02x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

We have brought the liquor
to be used for Jinyowon's ancestral rites.

You have used different water to make it.

You see, due to the drought
for the past three years,

the well we always used had dried up.

So we had to use a different source.

- Goodness!
- Goodness!

- No!
- What...

Make them again.

Pardon?

But we have no water.

How could we possibly make any liquor?

Or could you let us use
some of Jinyowon's water, my lady?

He can come inside and get it.

- Yes, my lady.
- Me?

Go.

- Hurry.
- Go.

The young lady has disappeared
from her room again.

Stay right here and wait for me.

Yes, I will.

How beautiful.

Is that liquor?

Here you go.

This is of good quality.

It is fragrant.

Do you have more?

I do have one more bottle.

- Give it to me.
- All right.

My lady!

- Search over there.
- Hurry.

Yes, here you go.

Wait.

How beautiful.

I have never seen
such a beautiful woman before.

I think she is from the Jin family.

Young Lady Jin Cho-yeon
is the only daughter they have.

It is Jinyowon, after all.

He was likely possessed by a relic.

They have forbidden outsiders
from entering for three years.

It must be teeming with ghosts.

Whether she was a ghost or not,
I hope I can see her again.

You little…

Do not talk about ghosts
when we are delivering funeral drinks.

- Jeez.
- My apologies.

Before we go inside…

This charm will fend off ghosts. Take one.

What is this?

This works on soul shifters too.

You remember Naksu, the soul shifter
who devastated Songrim three years ago?

Her petrified body was ground to a powder

and used to make these charms.

- With her petrified body?
- Yes.

That is absurd.

Her body is at the bottom
of Lake Gyeongcheondaeho.

Jeez.

I cannot believe you bought this.
You wasted your money.

Come on!

Trust me on this.

If you see a soul shifter,

show it this charm
that contains Naksu's energy and...

Did you do that?

No!

Wait for me! Do not leave me!

- What is that?
- Darn it!

Is this the deed of a soul shifter?

- Who is that?
- Who is that?

Is he a soul shifter?

Are we going to die?

Stay away!

- Go away.
- Stay away!

- Go away!
- Leave!

- Stay back!
- We should go!

Wait.

He must not be a soul shifter.

What is that?

A charm.

Does that fend off soul shifters?

Where did you get it? Gaema Village?

Yes.

- For how much?
- One silver nyang.

- For three?
- No.

For one. It was three nyang in total.

My lord.

That is expensive.

That village lacks business ethics.

You can get ten for one nyang elsewhere.

Really? Which village?

That is not the point!

Darn it.

You should get your money's worth.

If you want to live,

step aside and duck.

Despite having the ice stone,

can your Tansu skills only make one drop?

Since your body has d*ed already,

you are a soul shifter just like me.

To others,

we are both monsters.

Are you done?

If not, hurry up because that one drop

is going to be quite painful.

You do not deserve to say anything
when you shifted into your son's body.

So you are not a soul shifter

but a mage who kills soul shifters.

Thank you for saving us, my lord.

- Is that a bottle of liquor?
- Yes, my lord.

Goodness.

His father shifted into his body?

Poor boy.

It is true that soul shifters petrify
when they are dead.

My lord.

Then Naksu d*ed and was petrified, right?

I told you, I was right.

These charms were indeed made
with the remains of her petrified body.

This charm will protect us
from monsters like her.

My lord.

Would you like one?

This charm

will protect you from Naksu?

People must think

she is still alive.

Goodness. Naksu is dead, of course.

Despite her body
lying in Lake Gyeongcheondaeho,

people are still terrified of her.

The men from Songrim
will clean up here soon.

My lord, what is your name?

I think I know who he is.

He is the one who reached Hwansu

with the ice stone.

He is that mage.

The one whom Naksu almost k*lled?

Young Master Jang?

What kind of relationship
did those two have?

This charm will protect us from Naksu.

If I keep this with me,

I will not be able to see you
even if you come.

Naksu was a maid of his.

She was also his betrothed.

And in return for his unconditional love,

she stabbed him

in the heart with a sword.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS
PART 2

The energy of the sky
rules the wind, clouds, and rain.

This energy reached the ground
and created a huge form of energy.

A country was built around
Lake Gyeongcheondaeho,

a lake that embodied that energy.

The name of the country was Daeho

due to the enormous lake it had.

This story is about the mages of Daeho,
a place that does not exist

in both history books or maps.

That looks delicious.

- Thank you.
- Enjoy.

It must be a soul shifter.

I am terrified.

Did you lose her?

She fled into Jinyowon, of all places.

Jinyowon?

JINYOWON

Outsiders are not allowed
to enter Jinyowon.

I am aware that for the past three years,

Jinyowon has forbidden
outsiders from entering.

But this is an urgent situation.
A soul shifter has hidden inside.

Ask Lady Jin to come and see me.

She will still say no.

He is the leader of Songrim.

How dare a low-ranking priestess
refuse to relay his message?

- My apologies.
- Open the gate this instant!

Young Lady Jin.

I have not seen you for three years.

Have you been well?

I did not come out here
to send my regards.

My mother refuses
to allow outsiders to enter Jinyowon.

So you should go.

It is a dangerous situation.

A soul shifter has harmed
dozens of lives at Yeongpo Dock.

The people of Jinyowon could get hurt too.

Just like my father did?

How could you possibly save anyone
when you failed to save

the father of your betrothed?

After what happened,

you never gave me the chance to apologize.

So it laid heavy on my heart.

Then keep feeling guilty.

I hope you never forget it.

Young Lady Jin.

You should go.

Did someone

just enter Jinyowon?

Yes.

I believe it was Jang Uk.

He has been chasing
the soul shifter with us.

Jang Uk?

Are you saying he just stepped inside?

He is only obeying

the order of the royal family
and the Unanimous Assembly.

I shall close the gate.

You should go.

There is no doubt
that Uk will catch the soul shifter.

We can just wait here.

Sure.

Jang Uk

is in Jinyowon?

Yes.

He is here to catch
the soul shifter in hiding.

Is Bu-yeon still in the annex
as she was told?

There is a barrier around her room,

so it will be near invisible
to the naked eye.

Jang Uk will never find her.

You must have shifted a long time ago.

What is this?

What is this place?

A prison?

Do not touch that.

Who are you? How did you get in here?

You must be insane.

You seem to be a lousy Jinyowon priestess.

How dare you aim that fire poker at me?

Incredible.

Did you enter this room
after breaking the surrounding barrier?

As a priestess, you must know who I am.

Who are you?

And what is this place?

Is this a prison?

Are you locked in here?

It is not a prison.

I could use this as a step.

Throw this onto the wall too.

What?

Is it too flat?

Then…

Is this better? Or this?

Which one would be better?

You must be locked up here.

Are they no good?

You must be ill.

Would this be better?

Are you leaving?

All right, then take me with you.

You want

to leave with me?

I have not gone out in ages.

I smell the flowers on your clothing.

The roses must have bloomed already.

Look.

I understand that you are crazy
about going outside.

But I cannot help you.

You can use that instead to go outside.

But that will be exhausting.

- I want to go with you.
- Hey, Lousy Priestess.

Step back unless you want
to end up like that fire poker.

I am not used

to having people stand so close.

That is a pretty stone.

You must have

the energy of the sky.

I guess you are not all that lousy.

You.

Can you see what is inside me?

Yes.

I can see the energy of the world.

I have heard of a priestess
who could do that.

So it was you?

Tell me. Who are you?

I cannot reveal who I am
due to a certain reason.

But once you find out who I am,

you will definitely want
to take me out of here.

Where is Jang Uk?

I found traces of
his fight with the soul shifter.

Even near Bu-yeon's annex?

I did not look there due to the barrier.

No. That is the most vulnerable place.

It would be terrible
if he ever were to run into her.

Seeing how they even
imprisoned you with a barrier,

I guess you are not simply crazy.

If you get me out of here,
I will tell you who I am.

You will be utterly shocked.

- Forget it.
- Are you not curious about me?

Jinyowon and I have bad blood.

I do not want to let you out
and worsen our relationship even more.

You have bad blood with Jinyowon?

You.

Was this to help you escape?

Well, it is pretty lousy.

It took me three whole days to make that.

Three days?

Hey!

If you do not want to take me, fine.

But did you have to do that?

They will suspect me
if you escape soon after I leave.

I want to avoid unnecessary trouble.

It took you three days, right?

So postpone your escape by three days
so it will not affect me.

It will just be an outing, not an escape.

Even if I get out of here,

I have no choice but to return.

Why did they lock up
such an incredible priestess?

What crime are you guilty of?

Being alive.

Existing in this world.

I am guilty

of existing in this world
when I should not.

I am someone who d*ed a long time ago.

It must have been Jang Uk's doing.

He must have come very close to the annex.

Bu-yeon.

Bu-yeon.

Did anyone come in here?

No.

Who else could come in here
except for you and Mother?

What is the matter?

Did something happen?

A soul shifter entered
and hid in Jinyowon.

A mage also entered to catch her

and caused havoc.

A soul shifter?

A monster whose soul
is different from its body?

Yes.

But we k*lled the soul shifter,
so do not worry.

So he was a mage
who came here to k*ll the soul shifter.

This will be enough to help you escape.

Remember what I said.

Do not tell them about me
and wait before you get out.

I will.

Can you do two more?

I am not as tall as you.

Will two suffice?

- You are pretty short.
- Then you will do three?

Thanks.

Jeez.

By the way, why are you helping me?

Why the change of heart?

Because we are guilty of the same crime.

I am also guilty of existing

when I should not.

Someone guilty of the same crime…

The roses must have really bloomed.

SONGRIM

This soul shifter entered
a cargo boat at Yeongpo Dock

and slaughtered everyone inside.

We are constantly finding
soul shifters running rampant.

And Uk k*lled them all.

That is because everyone agreed
that would be how to make use of Jang Uk,

who was reborn
with the power of the ice stone.

That is not true.

He just complied with that decision.

Are you still

awkward around him?

Yul has returned to Seoho Fortress.

You are the only friend he has.

You should not distance yourself from him.

That is not my intention.

I just

do not know how to act around him.

I cannot laud him by claiming
to envy the great power he holds.

But I cannot empathize with him

and tell him to give up either.

Things are not how they used to be.

Since he used the ice stone's power

to k*ll this soul shifter,

he will have trouble
sleeping tonight as well.

Oh, dear.

Songrim told me.

Young Master, are you all right?

I am always fine.

Worrying about me
will be the death of you.

I told you not to worry.

Since you used that sword,

you will struggle tonight as well.

I am used to it now.

It is bearable.

Did you heat up his room?

Prepare some strong liquor
and place a brazier inside.

I am too scared to enter his room.

I get goosebumps,
and chills run down my spine

- if I am nearby.
- Goodness.

Light the brazier,
and I will carry it inside.

Yes, ma'am.

- Save me.
- Please help me.

I do not want to die.

Give me the ice stone!

Since he used the energy of the sky,

the wraiths swarm toward him
to feed on that power.

They are noisy, cold,
unsightly, and pitiful.

That is the price one must pay
for taking the ice stone

and using the energy of the sky.

Yeongpo Dock will be closed for now

due to losing many workers
to the soul shifter.

You must deliver the goods
to Wol Fortress by land.

Daegangtongun will be the quickest.

Yes, my lord.

Young Master Park finally looks like
the leader of Songrim.

He may not have been
the best at casting spells,

but he is an excellent businessman.

- Young Lady Heo.
- Yes?

Has Young Lady Heo decided not
to return to Wol Fortress?

She is tending to the body
that the Queen's soul resides in.

So she cannot leave.

Did you say she visited your place again?

Yes, my lord.

She is worried about how
our young master cannot sleep well,

so she always brings him medicine
that she concocts.

And has Uk ever thanked her
by offering her some tea?

I understand how she feels,
so I try my best to help out.

But it is difficult.

Goodness.

I keep telling her to give up on him,

but it is not working.

I will keep trying.

Goodness. By the way,
will you be visiting Park Jin?

- Yes, my lord.
- If you do,

can you please dissuade him

from continuing his new hobby?

All the people of Songrim
have pickled tongues thanks to him.

Pickled tongues?

Our tongues are a mess.

What could he possibly be doing?

Goodness.

My lord.

What are you up to?

Hello, Maidservant Kim.

I am making cubed radish kimchi today.

You are making all of this?

You have no idea
how delighted those in the kitchen are

whenever I give them
new batches of kimchi.

Right.

I did hear that you gave them five crocks

of mustard leaf kimchi
and green onion kimchi last time.

It was not that tiring to make,

and I only did it to k*ll time.

But they seem
to be waiting for my kimchi now.

I do not think they are
that desperate for the kimchi.

There is no need for all this.

They cannot openly ask for more
since they are intimidated by me.

But I am not that dense.

I ought to give them more.

I need more garlic.

I will be back.

Gosh, everyone told me to stop him.

I get why Maidservant Park said
this was driving her crazy.

This is too much to throw away.

It will only torment the eater.

I see.

My lord, I need some radish.

Can I use those?

Sure.

But then I will not have enough
to make cubed radish kimchi with.

Come on. This is already enough.

They will appreciate it more
if it is not abundant.

That is true.

- Have a seat.
- Yes, my lord.

Do you feel empty inside
after stepping down from being a leader?

I tend to the field and the flowers.

I also do housework. It is all quite fun.

You have planted many balsam seeds.

Young Master Jang

is still very ill.

I am afraid

I will have to be
by his side this year as well.

I understand.

Three years ago,

you took responsibility
for everything and stepped down.

I did not once dissuade you.

Rather, I brazenly thanked you.

I was only relieved that my young master

was spared.

We have not peeled the garlic yet,
but you are already crying.

We need to peel all of these.

Yes, my lord.

I will peel them all for you.

But the kimchi will be too bitter
if you put them all in.

The bigger the amount,
the tastier it will be.

I need some garlic too,
so let me take half.

Will the kimchi still be tasty?

Half is more than enough.

I see.

Jinyowon is preparing for a wedding?

Do you remember how we placed

Young Lady Jin's wedding supplies
in the storage?

Jinyowon asked for them back today.

Someone must be getting married.

But if someone from the Jin family
is getting married,

it can only mean Young Lady Jin.

The wedding date has been set already?

This is too sudden, Mother.

It was not easy to find a suitor.

She must obey my words.

Mother.

Why are you so cruel?

As I expected,

is she not Bu-yeon,

but that other woman?

Jin Cho-yeon.

She is Bu-yeon.

The original soul was already dead

when we retrieved the body
from the lake three years ago.

That body belongs to my daughter,
Jin Bu-yeon.

Bu-yeon.

Yes, Mother.

I am getting married?

Does that mean I will leave this room?

He will be married into the family.

Once your husband arrives for the wedding,

you will continue living in this room.

If I cannot get out of here,
why must I get married?

Because we need a girl
who will lead Jinyowon in the future.

Children with the greatest divine powers

always come from the eldest daughters.

Give birth to a beautiful daughter
with great divine powers.

So you expect me to stay
locked up here and just give birth?

No.

I do not want that kind of marriage.

It has already been decided.

You just need to follow my orders.

If I get married like you want me to,

I will forever be stuck here.

Bu-yeon.

It took me many years to find you again.

Marry the man I have chosen for you

and stay by my side forever.

Mother.

Who will Bu-yeon

get married to?

He is from the Seo family
at Seoho Fortress.

He will temporarily stay
at Chwiseonru upon arrival.

The wedding will take place
at his uncle's house.

He is excellent husband material.

We will arrive at Daeho Fortress soon.

Has it been three years for you?

Yes.

I did not know
it would take me this long to return.

But Yul,

why did Master Heo forbid you
from returning to Daeho Fortress?

I doubt you caused any kind of trouble.

Did you have bad blood
with someone at Songrim?

He was protecting me.

And I was cowardly enough to listen.

Due to the ongoing drought,
the water level has dropped.

Its energy is weak now.

I heard they are planning
to perform a rite for the lake again.

The Unanimous Assembly
will be discussing it.

But to do that,

they will need the help
of Jinyowon's priestesses.

Jang Uk of Songrim

caught and retrieved the soul
of the 29th soul shifter.

Then as usual,

the Crown Prince shall visit him
and reward him with 1,000 gold nyang.

Please allow Cheonbugwan

to deliver them
instead of His Royal Highness from now on.

I decline.

I ask that the Crown Prince
reward Uk himself as always.

Jang Uk has been earning
1,000 gold nyang every time.

At this rate, he will be
the richest man in Daeho.

If that is the price
for taking all the credit,

then you should do it happily.

The people of Daeho believe
you have ordered Jang Uk

to k*ll all the monsters.

They praise you
for being born under the King's Star.

On the other hand,

they call Uk a monster
who catches other monsters.

They are terrified and avoid him.

He brought that upon himself.

Why is he carrying
Naksu's sword that once k*lled him?

Some say he is bearing a bitter grudge,

while others say
he is just painfully in love with her.

What do you think, Your Royal Highness?

He is nothing but a lunatic.

He chose to carry her sword

and k*ll soul shifters
who are just like her.

He feels dark and ominous.

That is how people perceive him as of now.

Is that not what you wanted
in the first place?

He is living the life you wanted for him.

So please visit him,

and praise and congratulate
that ominous lunatic yourself.

Visiting the now-empty Jeongjingak
always makes me forlorn.

Since every mage except Jang Uk has left,

the energy that fills this place
must be his own.

I heard it is
always dark and cold where he is.

I am here to reward you
for k*lling the soul shifter.

Thank you, Your Royal Highness.

You can leave it and go.

How dare he not accept it in person?

Shall I call him back?

That is fine.

I heard you followed
the soul shifter into Jinyowon.

How did you get in
when they forbade outsiders from entering?

No one can stop me from going anywhere.

And I am used to feeling unwelcome.

Is that why you drink alone
in this dark and gloomy place?

Park Dang-go used to be
so affectionate toward you.

Then again,

I do not blame him.
His wedding fell through because of you.

And Seo Yul is at Seoho Fortress.

I heard all the Jeongjingak mages left
because of you.

You are truly all alone.

I would rather be blunt
than sugarcoat things.

Hey, why do you drink such strong liquor?

My insides are melting.

You should force yourself to have it.

The liquor will protect you
from the chill emitted by wraiths.

Wraiths?

But this is Jeongjingak.

Did you not hear?

Wraiths follow me everywhere.

What?

But it is broad daylight.

That is absurd.

Feel free to leave
if you feel uncomfortable.

You must not have come here
because you missed me.

Why do you ask me to reward you every time
if you know how uncomfortable I am?

You do not lack money.

It makes me feel at ease to use this power

only to atone for my sins and be rewarded.

I take credit for punishing
and rewarding you.

I must look like a joke to you.

This is what I dislike about you.

You look down on me and mock me
for the things I desire and obsess over.

That is what offends me.

And you should be.

That is exactly why I am doing this.

I am too intimidating
to be considered acting out of stupidity.

Yet your ego does not let you accept
that I am acting out of vigor.

I am sure it bothers you.

You are right.

You are always as annoying
as a splinter in my finger.

A splinter in your finger?

What a joke.

Did Jin Mu tell you

to think that of me
to make you feel better?

Am I not too strong

and too significant to be a mere splinter?

I understand that you are frustrated,
but you are not the victim here.

That splinter cannot be

more painful

than a sword through my chest.

Well, then.

We will meet again
once I k*ll the next soul shifter.

Bu-yeon disappeared?

Look at this, my lady.

She must have climbed using this

and escaped through the window.

Why are these on the wall?

How in the world did she do that?

I am not sure.

We must find her before Mother finds out.

She has the tracking bracelet.

It may take some time,
but we will eventually find her.

Last time, they caught me in four hours.

I must meet my betrothed before then.

He is from the Seo family
at Seoho Fortress.

He will temporarily stay
at Chwiseonru upon arrival.

Chwiseonru.

A man from the Seo family
who will come from Seoho Fortress?

That is right.

I heard he will be staying there.

Yes. We do have reservations.

There are two of them.
Which one of them are you looking for?

A man who is excellent husband material.

I see.

Then it must be Young Master Seo Yul.

Seo Yul?

Have you never heard of him?

You must not be from Daeho Fortress.

Every woman here knows about him.

I cannot reveal
a guest's information to a stranger.

Can you tell me more in detail?

Check if this is authentic or not.

Yes, my lady.

There are four men

at Daeho Fortress
whom all the women want to marry.

First.

The prince who will sit
on the throne one day.

Crown Prince Go Won.

He is single,
but not everyone can marry him.

The next candidate
is from the wealthiest family here.

He is the new leader of Songrim,
Park Dang-go.

His wedding fell through
at the very last minute.

But that is not a big deal.

The third candidate is Seo Yul.

He is from the most distinguished family
and lacks nothing.

But the catch is that
his hometown is Seoho Fortress.

It is too far away.

And lastly, there is Jang Uk.

He is probably
the strongest man in the world right now.

But I do not recommend him.

Why not?

You should never date a man with a past
as painful as a s*ab to the heart.

So among those men,
you are here to meet Seo Yul, right?

I believe so.

When is he coming?

The boat that departed
from Seoho Fortress will arrive soon.

He should be here shortly.

By the way,
what is your relationship with him?

You talked about him being a husband.
Are you his betrothed?

I will only make that decision

after we meet and discuss the matter.

Goodness, you are confident.

He is not someone you can have
solely based on good looks.

Which family are you from?

Madam.

It is indeed authentic,

but this is the crest of Jinyowon.

She is offering something from Jinyowon?

She must be a thief.

My lady.

What is your relationship with Jinyowon?

How suspicious.

I must go there
and check if this is really yours.

Get her! Get that thief!

Hello, my lord.

- Is Yul here?
- He has not arrived yet.

He will be arriving on a boat.

Probably from over there.

If he lacks nothing,

he must be handsome too.

Excuse me. Are you from the Seo family?

No, I am not.

But I would like to know your name.

Forget it, then.

This boat will depart
for Bisan-dong in the capital.

This boat will depart
for Bisan-dong in the capital.

Have you been well,

Young Master Seo?

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

If my betrothed accepts
my mother's wishes,

I will be locked up there forever.

I must speak with him before I get caught.

What should I do?

Look over there.

Is he not Jang Uk?

Yes, the ice stone man.

He is Young Master Jang
from the Jang family.

Is that man over there Jang Uk?

- Yes, he is.
- Yes.

Jang Uk.

The fourth candidate.

He is probably
the strongest man in the world right now.

The strongest man?

I heard that people avoid you.

So it is true.

You must have successfully escaped.

Right. You said it was just an outing.

Yes, thanks to you.

I smell something delicious.

Can I have one of those?

Never mind. I have no money.

Here is your strong liquor, my lord.

Excuse me.

I want one of those.

Yes, my lord.

Thanks, Jang Uk.

How do you know my name?

I learned it by accident

while searching for my betrothed.

Betrothed?

I will get married soon.

He will move into Jinyowon.

Even regular priestesses' husbands
move in there?

Of course not.

Only the heir of the Jin family
brings in her husband.

But that is Jin Cho-yeon.

She is the second daughter.

The future leader of Jinyowon

will be me, the eldest daughter.

Jin Bu-yeon.

What? You are who?

She d*ed ages ago.

I told you already
that I d*ed a long time ago.

I was locked up there
because I should not have existed

in the first place.

My mother wants my future husband
to secretly move in.

She wants me to give birth to an heir.

But if I do get married,
I will be stuck in that room forever.

So you are Jin Bu-yeon.

And you want to run away
and not get married?

I cannot flee.

So I wanted to find my betrothed
and ask for his help.

But I just came up with a great idea.

I should find a husband
who suits me instead.

Speaking of which,

Jang Uk.

Will you marry me?

What?

I want you to be my husband.

There are no mages
who train at Jeongjingak anymore.

There is only Uk.

But he was the reason

why everyone left.

I left first.

I fled by myself

when you two were struggling the most.

I am sorry.

You were struggling too.

You knew,

did you not?

That she was Naksu.

Yes.

Uk was the first to recognize her.

But I was the first to meet Naksu.

We only met once,
but you want me to marry you?

You must be out of your mind.

- I should have never helped you escape.
- I am not out of my mind.

You are strong enough
to go against my mother.

And you have bad blood with Jinyowon.

If we get married, she might kick me out.

That is exactly what I want.

I cannot believe I ran into
the perfect potential husband.

I cannot believe I ran into
the craziest potential bride

when we only met once.

- So you see me as a potential bride?
- No.

Look me in the eye.

Look at me and reconsider.

Do you not want to wed me?

Why?

Because…

my beauty is unmatched.

You are driving me crazy.

You cannot deny the fact

that I turn heads wherever I go.

I am sure you can see for yourself.

Yes, you are beautiful.

I hope you find a better match
with that beauty of yours.

Enjoy the chicken.

Jang Uk.

You.

Do you think I am a pushover?

That is enough.

That looks good.

Enjoy your outing and go home.

Darn it. They will catch me soon.

There is one thing that bothers me.

Seeing how they are
determined to find you,

you must not be just some lousy priestess.

Are you really Jin Bu-yeon?

Yes. I am her.

She went missing ages ago.

But they found me three years ago.

They also found a fake daughter back then.

If I were fake, why would they hide me
for all those years?

I am the real Bu-yeon.

Then again, I did hear

that Bu-yeon could see energy.

And you saw the ice stone within me.

That is right.

I am the eldest daughter
with the greatest divine powers.

If my looks do not move you,

consider my skills.

You might need my help one day.

All right.

If I ever need your help,

I will find you then.

I will get married
on the full moon of this month.

And once I do,
I will never be able to leave that room.

I need a new groom to avoid that fate.

I would like you to come and take me away.

I will be waiting.

Please come for me.

Jang Uk.

Everyone seems to avoid you.

Just get married while you still can.

I am willing to marry you.

Forget it.

There you are.

Let us go.

Have you been well, my lord?

I am no longer the leader of Songrim.

Dang-go is the leader now.

Come on.

Uncle.

I feel uneasy
whenever someone calls me that.

Can you take the position again

and let me just assist you?

Forget it.

I have become so carefree.

What do you do these days?

I farm and do housework.

Yul,

I have prepared a grand feast
just for you.

Did you do the cooking, Uncle?

He should have a taste too.

Yul, you can look forward to it.

He is right. I cannot be the only victim.

You should have a taste as well.

Here comes another victim.

You are back.

Yes, I am back.

I dug out this deodeok myself,
added a bit of red pepper paste,

and charbroiled it.

Is it not fragrant?

This was deodeok?

I did not know.

Yul must have a dull palate.

Right? Try savoring it.

It has a strange smell.

I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

But I cannot eat this anymore.

I understand.

It may not be to your liking.

- Right.
- Right.

Dang-go and Uk can have the rest.

I am delighted to see you three

sitting before me once again.

Cheers.

- Eat up.
- Eat up.

Park Dang-go of Songrim is aware

that we are preparing for a wedding?

Yes, my lady.

I heard that he kept asking
who the bride was.

Since he does not know about Bu-yeon,

we should tell him it is me.

I loved you, Jin Cho-yeon.

I hope you will be happy!

I miss you so much…

I will tuck him in.

- Sure.
- Jin Cho-yeon…

- I loved you, Jin Cho-yeon.
- Bye.

I loved you so much…

That poor kid.

Seeing how drunk he is,

Sang-ho must have been right
about a wedding happening in Jinyowon.

There really is a wedding
taking place in Jinyowon?

I heard they brought in wedding supplies.

They locked their gate
and lay low for the past three years.

I guess the wedding
will be held in secret as well.

Do you know who the bride is?

Jin Cho-yeon, probably.

She is the only daughter of the family.

There is also the eldest daughter.

But she is dead.

She was trying to retrieve
the ice stone that was sealed in the lake

when the waters swept her away.

Her father came clean

about everything before he d*ed.

Her death was such a waste.

With the divine powers
she had at such a young age,

she would have grown to be
as powerful as Jin Seol-ran,

the first leader of Jinyowon.

If a priestess

as powerful as Jin Seol-ran exists,

will she be able
to extract the ice stone within me?

If she can,

would you extract it?

You are only alive thanks to that stone.

You said the ice stone

should be destroyed
since no human can control its power.

Yes.

You are right.

It is too much for me…

to handle.

Maidservant Kim told me

that it was too painful to watch you live

with a wounded heart.

Is it still very painful?

I should have d*ed then.

As a human,

I should have d*ed then and there.

Do you think removing the ice stone

would heal your wounded heart?

But if you do that,

you will die.

At least…

I will lift the weight off my shoulders
and finally be at peace.

Uncle Yun-o,

you are getting married?

You never told me.

It was meant to be a secret,
so I could not tell you.

I will be wedding the eldest daughter
of Jinyowon, Jin Bu-yeon.

It is our tradition to have
the wedding at the groom's place

and then return to Jinyowon with him.

What is that?

A petal?

It came to me
when I was at my most desperate.

I hope it will return.

I know you hate it,
but you should not run away again.

I know.

I am waiting.

Waiting? For whom?

My groom.

Please come and take me away.

The bride has left Jinyowon

and will be here soon.

Is he the one Bu-yeon will wed tonight?

Yes.

He is the cousin
of General Seo of Seoho Fortress

and the Queen.

He lost his parents early

and has no one to rely on.

He needs our help,

so I can be assured that he will do well.

He will not be able

to free my sister.

I guess he will not come.

I knew it.

I knew you would come.

You might be of some use.

I told you I would be useful.

Let us go.

Sure.

Let us go, my dear husband.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS
PART 2

You see, I remember nothing
before Jinyowon.

Search all of Songrim
and find Park Dang-go.

I thought the wedding ceremony
was for Young Lady Jin.

Although I wanted to ruin the ceremony,
I did not.

WHOEVER FINDS THIS LADY
WILL BE REWARDED GENEROUSLY

The entire world ended up
finding out about Bu-yeon.

Were you going to ask her
to take out the ice stone for you?

Have we ever met before?

What is it that you need me for?

I just need your great divine powers.
That is why I need you.