Revelations stir the looming trouble about to be tackled by Wook and Bu-yeon in the 5th episode of Alchemy of Souls Part 2.
Accordingly, love confessions sprinkle generously on the signature love stories featured in the series.
With more memories resurfacing for Bu-yeon, her unintentional action to use it to console Wook is not appreciated by him. The heartfelt admittance of her growing affection gets rejected as well.
abbyinhallyuland watched Alchemy of Souls Part 2 on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01| 02| 03| 04| 05| 06| 07| 08| 09| Final Episode + Series Review |
Alchemy of Souls Part 2 Episode 5 Highlights
Previously, Yul investigates who tried to use Naksu to instill fear to Daeho people. He stumbles into So-yi who were confronted with the reality that the man she holds dear in her heart is dying because of her.
Yul explains he cannot return the parasite since it already settled in his core energy when So-yi insisted to put it back in the wound that she recklessly cut on her wrist. Without directly telling her participation in Jin Mu’s scheme, Yul learns that the parasite is a relic from Jinyowon and Jin Mu is the one concocting medicine.
He instructs her to keep the secret that he acquired the parasite and sets forth to leave. When she asked him why he is letting go of her mistake, Yul responds that he believes her reason for wanting to save him when he almost died.
“Can you not feel the warmth here? The wraiths fled because of me. See, you are not cold anymore, are you?”
Meanwhile Dang-gu meets Cho-yeon with a despondent look when she gave the gift he asked Maidservant Kim to give her. It turns out it holds the paper periapt for lovers that Cho-yeon confessed to holding on to in the last three years. Rekindling their old romance with her kiss, the two old lovers beam at each other.
At Jinyowon, Master Park and Lady Jin exchange pleasantries after helping each other to Wook’s goal of erasing the fear of people towards Naksu. Hoping for the newly-married couple’s promise to protect each other, Lady Jin ponders how Bu-yeon sees the energy of the ice stone.
Back at Jang’s residence, Bu-yeon provides warmth to her sleeping husband who surprised her with a kiss. She thinks he is still dreaming which made her feel despondent. To her surprise, Wook is awake but does not appreciate the nice sleep he got blaming she interrupted it.
Arguing that her energy caused the wraiths surrounding him to vanish, Wook agrees they sleep together but draws a line between them they can’t both cross. In the middle of the night, they end up sleeping as close as they can to each other.
“That is what you call fate. Something that humans cannot control.”
The next day at Jeongjingak, Master Lee meets Master Park and Master Heo. As usual, he praises the former Songrim leader and chides his former student. On the other hand, Yul meets Wook who learns about Jin Mu’s evil plan which he has already figured out as well.
When Wook returns home, Maidservant Kim nags him for not taking care of his wife who went missing after complaining of a headache. His second mom scolds him more for not knowing where his wife is after learning her energy kept them sleep warm throughout the night.
Searching for Bu-yeon, Wook tracks her exploring the marketplace haggling while shopping, and enthused in witnessing public gossip of an unfaithful husband. Her day out gets halted by her husband who brings her to the palace to taunt the villains who recently conspired to hurt her.
Getting the information he needed from the queen by luring her with his ability that can grant her earnest wish to switch to a beautiful body, Wook realized his adversaries plan to get Jinyowon is to find a relic that would give that power. He vows to protect Jinyowon and warns him not to touch his wife firmly.
Bu-yeon, who excused herself as instructed by Wook, wanders into the palace and sees the turtle she asked Prince Won to take care of about to be brought to Chwiseonru. She notices the cold water and her husband who overhears it acts accordingly to warm it up.
When Prince Won learned what Wook did, he is bothered by the gesture as he thinks Wook despises him.
“Yesterday, I was trying to comfort you. Today, I was trying to see if you have a room for me in your heart.”
Spontaneously getting into a warm conversation, Bu-yeon thanks Wook for removing the tracking thread. Nonchalantly, he responds not wanting to see her sick or lead her to go home. She then reaches for his hand. Closing her fingers to his, she promised to stay close by his side.
It brings back Wook’s memories of when he did the same with Mudeok, so he took back his hand surprising Bu-yeon. Explaining the fragments of vivid memories she saw, Bu-yeon conveyed wanting to help Wook with his pain.
Coldly, he tells her that he found another use for her, and that is to become a substitute for Naksu. So, whenever he misses her, he can just hold or embrace her. Warranting her to play with the memories, Bu-yeon emotionally reveals how she only wanted to know if there’s a space in his heart that she can still take. She promises to stop since she got the answer from him.
Wook finds Master Lee in front of Mudeok’s stone tower and was fascinated when he heard that Bu-yeon destroyed and rearranged it. Master Lee gives a task to his student to check if the firebird in Jinyowon is in place as part of the cryptic earthenware figures drying up the wells in the kingdom. But Wook refuses to do it with his wife.
While they were catching up, Lady Jin visited her daughter who is still firm to stay with her husband at Jang’s residence.
Striking a deal for their marriage to be approved, Lady Jin asked Bu-yeon to bring her husband to Jinyowon which she can’t do after their last sour conversation. True to what she fears, Wook refused right away thinking it is part of what Master Lee asked him to check on the firebird by going with Bu-yeon.
Before Bu-yeon arrives, Lady Jin conversed with So-yi who asked for the cure to the parasite for the sake of Yul. Bargaining her knowledge of Bu-yeon’s identity, she was knocked down and brought to where Bu-yeon previously was held.
“If you want to stop me. go to Jang Wook and reveal everything to him.”
Thinking Bu-yeon was not able to bring Jang Wook, Lady Jin got surprised to see her son-in-law who came on the brink of time to rescue his wife.
Checking on Master Park who was not feeling well, Maidservant Kim fathomed his sickness was jealousy induced so she stayed by his side. When Dang-gu, Sang-ho and the rest of Songrim mages invade their rest in the middle of the night, it gave an opportunity for the two to agree to be with each other formally.
It made the eavesdroppers who pretended to leave also happy with the two finally sealing their mutual affection.
Wook loops Bu-yeon of the task given by Master Lee. So, he needs her to open the door to Jinyowon. At that same moment, Jin Mu talks with Prince Won about his evil ploy. Wanting to be out of his old teacher’s scheming, Jin Mu challenged him to tell Wook everything, if he indeed wants to be out of all his plans.
Asserting how he killed Naksu to beat Jang Wook and strengthen his power, Jin Mu reminded him that it was too late for him to back out.
Proceeding to Wook’s task, they walk to Jinyowon and in passing Bu-yeon mentions how being trapped inside a room, she once hoped to stand on top of the tree. Giving his usual weird expression, Bu-yeon strongly claims those are her own thoughts when she can’t get out of her place.
Checking once more the feel of Bu-yeon’s hand, Wook is bewildered why her hand feels exactly like Naksu.
Alchemy of Souls Part 2 Episode 5 Musings
The plot starts heating up in Alchemy of Souls Part 2 as revelations would either push or pull Yul and Prince Won to protect Bu-yeon when the truth about her comes to light. Interestingly, it aligns with the idea of how familiarity comes from the heart. Thus, they are both naturally gravitated to Bu-yeon.
Similarly, albeit staged to be coming from the blue jade stone, the memories that keep connecting Wook and Bu-yeon also heighten the fulfillment of the fated souls who are yet to discover they are each other’s great love.
Quick-witted So-yi had a backup plan ready which was carried out by her minion. Yul, who learned about Bu-yeon’s real identity as Mu-deok would most likely set forth to Jinyowon to save her. Hopefully, he will not be too late to rescue her.
This episode introduces “firebird” which traces to the founders’ story. If you think about it, the ice stone and firebird have complementing elements. With Bu-yeon pitted to possibly have the ability to control it and Wook holding the power of ice stone, it would be an interesting picture of how it will play out in the concluding chapters of the series.
As Jin Mu steadily prepares for an upgraded version of casting trouble in the kingdom, can the good mages finally end his atrocity?
What would make Prince Won muster the strength to turn his back on his old master? If Bu-yeon’s real identity gets revealed, will they find a way to protect her from the bad stigma caused by Jin Mu’s manipulation?
Be entranced by the wondrous world of Daeho in Alchemy of Souls Part 2. International fans can watch it on Netflix.
Photos: tvN Drama | SC Netflix
[wpedon id=”2271″ align=”center”]
