
and settle the issue.
Everyone! That is enough!
-I will get back to you later!
-Fine by me!
Consider yourself lucky.
Allow me to speak.
Judging by everyone's opinions,
it seems best that we use the ice stone
left by Master Seo Gyeong
for the benefit of everyone here.
Therefore,
I, Jin Ho-gyeong, the leader of Jinyowon,
would like to make a suggestion.
How about giving the rights
to gather the Unanimous Assembly
to Jinyowon instead of Songrim
from now on?
If no one here is against the idea,
I shall end the gathering here.
And as of this moment on,
Jinyowon will take Songrim's place
and take charge of holding the discussions
regarding the ice stone.
I will take that as a yes
and end today's Unanimous Assembly.
As for the ice stone,
it will remain inside Jinyowon.
The right thing to do
is to destroy the ice stone
to prevent further quarrels.
What gives Songrim the right
to make that decision?
No one here agrees with it.
The alchemy of souls has been performed,
and that was possible
because of the Soul Ejector
created from that ice stone.
First, you cast doubt
on Cheonbugwan and the royal family.
And now, you are
doing the same to Jinyowon.
I will not allow
the Unanimous Assembly to end like this.
Lady Jin.
I forbid you to take the ice stone
outside of Songrim.
Are you trying to go up against
everyone here?
No one is allowed
to take the ice stone outside of Songrim.
I order you to fight
and stop anyone who attempts to do so.
A war will break out at this rate.
The situation has turned unstable.
You should get involved, Your Majesty.
Master Lee was right.
Everyone coveted it,
which led to endless fights.
And that is why it was banned.
Everyone is fighting over the ice stone,
which means Master Lee
must also be right about the King's Star.
I can see that
all of my former masters are here.
Allow your former pupil, Jang Uk,
to greet all of you.
Who is that young man?
He is Jang Uk.
The reckless son of the Jang family
who used to be my pupil.
As I recall,
your family also tried to train him.
Yes, I remember he ran away
in just three days.
I apologize for interrupting
this passionate discussion
with the sound of the drum.
-What should I stop him?
-Let him talk.
Whatever the case,
he managed to stop the fight.
Jang Uk, son of Jang Gang.
You had better have a good reason
for interfering like this
in front of His Majesty the King.
I am here to tell you
what Master Seo Gyeong wanted.
I told him the true intentions
of Master Seo Gyeong.
I hope he uses it wisely.
I tell you this on behalf of Master Lee,
a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong.
So I expect everyone here
to show their respect
and listen to Master Seo Gyeong's will.
According to Master Lee,
Master Seo Gyeong's will
regarding the ice stone
is written in Words of the Heart.
He wrote down the reason
he left behind the ice stone
and left it for all the mages
of Jeongjingak to read,
meaning Songrim did not hide anything.
I believe most of you here
have also read Words of the Heart.
Our job is to find his intentions
in Words of the Heart.
Do you remember what it was about?
No, I read it too long ago.
Are you saying he wrote down
why he left the ice stone in that book?
Yes.
I was told that everyone will follow
Master Seo Gyeong's wishes.
So what you should really be fighting over
is Words of the Heart, not the ice stone.
Where is the so-called Words of the Heart
that he is talking about?
Songrim had been keeping it,
but we recently sent it to Jinyowon
on Master Lee's orders.
It is being kept inside Jinyowon.
Then bring the book here.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I am Jin Cho-yeon of Jinyowon.
I will bring Words of the Heart.
As it used to belong to Songrim,
I will send someone from Songrim as well.
Dang-gu, I want you to go with her.
Let us go.
It has been decades
since I last read Words of the Heart.
Can you remind me what it was about?
It is just a short piece of poetry.
Then is Uk lying?
It does not say anything
about the ice stone.
I have no idea why he suddenly brought up
Words of the Heart.
What is inside Words of the Heart?
I do not know.
He is probably just bluffing
to stall the situation.
But that book was written by Seo Gyeong.
We barely managed
to break everyone's trust in Songrim.
What if that causes everyone
to trust Songrim again?
Young Master Jang,
they seem extremely angry.
Soon, they will also be startled.
But to do that,
I need his help.
This is nothing more than just poetry.
Is there a meaning behind this?
I am not sure.
He must have used the book
to stop the fighting.
If he did it to stall for time,
I should take as much time as I can.
Let us hurry back.
No, wait.
I am extremely starving.
Do you have anything to eat?
I did not even have breakfast.
Are you purposely trying
to buy time for Songrim?
Do you want to return
and see everyone get into a dispute again?
We have no time to argue.
My mother and sister are waiting.
Young Lady Jin.
Do you really think
she is your real sister?
Why do you ask?
You know that the real culprit behind
the murder that Mu-deok was accused of
was a girl named So-i, right?
The girl you believe to be your sister
is actually So-i.
What?
I heard you told Cho-yeon that
you feel uneasy about that girl.
Yes.
I feel uneasy because I sense bad energy.
I do not wish for her
to come near me ever again.
I should always make sure
to keep you safe,
so I will get rid of her.
Thank you, Mother.
Her attitude has changed.
Does she know that she is fake?
Is she using her, knowing she is fake?
Why did you use Words of the Heart
to stall for time?
DAILY LOG OF CHEONBUGWAN
"The fifth of May."
"While Cheonbugwan's Gwanju, Jang Gang,
attempted to capture Shaman Choi
for cursing someone with sorcery,
she ran away into a fire."
"She is presumed dead."
The story we heard
from Shaman Bong at Gaema Village
actually exists as a record.
This is probably when Shaman Choi
and Jin Mu met.
Why are you so persistent
about finding this Shaman Choi?
Did you find the house that
Eunuch Kim frequented at Gaema Village?
Yes, I did.
The place he frequented was an apothecary.
An apothecary?
I have told you one thing,
so it is your turn to tell me.
Eunuch Kim
referred to the person he served
as "Shaman Choi."
The person that Eunuch Kim served was…
It was Her Highness, the Queen.
I know you have also been
suspicious of her.
The soul of the actual Queen
is still alive.
She is most likely at the place
that Eunuch Kim kept going to.
How can you be sure that she is alive?
The Queen's Lantern of Life
is still glowing.
She is a member of the Seo family.
I will find the real Queen
and reveal the true identity of the one
at the Unanimous Assembly.
So you want me to get involved in this?
This is regarding your mother.
What do you plan to do
with the ice stone
after you reveal everything?
I will follow Master Seo Gyeong's wishes
and do what is written
in Words of the Heart.
Uk.
Words of the Heart
is not about the ice stone.
I thought you lied
to buy yourself some time.
I did not lie.
The reason Master Seo Gyeong
left the ice stone
is clearly written in Words of the Heart.
The ice stone holds the power of Hwansu.
Am I correct?
It has the power
to control water, fire, and wind,
as well as the power
to freely control the souls of humans.
That is why
its power should be forbidden to mankind.
It is hard to believe that
such a small piece of ice
holds such great power.
I must see it for myself.
Has anyone here witnessed its power
with their own two eyes?
Were you fighting over the ice stone
without even having witnessed its power?
Then how about we check
how powerful it is
with everyone here as a witness?
How exactly do you suggest we do that?
If it controls souls,
then it should be able to bring back
a dead person to life.
The power of Hwansu is not sorcery,
so it is not forbidden.
And bringing someone back to life
is a good deed.
Lady Jin, you brought the ice stone here,
so you should show its power to us.
Your Majesty.
No one here is dead.
Who are we supposed to bring back to life?
Then kill someone.
Hey, you.
Come over here.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Kill her and then bring her back to life.
She is a maid who knows no spells.
So you will not have to worry about her
getting close to the ice stone.
Your Majesty.
We cannot kill someone
for a mere experiment.
What I want is
to see her come back to life
with this.
How could you ask someone
so young and weak
to do something so fearful?
Tell me.
Are you too scared?
I will pay you 100 yangs worth of gold.
What do you say?
Yes.
I will try it.
I will sacrifice myself
to show the very power
that you and everyone here
wish to witness.
This is finally my chance
to acquire the ice stone.
In order to succeed in doing that,
I must die first.
No one here cares about
whether I live or die.
They only desire to witness
the power of the ice stone.
I have no way of knowing
if I will just die
or retrieve my power
through the ice stone.
I have pushed myself
to the edge of a cliff
with the ice stone in front of me.
I also missed you.
That is my reply.
I am relieved that you did not
have to stand here beside me.
It was a desire to save the person
he cared about.
Master Seo Gyeong's Words of the Heart
was a letter written to a dying lover.
He wrote that he left something behind
in hopes to keep her by his side.
Are you saying the great hero
who destroyed the ice stone
to save the world
was tempted to use it
just to save someone's life?
It shows the foolishness
and heartache of a man
who was willing to go against
the laws of nature to save a loved one.
That is Master Seo Gyeong's confession
in Words of the Heart.
I am not happy
about this situation either.
I will make sure you die a painless death.
This is not to see me die.
It is to see me come back to life.
Bring me back to life
so no one here is disappointed.
Then let us not disappoint anyone.
A mother will be killing her own daughter.
You look beautiful.
My Bu-yeon.
Mother.
Subtitle translation by: Ja-won Lee
ALCHEMY OF SOULS
Something has gone awry.
Could something have
happened to the ice stone?
The moment we reached the gate,
a strong gust of wind hit us.
It definitely all happened
because of Mu-deok.
The kids are in there!
Yun-ok!
My energy just drained from the sword.
I think the barrier
is causing the problem.
The soul shifter, Master Kang,
has disappeared?
None of us could use spells in here.
So why can he?
We cannot all die.
I will lure and trap him
in the secret room.
Jang Uk could die!
If it is closed,
he is probably already dead.
Jang Uk, my pupil…
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