Alchemy of Souls (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 19 - Episode #1.19 - full transcript
Bu-yeon, is this where you felt
the energy of the sparkling stone?
Father.
We are close.
The pretty stone is
somewhere underwater nearby.
Do you really think
what she found is the ice stone?
Yes, it has to be it.
Ten years ago, my master, Jang Gang,
sealed the ice stone here
at Lake Gyeongcheondaeho.
And now it has been found
by the girl who was born
through the great power of the ice stone.
I am sure that
Bu-yeon is Jang Gang's daughter.
It explains why he performed sorcery
to save her.
Do you resent her?
Thanks to that girl,
a good-for-nothing man like me
was able to marry
the daughter of the Jin family.
So I guess I should be grateful.
This is the place.
The pretty stone is right underneath us.
Her father's inferiority complex
and jealousy
were what led Jin Bu-yeon to her death.
It suits you well.
If you like it,
then I like it too, Mother.
You should try on something else.
Jin Bu-yeon's immense divine powers
not only came from her mother,
a member of the Jin family.
They also came from her father,
a descendant of the fallen Choi family.
The Choi siblings, who made a living
by performing curses and divinations,
were descendants of Mage Choi,
the very first mage to perform
the alchemy of souls.
Jin Bu-yeon was
a descendant of both families,
which enabled her to become
the best priestess anyone had ever seen.
You have finally found it.
Bu-yeon.
Hand over the ice stone to me.
Hand it over!
Bu-yeon…
Bu-yeon!
Bu-yeon!
Eat up.
Here. Hold the spoon.
It is bad enough that you are blind.
It is pitiful that
you cannot even remember your name.
Would you like to live with me?
My late granddaughter's name was Mu-deok.
Can I call you Mu-deok?
All right.
Your name is Mu-deok from now on.
Such a lovely girl.
Go ahead and eat.
Mu-deok.
Mother.
Bu-yeon.
How is this possible?
This is exactly what happened
the day Jin Bu-yeon disappeared.
Mu-deok has not returned.
Both Uk and Mu-deok
must have been killed by the soul shifter.
At this rate, the rest of us will die too.
Jin Bu-yeon.
You brought the ice stone
from Jinyowon yourself.
You are a priestess.
Are you unable to control it?
I just did what my mother told me to do
and brought it here.
You are pathetic.
Young Master Seo has lost too much blood.
Without a blood transfusion,
his life will be in danger.
If you need someone's blood,
you can use mine.
We are unable to use spells in here,
so your blood cannot be shared.
Give me your hand.
The worm that sucked the blood
of my daughter, Cho-yeon,
will enter your body
and give you the power of the Jin family.
Jang Uk has made a fool of us
with his lie.
The mages of the Unanimous Assembly have
taken turns reading Words of the Heart,
and it says nothing about the ice stone.
It is nothing more than a piece of poetry.
What does Songrim have to say about this?
All the mages may have read it,
but there is something no one knows.
Words of the Heart is
a letter of confession
written by Master Seo Gyeong.
It was a letter?
It was a love letter
written to Jin Seol-ran,
the first leader of Jinyowon.
It is a letter confessing that
he did not destroy the ice stone
because he could not let go
of his dying lover.
Are you saying Master Seo Gyeong
chose not to destroy the ice stone
because of love?
He is just making things up.
I can prove that it is a love letter.
All you need to do is say the name
of the recipient in your head,
and it will enable you to read
the letter yourself, Your Majesty.
I can read Words of the Heart
even though I am not a skilled mage?
The name of the recipient
reminds you of a fresh orchid
that blooms on a cold field of snow.
It is Seol-ran.
"Seol-ran"?
"The faint, blue light…"
"My heart aches to see
my beautiful flower wither."
"And in the end,
I am a fool who dares not shed
a single tear."
It is his confession
saying he left the ice stone unharmed
to save his lover.
But Lady Jin Seol-ran passed away
less than six months
after Jinyowon was established
due to her injury during the Great Chaos.
If it was left for her,
then why did she not use it
to save herself?
I believe she chose not to use it
because she did not want the world
to be exposed to such dangerous power.
What human would choose
to give up on such immense power?
A man like you
would never choose to do what she did.
However, she did it for mankind.
She did what was right.
To protect what we must…
one must sometimes choose
to let go of everything.
Since you have unsheathed the sword,
make your decision.
I know you have been avoiding me.
I also know that everyone's lives
are in your hands.
Like you promised,
point your sword at me first.
Overflowing power means
you will not be able to control
how much of it you use.
Desire rain, and you will get a flood.
Desire wind, and you will get a typhoon.
Try to endure it.
Does that mean
I have no control over this power?
There is one thing you can do
of your own free will,
which is to not use it.
It is up to you
to choose not to use that power.
Make me another promise
just like you said you would.
Among the many stars,
there is a very sad one
called the King's Star.
What is the King's Star?
A star that is given to those
who are permitted
to use the energy of the heavens.
Does that mean
that person becomes powerful?
That means it is a good thing.
Well, I would not say
it is necessarily always a good thing.
With great power
comes great responsibilities.
What are responsibilities?
It means you must also do things
you do not wish to do,
which can be very distressing and lonely.
Mister, can we eat that?
Sure.
- I shall give this to you.
- Thank you.
In return, make sure
you do not fight over it.
All right. Let us go now.
The star will appear soon.
Then those leaving shall leave,
and those returning shall return.
This is the place that
the Crown Prince was looking for.
The apothecary where Eunuch Kim,
the man who served the queen,
visited every month.
You really know how to find your way.
Remember the charm
that helps two people become lovers?
Did you get that at Gaema Village too?
That charm did not even work.
Stop teasing me about that.
What do you mean it did not work?
Look at us. We are here together.
I mean…
We are not here on a date.
Why is he here?
APOTHECARY
Father?
You must have regained consciousness.
You have tried to harm yourself
once again, Your Highness.
Why are you keeping me alive?
Please just kill me.
I cannot do that yet.
The Queen's Lantern of Life
must continue to glow
while the Queen's body stays alive.
It disturbs me to see you
glare at me like that
with the face of my sister.
Your resentment should not
be directed toward me.
Resent the man
who put me and my sister in this position.
Shaman Choi, you have cursed
and harmed people
by performing prohibited divinations.
Do you admit to your sins?
I was merely paid
to give people what they wanted.
The ones at fault are those
who asked me to curse others.
Your curse has led to someone's death!
Yet you still plead innocence?
A divination strong enough
to kill someone…
I am amazed by your divine powers.
It just might be
strong enough to even kill you.
Find every single spell book and tool
that was used to perform evil divinations.
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
No, not that!
We may be a lowly family,
but that is our family heirloom.
I did not use it to perform divinations!
So please do not burn it!
CHEONGANG
It is a spell book.
No…
Burn it.
No!
CHEONGANG
Put out the fire. Now!
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
CHEONGANG
THE ALCHEMY OF SOULS
"The alchemy of souls"?
Hang in there, my sister.
Everything began with him.
He put those scars on my sister's face.
He is the reason why my sister
shifted her soul into your body.
It is all his fault.
Jang Gang.
Jang…
Gang…
You cannot pass away just yet.
Stay alive in my sister's body
for just a bit longer,
Your Highness.
It has been more than ten years
since I entered this body.
But whenever her consciousness returns,
it still puts a toll on me.
If not for the Lantern of Life,
I would have killed her already.
Your brother went to her
to feed her the potion.
So you will feel better soon.
But…
How did the ice stone
end up at Jeongjingak?
Jin Ho-gyeong probably made a mistake
since it was her first time
handling the ice stone.
When the timing is right,
I will gather the power of the ice stone
using the alchemy of souls.
If you do that now,
everyone in Jeongjingak will die.
Yes, I know.
The Crown Prince is there too.
So?
You must wait
until the Crown Prince safely gets out.
Then you can collect its power.
What if he cannot get out?
Am I just supposed to wait and do nothing?
What if someone else
takes its power before I do?
Fortunately, no one is doing anything
because everyone is on their guard.
First, we must find a way
to save the Crown Prince.
Mother.
I must have misheard her.
Why would she call me "Mother"?
That is ridiculous.
People…
seem more concerned about the ice stone…
than the kids who are trapped
inside the barrier.
The two of us should try
and break the barrier.
If we do anything
without the Unanimous Assembly's consent,
there will be another fight.
The ice stone belongs to Jinyowon.
Songrim no longer has the right
to make decisions about it.
Lady Jin.
Is it true that the ice stone
never left the walls of Jinyowon
for the past 200 years?
You once told me that a Songrim mage
once entered Jinyowon.
By any chance,
was it Jang Gang?
I asked you a question.
Did Jang Gang ever get his hands
on the ice stone?
The baby inside me is not moving.
I had her inside me for 13 months.
I cannot let her go like this.
I must save her.
I am sorry.
She is already dead.
Inside Jinyowon
lies the ice stone.
The ice stone?
Why act so startled?
You presumed it would be there.
You asked me to let you inside Jinyowon
on numerous occasions.
I know it was because you wanted
to look for the ice stone.
I heard the ice stone has the power
to bring back the souls of the dead.
I am not powerful enough…
to control the ice stone.
But you, Jang Gang,
might have what it takes.
Are you telling me to perform sorcery?
I will do anything to save my baby!
Please.
Please help me save this baby.
That night, I opened the doors of Jinyowon
and let him inside
in the hopes of saving the dead baby
inside me.
And as a consequence,
Jinyowon ended up losing the ice stone.
Even if that was the case,
Songrim is more at fault.
A Songrim mage,
who always pretended to be righteous,
took the ice stone
and caused havoc by using it
to perform the alchemy of souls.
That is why I wanted to hide it.
However,
I will do what I can to reveal the truth
and set things right,
even if it requires me to expose
Songrim's wrongdoings…
and reprimand those at fault.
Then you will have to reprimand
the person you cherish as well.
It will not be easy.
I know.
But…
if that is the only way
to rectify the situation,
then I will do so.
My sister will shift her soul
from your body
to the body of a girl who is
pretending to be my eldest daughter.
Once that happens,
I will do as you wish and kill you.
Cho-yeon.
What…
What are you doing here?
Father.
What…
in the world…
did I just hear?
Who is that woman?
Does the soul inside that body…
truly belong to the Queen?
Father, stop.
My lord.
Is that you?
Maidservant Kim.
It has been a long time.
Master Jang.
It is the soul shifter.
Uk must have defeated him.
It only took a single stroke.
We cannot use spells in here.
How did he manage to kill him?
Where are Uk and Mu-deok?
Find them.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
I saw an illusion when I first received
the energy of the ice stone.
She told me that no one can
truly own the ice stone
and that you can only use its power.
Because it is the power of the sky.
We need to train ourselves
to even be able to control
the energy within us.
The energy of the sky
is surely way beyond our reach.
I guess it means we are unable
to use it freely because it is not ours.
If one cannot own it…
What if I give it all away?
Give it all away?
What if I give all my energy
to the energy of the sky?
Then my energy will become
the energy of the sky.
I read records about the ice stone
inside the secret library in Jeongjingak.
It said the ice stone has
no shape or form.
Thus, it can be water, fire, or wind.
It is impossible to know its size.
Thus, it can be
both minuscule or enormous.
That means the fog
surrounding Jeongjingak like a barrier
is not the actual form of the ice stone.
So it can turn into water or fire,
and it can also become bigger
or smaller than this?
That is right.
Then do you think
we can turn the fog into rain?
Rain?
You told me that I was incapable
of beating the ice stone
because I could only gather
a single water drop at most.
But what if that water drop
turns into thousands of raindrops?
Then it will turn into rain.
It might work.
But to do that, you need to use Tansu.
- Then…
- Then I will lose all my energy.
That is why I said
I must give it all away.
No.
Let us think of another way.
If we wait and the Queen gathers
the power of the ice stone,
we will all die.
She will not be able to do anything rash
with the Unanimous Assembly there.
Uk, I do not want you to do this.
As your master, that is an order.
I may have given up
on acquiring this power,
but I cannot let you lose it all too.
It took us so much effort to get this far.
I had to push you again and again,
and you risked your life many times
to come this far.
How could you be willing to lose it all
for a single drop of water?
Yul is severely injured.
If we do not do anything, he will die.
Mu-deok.
You gave up what you wanted
because you wanted to protect me.
I am trying to protect as well.
And Yul has also been
protecting you all along.
Without a blood transfusion,
his life will be in danger.
This worm sucked the blood
of a member of the Jin family.
If I give this to him…
Do not die, Young Master Seo.
Please stay alive.
Put away the Soul Ejector.
What if someone sees it?
I cannot endure this any longer.
I must retrieve the ice stone at once
with the help of the Soul Ejector.
Have you lost your mind?
You cannot perform sorcery
with the Soul Ejector
when the Unanimous Assembly is here.
Sorcery?
This Soul Ejector was made
from the ice stone.
Yet the ice stone is considered good
while the Soul Ejector is considered evil.
How ridiculous is that?
You may think it is ridiculous,
but that is the order of this world.
We are doing this
so you can emerge from the darkness
without being defamed
as someone who performs sorcery.
Defame?
You came this far with the help
of my family's alchemy of souls.
How dare you treat it with disdain?
I am merely saying the alchemy of souls
is a spell that is unacknowledged.
Why must the world acknowledge it?
When we found the ice stone
at Lake Gyeongcheondaeho ten years ago,
we could have used the power of sorcery
to rise under the Choi family name.
However,
you insisted that I enter the Queen's body
and formed a secret organization
in Cheonbugwan.
And now,
you insist on revealing the ice stone
to the world through Jinyowon.
That was because it was too dangerous
to go against the world with sorcery.
It was not that it was dangerous.
You just despised it.
You did not want to be stigmatized
for using sorcery.
You just wanted to wield your power
as everyone worshipped you.
Why are you so desperate
to be acknowledged?
Is it because you still cannot get over
the fact that you were born
due to your father's dirty affair
and were never truly acknowledged
as a true member of the Jin family,
which made you run around like a dog?
The royal position of Queen
must have become burdensome
for someone who used to make a living
off of performing crude divinations.
If it is so hard to bear,
I will get you a few living souls.
Feed off their souls
and get your act together.
You found the Queen's soul?
Did you bring her to Songrim?
Yes.
She is with Young Lady Jin.
Bring her to the Training Center.
I will reveal the truth
in front of everyone.
No, my lord.
You must only tell the royal family
and the people of Jinyowon.
You are the heir of Songrim,
yet you stand there
worrying about the reputation of Jinyowon?
I will not deny that.
But Songrim also seems
to hold responsibility in this matter.
A Songrim mage was the start of all this.
A Songrim mage? Who?
Jang Uk's father, Gwanju Jang Gang.
Based on Songrim's request,
I have sent everyone away
but the mages of Cheonbugwan and Jinyowon.
What is that you have to tell us?
I heard the Crown Prince has been
looking for someone recently.
Park Dang-gu, a mage of Jeongjingak,
and Jin Cho-yeon, a priestess of Jinyowon,
have found that person.
The Crown Prince has been
looking for someone?
Who may that be?
She is here with us.
I heard someone threw a rock
that said the ice stone takes away
their energy to cast spells.
The ice stone takes away
their power to cast spells?
It is the power used
in the alchemy of souls.
I guess it sucks out spell-casting energy
just like how it does with souls.
Then what is going to happen to our kids?
You were all so eager to kill someone
just so you could see its power.
And now you are scared?
The power of the ice stone
cannot be controlled by humans.
That is why Songrim
insisted on destroying it.
Then Songrim should take action.
My son is in there.
So is my granddaughter.
If I knew what to do,
I would not be just standing here.
Everyone here coveted
the power of the heavens,
and look what that led to.
I fear this will cause
many people to die again,
just as what happened 200 years ago
during the Great Chaos.
Seo Gyeong…
Master Seo Gyeong
got rid of the ice stone.
Did he leave anything behind
other than Words of the Heart?
Words of the Heart
was the only thing he left behind.
We summoned the power of the ice stone,
so someone among us must undo it
just like what Master Seo Gyeong did
many years ago.
You are going to use rain
to get rid of the ice stone's energy?
I cannot be sure if it will rain
and whether or not
that rain will get rid of the barrier.
One thing is for sure.
If you use Tansu in here,
you will lose
all of your ability to cast spells.
I know.
Yet you are willing to try?
You may not be a high-level mage,
but you still went through a lot
to get this far.
Are you fine with losing it all?
I will deal with that.
But I need you to help me deal
with something else.
If the ice stone disappears,
I need you to deal with what comes next.
Those who coveted its power
will become resentful.
They might even get suspicious
and think it was hidden somewhere.
So you want me to act like
I was the one who hid the ice stone
and to deal with the consequences?
Are you telling me
to take credit for what you did?
I am asking you to clean up
after the mess I will be causing.
Jang Uk.
Not only could you lose your powers,
but you could also die.
Stop being stupid and just forget it.
My master
always pushed me to the edge of a cliff
and said this to me.
"It is better to die than to do nothing."
I will be trying something
not out of stupidity, but out of vigor.
Just as my master has taught me.
I did not know you had a master.
Who is it? Is it Master Lee Cheol?
Young Master.
I brought the sword.
Filthy Mu-deok.
Are you not going to stop him
from being so reckless?
It is better to die than to do nothing.
Young Master.
Do what you must.
And…
I hope you succeed.
The person who is about to step inside
is in an incredibly terrible state.
Twenty years ago,
she burned herself as she tried to escape
the patrol of Cheonbugwan.
She was a shaman who performed divinations
and cursed people.
A shaman?
She was locked up like a beast
for a very long time,
inside a tiny room
near an apothecary in Gaema Village.
Why was she locked up?
I requested you to assemble this meeting
in hopes to find that out, Your Majesty.
Everyone here is
somewhat related to Shaman Choi,
the woman who will soon enter this room.
- Everyone?
- Your Majesty.
Now is not the time for this.
Deal with the ice stone first.
This can wait
until the Crown Prince safely returns.
Leader of Songrim, bring the shaman here.
Please come inside.
Shaman Choi, show your face.
Your Majesty.
Never in my dreams did I think
I would be able to see your face again.
Do you know me?
I am your wife, Your Majesty.
I am Seo Ha-seon, the Queen of Daeho.
Shut your mouth!
How dare you speak my name
with that filthy mouth of yours?
I am the Queen of this country!
How dare you!
You did this to me.
You, a lowly shaman,
used the wicked alchemy of souls
to shift your filthy soul…
into my sacred body,
the body of the Queen!
I have had enough of your lies.
Assistant Gwanju, do not just stand there.
Shut that crazy woman up right now.
First, we will have to check
whether or not she is lying.
Fine.
She says her soul was shifted,
so let us check if the Queen
has a blue mark on her body.
I will gladly show it to you
to help you get rid of your suspicions.
Should I reveal my shoulder here?
The blue mark can easily be removed.
Then there is no other way to prove it.
There is Gwigu.
I have the ashes
of the dog Gwigu was in
that was cremated recently.
What remains of Gwigu's powers
will help us…
reveal the truth.
No!
No!
You see,
those were…
simply ashes collected
from a brazier.
You just proved to us yourself
that you are a soul shifter.
I order you to drag out Shaman Choi
who used the wicked
alchemy of souls to take over
the Queen's body!
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
No!
Do not harm her. That is my body.
My soul must return to that body.
Do not let her harm it.
Do not come close.
Otherwise, I will
destroy this body to pieces.
She is a descendant of Mage Choi,
the man who caused
the Great Chaos 200 years ago.
And she was most likely the one
who created the Soul Ejectors,
which explains the recent appearances
of soul shifters.
This evil performer of sorcery
revealed the ice stone
in front of the Unanimous Assembly
and made a complete fool
of all the mages in Daeho.
The royal family,
Cheonbugwan, and Jinyowon
have all been fooled
by the Choi siblings this whole time.
"Siblings"?
Honey, does this mean
you and that shaman are siblings?
You are a member of the Choi family?
Yes, I am.
I am sorry.
Jin Bu-yeon,
the daughter you recently found,
is also a fake
made by them.
It turns out her next plan was
to shift souls into the body
of Jinyowon's heir.
Shaman Choi.
Put down the dagger
and return that body
to Her Highness the Queen.
Do as I say,
and I will spare your brother's life.
You say I am evil.
But no one here
deserves to call me that.
Do you want to know
how I managed to take over
the sacred body of the Queen?
She gladly gave up her body to me
because she wanted to shift souls
into a younger and more beautiful body.
Jin Ho-gyeong!
Were you not the one who brought
the ice stone out into the world?
You are the leader of Jinyowon,
the protector of its relics.
Yet you let the ice stone
leave the four walls of Jinyowon so
it could be used for the alchemy of souls.
And the very person who performed
the alchemy of souls
was a mage of Songrim.
Park Jin!
You hid the truth,
despite knowing everything.
You acted like you were eager
to catch everyone who performed sorcery.
However, you were busy
trying to hide that man's faults.
As for you, Jin Mu.
Why are you just standing there
doing nothing?
Am I really the only one that is evil
based on the logic and justification
created by these people?
Logic and justification are
created by those with power.
But you have lost your power now,
so that makes you evil.
Jin Mu, you do not fail to disappoint.
Your loyalty is as fickle as the wind.
Hand over the rest of the Soul Ejectors.
We will return the Queen's body,
and you will be set free
without petrification.
I advise you to do as I say
if you want your brother to live.
My sister.
Use the remaining Soul Ejector
to run away.
This is the only thing left
that I can do for you.
For that, I am sorry.
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father…
Father…
I will do as you wish
and get rid of the evil ice stone!
However,
once the ice stone is gone,
everyone inside it will also die.
- Look.
- What is that?
Jang Gang?
"Jang Gang"?
Jang Gang, the Gwanju of Cheonbugwan?
Jang Gang, is that really you?
What are you doing here?
He is a soul shifter.
The energy of the Soul Ejector is gone.
Someone stopped it.
Gwanju Jang Gang is here.
Jang Gang…
Did you block the energy
of the Soul Ejector…
with your body?
Do not go near him.
Jang Gang is a soul shifter
and has run wild.
Look.
His entire body is becoming petrified.
He is right.
I performed the forbidden alchemy of souls
and became a soul shifter,
and now I am running wild.
You are the Gwanju of Cheonbugwan.
Are you confessing your use of sorcery?
Master Lee Cheol,
a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong,
has ordered me to confess my sins
in front of the Unanimous Assembly,
and that is why I am here.
If you have any energy left
to read this letter,
use the energy you have
to help those who are enduring
the mess you have created.
It will be a chance for you
to end what you have started.
Then the star will rise,
and the rock will descend.
I am responsible
for all the mistakes related to Songrim,
Jinyowon, and Cheonbugwan.
I took the ice stone from Jinyowon
and used it to perform sorcery.
It was also me
who tried to keep it a secret.
I will get petrified here
to make up for all my wrongdoings.
Gwanju Jang Gang was the man
who started all this,
so I will allow him to put an end to this
with his death.
I want all of you to witness
the tragic collapse of the man
who performed sorcery.
He may be a soul shifter,
but you cannot let him die like this.
His son, Jang Uk, is inside Jeongjingak.
You should wait
until Uk gets out of there.
He deserves to say goodbye to his father.
He is not my son!
You all know that
I blocked his gate of energy
to prevent him
from walking in my footsteps.
He already had a miserable childhood.
Do not let him live
as the son of a sinner.
Where am I?
What is going on? Am I dead?
So it happened.
My energy to cast spells is gone.
Is this the ice stone?
Did I finally get it now that I no longer
have the power to do anything with it?
Now, this is just
nothing more than a stone to me.
It is the King's Star!
The King's Star is up in the night sky!
The King's Star has appeared.
The barrier around Jeongjingak is gone.
The ice stone has vanished,
and the King's Star has appeared.
The King's Star also appeared
when Master Seo Gyeong
ended the Great Chaos 200 years ago.
Then are you saying that
someone inside Jeongjingak
was born with the same fate
as Master Seo Gyeong?
He is the King's Star.
He is the King's Star!
The Crown Prince is
the newly risen King's Star!
- Your Royal Highness!
- Your Royal Highness!
Uk was the one who was born
with the energy of the King's Star.
Did he get rid of the ice stone?
My pupil, you have lost all your energy.
Master, you also have returned
to being just Mu-deok.
I do not mind
since we are together.
I heard the wedding is
going to be held at Songrim.
Of course. The groom is a mage of Songrim.
I do not approve of this marriage.
I simply cannot believe
that they are getting married.
I saw them together a few times.
They make a nice couple.
What is wrong with you?
The groom could do better.
What are you talking about?
That should be said about the bride.
People could not stop talking
about the Unanimous Assembly
and the King's Star.
But now they are busy
talking about the upcoming wedding.
The leader of Songrim pushed for
this wedding knowing this would happen.
I must say, I still cannot believe
that those two are getting married.
Young Master Seo, I heard you did not eat.
I will eat when I am hungry. Do not worry.
Shall I make you some noodles?
You need to eat to take medicine.
I do not need to take it anymore.
Stop bothering me about it.
You are returning to Seoho Fortress soon.
You should eat well before you leave…
My wound has healed,
and I have regained my energy.
I heard you still
moan in pain in your sleep.
I know you are lying.
It does not hurt much.
You are such a terrible liar,
Young Master Seo.
You are very pure at heart,
so whenever you are being untrue,
it is easy to notice.
It just shows on your face.
It must have been hard for you
to hide it all along.
I am sorry.
And thank you…
for protecting me.
And Yul has also been
protecting you all along.
Yul knows who you are.
He knows you are a soul shifter
and that you are Naksu the assassin.
But he tried his best not to show it.
He wanted to protect the girl
he had met in Danhyanggok.
You told me that
this belonged to the friend
who saved you in Danhyanggok, right?
Yes.
I wanted to take her with me
to Seoho Fortress.
She had a secret
that she was hiding from everyone,
so I wanted to take her there
and help her hide.
I promised that
I would help you take her with you.
But that person only exists
in your memory now.
She no longer exists in this world.
At first, I thought
burning this might be the way to help you
erase her from your memory.
But you told me
you loved everything about Danhyanggok.
Take this with you.
I would like to check
if you are healing well,
so allow me
to feel your breathing three times.
Let us say goodbye to each other
while these three breaths last.
I also enjoyed my time with you…
at Danhyanggok.
Thank you for everything.
It looks like your wound is healing well.
I know the medicine is bitter,
but make sure you take it regularly.
I will.
I will take it
no matter how bitter it may be.
This time, it will fully heal.
Your father took full responsibility
for everything that happened
by sacrificing his life in the end.
Thanks to him, Songrim and Jinyowon
were not penalized.
He probably denied that you were his son
because he did not want you
to be blamed for his wrongdoings.
Do not worry.
I stopped being bothered by the fact
that I might not be his son.
Do you recognize your father?
You have never met him before, have you?
I have met him.
He probably knew
who I was when we met.
It looks as though
you know who I am.
You carry the sword
of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju,
so you must be his son.
This is the sword and robe that
the royal family had given to Jang Gang,
the former Gwanju of Cheonbugwan
who died while performing sorcery.
We would like for you to tell us
what to do with his belongings.
Songrim can keep them.
Have you found Jin Mu,
the Assistant Gwanju?
We are still looking for him.
We are sure that
he has not left the capital.
He could have left
in another person's body.
If he does what he did to me
and shifts his soul,
how will Songrim recognize him?
After all,
you were fooled all these years.
Your Highness.
Master Kang of Daegangtongun
ran wild and became petrified,
but Sejukwon succeeded in saving him.
If you ever run wild and get petrified,
there is a way to treat it.
What is the point?
I will have to live in this horrible body
until the day I die.
How could you let Jang Uk live
when his father was the one
who caused me to become like this?
Jang Gang
took full responsibility
by giving up his life.
We also took away
Jang Uk's rights to become
the next Gwanju of Cheonbugwan.
He washed away his sins
by losing everything he had.
When Jang Gang died,
he told us that Jang Uk was not his son.
So it would be unfair
to hold him responsible.
Jang Gang died without telling us
who Jang Uk's father was in the end.
Master Jang Gang wanted me
to give this to you.
He told me that this will show you
who Young Master Jang's father is.
I guess
you also know the truth now,
Maidservant Kim.
I cannot believe it.
Madam Do-hwa gave birth
to the son of the late king?
Uk was conceived
when the late king shifted souls
and slept with Do-hwa.
Jang Gang performed the alchemy of souls
and shifted souls
with the late king.
Master Jang ruined his son's life.
If Young Master Jang finds out…
I do not plan to tell him.
Not only will I keep it from Uk,
but I will also keep it from everyone.
The King's Star that appeared
the night you destroyed the ice stone
was engraved in a constellation plate.
Everyone is excited to welcome a king
born with the energy of the King's Star.
Would you like to see the plate?
No.
Did the Assistant Gwaju
really shift souls and disappear?
Were you hiding inside Cheonbugwan
all this time?
I have been waiting for a chance
to meet you, Your Royal Highness.
Are you asking me to spare your life?
You are the only person who can save me,
but I am also the only person
who can protect you.
Protect me from what?
I will protect you
from the true owner of the King's Star.
- What are you talking about?
- You already know that
you are not the true owner.
The man who will outshine you
and will be worshipped by everyone.
The man who will make you collapse.
You are next in line to be king,
and Jang Uk, the owner of the King's Star,
should not be allowed
to rise above you.
I promise to get rid of
that ominous light for you.
The one thing
that I desperately yearned for…
actually belonged to Jang Uk.
How pretty. You look beautiful.
You look magnificent.
You are about to drool.
- You can take it off now.
- Why did you
ask me to put this on anyway?
Why not the bride herself?
Her father is in a very bad state,
so she could not make it.
Your build is similar to hers,
so that is why.
You can get changed now.
Come on. Let us leave
so she can get changed.
- Stop staring. Let us go.
- She is the most beautiful woman ever.
She really is.
I guess…
I look quite nice.
Oh, hey.
Mu-deok is here, right? Where is she?
Mu-deok is…
She is in that room over there.
- Go on inside.
- All right.
Goodness.
I heard there was a bride
about to get married soon.
Is that you?
No.
Look who it is. It is my master.
I told you to wait for me at Sejukwon.
- What are you doing here?
- Heo Yeom sent me to fetch some wine.
Then Ju-wol asked me to put this on.
I need to get changed now.
Wait for me outside.
No, wait.
This is actually not a bad place.
After all, it is where we first met.
Not a bad place for what?
There is a very important ritual
that we must do.
First, come sit here.
What is going on?
This is not necessary.
Stop it. You are embarrassing me.
What is with you?
It is only embarrassing at first.
But you get used to it after 13 times.
What?
You've proposed 13 times?
Master.
As of today,
I wish to end my training as your pupil.
I am grateful that
you always pushed me to train harder
despite how lacking I was.
I know that
you gave up your chance
to regain your energy.
And I, too, chose to give up
the energy I tried so hard to build.
But instead, I now have someone precious
that I wish to keep by my side forever.
I do not wish to be used and discarded.
I wish to protect and cherish you.
Thus, allow me to quit.
I, Mu-deok, your master,
will allow my pupil, Jang Uk, to quit.
All right, then.
Marry me, Mu-deok.
I have decided to get married
to Young Master Jang.
There has been no woman around you.
This will all be for Mu-deok.
That cannot be!
I will find the sword
that can help you destroy Jang Uk.
Jin Mu must be killed.
Are you saying that they had
all deceived and mocked me?
They are trying to protect Jang Uk.
An assassin has appeared in Sejukwon!
I believe Mu-deok's body
originally belonged
to someone with great divine powers.
Naksu. You have given me hope.
Subtitle translation by: Ja-won Lee
the energy of the sparkling stone?
Father.
We are close.
The pretty stone is
somewhere underwater nearby.
Do you really think
what she found is the ice stone?
Yes, it has to be it.
Ten years ago, my master, Jang Gang,
sealed the ice stone here
at Lake Gyeongcheondaeho.
And now it has been found
by the girl who was born
through the great power of the ice stone.
I am sure that
Bu-yeon is Jang Gang's daughter.
It explains why he performed sorcery
to save her.
Do you resent her?
Thanks to that girl,
a good-for-nothing man like me
was able to marry
the daughter of the Jin family.
So I guess I should be grateful.
This is the place.
The pretty stone is right underneath us.
Her father's inferiority complex
and jealousy
were what led Jin Bu-yeon to her death.
It suits you well.
If you like it,
then I like it too, Mother.
You should try on something else.
Jin Bu-yeon's immense divine powers
not only came from her mother,
a member of the Jin family.
They also came from her father,
a descendant of the fallen Choi family.
The Choi siblings, who made a living
by performing curses and divinations,
were descendants of Mage Choi,
the very first mage to perform
the alchemy of souls.
Jin Bu-yeon was
a descendant of both families,
which enabled her to become
the best priestess anyone had ever seen.
You have finally found it.
Bu-yeon.
Hand over the ice stone to me.
Hand it over!
Bu-yeon…
Bu-yeon!
Bu-yeon!
Eat up.
Here. Hold the spoon.
It is bad enough that you are blind.
It is pitiful that
you cannot even remember your name.
Would you like to live with me?
My late granddaughter's name was Mu-deok.
Can I call you Mu-deok?
All right.
Your name is Mu-deok from now on.
Such a lovely girl.
Go ahead and eat.
Mu-deok.
Mother.
Bu-yeon.
How is this possible?
This is exactly what happened
the day Jin Bu-yeon disappeared.
Mu-deok has not returned.
Both Uk and Mu-deok
must have been killed by the soul shifter.
At this rate, the rest of us will die too.
Jin Bu-yeon.
You brought the ice stone
from Jinyowon yourself.
You are a priestess.
Are you unable to control it?
I just did what my mother told me to do
and brought it here.
You are pathetic.
Young Master Seo has lost too much blood.
Without a blood transfusion,
his life will be in danger.
If you need someone's blood,
you can use mine.
We are unable to use spells in here,
so your blood cannot be shared.
Give me your hand.
The worm that sucked the blood
of my daughter, Cho-yeon,
will enter your body
and give you the power of the Jin family.
Jang Uk has made a fool of us
with his lie.
The mages of the Unanimous Assembly have
taken turns reading Words of the Heart,
and it says nothing about the ice stone.
It is nothing more than a piece of poetry.
What does Songrim have to say about this?
All the mages may have read it,
but there is something no one knows.
Words of the Heart is
a letter of confession
written by Master Seo Gyeong.
It was a letter?
It was a love letter
written to Jin Seol-ran,
the first leader of Jinyowon.
It is a letter confessing that
he did not destroy the ice stone
because he could not let go
of his dying lover.
Are you saying Master Seo Gyeong
chose not to destroy the ice stone
because of love?
He is just making things up.
I can prove that it is a love letter.
All you need to do is say the name
of the recipient in your head,
and it will enable you to read
the letter yourself, Your Majesty.
I can read Words of the Heart
even though I am not a skilled mage?
The name of the recipient
reminds you of a fresh orchid
that blooms on a cold field of snow.
It is Seol-ran.
"Seol-ran"?
"The faint, blue light…"
"My heart aches to see
my beautiful flower wither."
"And in the end,
I am a fool who dares not shed
a single tear."
It is his confession
saying he left the ice stone unharmed
to save his lover.
But Lady Jin Seol-ran passed away
less than six months
after Jinyowon was established
due to her injury during the Great Chaos.
If it was left for her,
then why did she not use it
to save herself?
I believe she chose not to use it
because she did not want the world
to be exposed to such dangerous power.
What human would choose
to give up on such immense power?
A man like you
would never choose to do what she did.
However, she did it for mankind.
She did what was right.
To protect what we must…
one must sometimes choose
to let go of everything.
Since you have unsheathed the sword,
make your decision.
I know you have been avoiding me.
I also know that everyone's lives
are in your hands.
Like you promised,
point your sword at me first.
Overflowing power means
you will not be able to control
how much of it you use.
Desire rain, and you will get a flood.
Desire wind, and you will get a typhoon.
Try to endure it.
Does that mean
I have no control over this power?
There is one thing you can do
of your own free will,
which is to not use it.
It is up to you
to choose not to use that power.
Make me another promise
just like you said you would.
Among the many stars,
there is a very sad one
called the King's Star.
What is the King's Star?
A star that is given to those
who are permitted
to use the energy of the heavens.
Does that mean
that person becomes powerful?
That means it is a good thing.
Well, I would not say
it is necessarily always a good thing.
With great power
comes great responsibilities.
What are responsibilities?
It means you must also do things
you do not wish to do,
which can be very distressing and lonely.
Mister, can we eat that?
Sure.
- I shall give this to you.
- Thank you.
In return, make sure
you do not fight over it.
All right. Let us go now.
The star will appear soon.
Then those leaving shall leave,
and those returning shall return.
This is the place that
the Crown Prince was looking for.
The apothecary where Eunuch Kim,
the man who served the queen,
visited every month.
You really know how to find your way.
Remember the charm
that helps two people become lovers?
Did you get that at Gaema Village too?
That charm did not even work.
Stop teasing me about that.
What do you mean it did not work?
Look at us. We are here together.
I mean…
We are not here on a date.
Why is he here?
APOTHECARY
Father?
You must have regained consciousness.
You have tried to harm yourself
once again, Your Highness.
Why are you keeping me alive?
Please just kill me.
I cannot do that yet.
The Queen's Lantern of Life
must continue to glow
while the Queen's body stays alive.
It disturbs me to see you
glare at me like that
with the face of my sister.
Your resentment should not
be directed toward me.
Resent the man
who put me and my sister in this position.
Shaman Choi, you have cursed
and harmed people
by performing prohibited divinations.
Do you admit to your sins?
I was merely paid
to give people what they wanted.
The ones at fault are those
who asked me to curse others.
Your curse has led to someone's death!
Yet you still plead innocence?
A divination strong enough
to kill someone…
I am amazed by your divine powers.
It just might be
strong enough to even kill you.
Find every single spell book and tool
that was used to perform evil divinations.
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
No, not that!
We may be a lowly family,
but that is our family heirloom.
I did not use it to perform divinations!
So please do not burn it!
CHEONGANG
It is a spell book.
No…
Burn it.
No!
CHEONGANG
Put out the fire. Now!
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
CHEONGANG
THE ALCHEMY OF SOULS
"The alchemy of souls"?
Hang in there, my sister.
Everything began with him.
He put those scars on my sister's face.
He is the reason why my sister
shifted her soul into your body.
It is all his fault.
Jang Gang.
Jang…
Gang…
You cannot pass away just yet.
Stay alive in my sister's body
for just a bit longer,
Your Highness.
It has been more than ten years
since I entered this body.
But whenever her consciousness returns,
it still puts a toll on me.
If not for the Lantern of Life,
I would have killed her already.
Your brother went to her
to feed her the potion.
So you will feel better soon.
But…
How did the ice stone
end up at Jeongjingak?
Jin Ho-gyeong probably made a mistake
since it was her first time
handling the ice stone.
When the timing is right,
I will gather the power of the ice stone
using the alchemy of souls.
If you do that now,
everyone in Jeongjingak will die.
Yes, I know.
The Crown Prince is there too.
So?
You must wait
until the Crown Prince safely gets out.
Then you can collect its power.
What if he cannot get out?
Am I just supposed to wait and do nothing?
What if someone else
takes its power before I do?
Fortunately, no one is doing anything
because everyone is on their guard.
First, we must find a way
to save the Crown Prince.
Mother.
I must have misheard her.
Why would she call me "Mother"?
That is ridiculous.
People…
seem more concerned about the ice stone…
than the kids who are trapped
inside the barrier.
The two of us should try
and break the barrier.
If we do anything
without the Unanimous Assembly's consent,
there will be another fight.
The ice stone belongs to Jinyowon.
Songrim no longer has the right
to make decisions about it.
Lady Jin.
Is it true that the ice stone
never left the walls of Jinyowon
for the past 200 years?
You once told me that a Songrim mage
once entered Jinyowon.
By any chance,
was it Jang Gang?
I asked you a question.
Did Jang Gang ever get his hands
on the ice stone?
The baby inside me is not moving.
I had her inside me for 13 months.
I cannot let her go like this.
I must save her.
I am sorry.
She is already dead.
Inside Jinyowon
lies the ice stone.
The ice stone?
Why act so startled?
You presumed it would be there.
You asked me to let you inside Jinyowon
on numerous occasions.
I know it was because you wanted
to look for the ice stone.
I heard the ice stone has the power
to bring back the souls of the dead.
I am not powerful enough…
to control the ice stone.
But you, Jang Gang,
might have what it takes.
Are you telling me to perform sorcery?
I will do anything to save my baby!
Please.
Please help me save this baby.
That night, I opened the doors of Jinyowon
and let him inside
in the hopes of saving the dead baby
inside me.
And as a consequence,
Jinyowon ended up losing the ice stone.
Even if that was the case,
Songrim is more at fault.
A Songrim mage,
who always pretended to be righteous,
took the ice stone
and caused havoc by using it
to perform the alchemy of souls.
That is why I wanted to hide it.
However,
I will do what I can to reveal the truth
and set things right,
even if it requires me to expose
Songrim's wrongdoings…
and reprimand those at fault.
Then you will have to reprimand
the person you cherish as well.
It will not be easy.
I know.
But…
if that is the only way
to rectify the situation,
then I will do so.
My sister will shift her soul
from your body
to the body of a girl who is
pretending to be my eldest daughter.
Once that happens,
I will do as you wish and kill you.
Cho-yeon.
What…
What are you doing here?
Father.
What…
in the world…
did I just hear?
Who is that woman?
Does the soul inside that body…
truly belong to the Queen?
Father, stop.
My lord.
Is that you?
Maidservant Kim.
It has been a long time.
Master Jang.
It is the soul shifter.
Uk must have defeated him.
It only took a single stroke.
We cannot use spells in here.
How did he manage to kill him?
Where are Uk and Mu-deok?
Find them.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
I saw an illusion when I first received
the energy of the ice stone.
She told me that no one can
truly own the ice stone
and that you can only use its power.
Because it is the power of the sky.
We need to train ourselves
to even be able to control
the energy within us.
The energy of the sky
is surely way beyond our reach.
I guess it means we are unable
to use it freely because it is not ours.
If one cannot own it…
What if I give it all away?
Give it all away?
What if I give all my energy
to the energy of the sky?
Then my energy will become
the energy of the sky.
I read records about the ice stone
inside the secret library in Jeongjingak.
It said the ice stone has
no shape or form.
Thus, it can be water, fire, or wind.
It is impossible to know its size.
Thus, it can be
both minuscule or enormous.
That means the fog
surrounding Jeongjingak like a barrier
is not the actual form of the ice stone.
So it can turn into water or fire,
and it can also become bigger
or smaller than this?
That is right.
Then do you think
we can turn the fog into rain?
Rain?
You told me that I was incapable
of beating the ice stone
because I could only gather
a single water drop at most.
But what if that water drop
turns into thousands of raindrops?
Then it will turn into rain.
It might work.
But to do that, you need to use Tansu.
- Then…
- Then I will lose all my energy.
That is why I said
I must give it all away.
No.
Let us think of another way.
If we wait and the Queen gathers
the power of the ice stone,
we will all die.
She will not be able to do anything rash
with the Unanimous Assembly there.
Uk, I do not want you to do this.
As your master, that is an order.
I may have given up
on acquiring this power,
but I cannot let you lose it all too.
It took us so much effort to get this far.
I had to push you again and again,
and you risked your life many times
to come this far.
How could you be willing to lose it all
for a single drop of water?
Yul is severely injured.
If we do not do anything, he will die.
Mu-deok.
You gave up what you wanted
because you wanted to protect me.
I am trying to protect as well.
And Yul has also been
protecting you all along.
Without a blood transfusion,
his life will be in danger.
This worm sucked the blood
of a member of the Jin family.
If I give this to him…
Do not die, Young Master Seo.
Please stay alive.
Put away the Soul Ejector.
What if someone sees it?
I cannot endure this any longer.
I must retrieve the ice stone at once
with the help of the Soul Ejector.
Have you lost your mind?
You cannot perform sorcery
with the Soul Ejector
when the Unanimous Assembly is here.
Sorcery?
This Soul Ejector was made
from the ice stone.
Yet the ice stone is considered good
while the Soul Ejector is considered evil.
How ridiculous is that?
You may think it is ridiculous,
but that is the order of this world.
We are doing this
so you can emerge from the darkness
without being defamed
as someone who performs sorcery.
Defame?
You came this far with the help
of my family's alchemy of souls.
How dare you treat it with disdain?
I am merely saying the alchemy of souls
is a spell that is unacknowledged.
Why must the world acknowledge it?
When we found the ice stone
at Lake Gyeongcheondaeho ten years ago,
we could have used the power of sorcery
to rise under the Choi family name.
However,
you insisted that I enter the Queen's body
and formed a secret organization
in Cheonbugwan.
And now,
you insist on revealing the ice stone
to the world through Jinyowon.
That was because it was too dangerous
to go against the world with sorcery.
It was not that it was dangerous.
You just despised it.
You did not want to be stigmatized
for using sorcery.
You just wanted to wield your power
as everyone worshipped you.
Why are you so desperate
to be acknowledged?
Is it because you still cannot get over
the fact that you were born
due to your father's dirty affair
and were never truly acknowledged
as a true member of the Jin family,
which made you run around like a dog?
The royal position of Queen
must have become burdensome
for someone who used to make a living
off of performing crude divinations.
If it is so hard to bear,
I will get you a few living souls.
Feed off their souls
and get your act together.
You found the Queen's soul?
Did you bring her to Songrim?
Yes.
She is with Young Lady Jin.
Bring her to the Training Center.
I will reveal the truth
in front of everyone.
No, my lord.
You must only tell the royal family
and the people of Jinyowon.
You are the heir of Songrim,
yet you stand there
worrying about the reputation of Jinyowon?
I will not deny that.
But Songrim also seems
to hold responsibility in this matter.
A Songrim mage was the start of all this.
A Songrim mage? Who?
Jang Uk's father, Gwanju Jang Gang.
Based on Songrim's request,
I have sent everyone away
but the mages of Cheonbugwan and Jinyowon.
What is that you have to tell us?
I heard the Crown Prince has been
looking for someone recently.
Park Dang-gu, a mage of Jeongjingak,
and Jin Cho-yeon, a priestess of Jinyowon,
have found that person.
The Crown Prince has been
looking for someone?
Who may that be?
She is here with us.
I heard someone threw a rock
that said the ice stone takes away
their energy to cast spells.
The ice stone takes away
their power to cast spells?
It is the power used
in the alchemy of souls.
I guess it sucks out spell-casting energy
just like how it does with souls.
Then what is going to happen to our kids?
You were all so eager to kill someone
just so you could see its power.
And now you are scared?
The power of the ice stone
cannot be controlled by humans.
That is why Songrim
insisted on destroying it.
Then Songrim should take action.
My son is in there.
So is my granddaughter.
If I knew what to do,
I would not be just standing here.
Everyone here coveted
the power of the heavens,
and look what that led to.
I fear this will cause
many people to die again,
just as what happened 200 years ago
during the Great Chaos.
Seo Gyeong…
Master Seo Gyeong
got rid of the ice stone.
Did he leave anything behind
other than Words of the Heart?
Words of the Heart
was the only thing he left behind.
We summoned the power of the ice stone,
so someone among us must undo it
just like what Master Seo Gyeong did
many years ago.
You are going to use rain
to get rid of the ice stone's energy?
I cannot be sure if it will rain
and whether or not
that rain will get rid of the barrier.
One thing is for sure.
If you use Tansu in here,
you will lose
all of your ability to cast spells.
I know.
Yet you are willing to try?
You may not be a high-level mage,
but you still went through a lot
to get this far.
Are you fine with losing it all?
I will deal with that.
But I need you to help me deal
with something else.
If the ice stone disappears,
I need you to deal with what comes next.
Those who coveted its power
will become resentful.
They might even get suspicious
and think it was hidden somewhere.
So you want me to act like
I was the one who hid the ice stone
and to deal with the consequences?
Are you telling me
to take credit for what you did?
I am asking you to clean up
after the mess I will be causing.
Jang Uk.
Not only could you lose your powers,
but you could also die.
Stop being stupid and just forget it.
My master
always pushed me to the edge of a cliff
and said this to me.
"It is better to die than to do nothing."
I will be trying something
not out of stupidity, but out of vigor.
Just as my master has taught me.
I did not know you had a master.
Who is it? Is it Master Lee Cheol?
Young Master.
I brought the sword.
Filthy Mu-deok.
Are you not going to stop him
from being so reckless?
It is better to die than to do nothing.
Young Master.
Do what you must.
And…
I hope you succeed.
The person who is about to step inside
is in an incredibly terrible state.
Twenty years ago,
she burned herself as she tried to escape
the patrol of Cheonbugwan.
She was a shaman who performed divinations
and cursed people.
A shaman?
She was locked up like a beast
for a very long time,
inside a tiny room
near an apothecary in Gaema Village.
Why was she locked up?
I requested you to assemble this meeting
in hopes to find that out, Your Majesty.
Everyone here is
somewhat related to Shaman Choi,
the woman who will soon enter this room.
- Everyone?
- Your Majesty.
Now is not the time for this.
Deal with the ice stone first.
This can wait
until the Crown Prince safely returns.
Leader of Songrim, bring the shaman here.
Please come inside.
Shaman Choi, show your face.
Your Majesty.
Never in my dreams did I think
I would be able to see your face again.
Do you know me?
I am your wife, Your Majesty.
I am Seo Ha-seon, the Queen of Daeho.
Shut your mouth!
How dare you speak my name
with that filthy mouth of yours?
I am the Queen of this country!
How dare you!
You did this to me.
You, a lowly shaman,
used the wicked alchemy of souls
to shift your filthy soul…
into my sacred body,
the body of the Queen!
I have had enough of your lies.
Assistant Gwanju, do not just stand there.
Shut that crazy woman up right now.
First, we will have to check
whether or not she is lying.
Fine.
She says her soul was shifted,
so let us check if the Queen
has a blue mark on her body.
I will gladly show it to you
to help you get rid of your suspicions.
Should I reveal my shoulder here?
The blue mark can easily be removed.
Then there is no other way to prove it.
There is Gwigu.
I have the ashes
of the dog Gwigu was in
that was cremated recently.
What remains of Gwigu's powers
will help us…
reveal the truth.
No!
No!
You see,
those were…
simply ashes collected
from a brazier.
You just proved to us yourself
that you are a soul shifter.
I order you to drag out Shaman Choi
who used the wicked
alchemy of souls to take over
the Queen's body!
- Yes, my lord!
- Yes, my lord!
No!
Do not harm her. That is my body.
My soul must return to that body.
Do not let her harm it.
Do not come close.
Otherwise, I will
destroy this body to pieces.
She is a descendant of Mage Choi,
the man who caused
the Great Chaos 200 years ago.
And she was most likely the one
who created the Soul Ejectors,
which explains the recent appearances
of soul shifters.
This evil performer of sorcery
revealed the ice stone
in front of the Unanimous Assembly
and made a complete fool
of all the mages in Daeho.
The royal family,
Cheonbugwan, and Jinyowon
have all been fooled
by the Choi siblings this whole time.
"Siblings"?
Honey, does this mean
you and that shaman are siblings?
You are a member of the Choi family?
Yes, I am.
I am sorry.
Jin Bu-yeon,
the daughter you recently found,
is also a fake
made by them.
It turns out her next plan was
to shift souls into the body
of Jinyowon's heir.
Shaman Choi.
Put down the dagger
and return that body
to Her Highness the Queen.
Do as I say,
and I will spare your brother's life.
You say I am evil.
But no one here
deserves to call me that.
Do you want to know
how I managed to take over
the sacred body of the Queen?
She gladly gave up her body to me
because she wanted to shift souls
into a younger and more beautiful body.
Jin Ho-gyeong!
Were you not the one who brought
the ice stone out into the world?
You are the leader of Jinyowon,
the protector of its relics.
Yet you let the ice stone
leave the four walls of Jinyowon so
it could be used for the alchemy of souls.
And the very person who performed
the alchemy of souls
was a mage of Songrim.
Park Jin!
You hid the truth,
despite knowing everything.
You acted like you were eager
to catch everyone who performed sorcery.
However, you were busy
trying to hide that man's faults.
As for you, Jin Mu.
Why are you just standing there
doing nothing?
Am I really the only one that is evil
based on the logic and justification
created by these people?
Logic and justification are
created by those with power.
But you have lost your power now,
so that makes you evil.
Jin Mu, you do not fail to disappoint.
Your loyalty is as fickle as the wind.
Hand over the rest of the Soul Ejectors.
We will return the Queen's body,
and you will be set free
without petrification.
I advise you to do as I say
if you want your brother to live.
My sister.
Use the remaining Soul Ejector
to run away.
This is the only thing left
that I can do for you.
For that, I am sorry.
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father…
Father…
I will do as you wish
and get rid of the evil ice stone!
However,
once the ice stone is gone,
everyone inside it will also die.
- Look.
- What is that?
Jang Gang?
"Jang Gang"?
Jang Gang, the Gwanju of Cheonbugwan?
Jang Gang, is that really you?
What are you doing here?
He is a soul shifter.
The energy of the Soul Ejector is gone.
Someone stopped it.
Gwanju Jang Gang is here.
Jang Gang…
Did you block the energy
of the Soul Ejector…
with your body?
Do not go near him.
Jang Gang is a soul shifter
and has run wild.
Look.
His entire body is becoming petrified.
He is right.
I performed the forbidden alchemy of souls
and became a soul shifter,
and now I am running wild.
You are the Gwanju of Cheonbugwan.
Are you confessing your use of sorcery?
Master Lee Cheol,
a pupil of Master Seo Gyeong,
has ordered me to confess my sins
in front of the Unanimous Assembly,
and that is why I am here.
If you have any energy left
to read this letter,
use the energy you have
to help those who are enduring
the mess you have created.
It will be a chance for you
to end what you have started.
Then the star will rise,
and the rock will descend.
I am responsible
for all the mistakes related to Songrim,
Jinyowon, and Cheonbugwan.
I took the ice stone from Jinyowon
and used it to perform sorcery.
It was also me
who tried to keep it a secret.
I will get petrified here
to make up for all my wrongdoings.
Gwanju Jang Gang was the man
who started all this,
so I will allow him to put an end to this
with his death.
I want all of you to witness
the tragic collapse of the man
who performed sorcery.
He may be a soul shifter,
but you cannot let him die like this.
His son, Jang Uk, is inside Jeongjingak.
You should wait
until Uk gets out of there.
He deserves to say goodbye to his father.
He is not my son!
You all know that
I blocked his gate of energy
to prevent him
from walking in my footsteps.
He already had a miserable childhood.
Do not let him live
as the son of a sinner.
Where am I?
What is going on? Am I dead?
So it happened.
My energy to cast spells is gone.
Is this the ice stone?
Did I finally get it now that I no longer
have the power to do anything with it?
Now, this is just
nothing more than a stone to me.
It is the King's Star!
The King's Star is up in the night sky!
The King's Star has appeared.
The barrier around Jeongjingak is gone.
The ice stone has vanished,
and the King's Star has appeared.
The King's Star also appeared
when Master Seo Gyeong
ended the Great Chaos 200 years ago.
Then are you saying that
someone inside Jeongjingak
was born with the same fate
as Master Seo Gyeong?
He is the King's Star.
He is the King's Star!
The Crown Prince is
the newly risen King's Star!
- Your Royal Highness!
- Your Royal Highness!
Uk was the one who was born
with the energy of the King's Star.
Did he get rid of the ice stone?
My pupil, you have lost all your energy.
Master, you also have returned
to being just Mu-deok.
I do not mind
since we are together.
I heard the wedding is
going to be held at Songrim.
Of course. The groom is a mage of Songrim.
I do not approve of this marriage.
I simply cannot believe
that they are getting married.
I saw them together a few times.
They make a nice couple.
What is wrong with you?
The groom could do better.
What are you talking about?
That should be said about the bride.
People could not stop talking
about the Unanimous Assembly
and the King's Star.
But now they are busy
talking about the upcoming wedding.
The leader of Songrim pushed for
this wedding knowing this would happen.
I must say, I still cannot believe
that those two are getting married.
Young Master Seo, I heard you did not eat.
I will eat when I am hungry. Do not worry.
Shall I make you some noodles?
You need to eat to take medicine.
I do not need to take it anymore.
Stop bothering me about it.
You are returning to Seoho Fortress soon.
You should eat well before you leave…
My wound has healed,
and I have regained my energy.
I heard you still
moan in pain in your sleep.
I know you are lying.
It does not hurt much.
You are such a terrible liar,
Young Master Seo.
You are very pure at heart,
so whenever you are being untrue,
it is easy to notice.
It just shows on your face.
It must have been hard for you
to hide it all along.
I am sorry.
And thank you…
for protecting me.
And Yul has also been
protecting you all along.
Yul knows who you are.
He knows you are a soul shifter
and that you are Naksu the assassin.
But he tried his best not to show it.
He wanted to protect the girl
he had met in Danhyanggok.
You told me that
this belonged to the friend
who saved you in Danhyanggok, right?
Yes.
I wanted to take her with me
to Seoho Fortress.
She had a secret
that she was hiding from everyone,
so I wanted to take her there
and help her hide.
I promised that
I would help you take her with you.
But that person only exists
in your memory now.
She no longer exists in this world.
At first, I thought
burning this might be the way to help you
erase her from your memory.
But you told me
you loved everything about Danhyanggok.
Take this with you.
I would like to check
if you are healing well,
so allow me
to feel your breathing three times.
Let us say goodbye to each other
while these three breaths last.
I also enjoyed my time with you…
at Danhyanggok.
Thank you for everything.
It looks like your wound is healing well.
I know the medicine is bitter,
but make sure you take it regularly.
I will.
I will take it
no matter how bitter it may be.
This time, it will fully heal.
Your father took full responsibility
for everything that happened
by sacrificing his life in the end.
Thanks to him, Songrim and Jinyowon
were not penalized.
He probably denied that you were his son
because he did not want you
to be blamed for his wrongdoings.
Do not worry.
I stopped being bothered by the fact
that I might not be his son.
Do you recognize your father?
You have never met him before, have you?
I have met him.
He probably knew
who I was when we met.
It looks as though
you know who I am.
You carry the sword
of Cheonbugwan's Gwanju,
so you must be his son.
This is the sword and robe that
the royal family had given to Jang Gang,
the former Gwanju of Cheonbugwan
who died while performing sorcery.
We would like for you to tell us
what to do with his belongings.
Songrim can keep them.
Have you found Jin Mu,
the Assistant Gwanju?
We are still looking for him.
We are sure that
he has not left the capital.
He could have left
in another person's body.
If he does what he did to me
and shifts his soul,
how will Songrim recognize him?
After all,
you were fooled all these years.
Your Highness.
Master Kang of Daegangtongun
ran wild and became petrified,
but Sejukwon succeeded in saving him.
If you ever run wild and get petrified,
there is a way to treat it.
What is the point?
I will have to live in this horrible body
until the day I die.
How could you let Jang Uk live
when his father was the one
who caused me to become like this?
Jang Gang
took full responsibility
by giving up his life.
We also took away
Jang Uk's rights to become
the next Gwanju of Cheonbugwan.
He washed away his sins
by losing everything he had.
When Jang Gang died,
he told us that Jang Uk was not his son.
So it would be unfair
to hold him responsible.
Jang Gang died without telling us
who Jang Uk's father was in the end.
Master Jang Gang wanted me
to give this to you.
He told me that this will show you
who Young Master Jang's father is.
I guess
you also know the truth now,
Maidservant Kim.
I cannot believe it.
Madam Do-hwa gave birth
to the son of the late king?
Uk was conceived
when the late king shifted souls
and slept with Do-hwa.
Jang Gang performed the alchemy of souls
and shifted souls
with the late king.
Master Jang ruined his son's life.
If Young Master Jang finds out…
I do not plan to tell him.
Not only will I keep it from Uk,
but I will also keep it from everyone.
The King's Star that appeared
the night you destroyed the ice stone
was engraved in a constellation plate.
Everyone is excited to welcome a king
born with the energy of the King's Star.
Would you like to see the plate?
No.
Did the Assistant Gwaju
really shift souls and disappear?
Were you hiding inside Cheonbugwan
all this time?
I have been waiting for a chance
to meet you, Your Royal Highness.
Are you asking me to spare your life?
You are the only person who can save me,
but I am also the only person
who can protect you.
Protect me from what?
I will protect you
from the true owner of the King's Star.
- What are you talking about?
- You already know that
you are not the true owner.
The man who will outshine you
and will be worshipped by everyone.
The man who will make you collapse.
You are next in line to be king,
and Jang Uk, the owner of the King's Star,
should not be allowed
to rise above you.
I promise to get rid of
that ominous light for you.
The one thing
that I desperately yearned for…
actually belonged to Jang Uk.
How pretty. You look beautiful.
You look magnificent.
You are about to drool.
- You can take it off now.
- Why did you
ask me to put this on anyway?
Why not the bride herself?
Her father is in a very bad state,
so she could not make it.
Your build is similar to hers,
so that is why.
You can get changed now.
Come on. Let us leave
so she can get changed.
- Stop staring. Let us go.
- She is the most beautiful woman ever.
She really is.
I guess…
I look quite nice.
Oh, hey.
Mu-deok is here, right? Where is she?
Mu-deok is…
She is in that room over there.
- Go on inside.
- All right.
Goodness.
I heard there was a bride
about to get married soon.
Is that you?
No.
Look who it is. It is my master.
I told you to wait for me at Sejukwon.
- What are you doing here?
- Heo Yeom sent me to fetch some wine.
Then Ju-wol asked me to put this on.
I need to get changed now.
Wait for me outside.
No, wait.
This is actually not a bad place.
After all, it is where we first met.
Not a bad place for what?
There is a very important ritual
that we must do.
First, come sit here.
What is going on?
This is not necessary.
Stop it. You are embarrassing me.
What is with you?
It is only embarrassing at first.
But you get used to it after 13 times.
What?
You've proposed 13 times?
Master.
As of today,
I wish to end my training as your pupil.
I am grateful that
you always pushed me to train harder
despite how lacking I was.
I know that
you gave up your chance
to regain your energy.
And I, too, chose to give up
the energy I tried so hard to build.
But instead, I now have someone precious
that I wish to keep by my side forever.
I do not wish to be used and discarded.
I wish to protect and cherish you.
Thus, allow me to quit.
I, Mu-deok, your master,
will allow my pupil, Jang Uk, to quit.
All right, then.
Marry me, Mu-deok.
I have decided to get married
to Young Master Jang.
There has been no woman around you.
This will all be for Mu-deok.
That cannot be!
I will find the sword
that can help you destroy Jang Uk.
Jin Mu must be killed.
Are you saying that they had
all deceived and mocked me?
They are trying to protect Jang Uk.
An assassin has appeared in Sejukwon!
I believe Mu-deok's body
originally belonged
to someone with great divine powers.
Naksu. You have given me hope.
Subtitle translation by: Ja-won Lee