Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (Hwanhon: Bichgwa Geurimja / 환혼: 빛과 그림자)

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.