GIJS

Chapter 134 Gwangmokcheong

Without any special promotions or pre-release videos, [Mission Impossibuddha] showcased impressive viewership numbers, surpassing one mil views within just a day.

From the outset, the video impressed with its outstanding visuals, its witty reimagining of the Asadal legend as a spy action, the incredible visuals of Inhyuk and Gunja, and the unique aspect of the members producing and directing the video themselves.

Fans of 7IN were ecstatic. Not only domestic fans but also international fans quickly caught wind and engaged in multiple viewings.

[My boys! I love this Eastern vibe♥︎] [Inhyuk's hammer has shattered my heart.] [Requesting Bulgarian subtitles] [They are available for free. Check the settings.] [Ah-bbul-ssa!] [Look at Gunja's face! She could be the queen of From Party.] [Crying all day] [Curious about Korea's Seokgatap. Wonderful heritage and architecture!] [Gunja as a woman makes my sexual orientation ambiguous.]

With the international fanbase joining in, the view count surged even more. Within less than 24 hours, the views skyrocketed to four million.

No video produced by the Cultural Heritage Administration had ever achieved such viewership in just one day. None had even reached four hundred thousand, let alone four million.

The Cultural Heritage Administration was in a festive mood due to the success of the promotional content. The person in charge, Gong Yumin, was welcomed like a hero wherever she went.

However, Gong Yumin did not become complacent.

What did she do? It was all our Gunja and the kids. Gong Yumin was just happy that this video could raise 7IN's profile.

...Honestly, whether the Cultural Heritage Administration succeeded or failed was irrelevant to her.

Despite the amazing response to Episode 1, there were still two more bullets left in the chamber. The next day at the same time, Episode 2 of [Mission Impossibuddha] was released on the Cultural Heritage Administration's channel.

Episode 2 began with the journey. The chemistry between Gunja as Asanya and Hyun-su as the servant, Hyun Dol, started immediately, making viewers laugh.

As an S-class servant, Hyun-su's performance as a devoted attendant to Asanya surprised everyone.

From handling lines to gestures and movements, Hyun-su's acting as the servant seemed ingrained in his very being.

In contrast, Gunja became a bit of an acting fool as soon as he delivered his lines.

"I must... save my husband."

"Of course, you must! I, Hyun Dol, will accompany you!"

"You don't have to come..."

"Eh?"

"Now is the time for freedom."

"Why such discouraging words! This is not acceptable, not acceptable at all!"

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Gunja's acting, what is thisㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋ So cuteㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Here, even showing humanity?] [My hands and feet are cringing, but I can't stop watchingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ This devilish video] [Why is it so cute and funny to see his bad acting with that pretty faceㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Look at Gunja's eyesㅋㅋㅋㅋso anxiousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Fans are all anxious togetherㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Why is a stage genius, action genius, and face genius acting like thisㅋㅋㅋ] [Gunja's lines... Hyun Director, is this the best you could do?] [Why did it turn out like thisㅋㅋㅋ It's just cute and good] [So lovableㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [And yet, the diction is greatㅋㅋㅋㅋevery line is pronounced clearly, even though the acting is badㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

To the fans, Gunja's bad acting was merely cute and lovable.

Of course, for those who weren't fans, the acting might have seemed a bit awkward, but it didn't last long. Despite his acting, his S-class looks made everything seem okay. Whenever something seemed off, tight close-ups made it all look better. If necessary, just push it with the face. That was the directing strategy of Hyun Si-woo.

After a long journey, Asanya's group arrived at Bulguksa but unfortunately, the construction of Bulguksa had a restriction against women.

"Are you saying we are being denied access? How can such injustice be tolerated? Our lady must meet her lord, so please, just allow us to enter for a short while, please!"

"I told you, it's not possible."

Faced with the stubborn stance of the Bulguksa staff, the two could only pace around the area in frustration.

"Lady, what should we do? Should we just cut everything off..."

"That cannot be done."

"Why not?"

"The prime minister Kim Daeseong is involved in this project. Moreover, there is only a suspicion, not proof. Rash actions could endanger my husband even more."

"Oh..."

At that moment, a fallen monk appeared before them.

Despite his head being dyed purple due to his corruption, the fallen monk seemed to be trying to help them.

"Are you the wife of Asadal, Lady Asanya?"

"...Yes."

"We have been waiting for you."

"!"

"I am a monk excommunicated by the abbot here. Asanya, you must have sensed it too, but the abbot is plotting wicked schemes."

"..."

"His goal is to confuse Asadal's mind, preventing him from properly constructing the Seokgatap."

"...Then, what should I do?"

"You must perform a ritual offering."

"A ritual offering?"

Upon hearing the mention of a ritual offering, servant Hyun Dol interjected.

"Isn't it strange for a fallen monk to suggest performing a ritual offering? There seems to be a contradiction in your words."

"I am merely excommunicated by the abbot, not forsaken by Buddha. My prayers are always directed towards Buddha, regardless of my excommunication."

"!"

The performance of Yang Jeong-moo, where every line of dialogue was felt with precision, was distinctly different from Gunja's acting. Fans cheered with excitement at seeing Jeong-moo's appearance with the 7IN members.

[OMG Jeong-mooㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [What? Why is Yang Jeong-moo here!?!?] [So glad to see himㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Jeong-moo has been doing well] [He's been acting in melodramas latelyㅋㅋㅋ so intense] [And now he's playing a fallen monk? His acting spectrum is real?] [Seeing Jeong-moo's acting after Gunja's bad acting feels so reassuring] [So does this mean the full 7IN and Jeong-moo will appear in the web drama? This is so preciousㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Even if joining the group is a bit much, it would be nice if he could participate in future projectsㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [But Jeong-moo's acting is really goodㅋㅋㅋㅋthe video quality suddenly shot up]

With a serious expression, Jeong-moo the fallen monk addressed Asanya.

"To ensure Asadal can construct the Seokgatap properly, you must visit the lake every day and offer prayers to Buddha."

"..."

"Present yourself in a manner fitting for a woman, as modestly as possible. This is how your heart will reach your lord."

"..."

"With sincere prayers, the image of the Seokgatap will soon appear on the lake. This shadow will signal the completion of Bulguksa, allowing you to enter the temple then."

"..."

"Pray earnestly. Only your prayers can thwart the abbot's schemes."

As soon as Jeong-moo left, Hyun Dol hastily started looking for the lake, but Asanya showed no intention of moving.

"Lady, you must go to the lake! Didn't the monk give you advice?"

"...No."

"Yes?"

"I cannot believe those words."

Asanya shook her head firmly.

A womanly appearance?

As modestly as possible?

Asadal had never once asked Asanya to present herself in such a manner.

Praying in such a way would not reach Asadal.

"We will proceed according to our plan and enter Bulguksa."

"Eh? But people are blocking the way..."

"What's the problem? We can enter secretly at night."

"—!?!?"

As soon as Asanya chose the option of infiltration, a new figure appeared before her. This time, a true ally—Baggage merchant Hyunjae.

"Pick and choose~ I have everything except what's not here~"

Hyunjae, approaching cheerfully, changed his expression as soon as he saw the fan Asanya wore at her waist.

"You are Asanya."

"...How did you know..."

"The folding fan at your waist, isn't it the Hell Cleaving Fan?"

"!"

"I am also from the Three Han Intelligence Agency. I have heard of your reputation."

"...That was in the past."

"I know why you've come to this land."

"..."

"I have useful information."

Hyunjae provided Asanya with valuable details—routes for infiltrating Bulguksa, the number of guards, a list of individuals to be cautious about, and more.

"Especially be wary of the guardian Gwangmokcheon. It is best to avoid him, even if you are Asanya with the Hell Cleaving Fan."

Asanya nodded and gathered the information from Hyunjae. Reviewing maps and portraits, she waited for the deep night.

Finally, when the sun had completely set and only the full moon's light was bright in the middle of the night, Asanya began to move.

Whoosh—.

The long hem of her dress, dragged along the ground, was ripped to shorten it.

Whoosh, whoosh—!!

With agile movements, she leapt over walls and, guided by moonlight, landed on the roof of a separate building.

However, despite reducing her footsteps, Bulguksa's security was extremely tight. Four guards immediately charged at Asanya with the intent to kill her. The one versus many action scene began.

Bang, bang, crack, whoosh—.

Hitting, leaping, crushing, and rolling...

The quality of the action scene, performed entirely by Gunja without any stunt doubles, far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Even Jeong Yun-chul, who had observed the entire filming process, was left speechless.

He was already amazed on set, but the final product was even more impressive.

The intricate action, swift movements, and Asanya's beautiful visuals amidst the flowing hair felt like a scene from a blockbuster action historical drama.

As the action scenes intensified, fans' reactions exploded.

[Oh my gosh!] [Insane, wow, this is unbelievable] [What to doㅠㅠㅠㅠ wow, what is this] [Did Gunja really do all of this without a stunt double?] [No way, it's unbelievable how he's flying around] [But the action cuts and his face look so natural;;;] [Usually, stunt doubles' faces aren't shown, right?] [True... It looks too natural to be a stunt double] [So does this mean it's really Gunja???????] [Wow, so pretty, cool, sexy, and deadly, doing everything himself] [I gave up trying to make gifs in real-time, every scene is a highlight] [Wow, I can't even breathe] [This is insane, it's really insane] [Can the quality of a promotional video by the Cultural Heritage Administration be this high??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

When the massive guardian monk drew out his three-sectional staff, the reactions reached their peak.

Crack, whoosh, whoooooosh—!!

The battle was intense. Asanya, even with blood flowing from her forehead, eventually managed to defeat him and render him unconscious, eliciting silent cheers from fans.

"Wow, wow, waaaa..."

Yeonji, watching Episode 2 of [Mission Impossibuddha] with her friends, was no different. Even friends who weren't as devoted to Gunja were left speechless by the insane action scenes under the moonlight.

"...This is really insane..."

"Who is this? Is he really an idol?"

"...Honestly, this is just so amazing."

"Right? Right?"

Yeonji's shoulders seemed to rise to the heavens with the recognition from her friends. However, one friend, Hyoju, looked particularly gloomy.

"Hyoju, what's wrong?"

"It's about Yuchan..."

"Eh? Yuchan?"

"It looks like Yuchan's scenes were cut..."

"Oh, Yuchan is your bias."

"Hyoju, it's okay. I'm actually relieved Taewoong isn't in it. Thinking about that bald wig getting preserved..."

A friend who was a fan of Gong Taewoong tried to comfort Hyoju, but it was of little use.

As the viewing party for Episode 2 of [Mission Impossibuddha] was about to end,

Whish, whish—.

From afar, the sound of sword strikes was heard, and a blue blade flashed like a crescent moon.

Asanya reflexively ducked, but the sleeve of her dress was sharply cut.

From the pavilion across the separate building, someone had sliced Asanya's sleeve with just a sword strike.

"...Gwangmokcheon."

Asanya murmured his name softly.

The opponent she had been warned to avoid. The guardian Gwangmokcheon, the appearance of Ki Yuchan.

I'm so confused on what pronoun to use for Gunja during the Asanya scenes, so I apologize if it's incorrect and inconsistent.