Synopsis & Review Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (2022) Set four years after the heartbreaking incident that befell Jang Uk and Mudeok
Set four years after the heartbreaking incident that happened to Jang Uk and Mudeok, Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow or part two has finally aired. Jang Uk turns into a soul transfer hunter while Mudeok comes back to life as Bu Yeon with Naksu’s soul inside.
Bu Yeon was locked up inside Jinyowon because she has no power. The ruler of Jinyowon as well as the mother, Jin Ho Gyeong, doesn’t want the witches to know the secret about the whereabouts of her first daughter.
Unfortunately, his wishes fall apart when Bu Yeon suddenly disappears on his wedding day. Is Jang Uk behind the incident? How is the continuation of their story in this second part?
Jang Uk comes back to life with the power of the Ice Stone in his body. However, a side effect of that is that he lives in misery because the evil spirits are always surrounding him.
It’s no wonder that Jang Uk lives without passion, especially since Mudeok is also known to have died. Jang Uk gets excited again because he meets a girl: someone who is believed to be able to pull out the Ice Stones in his body.
Episodes 1-2
Four years after Jang Uk rose from the dead thanks to the power of the Ice Stone and celestial energy, the young man is more busy as a soul transfer hunter.
Jang Uk is alone inside Jeongjingak which was left by the witches. His aura is dark and suffering because with the power of the Ice Stone in his body, Jang Uk is often visited by evil spirits who lurk for that power.
Even so, Jang Uk couldn’t stop catching the soul transporters, even when he had to chase the soul transporters all the way to Jinyowon. After the incident four years ago, Jinyowon was indeed closed to any magicians, but Jang Uk dared to enter it.
There, Jang Uk accidentally meets a beautiful woman he shouldn’t see. The reason is, the woman was deliberately hidden by Jin Ho Gyeong. After being surprised to see Jang Uk there, the girl asked to be taken out of Jinyowon because she felt imprisoned.
Jang Uk certainly can’t grant it, but he helps him escape from there. However, it turned out that the girl was wearing a tracking bracelet, so she couldn’t go far because Jinyowon’s bodyguards could always find her.
Jin Ho Gyeong, who seemed dissatisfied with having locked her in Jinyowon, planned the girl’s wedding to Seo Yul’s uncle named Seo Yun O.
While on the run, the girl met Jang Uk again. Surprisingly, he asks Jang Uk to be his husband. Surprising him again, he claimed to be Jin Bu Yeon. Jang Uk doubts it because all he knows is that Bu Yeon has died four years ago.
Jang Uk then tells about Bu Yeon to Park Jin. The former leader of Songrim said that if Bu Yeon really existed, then he could help remove the Ice Stone from Jang Uk’s body.
Just as the wedding party was about to be held, Bu Yeon disappeared. Jin Ho Gyeong accuses Songrim of hiding it, especially since Dang Gu failed to marry Jin Chu Yeon. Ho Gyeong’s behavior indirectly revealed Bu Yeon’s whereabouts, which he had hidden for several years.
Bu Yeon herself was not missing, but with Jang Uk. This time, Jang Uk doesn’t mind the idea of marriage between them because he needs Bu Yeon’s strength to remove the Ice Stone from his body. Unfortunately, Bu Yeon’s strength was not proven and disappointed Jang Uk.
Bu Yeon actually almost died in the incident four years ago because her body was also petrified. However, Jin Ho Gyeong begs Teacher Lee to bring her back to life because he believes the girl is his missing daughter.
Teacher Lee doesn’t mind because Bu Yeon’s body still contains Naksu’s soul that helps her stay alive. However, if Bu Yeon’s body is saved, her soul must be removed and filled with Naksu’s soul.
Teacher Lee also explains that if Bu Yeon is revived, his body will adapt to Naksu’s soul form so he doesn’t lose control.
News of Bu Yeon’s disappearance soon spreads to Daeho. Bu Yeon’s face is displayed everywhere until Jin Mu sees her and recognizes the woman’s figure as Naksu.
With cunning intentions, Jin Mu, who knows that Bu Yeon or Naksu has no power, suggests Jin Ho Gyeong to introduce Bu Yeon to the magicians at the General Meeting. Jin Mu knows that if Bu Yeon fails to show his strength in public, the management of Jinyowon will change hands.
Having no other choice, Jin Ho Gyeong introduces Bu Yeon in front of the witches. Bu Yeon looks nervous because she knows that she doesn’t have any powers since her memory loss.
A moment later, Jang Uk arrives after realizing that Bu Yeon actually has powers. He asked Bu Yeon to turn off the lantern from Jinyowon which was famous for being difficult to extinguish. If Bu Yeon succeeds, he will take her with him.
Unexpectedly, Bu Yeon was able to extinguish it. For this shocking incident, Jang Uk confidently admits in public that Bu Yeon is his wife.
Episodes 3-4
The news of Jang Uk and Bu Yeon’s marriage shocked the magicians at the General Meeting, including Jin Ho Gyeong. Bu Yeon even admits that she is pregnant so she can leave the meeting. After successfully surprising many people, Bu Yeon now lives at Jang Uk’s residence.
Ho Gyeong, who was disappointed with the news of the marriage, tried to call Bu Yeon using the tracking thread sewn on his daughter’s shoulder. Jang Uk, who saw Bu Yeon in pain, came to Jinyowon and destroyed the tracking thread controller that Ho Gyeong was holding.
Bu Yeon doesn’t know about it, she instead goes to the place Jang Uk usually goes. Among the pile of stones that Jang Uk made, Bu Yeon found a blue Yin Yang Jade that used to belong to Mudeok/Naksu.
The jade almost changes hands to Sol-I, who deliberately picks it up to lure Bu Yeon on Jin Mu’s orders. Jin Mu is still curious about Bu Yeon. He again devised a plan to disturb Jang Uk and his wife.
Bu Yeon himself finally found out about the origins and uses of the blue Yin Yang Jade he found. Yun Ok tells him that the blue jade used to belong to Naksu, the person who killed Jang Uk.
Yun Ok also told that the jade energy could attract the red jade that Jang Uk was holding. Bu Yeon then immediately went to the place where the jade was found. He seemed to want to prove Yun Ok’s words.
Not long after, Jang Uk came and was surprised to see that Bu Yeon was able to get Naksu’s blue jade. Jang Uk deliberately kept the blue jade there because he still had not accepted Mudeok/Naksu’s death.
In his heart, Jang Uk hopes that Mudeok is still alive because he did not witness Mudeok’s death directly. However, the blue jade was now in Bu Yeon’s hands.
Bu Yeon, who is actually Naksu, begins to regain her memories piece by piece from being with Jang Uk in the past, especially when she held the blue jade. However, he thinks that his memories are those of Mudeok/Naksu, not his own.
Jang Uk looks disappointed because it turns out that it was Bu Yeon who summoned his red jade energy, not Mudeok. He again showed a cold demeanor even though he was secretly thinking about and caring for Bu Yeon.
Jang Uk’s concern is proven when Jin Mu secretly hatches a plan to unsettle the couple. He, who really wanted to separate Bu Yeon and Jang Uk so that Jinyowon could be handed over to the palace, deliberately spread rumors of Naksu’s revival.
Jin Mu then persuaded the palace to order Jang Uk to arrest him. The queen who cooperates with Jin Mu also organizes a party to “feed” Bu Yeon to a fake soul transferor or Naksu.
Jang Uk who knows Jin Mu’s cunning tricks, makes a counter plan. With the help of Park Jin, Kim Do Joo, and even Ho Gyeong, Bu Yeon can be saved. The soul transferor who was deliberately “created” as Naksu by Jin Mu also died at the hands of Jang Uk.
Now, there is no more fear about Naksu’s awakening. People also started to believe that Jang Uk and Bu Yeon were already married.
Using “Naksu” to sway Jang Uk really still had an impact on the man. After defeating the soul transporter, for the first time since the news of Mudeok’s death, Jang Uk finally comes to the lake where Mudeok died.
Still missing and remembering Mudeok’s presence, Jang Uk, who is carried away, kisses Bu Yeon.
