Original subtitles

Gu-cheon.

Gu-cheon!

You need to wake up. Come back!

Gu-cheon!

Are you all right?

Gu-cheon! Gu-cheon!

THE EAST PALACE

So you managed to deal with the 13 court ladies' spirits

in the salt storehouse.

You did very well. You may leave now.

There is something I must ask.

Did you have anything to do with the salt storehouse seal getting broken?

You have changed,

seeing that you now have the bravery to ask such questions.

However, you must've seen by now

the bloodshed that words other people have said

can unleash within the palace.

Or have you forgotten about your mother?

"I'll dry out the seed of the East Palace."

Those were the words of the Most Favored Lady of the Court,

who drowned in the pond 30 years ago.

She is the pond spirit, is she not?

Who was that woman, actually?

And what was the reason for her death?

Are you the only one who knows of this,

or does Gu-cheon know as well?

I am the only one who knows.

Do not say anything about it to him.

Who was the pond spirit when she was alive?

I can catch her if you can answer me that.

I am only telling you this one more time.

Stop digging into the pond spirit,

and find a way to catch it without uncovering its identity.

Cease this incessant prying immediately.

Anyone who tries to uncover the palace disgrace dies.

Even if they are

a child of the royal lineage.

I assume you are not better?

You're recovering much slower than before.

Well, sending 13 spirits back to the afterlife

took most of my yang energy out of me.

I will never do such an amount again.

All right.

Can you explain what happened?

Why did you strangle me back there?

-I strangled you? -Yes.

It was

like you were almost possessed.

Down in that world…

I lose a large amount of my yang energy when I fight.

And when I lose too much yang energy, I end up in a spirit-like state,

even after coming out of the water.

At times, I lose consciousness briefly, and I'm unaware of anything at all.

That is why I must leave here as soon as I'm able to.

And that is the reason I hate hunting spirits.

Right.

Now that I've revealed to you my secret,

you should tell me… what's really on your mind right now.

Who is it that you want to kill while you're here?

The person who killed my mother.

A cursed object filled with human remains was found in the salt storehouse.

You gave His Majesty only one princess,

and then, because of that, you were never seen again.

Out of jealousy, you cursed the Queen and the rest of the concubines,

did you not?

I am innocent.

That was not my cursed object.

I swear it's not mine.

Enough.

This is your doing.

-Your Majesty. -Keep going.

Your Majesty!

Ten years ago,

it was Her Majesty the Queen Dowager who framed my mother

and forced her out of the palace.

It is Mother. Please help her.

Mother and the court maids are innocent.

Oh, please, Father. The Queen is hurting Mother.

I know that it is all my fault because I heard a strange voice, but I promise...

Enough.

She will be stripped of her station for burying a cursed object

and then banished.

That is the only way she will live.

But that cursed object was not Mother's. It was not, Father.

The spirit in the salt storehouse said, "The serpent's shed skin..."

It's best you hold your tongue.

You must not tell me that you hear such things.

Not any child that bears my blood.

Unless you wish to bring disgrace to our name.

Do not tell a single soul any of it.

Do you understand?

How foolish you are.

How utterly foolish.

You need to learn your place.

Now, mind your tongue in the palace.

You and your mother shall be cast out at once!

But, Father, please…

How could you?

After we were cast out of the palace,

Mother was poisoned to death.

All because she uncovered the cursed object in the salt storehouse

and drew close to the secret of the pond spirit.

The one who sought to protect the pond spirit's secret

is the one who killed my innocent mother.

Are you sure you should be saying this?

I need you to be able to unravel my mother's secret.

That's why I place my trust in you.

Good heavens.

What a life this is.

You can leave now.

We need to find the true identity of the Most Favored Lady of the Court.

Get ready and come out.

I went to pay my respects at the Queen Dowager's quarters

and saw Saeng-gang walking by.

She was dressed as a court lady and accompanied by a man.

Have you made her do something dangerous?

You need not concern yourself with it.

Mother,

do you not remember?

You need only attend to my son.

That aside…

The Queen Dowager is harboring some ulterior motives.

It seems she intends…

To have Prince Iksang's eldest son named Crown Prince.

Well, even so,

we must act for the sake of the Jongmyo Shrine and good fortune altar.

Are you saying that even though you know what I had to endure for this seat,

you still choose to come and tell me to act for the sake of the shrine?

Things will not unfold as the Queen Dowager intends them to be.

My son will take the throne, and I will make sure that it does happen.

It will be his.

Yes.

Even if I do have to conjure spirits.

There.

Why did we sneak into Lady Jang's quarters?

It's not as if we are thieves.

Are you the sage of morality? Huh?

Lady Jang has spent her entire life by the Queen Dowager's side.

She must know all of her secrets.

So I'm trying to scare her into spilling everything about the pond spirit.

Then do it correctly, all right?

And what is that?

Madam.

You're back earlier than usual.

I was not feeling myself. I came back to rest.

Wait! Uh…

Who… Who are you?

Who gave you permission to come in here?

The pond spirit is…

Is right here, with you.

Wait, are you not that feng shui man who recently got here?

-What are you doing in my quarters? -Sh. Sh.

Look at these footprints on the floor.

What…

This is not pond mud.

Get out of here immediately, or I'll call someone.

-Hold on! -I will!

I can feel the pond spirit. It's close to us.

What?

The pond spirit is over there.

What… What is…

Hey you! You should earn your keep.

-This bastard… -Do what you do best. Now!

-What do you think you are doing? -Hey! Come on.

What are you doing? Explain yourself.

-Hey. -How dare you pull such an absurd stunt!

Somebody come in here now!

Where is that crying coming from?

I will dry out the seed of the East Palace.

It's the pond spirit. The pond spirit has come.

Did I not tell you when I went to the Queen Dowager's quarters?

A won-gwi seeks out the one responsible for its death.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha. Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

You said you were a feng shui master?

Do you also know how to deal with spirits?

Speaking of which…

The thing is, Lady Jang,

this spirit will come looking for you again any moment.

It will?

What should I do if it does?

In order to keep the pond spirit from coming in here,

I have to know exactly how it lived when it was alive.

Do not worry, Lady Jang. You can tell him everything you know.

He will keep it a secret from the Queen Dowager.

He's capable of doing that.

What?

Of course.

So, then,

who might that ghost be?

The spirit is…

The late King's

last Most Favored Court Lady.

A woman of the lowest birth, nothing more than a menial labor maid,

caught the late King's eye

and received his favor

and even conceived his child.

But it later came to light that the woman

was in a relationship with a royal guard.

When Her Majesty found out about that fact…

…she ordered the royal guard to be tortured.

Hold still!

But he did not readily confess.

So soldiers were sent out, and they uncovered evidence.

-And in the end, he admitted to the crime. -Search it!

It turned out that the child

was not the late King's at all.

It was the royal guard's.

After enduring torture,

the Most Favored Lady miscarried

and died with resentment for the royal family burning in her heart.

I will dry out the seed of the East Palace!

Then what happened to her body?

Do you know?

It was secretly taken out of the palace.

A grave would never have been an option.

And her belongings?

As a traitor to the Crown, the body was burned.

So there is nothing left of her besides her memory?

She had no family, so it was to be expected.

So the Most Favored Lady of the Court cursed the royal house

after dying for her own wrongdoing?

Surely that isn't everything.

A hidden palace disgrace lies behind this.

I will have to ask it myself, then.

Is there a way to summon the spirit?

Then what will you do?

There's no way to send it to the afterlife.

Lady Jang mentioned

that everybody who entered the royal guard's house

seemed to have met an untimely death.

It appears the royal guard's spirit has settled himself there.

Exactly.

There's a reason the royal guard died and remained in that house

instead of moving on.

Since they were lovers, her belongings may still be there.

We must stop by his house immediately.

Have you lost your mind?

An untimely death is your big plan?

Have you made a plan?

I'm the one who can leave and come back as I please.

I know of another way I can leave.

If I become a soul.

Is that even… possible?

It is, but also dangerous.

If the body and soul drift too far apart…

It will be difficult to return.

If I fail,

my soul could lose its way…

And I will become a spirit.

If that happens, I will surely become an ak-gwi.

And what is that?

An ak-gwi is someone who died but is burdened with great karma.

In life, you…

Are you all right?

Do you see something in that well over there?

You do not look very well.

If you need my yang energy, I could...

If you wanted to give me your yang energy,

then you would have to hold me close and lend me your warmth.

Can you do that?

Forget it.

I have no intention of doing that either.

So are you going to stay like this?

No. It will only get worse.

Then from now on, I will go with you

to that realm to help you.

Two are better than one.

Teach me how to go there.

Let's be perfectly clear.

You would like me to show you how to die like me?

I should be spending my days helping you.

There is only one way you could.

Go and tell the King what you know.

Tell him we can't capture the pond spirit any longer

and that I may lose my mind and start killing people,

so he must let me go.

That is not possible.

You have to find a way.

And do not naively believe that he will let you leave the palace.

Then I must choose to leave here in death after all.

If I die within these walls,

I will return as an intensely ruthless ak-gwi.

And when I do come back…

The first person I will kill is the King.

I'm sorry.

Are you daring to threaten His Majesty's life?

Why does it matter to you?

You hate him as much as I do.

Yes, however, he is this country's King.

Those of royal blood are all the same.

They use whoever they please to get what they want,

and they don't blink over the death or life of others.

You're just the same as the rest.

Miss?

Royal Noble Consort Sukbin wishes to see you.

It has been a while, Grandmother.

His Majesty told me everything.

How could you think to disguise yourself as a court lady and enter the gates?

And why are you back in these walls again, Grandmother?

It was you who hated coming in here more than anybody.

You will not be answering my question, will you?

Predisposed to change the subject.

I am exhausted.

-Oh. -Goodness gracious.

Saeng-gang.

I hope you do not get swept up in palace strife again,

like you did when you were a child.

In the end, Grandmother,

only you worry about me.

After Mother and I were driven out of here forever,

you were the only person who took care of us,

no matter what went on.

And how is that man?

I have heard that he is strange and rather dangerous.

He is strange, I must admit.

But he is the one I need most in this moment.

He can be dangerous as well.

But I do not care, as long as I do not begin seeking his friendship.

The palace is a place where the healthy become ill.

And people with darkness in their hearts will end as ak-gwi.

So you see, you must take care.

Gu-cheon.

Gu-cheon?

My baby.

Let me hold you just once.

You have missed me, have you not?

Come here.

This is an ill omen. People have died here before.

That is why the well was sealed.

And now another menial labor maid has died.

A menial labor maid carrying wash water walked by the well at dawn

and saw a man was by it.

-Is that so? -Yes.

The maid said it was the feng shui master staying at the East Palace.

Shall I turn him over to the State Tribunal for questioning?

No. The Queen Dowager's 70th birthday banquet is drawing near.

This must be handled discreetly.

We must not make a fuss.

Yes, madam.

Gu-cheon.

Explain this bloodstain.

What is this?

Explain to me why you were wandering around at midnight.

Whose blood is this?

What do you mean "whose"?

Are you telling me that I have hurt someone?

Then it must be your blood.

Where were you hurt? Why were you hurt?

My nose must have bled after I had nodded off.

After fighting the court ladies,

I lost my strength.

And that Ggeomeoksali is still draining my yang energy.

I have already told you

that I lose my yang energy in the other world.

Prince Yeongan.

You must regain your strength, Prince Yeongan.

It was not this severe before, Your Majesty,

but his condition suddenly worsened.

Coming here,

it brings me back to the days when I lived in the East Palace as a young boy.

This place still sends chills down my spine.

So what brings you to such a dreadful place?

How much longer do I have to wait?

I came in person to hear your answer.

First of all, allow me to leave the palace.

If I stay here any longer,

then all of the palace's yin energy will kill me.

If you let me leave here,

I will find a way to capture the pond spirit.

Tomorrow is the Queen Dowager's 70th birthday banquet.

Eliminate the pond spirit and restore Prince Yeongan.

You will have until noon.

Your Majesty, I just...

Your life means nothing to me.

The day you will leave here is the day that I no longer draw breath.

If my son cannot walk directly into the Queen's banquet

on his own two feet tomorrow, I promise I will kill you

and bind your soul to this palace for all time.

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

Wait. Are you not the feng shui man who has been staying in the East Palace?

Why are you in a place reserved only for women?

-Where is the owner of these quarters? -Pardon?

I may be younger than you, but I am still a court lady.

Watch how you speak to me.

This will not do. You should be helping.

Wait, what? I… I mean… What?

The order came from Miss Saeng-gang. Hurry.

Uh, oh…

What is he doing?

Wait. What are you doing?

What exactly did Miss Saeng-gang order you to do?

Place this brass basin

near the residence of the royal guard's house in Jungchon.

Mark my words.

You must not spill this water.

I have no choice

but to become a soul and seek out the royal guard through my blood.

What is going on?

It looks like some lightning struck the jujube tree just now.

This does not bode well.

What calamity is this on the Queen Dowager's 70th birthday?

Good heavens. What should we do?

Have you heard of lightning-struck jujube wood?

I have not.

At this rate, every peach tree in the palace will be stripped bare.

That is exactly what I am saying.

This stuff rots away the moment I cut a spirit with it,

unlike jujube.

Jujube wood.

How's it different?

Since it's a jujube tree struck by lightning, it's sturdy,

and it sinks in the water as I do.

It drives away evil spirits, so it's ideal for striking them down.

Heaven is on our side.

Gu-cheon.

This is exhausting.

You cannot take it.

I must protect it.

Stop it!

What are you trying to protect, even in death?

It's my crime.

I have to return it.

It is

my crime.

I did it.

I did it!

This is the sword stained with your blood. Take it!

I killed her.

After she became the King's woman, I framed her and

betrayed her as well.

They said

that if I made a false confession,

the Queen Dowager would at least

spare my family from extermination.

I… buried the baby shirt that she had made with all her heart.

I buried it beneath this tree.

Therefore,

until she returns, I must protect it here.

I have to.

I must beg for her forgiveness.

Huh?

What are you doing?

Miss Saeng-gang! Miss Saeng-gang!

-No! -Hey, Gu-cheon. Gu-cheon!

Uh, is… is he alive?

This madman went into the other realm without a tether.

Now I can't pull his soul back.

Come on! Where is your soul being held?

Hey! Gu-cheon!

Are you on your way back?

If the body and soul drift too far apart,

it will be difficult to return.

-If I fail, my soul could lose its way. -Come on! Gu-cheon!

And I will become a spirit.

If that happens, I will surely become an ak-gwi.

I will not let you wander the realm as a spirit alone.

I will come and find you, Gu-cheon.

Please wait for me.

Please.

Gu-cheon.

Come to me.

Over here.

Mother.

Gu-cheon!

Do not go any closer!

-Gu-cheon. -That gwi-mae lures people to their death.

We have to leave this place now. Follow me out.

-You missed me, did you not? -Gu-cheon!

-Please take a closer look! -Come on.

Gu-cheon!

Mother.

Mother.

I died because of you!

Let go of me!

Gu-cheon!

Then I must choose to leave here in death after all.

If I die within these walls,

I will return as an intensely ruthless ak-gwi.

And when I do come back…

The first person I will kill is the King.

Did he plan…