The East Palace (동궁)

THE EAST PALACE

It cannot be.

Please, wake up, I beg you!

That spirit killed my son!

Your Royal Highness! Your Royal Highness!

That is enough.

Where is the King? I need his audience.

I cannot believe His Highness, the Crown Prince, was wandering alone.

But I assure you, the confusion around it will only deepen now.

The court must not be the first one shaken by such an awful act.

Chief Royal Secretary.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I would like you to go ahead with the funeral rites.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Are you aware of the misfortune that has fallen on us?

Our dear Crown Prince is dead.

Yes, I am aware.

Then how can you remain so calm at a time like this?!

You may all withdraw.

Yes, Your Majesty.

The Crown Princes keep dying.

Crown Prince Jangpyeong, Crown Prince Yunpyeong,

and now the current Crown Prince.

-If the spirit strikes again-- -That is enough.

They are just simple myths.

How could we have a spirit within a royal family of Neo-Confucian ideals?

Have you already forgotten, 30 years ago, the Crown Princes died one by one,

just as they are dying now?

I have not. Thirty years have already passed since that time.

But this is not the same as back then.

As you well know, my first and second sons both regrettably died of illness.

And in regard to the third case,

my boy was overcome with darkness

and chose to take his own life.

Bizarre things such as spirits do not exist.

And so you are not allowed to speak of any of these petty myths.

Do you honestly think, Mother,

that this kind of talk is good for your mind?

If you truly see this tragedy in that way, my son…

then from this moment on,

remain as you are and stay silent.

I will see to it that nothing else threatens the Crown Princes.

I will do everything in my power to take action against this at once!

Please, Crown Prince!

Return!

Return!

Return!

Return!

Stop the wailing!

Does everyone here also believe that spirits of any kind

could kill the sons of your great King?

That somehow the late King and myself had our sons taken away by a mere spirit?

Are you saying that your king is a coward?

What officials or subjects under heaven would follow such a king?

Your Majesty.

A mere spirit cannot lay a hand upon the royal bloodline.

Anyone who threatens royal authority, be it human

will exist no more.

Do you truly believe

that man's power can restrain the spirit?

He is the most renowned shaman in the capital.

I will dry out the seed of the royal bloodline.

Your Majesty! Hurry! It's Prince Yeongan.

What has happened to you?

Your Majesty.

What has happened?

Prince Yeongan was suddenly seized by some sort of fit,

and now he is in pain.

Prince.

Prince Yeongan. Prince.

Prince Yeongan?

Did you see that?

Did you see that?

I'll take this one as well.

What are you doing?

No! No! Please, do not! Wait! Prince Yeongan!

Please!

Please save Prince Yeongan, Your Majesty.

I will completely dry out the seed of the East Palace!

is unfolding once again within the palace.

Therefore, you must come with me this time

to finally put an end to this matter once and for all.

This humble monk is old and frail now

and lacks the strength to face it.

However, I do know of someone who can.

And who is that?

Gu-cheon is his name.

His mother was a shaman,

but when she became pregnant,

the god she served grew angry and cursed her.

]

into the river along with the child.

the shaman, died,

that little boy miraculously survived.

He remained underwater for over 15 minutes,

long enough that he should have died.

Maybe it is because he drowned and returned to life,

but from that moment on, he was able to see spirits.

Gu-cheon.

Get up, you little rascal!

Go, move it now!

Hey, get up already.

I told you, get up at once.

Even with the Buddha and the Mountain God watching,

you still chose to behave like this?

Why do you keep sleeping here

when you have a perfectly good room of your own?

Because all sorts of things come out at night and keep tormenting me.

Good heavens.

Gu-cheon.

Come with me. There is someone to see you of high standing.

I refuse. Would you please leave me alone?

You must stop sleeping all day and earn your keep

with the one thing you know how to do.

I told you I don't wanna do it anymore.

A Buddhist talking about earning his keep? A fake monk is all you'll ever be.

What? A fake monk? Fine! Good!

I have long wanted to quit this wretched life.

Is something wrong with you?

Because you don't look well.

None of that is of your concern. You wear the face of one in mourning.

-Gu-cheon. -So what do you want me for?

I've heard you can see spirits and drive such things away.

- Is that true? - Wonderful.

I see the whole town knows about me now.

This is why even dogs and cows come to see me.

Gu-cheon!

There is always a reason why you'd have one haunting you.

It's because they have done something foul.

Stop bringing me these people who reek of foulness.

Be quiet and watch your manners.

He says his child is ill.

He's been cursed by a spirit, and they're worried that he's dying.

Mm. And this involves me how exactly?

Huh?

Don't call me over such trifles. I'm going back to go take a nap.

Gu-cheon.

What?

Do you… see something in me?

Your right hand.

You can't use it, can you?

Why is that?

You have a bite mark left by a spirit.

It's clear from your wound there

that a spirit of great ill will has found a way to bind itself to you.

If only you had lived more decently.

Not that it matters to me.

My apologies.

Hey! I was just on my way to take a nap! Let me out of here!

Oh, so this is the palace, is it?

The King.

- You may all withdraw. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Do you know where this is?

Yes. This is the palace.

The residence of His Majesty.

Yes. It is vast, and… it is beautiful.

A luxurious residence.

The Crown Prince was bewitched by a spirit and met his death at this pond.

The spirit uttered to me,

"I will dry out the seed of the East Palace."

And now my remaining son stands on the brink of death.

That is why you're here.

You will banish the spirit.

What is the true nature of the spirit you speak of?

That is none of your concern. Can you do it?

Do you think you can find it and destroy it for me?

There is nothing here anymore.

The spirit

has gone from the pond.

I'll have to search more than one place.

Wait.

You should stay here.

What do you think you're doing?

If your strong energy is nearby, then it will flee from us,

so I should go and look alone.

Come back quickly.

That damn fake monk sold me off to the palace.

I can't do this. I have to get out of here! I have to go!

No, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait!

The Big Dipper lies that way, so then…

This way.

Ah, dang it.

I, uh…

My stomach hurts.

Oh, come on!

Will you please just let me go!

I didn't choose to come here!

No matter how lowborn I may be…

Mark my words.

If you ever attempt to flee again…

I will have both of your arms severed.

If you spread the word that you hunt spirits here,

then you will lose your jaw.

And if you fail to catch the spirit, and my son is harmed,

then I will cut off your head personally.

They say that once you enter a palace, you leave it only in death.

This is indeed such a place.

However, I will grant one exception.

If you capture said spirit and put an end to this,