Young Hearts, Run Free Wild
Jang-Uk is in trouble. He lost to another mage, and only two gold toads remain. To get the jade stone back, he needs to up his game.
Jang-Uk gives some words of encouragement though, telling Mu-Deok to liken this to a game of tug and war. He needs to know exactly when to let his guard up and when to strike.
The Crown Prince and Jang-Uk both find their hearts racing for Mu-Deok. With their jade stones in hand, they head out to the bridge but as romantic music plays… they realize they’ve both been deceived by their feeling and suddenly stop. It’s an amusing moment, one that leans into those BL drama vibes but does so in a satirical way.
Dang-Gu heads into the capital to see Yul with news of Master Kang’s death. There is a commotion in the capital as it turns out that Master Kang from Daegangtongun has succumbed to his illness. However, it is rumored that assassins have attacked him. ..
Park Jin is quick to show up and eager to investigate, surprised that they intend to cremate the body so soon before conducting a proper autopsy. They’re convinced that it was death by natural causes, but Park Jin is not so sure. ..
Jin-Mu speaks to Jin Ho-Gyeong in confidence and talks about Bu-Yeon. He promises to bring back her body no matter what, unbeknownst to those in Jinyowon that Jin-Mu is about to throw a mole in theor ranks. So-I is focused too, determined to become a part of the family.
Anyway, the cremation goes ahead and both Songrim and Cheonbugwan houses are there to oversee the burning. Now, Park-Jin actually tasked Yul with checking the body beforehand to find out if he’s a Soul Shifter. And by check, that involves using Chisu on Kang’s body. ..
Kang’s soul is actually inside this young man, who attempts to get away from the others when his cover is blown. Yul uses his abilities to thwart the infected, who rushes off after being stabbed. The familiar grey shine on his face shows the start of petrification and uncontrolled “running wild.” ..
Jin-Mu jumps in and helps kill the guy. As a “reward” for Songrim, he decides to let Park-Jin and the others take credit for this death. Park-Jin plays Jin-Mu’s game and decides to investigate the body. ..
Yeom and the others work together to try and figure out what happened to the man who died, and why he was in such a bad way. They have to find a way to revive him so that he can get better, but it’s going to be a challenge.
Meanwhile, Dang-Gu decides to challenge Jang-Uk as a mage. Of course, this is all so they can fix the game but Jang-Uk doesn’t read Mu-Deok’s signals and ends up forfeiting. When they step outside and discuss this, they notice numerous guards hovering about and realize that the Soul Shifter must be there somewhere.
The tension between Cheonbugwan and Songrim is high, with Mu-Deok tasked by Maidservant Kim to deliver some sweet treats to Jin-Mu.
The earlier chat between Park Jin and Songrim led to some pretty frosty words traded between the two. As a result of that, Park Jin decides to strengthen Songrim’s defences. Those who have mastered Ryusu and more are tasked with going to Sejukwon and following Sang-Ho’s orders. Jang-Uk is exempt from this though and told to stay behind. Jang-Uk immediately suspects this is as a result of the current rumblings about a soul shifter on the loose. Park Jin is saying nothing, which only makes things worse.
Jang-Uk and Mu-Deok join forces as they head up to Cheonbugwan. They marvel at the sights, especially at the constellation area.
After overhearing a commotion involving Eunuch Kim, the group soon hides out. Earlier in the episode, we saw Kim antagonize Jin Ho-Gyeong up at Jinyowon. Kim then feeds this information back to Jin-mu and urges the mage to let him soul shift inside the woman’s body. ..
Jin-Mu has had enough and stabs the eunuch, letting him run wild. He decides he’s had enough and wants to stop him before anyone finds out he is a soul shifter. ..
Jin0Mu follows the trail of water until it leads to a small pond. There, she sees a figure hiding in the water, and demands to know who they are. The figure comes out from hiding and reveals themselves as a royal eunuch. Jin0Mu is surprised by this turn of events, and asks the eunuch who he is. The eunuch tells Jin0Mu that he is a soul shifter, and that he has been living among humans for many years. Jin0Mu is shocked by this news, and asks the eunuch where he came from. The eunuch tells her that he was born in South Korea, and that his family moved to China when he was young. Jin0Mu is surprised by this information, and asks the eunuch where his family is now. The eunuch tells her that they are currently living in Japan. Jin0Mu is shocked by this news, and asks the eunuch where his family will be moving next. The eunuch tells her that they will be moving to America soon. Jin0Mu is amazed at this news, and asks the eunuch where his family will be living there. The Eunuch tells her that they will be living in New York City soon!
Jin-Mu is disappointed with the way the souls are being used and decides to keep them around. If he could enact the alchemy of souls on them, he would but he’s not sure if he can yet.
The Ukranian government is trying to fight back against Jin-Mu, but the latter throws up a barrier and keeps them trapped. As for Mu-Deok, she’s been kept all alone to deal with the wild eunuch. ..
Jang-Uk manages to break the barrier he’s trapped in and try to help Mu-Deok. Only, she manages to thwart the threat, stopping the eunuch by feeding on his energy. “Am I… running wild??” Mu-Deok wonders, tears stinging her eyes. She warns Jang-Uk to stay away in case his energy is stolen.
Jang-Uk takes a step forward and places his hand on Mu-Deok’s shoulder. With a deep breath, he looks up at the sky and takes another leap of faith. This time, he holds Mu-Deok close as he stares up at the stars. The love between them is unbreakable and they will overcome any obstacle in their way.
The Episode Review
Despite this episode being much more plot-driven, exciting and urgent, Alchemy of Souls still manages to include some cleverly worked jokes. The whole BL drama segments involving the Crown Prince and Jang-Uk, complete with romantic music and their dialogue on the bridge, was so well done and is surprisingly effective at alleviating some of the tension in this chapter. ..
Jang-Uk jumps from a high tower to hug Mu-Deok despite the risks. This highlights her willingness to go to great lengths for her love.
We see a lot more development this episode with Cheongbugwan and their plans, with Jin-Mu stepping up his game and hitting back against Songrim and the others.
This episode feels like a preview of what’s to come, as it looks like Jin-Mu is going to hit Jinyowon from within, courtesy of So-I’s influence.
The Alchemy of Souls watch is a really solid product and the ending hints that we have an exciting double bill coming.
