𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗦, Go Won

𝟬𝟯𝟴. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗸

The next morning, the leader had shared his suspicions of the Queen with Da-hye. He suspected that the Queen had the ice stone and was working with Jin Mu. Just as Da-hye thought. The leader also thought that the Queen might be soul shifter.

Young Lady Heo had been sent to the palace to visit the King but also to check if the Queen was a soul shifter.

"There was nothing to suspect that the Queen is a soul shifter." Young Lady Heo said. "I checked her core of energy as I was examining her, but she was a normal person without extraordinary energy."

"She could have appeared so if she had the ice stone." The leader said.

"The Queen is the younger sister of General Seo." Master Heo said. "She is Yul's aunt. She is not related to the Heo family, but she is a member of the Seo family."

"If her soul has been shifted, the soul in her body is someone else." Da-hye said. "Perhaps that someone  is working with Jin Mu?"

"Is the real Queen's soul dead?" Master Heo asked.

"That is not possible." Young Lady Heo said. "Each member of the Seo Family has a Lantern of Life. Because they guard the Seoho fortress near the border and got to battle often, they each have a lantern that is lit by the energy of their soul so they know who is alive and dead." Young Lady Heo explained. "If the Queen passed away, they would know immediately because her Lantern of Life would have gone off."

"Yes, I remember the Lantern of Life." Master Heo said.

"Her soul would have been kept alive in another body." The leader said. "Like Master Kang of Daegangtongun who is lying in Sejukwon right now."

"Are you certain that the Queen is a soul shifter?" Master Heo asked the leader.

"If we can know for sure, that would mean we found Jin Mu's greatest weakness." The leader said.

Later that day, Da-hye saw Uk leaving Chwiseonru. Da-hye was on her way to Chwiseonru. But since she was bored and had nothing else to do, she got curious and decided to follow Uk. One of Da-hye's many skills was being sneaky and being able to blend in.

Eventually she followed him into Gaema Village. What was he doing in a place like this? Da-hye saw Uk talk to a woman, she went closer to hear what they were saying.

"Do you know where Shaman Bong's house is?" Uk asked the woman.

"Shaman Bong?" The woman asked. "He does not have powers anymore. You should go to the Fire Priestess instead. I will take you there."

"No, I am looking for Shaman Bong." Uk said. Who was Shaman Bong? And why was Uk looking for him?

"I told you he is not good." The woman said. 

"No, it has to be Shaman Bong." Uk walked away.

Da-hye had been following Uk for what felt like hours. Uk looked around. Da-hye was sure that he got lost. That they were lost.

"Where am I?" Uk said to himself. "All of the streets look the same." Uk continued walking with Da-hye following closely behind. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"I never said I wanted to see the Fire Priestess." The voice complained.

"You still have to pay if you had your fortune read."  The woman from earlier said. "Where are you going?"

"Hey, do not touch me." The voice said.

Da-hye peeked her head from behind one of the houses. She recognized the person. Of course it had to be the Crown Prince. But what was he doing here?

"She did not get a single thing right." The Crown Prince protested. "Why should I pay?"

The Crown Prince turned around to see Uk. What was he doing here?

"Did you go and see Shaman Bong?" The woman from earlier asked Uk. "He is bad, is he not?" The woman said. "The Fire Priestess is the real deal. Am I right?" The woman asked the Crown Prince.

"Fire Priestess, my foot." The Crown Prince said. Da-hye laughed quietly careful not to make too much noise.

"Come on." The woman laughed nervously.

"My goodness..." The Crown Prince said. Uk and The Crown Prince decided to walk together. Da-hye followed closely behind them.

"Did you come to get your fortune read?" Uk asked the Crown Prince.

"How about you?" The Crown Prince asked. "Did you come for an exorcism?"

"What did the Fire Priestess say to make you so angry?" Uk asked.

"She said I have no luck in government and I should get into business." The Crown Prince said. "I am the Crown Prince." The Crown Prince clicked his tongue. "What did Shaman Bong say to you?"

"I am on my way to see him." Uk said. "I have many questions for him."

"Jang Uk." The Crown Prince said. "Are you looking for Eunuch Kim too?"

Wait, was the Crown Prince looking for Eunuch Kim because he had disappeared from the palace? Was he finally getting suspicious of Jin Mu?

"Why are you looking for him here?" Uk asked.

"He disappeared from the palace since that day at Cheonbugwan." The Crown Prince said. So he was getting suspicious. "His traces led me here." The Crown Prince explained.

"So you came here alone without any guards?" Uk asked.

"I do not want anyone to know that I am suspecting them." The Crown Prince said.

"So you agree that Eunuch Kim is a soul shifter and that the Queen is being suspicious to cover it up?" Uk asked. Wait how did Uk know all of this? Why did he want to know? Was it because of Naksu? Da-hye thought that he was clueless.

"That is right." The Crown Prince said. "Why are you here? What are you looking for?"

"I think there are overlaps in what we are looking for." Uk said. What was he looking for and who was Shaman Bong?

"Shall we exchange information?" Uk asked.

"Share one piece of information each?" The Crown Prince asked. This was perfect. Da-hye could find out things that she did not know. Uk nodded in response to the Crown Prince. "Fine." The Crown Prince said. "You go first."

"If I tell you first, you will not share yours , saying, "I am the Crown Prince". " Uk said.

"How did you know that?" The Crown Prince asked. "Fine. While I was searching for Eunuch Kim, I found something strange. It seems he left the palace every month to go somewhere." The Crown Prince explained. "The place he visited every month was Gaema Village." Eunuch Kim might have been visiting the place where the real Queen's soul was.

"I am looking for Shaman Choi." Uk said.

"Who is that?" The Crown Prince asked.

Da-hye had actually heard of Shaman Choi. Apparently, the Choi family was a mage family known for practicing the Alchemy of Souls. But Master Seo Gyeong had destroyed them. However, 20 or so years ago, Shaman Choi was caught by Cheonbugwan mages for practicing the Alchemy of Souls. They say she was burned in a fire but it is unknown if she survived.

𝗟𝗠𝗔𝗢𝗢𝗢 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗗𝗮-𝗵𝘆𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴.