ALCHEMY OF SOULS PART 2
I imagined myself sitting alone on top of a tall tree.
I knew no one
and I was powerless and alone.
I had hoped someone would come to rescue me.
And then you came.
What…
was that about?
That was my story.
It was a thought that I had during my time in that room.
I do not have that stone with me right now.
I must be going crazy…
because of you.
Why do you keep confusing me?
What is there to be confused about?
You hold my hand and listen to my stories
only to think about someone else.
If you miss her so much, how about I help you out a little more?
Shall I hold you in my arms and put you to bed as well?
Shall I just do everything she did?
A tree like that actually existed.
A big, tall tree.
There was a tree that we had promised
to climb up together.
Is that tree in Danhyanggok?
Is it?
I wonder how I know about that place.
Maybe I went there when I was little?
This is why I have trouble believing that they are yours.
It is your choice whether to believe me or not.
But this is my hand that you are holding,
and it will be me who holds you and puts you to bed at night.
So…
when you are looking at me, see me for who I am…
just like you did that night.
I am not dreaming.
Do you recognize me?
Yes.
You woke me up.
Someone just entered.
I can see the energy of a human
behind that tree.
I recognize that energy. I think it is someone I know.
Someone you know? Is it someone from Jinyowon?
No.
It is your friend.
Seo Yul?
Jang Uk?
It really is you.
She told me she could see your energy.
What are you doing here?
I am here looking for someone.
I know how to take out the blood parasite.
If you tell me who knows, I will let that person live.
I knew it.
So there is a way to get it out.
Yes. Now tell me who knows.
Tell me.
-It is Jin Mu. -Jin Mu?
No.
Park Jin of Songrim.
What?
Actually…
it is His Majesty the King.
I was going to grant you a painless death,
but you brought this on yourself.
Let us see if you will be able to keep your mouth shut
even after taking this excruciating potion.
Lady Jin.
Jang Uk wishes to meet you, my lady.
Right now? Tell him I have gone to bed.
He knows you are not in your room.
It would be troublesome if he goes around looking for you.
What brings you here at this hour?
I came to ask you for a favor.
Please allow me to enter Jinyowon for a moment.
Jinyowon?
I thought about asking Bu-yeon to secretly let me inside,
but that did not seem appropriate, so I came to ask you myself.
So-i, wake up.
Do you recognize me?
Seo Yul?
Yes.
Hold on to me.
She said there is a way.
There is a way to save you.
We have no time.
Let us talk outside.
Jin Bu-yeon?
Are you all right? Did my mother do this to you?
You must really think you are Jin Bu-yeon.
What do you mean?
She helped me find you.
First, let us get out of here.
This is the fire bird.
I see it has not hatched yet.
When this fire bird hatches out of its egg,
the world will suffer from severe drought.
And Jinyowon will fall
if this egg gets taken out of here?
Right.
I do not plan to do such a thing, so do not worry.
Master Lee could have just asked me to show this to him.
I wonder why he asked you to come and check.
Because he does not trust you.
You even unveiled the ice stone once.
It was a choice I made to save Bu-yeon when I was pregnant with her.
The person who did not return it after its use
was your father, Jang Gang.
And in the end,
his son ended up with the ice stone inside his body.
I guess it will not be easy for us to get along
seeing that you have so many reasons to hate me.
That is why I want to put an end to this relationship.
My daughter was doing fine under my protection.
Why did you have to take her away?
I had no reason to
until I saw the darkness behind it all.
Hiding her in that dark room
and sewing that thread into her back is not what a loving mother would do.
You really think she was doing fine?
Perhaps you happen to enjoy things like that?
Being locked up in a dark room and getting poked by needles?
I was protecting her.
She is the eldest daughter of the Jin family.
Her duty is to protect Jinyowon
by giving birth to a daughter and carrying on the family line.
Are you trying to pressure me?
Then you could have at least served a brood hen for dinner.
But then again, you showed me this fire bird,
so I will count that as encouragement.
The person Seo Yul was looking for was severely hurt.
-Who was it? -A woman.
Her name was So-i.
So-i?
I guess you received the message I sent you,
seeing that you came to save me.
Yes, I did.
It is the truth.
Jin Ho-gyeong's real daughter
was Mu-deok from Sari Village.
Does that mean the Jin Bu-yeon you saw earlier was fake?
That was what I initially thought when I went there,
but it turns out she was real.
-What? -Jin Ho-gyeong
took out Mu-deok's body from Lake Gyeongcheondaeho and saved her.
But the thing is,
inside that body still lives the soul
of Naksu.
Naksu?
Yes.
Naksu lives inside Jin Bu-yeon's body.
Also, Jin Bu-yeon's current face
is that of Naksu.
No wonder she seemed familiar when we first met.
I failed to recognize her because I never imagined
that I would meet her again.
There you are.
She is alive.
Jin Bu-yeon…
was her all along.
Are you all right?
You look like you are about to cry.
By any chance,
do you feel ill?
What is the matter?
Do you feel very ill?
My thoughts have lost their way
due to the confusion I feel.
Let me stay like this
just for a little while.
I cannot leave you here like this.
I think it is best that I tell Jang Uk.
Do not tell him.
I do not wish for him to know.
We did nothing wrong.
Young Master Seo Yul allowed us in.
Yul?
He is right.
I brought them here. Let him go.
What happened?
I heard the girl you saved is So-i.
Why would you get involved with her?
Did she do something to you?
Do not worry.
I was indebted to her.
I heard she was taken away by Lady Jin, so I helped her to return the favor.
Why were you indebted to So-i?
She looked after me back when I was severely injured
inside the barrier.
Young Lady Heo also knows.
I see.
I still cannot believe you climbed over the walls of Jinyowon.
I was able to get out without getting caught thanks to you.
Gosh.
So is there anything else I can help you with?
There is something I must handle on my own.
It is my responsibility now.
He was quick to subdue us, so we did not see his face.
But it was definitely a man.
Who could it be?
It is Jin Mu.
No.
Park Jin of Songrim.
It is His Majesty the King.
None of them must find out.
I must keep it a secret.
Fortunately, there are no severe injuries.
Apply ointment on her wounds, and she will be fine.
Thank you.
Young Master Seo is right.
So-i really did take good care of him back when he was hurt.
I have no reason not to believe you.
She even cut herself to share her blood with him.
She shared her blood?
It did not help much,
but that is how much she cared.
Will you be staying at Jeongjingak?
I will also stay here so I can take care of So-i.
I thought
you and Young Master Jang would be at Jinyowon meeting your mother.
We already went.
We left earlier than expected to help a friend.
I see.
I guess Young Master Jang cared more about helping his friend.
Your presence is of no help, unlike Young Lady Heo's,
so you should go home.
I will escort you home.
I was talking about my friend, not Young Master Jang's.
Then are you saying Young Master Seo is your friend?
Yes, I am here for a reason.
I need to talk to my friend, Seo Yul.
So I should get going now.
What do you need to talk about with Yul?
She claims to be friends with him.
Yes, I would like to talk to my friend.
So are you not going to go home?
No, I am also going to stay here.
Goodbye then, Young Master Jang.
Goodbye. I will be going home now.
Just come home with me.
All right. Fine.
Let us go.
When did you become friends with Yul?
We are both foolish in our own ways,
so we agreed to be friends.
You may be a fool, but Yul is far from it.
He gets lost when he is flustered.
He told you that?
Well, I found out as we spent time together.
How much time did you spend with him?
Quite a lot.
We spent time at Chwiseonru and Gaema Village.
I remember now.
So-i was the girl I met at Gaema Village.
You met her?
She stole something from me, and Seo Yul helped me that day.
Really?
A lot of things happened that I do not know about.
You and Yul must be pretty close.
I thought he was the man I was supposed to marry
when I first met him at Chwiseonru.
If I met him a lot earlier, I may not have thought about running away.
I see.
It must be a pity. It would have been nice if he were your husband.
He is handsome and kind.
He would not have talked about going crazy after holding my hand like you did.
Do you feel all right now?
You told me to see you for who you were.
That is what I am trying to do.
Jang Uk,
try summoning fireflies.
That is not an easy thing to do, you know.
Then try setting off some fireworks.
Hey, do you know how much that costs?
Besides, where am I supposed to find fireworks right now?
Do not tell anyone that Jin Bu-yeon is Naksu.
Of course.
It needs to be kept a secret for Jin Ho-gyeong to save your life.
Jang Uk cannot find out either.
I know.
He has gone through enough.
-It is my responsibility now. -Your responsibility?
What responsibility do you have for Naksu?
I also knew.
You also knew back then
that Mu-deok was Naksu?
You knew, yet you kept it a secret? Why?
Your wound is not severe, so you will recover soon.
I will find you a safe place to stay.
Leave as soon as you are ready.
Young Master Seo, are you all right?
Does it hurt?
It was just another nightmare.
Is it her who constantly appears
in your dreams?
I also possess an item that is dear to me, so I know what it means.
The fact that you still have that
means you still care.
Then I guess I should throw it away.
If what you said is true, it means all my pain and regrets…
derive from this.
By any chance,
are you planning to kill Naksu?
Then you cannot receive Jinyowon's help, and you will die.
I know.
How could I expect to live…
if I plan to get rid of her?
Exactly.
Do not kill her if you wish to live. And besides…
you like her.
Get some rest.
Young Master.
I…
am now betrothed
to Lord Park Jin of Songrim.
Why are you so quiet?
Are you upset that I am getting married?
-Should I not get married? -No, I just…
I do not know what to call you now.
Goodness.
Just call me Maidservant Kim.
Even if I marry Lord Park,
you will always be my young master.
No, that is not it.
I am most grateful to you, and I care for you more than anyone.
I want to be able to say more
than just congratulate you.
Who cares what you call me?
I may treat you like my young master,
but you are
like a son to me.
I know.
I feel the same way.
Maidservant Kim.
Congratulations.
Young Master.
The reason we visited you last night
was to urgently show these to you.
Again, congratulations on your engagement.
-Congratulations! -Congratulations!
Thank you, everyone.
I will be welcoming an aunt at last.
Will I also be getting a niece or nephew?
Know when to stop.
Why is he giving up so quickly?
You found several of these in dried-up wells around Daeho Fortress?
Yes, these boatmen here also found some in the canal.
Someone is deliberately trying to dry up all the water.
I will find out where they were created.
They contain the energy of a volcano, so that is probably where they were made.
Thoroughly examine all the items that come in from the southern volcano.
Yes, my lord.
Songrim will be inspecting the goods on all the boats?
Yes.
I can no longer let your boat pass as an exception.
The boat from the volcano should arrive at Daeho Fortress any moment now.
Send a homing bird and tell them to discard everything on the boat.
Yes, my lord.
He wants us to get rid of everything?
Is it safe to discard something so ghastly in Lake Gyeongcheondaeho?
What is with you? We just need to do as we are told.
Just get on with it.
My goodness.
I checked the fire bird within Jinyowon.
It was a lot smaller than expected, but it was safe and sound.
Is that so?
I thought you did not want to get involved.
I had to go anyway, so I just checked while I was there.
You never do anything you do not wish to do,
so that is hard to believe.
I really do not wish to get involved,
but let me tell you what I heard.
There are people who are after the fire bird in Jinyowon.
The long-lasting drought
has dried up the wells and canals and is causing dissent among people.
Please allow Cheonbugwan to gather the Unanimous Assembly
and advance the date for the lake's rite.
It is strange that all the wells and canals have been drying up
just because of the drought.
Fortunately, the fear of soul shifters has died down in the capital
after Jang Uk managed to get rid of Naksu.
The Crown Prince shall visit Jang Uk and reward him as always.
Your Majesty.
This time, he deserves a bigger reward.
Appoint him as the general of the North Fortress and send him there.
Are you asking me
to make him leave Daeho Fortress?
Without him, the capital could become unstable again.
Right now, Cheonbugwan has more mages
than Jeongjingak has ever had.
With our mages' protection and the leadership of the Crown Prince,
who was born with the energy of the King's Star,
no one in the capital will feel unsettled.
When the world suffered from severe drought 200 years ago,
the ice stone fell from the sky.
It looks like these people
are trying to do the same by waking the fire bird.
The royal family and Cheonbugwan are the ones behind it.
Do you wish for me to fight against them?
A fight like that would be considered a revolt.
If you win the fight,
you could even become the King.
What?
You already know that the King's Star, which is known to be the Crown Prince's,
is actually yours.
That also means you know who your real father is.
How long do you plan to keep me locked up in here?
Just because I wish
to keep you locked up
does not mean I can.
You possess the power of the ice stone.
I know you are holding back for my sake.
Jin Mu
and the royal family were behind it all.
-I need to know what they did to her. -And do what?
Will you kill them all?
Like you said, it is not impossible with the power I possess.
Fighting against the royal family and Cheonbugwan is a revolt.
Are you going to use the energy of the sky to disrupt the world?
I do not care!
I do not care for this world.
The one person I wanted to protect is dead.
And in the most…
brutal way possible.
Here.
You have always wondered if Jang Gang was your real father.
This is the gold plaque and letter that your real father left for you.
Jang Gang briefly switched bodies with your father
using the alchemy of souls.
Your father's soul pursued your mother, and she gave birth to a baby,
which was you.
You are the son of the late King.
You were born through the alchemy of souls.
If not for that, you would not have been born.
You were not meant to exist.
Are you saying
my birth is a sin in itself?
On the night of your birth,
the King's Star was in the sky.
And to conceal that,
Naksu's father, Cho Chung, died.
Jang Gang also died to take responsibility and to keep everything a secret.
And the one person you wanted to protect
was likely used and killed by those who wanted you dead.
If you intend to use your power
gained by being born under the King's Star merely to bring chaos to the world,
then I, too…
shall do anything to stop you,
even if I die by your hands.
I am guilty of existing
when I should not.
So I have decided to do nothing.
Jang Uk.
"It is better to die than to do nothing."
That is what your master always used to tell you.
My master, Seo Gyeong,
was also born with the energy of the King's Star,
but he did not become King.
Instead, he protected the world.
How can I protect the world when I could not even protect
the one person I had sworn to keep safe?
I guess you are not thrilled to possess the power of the ice stone
since you gained it by getting killed by that one person.
Why did Master Seo Gyeong
leave behind the ice stone?
He wrote in Words of the Heart that he left it to save his lover,
Jin Seol-ran.
But eventually, she died.
Why did he keep the ice stone inside Jinyowon?
Maybe it was for you. You were also born under the King's Star.
I will be off.
We found them.
They really are here.
You are incredible.
I can see why people say you remind them of Jin Seol-ran.
It is amazing that you are able to see that kind of energy.
Seeing energy is all I can do yet.
You said your divine powers will return along with your memories.
Then tell me.
Have you regained a lot of your memories?
I have seen several past memories,
but they are not mine.
I am able to see other people's memories by touching their items.
I guess my divine powers are slowly starting to come back.
I see.
I am glad to hear that.
If that earthenware is dangerous,
I can keep looking for them.
Would you kindly do that for me?
Whoever keeps you by their side
will be able to avoid dangerous objects.
Some people possess energy that should be avoided.
Have you ever come across such a person?
The energy inside people is not always constant,
but those in a frenzy carry an energy that suffocates me when seen up close.
People say you resemble spring
as it is the most beautiful season among the four.
I really do see
a beautiful liveliness in you.
Thank you.
A spiritless person like me
is desperate for the vitality of spring.
I am quite fond of you. Come and visit me often.
I would like to get a glimpse
of the spring that is soon to come.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Royal Highness, why do you suddenly wish to hunt somewhere far away?
It is suffocating inside the palace.
I wish to depart now, so pack lightly.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
Let me know when you see the energy.
We will stop the boat.
I will.
Wait.
Stop the boat.
I remember dangling from here once.
When?
Why?
I have no strength.
What is the matter?
Why did you suddenly dangle from there?
I once dangled from there
only to realize that I had no strength.
Well…
it seems like you are exhausted.
You should get some rest nearby.
This is my memory.
I even remember my arms hurting.
I forgot to bring home the turtle.
I almost left it here all alone.
I told the owner to take good care of it.
Still, I bet it is waiting for its owner to come.
Go out and get some fresh air.
Pardon?
Go and take a walk.
Right.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
"I have no strength"?
Does that mean I had strength before?
It does not like that.
Eunuch.
You are here.
That turtle only eats meat wrapped in lettuce.
-Really? -Are you dumb or what?
It is refusing because it is you. It never refuses when I feed it.
Watch.
Turtle.
Here is a piece of lettuce.
Eat up.
You see that?
It only cares for me. What a clever turtle.
Did you see how fast it moved?
I bet it is the fastest turtle in Daeho.
That is one lucky turtle
seeing how loved it is.
What is wrong?
Has your husband still not come home because of that peacock?
He does come home these days,
but I still sleep alone.
Why not do anything? You are a shaman.
Curse the peacock and make her leave your husband.
Or feed your husband a potion that will captivate him.
You are too young to be so woeful.
How would a eunuch like you know anything about marriage?
Or anything about sleeping alone?
I may not know any of that, but I do know your situation.
If he left home, you could at least hope for him to return.
But sleeping separately?
That means it is over.
If he never bothers to visit your room,
you might as well move out.
You are right.
I am done staying in that room all alone.
There you go. You should cheat too.
Stop giving me unwholesome solutions.
I will find a room of my own.
You do not even have your own room?
I feel anxious because the room I stay in does not feel like it is mine.
It only ends up confusing him,
which is why he cannot find me.
I shall find a room of my own.
Thank you for your advice. It really helped.
It did?
If you fail to find your own room, you can come live with me.
My house has many rooms.
Where were you going?
My house has many rooms, but none of them make me feel at home.
You could say I am running away to avoid something.
You possess a very noble energy,
but I guess you also have a peacock that bothers you.
Yes, I do.
There is this guy I hate who is too good to be true.
Have you heard of the crow that placed peacock feathers among its own
so it could act like a peacock?
I am that crow.
If you feel uneasy about pretending, then why not stop?
I have already come too far.
I am hopeless now.
You saved this turtle.
A man like you can never be hopeless.
You are a bad judge of character, but you do know how to comfort people.
Thank you for motivating me with improper words.
I need to go and finish what I was doing.
Have a safe trip.
Instead of going hunting, maybe I should visit Jang Uk
since he even took care of you.
I informed him of your visit.
How dare he not show up to greet you.
I will go and bring Jang Uk.
THE FIRE BIRD'S EGG
THE FIRE BIRD
The fire bird.
It looks like Jang Uk already knows about this.
Are you here to reward me?
You can leave it and go.
His Majesty the King
wishes to give you a bigger reward this time.
He will send you to North Fortress
after appointing you as a general.
North Fortress?
-That is far. -What will you do?
Will you go?
Will you feel at ease if I leave somewhere far away?
Do not go if you do not wish to.
It is true that you bother me,
but to Jin Mu, you will be a big obstacle.
I guess you finally feel uneasy about holding hands with Jin Mu.
But unfortunately,
I do not wish to become his obstacle for your own good.
You must think I am trying to use you to keep Jin Mu in check.
I understand.
You will probably think that way no matter what I say.
Why are you suddenly telling me these things?
The turtle.
-Why were you kind to my turtle? -Turtle?
If you hate me so much, why were you nice to my turtle?
That turtle was yours? I thought it was Eunuch Oh's.
I see.
I was foolishly mistaken.
Did you think
I did it out of kindness?
Just because I was nice to your turtle?
It is more than just that.
It gave me enough hope to come and talk to you
despite the hatred and distrust you have toward me.
Forget it.
I guess you will not be going to North Fortress
seeing that you have been reading about the fire bird.
What if I do go?
You know how dangerous a fire bird is, and yet you are going to leave?
I am glad I kept this book open.
I managed to see that expression on your face.
If I did not hate you so much,
I might have even thought that you were worried about the world.
You possess a power so strong,
yet you are no better than me or my turtle.
That is because there is not a single thing I wish to protect.
Listen, Jang Uk.
Do you remember what you said when you saved everyone in the barrier?
You told me that it is better to die than to do nothing,
just as your master has taught you.
Back then, you were full of vigor even though you had lost your energy.
But now you are dead despite the power you possess.
Fine.
Do absolutely nothing.
After all, you are dead.
"Hope"?
The tree that I remember was not this small.
It was a lot bigger and taller.
I was on top of that tree.
I was there all by myself,
and that memory
is definitely mine.
I want to climb up that tree again.
Young Master!
Young Master, are you all right?
Open the door.
Open this door!
I am all right. Just go.
Why are you not going to Jinyowon when you are in pain?
Fine.
Then I will go see Jin Ho-gyeong again.
What are you thinking?
Why are you doing this to yourself?
So I can do what I can to make up
for my ongoing regrets.
Because that pain…
is much greater than the pain I feel now.
You gave me a chance to do that.
I thank you for that.
So you do not need…
to do anything more for me.
You have done enough.
Young Lady Heo gave me some medicine for my pain.
I will bring it to you.
Make sure you take it, Young Master.
The fact that they are still alive with the blood parasite
in the core of their energy
shows that they have a very high pain tolerance.
However,
if the blood parasite goes mad after its energy surges the wrong way,
the pain will drive them crazy and eventually kill them.
They will need my help if they wish to live.
So they will not be able to expose Bu-yeon's secret.
But is there even a way to get rid of the blood parasite
once it enters the core of one's energy?
Insects are eaten…
by birds.
Jin Bu-yeon really seems like a priestess with amazing divine powers.
She has started to regain her divine powers?
You told her that once she regains her memories,
her divine powers will come back.
No.
If she regains her divine powers, her memories will return.
Is there a difference?
Have her find the earthenware.
Once Jin Bu-yeon regains her divine powers,
Naksu will also retrieve her old memories
and will eventually be rejected by that body.
Ta-da.
I was given the Spirit Plaque of Songrim.
They said my skills are on par with Jeongjingak mages,
so I am allowed to enter freely.
It took me so much effort to earn that,
but seeing you with it makes it feel like it was all for nothing.
It took you a lot of effort?
I guess you got bad grades.
What was your class rank when you trained?
As soon as I opened my gate of energy, I reached Chisu faster than anyone.
You must have trained very hard.
That is because someone made sure
that my life was put at risk if I did not do my best.
Who?
My…
master.
My harsh master always put me on the brink and pushed me.
Thanks to that,
I learned to climb back up again.
My master never allowed me
to quit and do nothing.
It is better to die than do nothing.
What?
Did I confuse you again?
Now I really have no idea who it is that is talking.
But it is strange.
I have heard that too many times today.
Maybe because I thought of quitting.
What do you mean?
Were you going to quit everything?
Yes.
I figured I finally found a way
to get rid of the burden I carry.
Is it…
that burdensome for you?
Lord Park told me I was incredible
as he gave me this.
I will slowly become more and more powerful,
and I will use that power…
to protect you.
I am also starting to get confused
about what it is
that I really want from you.
I plan
to find my own room.
I will find out who I really am and decorate my room with my own traits.
I hope…
that makes it easier for you to find me.
I will keep you warm
and help you rest comfortably.
I barely managed to advance the date of the rite.
But you threw everything into the lake?
I had no other choice. I could not let Songrim find out.
I will have to put So-i back in charge of importing goods.
Take him out of here.
So-i has been gone from the gambling den for days.
She will forever be under my control
as long as the blood parasite lives inside her.
Wait until she shows up and bring her here.
Yes, Gwanju.
Show them this letter.
Then they will take care of you.
When will you visit Jin Ho-gyeong?
You have no time to waste.
I know.
I hope you come back alive.
You will be returning to Seoho Fortress once you are better, right?
Have a safe trip.
I am trying to pick
a perfect date for our wedding.
Let us get married quickly.
All right.
I also need to pick a wedding date for Young Master Jang.
Let us invite every single person
in your family from Wol Fortress to our wedding.
I will send over a big boat.
Thank you.
Who should I invite to Young Master Jang's wedding?
He has no family, but I do not want the place to feel empty.
Maidservant Kim, why are you peeling chestnuts?
Young Master Jang loves chestnut rice.
I feel sad.
It seems to you,
Uk always comes first.
That is because he is my young master.
I am also concerned about him.
Here.
If Uk and I were drowning like this,
who would you save first?
Why would I save either of you?
You two could easily swim out.
What if we could not?
What if we were both struggling to get out of the water?
Whose name would you call first?
Well…
-Ja-- -Of course,
you would call Jang Uk first.
You would only be concerned about Uk.
You would not care
about me at all.
Look who is talking.
You once said you would seal the door shut
even if I end up dying inside.
-When did I say that? -Unbelievable.
Then let me ask you one more time.
Let us say I was trapped inside a very dangerous room,
and you had to seal the door.
Then would you seal that door or not?
How urgent is the situation?
If I did not seal the door,
would the entire world be in danger?
Listen to yourself!
How could you even care about the situation
when I would be the one in danger?
I would die.
Do not speak of such a heartbreaking situation.
You…
will never be in danger.
I will always be there to protect you.
Goodness.
Even if you decide to seal that door,
I know how heartbreaking it will be for you,
so it does not upset me so much.
So just know that even if I call Young Master Jang's name before yours,
it is not because my love for you is in any way smaller.
I was a fool.
That question
also implied that you had to watch the death of your beloved one.
Both should be saved.
You should save them both in any way possible.
Neither of them will ever drown.
Tear out the heart and break it to pieces.
You wish to go to Danhyanggok?
Why?
I heard there is a gigantic tree there, and I wish to see it myself.
There is a gigantic tree there.
I went there with Uk, Yul, and…
We went there together.
The tree I wish to see is mine.
What?
I remember a very big tree,
and I wish to see
if it really exists.
I am not sure if we are talking about the same tree,
but it is located somewhere high up, so it will be easy to find.
I would love to take you there myself,
but I am too busy.
I could have someone escort you to Danhyanggok.
I will ask if I need someone.
Are you going to Danhyanggok?
Yul knows his way around Danhyanggok a lot better than I do.
He went there often as a kid.
I also wanted to visit.
Shall we go together?
Great, Yul can take you there. You should go with him.
I heard it is a dangerous place.
Is that all right?
Yes.
Let us go there together.
THE FIRE BIRD
It looks like these people
are trying to do the same by waking the fire bird.
You know how dangerous a fire bird is, and yet you are going to leave?
It is better to die than do nothing.
I do not have that stone with me right now.
If she really does not have it,
it should be somewhere in the room.
What are you doing?
You came awfully quick.
What is it?
Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you want to sleep in my arms?
How will that help me sleep?
I am not here because of what you said.
I am here to check
if you really have not been carrying that item around.
Look. I kept it in here.
So it really was you
who said those words?
I find it strange too,
which is why I plan to go to Danhyanggok tomorrow.
Danhyanggok?
To see a tree.
You told me that the tree you mentioned really exists.
I want to see if the tree I remember also exists there.
That jade makes things even more confusing.
But one thing is for sure.
I knew about that tree
way before I even met you.
Seeing that tree for myself will help me find out who I really am.
All right, go ahead.
-I will-- -I will be going with Yul.
-With Yul? -He offered to go with me.
He knows the place well.
Why would you bother him?
He also wanted to see the tree.
He is only being nice as my friend.
He just feels bad about saying no.
-He is my friend too. -No, he is my friend.
You cannot be friends with my friend.
-Why not? -Yul is my friend.
If he is your friend, that means we are friends too.
Can we not even be friends?
How can someone who hugs me and puts me to bed be just a friend?
Have fun
at Danhyanggok with your friend.
I am fine with you being Yul's friend.
I must be crazy.
So this is Danhyanggok.
What a wonderful view.
Did you say you came here often as a kid?
Yes.
This is where we first met.
We met when we were young?
I came here to see you.
I did not even care that I had hurt my leg,
and I was not afraid of getting scolded…
because I liked you a lot.
I could not stop feeling this way,
so I did nothing even though I knew who you were.
And that left me with agonizing regrets.
This time, I am glad I recognized you first.
I finally have a chance to do what I need to do.
Young Master. Young Master Seo.
You seemed to be lost in your thoughts.
Master Heo wishes to see you.
Yun-ok told me
that you helped hide that girl named So-i.
She is already gone.
I sent her far away, so do not worry.
Why…
have you been avoiding me?
Do you still resent me for sending you to Seoho Fortress?
You had to carry on the Seo family's bloodline,
so I did not want you involved in anything regarding Naksu.
I know.
You do not look so well.
Let me examine you.
-Follow me inside. -I need to go somewhere.
I will come by…
once I return.
All right. Make sure you do.
If you do not come, I will hunt you down.
I will.
I am sorry, Master Heo.
I wish you good health.
Madam, what made you so concerned
that you decided to return?
We shall leave as soon as I check that he goes to Jinyowon.
Why do you care so much about him?
Do you like him?
The only kind of world I ever knew
was filled with filth and darkness.
I saw him when I was swindling people
by pretending to be blind.
And for the first time ever…
the world seemed…
clean and bright.
That is just
how I felt.
All right, then. Let us go check.
I will go buy us some noodles.
It seems like the mages of Cheonbugwan have taken over while I was gone.
You were trying to run away, were you not?
It would be impossible to do that with that blood parasite inside you.
Did you perhaps remove it from your body?
Tell me the truth if you wish to spare your life.
Did you take the blood parasite out of your body?
Maidservant Kim packed us lunch.
What beautiful weather.
It is like we are going on a picnic.
Did you say goodbye to Uk?
Yes, I did.
He told me to have fun with my friend.
How is your condition?
Do you feel better?
I did what you asked and did not tell Uk.
I am sorry.
Young Master Seo!
What are you doing here?
-Did you not get on the boat? -I…
Madam So-i was captured by Cheonbugwan mages.
What is a blood parasite?
They keep beating her saying she no longer has it.
Is she at the gambling den?
Yes.
Whose body holds the blood parasite?
Who did you give the medicine to?
I told you, I took the medicine!
I thought it would be good for me.
Just tell me the truth.
If I take you to Gwanju, he will crush you to pieces.
Put that down.
Put that back down!
Put that down! Put it back!
Put that down!
No! Put that down!
A blood parasite?
What is that?
I am not sure.
But that is what I heard.
There is something I have not told you.
He told me not to tell you.
But Seo Yul is severely ill.
I saw an unusual form of energy inside him.
I think it was the blood parasite.
Take out all the items from Cheonbugwan that So-i brought.
-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.
Were you the person that So-i tried to protect?
I need to take her with me.
Move aside.
So-i knows too many of Gwanju's secrets.
If I let Songrim take her, my life will be at stake.
I cannot let you do that.
Cheonbugwan has been looking for her.
I told you to move aside.
Why would a man like you protect someone like her?
I will not allow you
to take her to Jin Mu of Cheonbugwan.
I must end it quickly.
Using too much of my energy will put me in danger.
The blood parasite?
The blood parasite given to So-i
is now inside Seo Yul.
So-i.
I am glad that before I die…
I can see you
who made the world
seem clean and bright.
Please…
stay alive.
I do not know how a nobleman like you got involved with a girl like her.
But now that things have come to this,
I cannot spare you.
Yul.
Uk.
I am sorry.
Not a single person…
will be able to walk out of here alive.
ALCHEMY OF SOULS PART 2
Who put that thing in So-i's body?
Was it Jin Mu's doing?
Stop Jang Uk from entering Cheonbugwan!
If Seo Yul dies,
it will start a great clash between Songrim and Cheonbugwan.
She said she did not want to find out, so I plan to show her.
Only three breaths.
You said you have no recollection of who you are, right?
The blue marks bloomed in her eyes like flowers.
Subtitle translation by: Joy Lee <!--A-d-s-t-e-r-r-a---C-0-d-e--> sc_online_i(1650698,"ffffff","e61c1c");free online counter