Arang and the Magistrate

If you die, you're dead!

Eun-oh discovers the black talismans that once sealed the mass grave, and starts to lay them out. There are characters he recognizes: North, South, East, West. He arranges them following the cardinal directions, and then wonders if maybe there are more pieces to this puzzle...

He runs through the forest, following northwest, southwest, northeast, and finds these corners marked with talismans hanging on trees. He grabs them one by one and puts them down with the others.

Mom senses a mystical disturbance. She does not look happy.

There's definitely something powerful going on, because the kings of heaven and hell watch as a little crystal ball begins to crack...

Eun-oh has one more piece left, and heads southeast. He finds the last talisman, hanging from a tree that's hanging over the edge of a cliff. Uh, I don't like the look of this. He inches forward, balancing precariously on the trunk of the tree.

The Bangs happen to be on his tail, and the particularly murderous Bang decides that this is the best opportunity—all they need to do is push, and they don't even get any blood on their hands.

They argue over who should to do the pushing. Shouldn't the guy with the murderous ideas have to put his money where his mouth is? But somehow, leader Lee Bang draws the short straw or loses at rock-paper-scissors, because he's creeping up behind Eun-oh with a terrified look.

Eun-oh reaches, and reaches... and Lee Bang closes his eyes and reaches his hands out...

But he can't even bring himself to make contact, and just stands there reaching out for Eun-oh's ass. Please fall backward.

Eun-oh inches closer and finally yanks the talisman from its branch... and then loses his balance and goes tumbling down the cliff. Aaaaaaaah!

As the last talisman comes off, Mom's power wanes and she trembles, doubling over in a pained cry. She looks up at the heavens, "Has it finally begun?"

And up in the clouds, the kings watch as the crystal ball shatters and a light escapes. And inside we see a view of the mass grave. Hm, I wonder what it is. It can't be their souls, if she ate them...

The Jade Emperor says it's finally been uncovered. He sends Mu-young to go down and see if there are any traces left, and muses that the baddie will be scrambling now that they've uncovered the thing she's been struggling so hard to keep hidden.

He turns to Hades, "Aren't humans useful sometimes?" Hades begrudgingly admits that "the child" has some use. I wonder if he means Eun-oh or Arang. Jade Emperor just smirks to himself like the impish god that he is.

Down below, the Bangs rush to Lee Bang's side to say he did it, and he swears up and down that he didn't. I love how they're like, Yes! Exactly! You didn't do it! *wink wink* And they drag him away, protesting and screaming that he didn't do it.

Arang's voice rings through the forest, calling out for the magistrate. And then Mu-young arrives and stops at the edge of the cliff where Eun-oh fell, but he just keeps going. Should I take that as a good sign? You kinda don't want the grim reaper to be the guy visiting you after a fall like that.

Arang calls out for Eun-oh at the grave, and then jumps to see Mu-young looming behind her. Dude. Can we maybe get him a collar with a bell?

She remembers she needn't be afraid of him, though it's clear she still is, and she asks if he's still following her around, acting annoyed. She starts to remind him about her deal, but he just walks right past her, through the rope, and towards the grave.

She sighs in relief and then continues her search for Eun-oh. Mu-young crouches down and puts his hand on a talisman, and feels something...

He furrows his brow, "Mu-yeon... it can't be you?" Ooooh, is this the missing sister? Aw poor Mu-young. I hope he doesn't end up having to hunt his only sister!