At the end of the Kingdom of the United Shilla,
the Royal family indulged in luxury and corruption,
and the thanes brought about revolts and wars.
The Royal Demon Slayers, the Chuyongdae,
raised a rebellion for the people, but ultimately failed.
The people turned into thieves and refugees, and in order to escape from the demons,
they offered the living as sacrifice. It was a time of extreme chaos.
Help me!
I don't want to die!
Eat that instead, and go back to your hell.
This isn't your world any longer.
This wine is excellent.
Just like the rumors have it.
I'm sorry we can offer only food
instead of money for your efforts.
Well, I just did it for the wine anyway.
And this Kimchi is delicious.
Since the Chuyongdae were executed,
I thought I'd never find a demon slayer again.
But we have a great slayer like you here.
We are blessed.
Oh, I'm nothing but a vagabond.
By the way,
we have another person to slay.
Yi Gwak, the head soldier of Chuyongdae.
Thank you for coming to our village.
What are you all doing?
He's the savior of our village!
We're short of food, so we need the bounty on his head to survive!
You bastards!
We put a sleeping pill in the wine.
And we already called the soldiers!
Then,
I should leave before I fall asleep.
Excuse me, where am I?
Oh goodness!
You came here without...
You're supposed to clean yourself at the Tanchi Bath first.
'Tanchi' what?
You smell so bad.
How many do you see?
Yes, a lack of adaptability again.
Listen carefully.
This is 'Midheaven' where the spirits stay for 49 days until reincarnated.
In other words, you're dead.
What?
I'm sure you're totally confused.
It's natural in the beginning.
You must've died on the streets.
But peacefully it seems, since your body has no scars.
What'd you eat to get so tall?
Don't let it get you down.
Do charitable deeds for 49 days,
and pray to be born human again.
Midheaven?
Not again! Don't be so nice!
I can never ignore someone who's helpless.
You dummy.
Follow me. I'll guide you through Midheaven.
How dare you make me wear this!
What an idiot.
Whether you're a king or beggar we're all the same here.
Stand in line to change your clothes.
Just show them your nameplate.
I'll see you around.
Nameplate?
You really are stupid.
This is what you get when you're dead.
Didn't you meet the Grim Reaper?
The guy in white with a sword.
What the hell?
Over here!
- Where is he? - Over there.
I knew something was odd about him. He didn't even go to the Tanchi Bath.
You're right.
When did you die?
Yesterday? Or today?
Oh goodness.
Think you're the only one who died yesterday or today?
Look at this. How can I find you in here?
Tell me your name and the date you died on.
YI...
Yi Gwak. Okay.
Let's see.
There is a Yi Gwang...
Yes?
But no Yi Gwak. What's going on here?
What's wrong? What's this?
Spirits don't do this.
Then, a living being?
He's not dead?
A living human?
How are living beings allowed in here?
Hey! Human!
Stop!
Everybody, stop!
Help the spirits here escape from this street!
The other reapers and Archangels are all dead.
So-hwa, you should escape first.
Get out of here now!
Hurry!
Get out of here!
So-hwa, please go.
Protect So-hwa!
So-hwa!
Yon-hwa, watch out!
Brother.
Who are you?
Yon-hwa.
Yon-hwa?
Yon-hwa, it's me!
Go away!
Yon-hwa, it's me, Yi Gwak.
It's Yi Gwak.
Don't you recognize me?
Are you a living being?
I'm the one who sees the ghosts!
Not her! Have mercy!
That witch summoned the ghosts, and wrecked havoc on this village.
Kill her!
No! No! No!
Yon-hwa!
Yon-hwa...
Yi Gwak...
Don't move.
Don't be scared. I'm So-hwa, a Chuneen.
You saved me, didn't you?
Then the White Reapers...
There was an uprising here.
We shut the gates to Midheaven to block the demons from entering.
But somehow you must've slipped in.
Go back to the village for now.
After I settle things, I'll let you leave.
Thanks for saving me.
What?
What's a 'Chuneen'?
What?
You said Chuneen.
A Chuneen is a heavenly being free from their agonies and memories.
You have no memories?
Yes, because I'm a Chuneen.
Your memories...
You lost your memories?
Yes.
You must have.
It was my fault.
My fault for not protecting you.
Are you in pain? It's the 'Yin' energy.
Don't breathe in so deeply.
Oh, my goodness.
What's wrong?
I'll never leave you alone again.
Never.
We killed all the White Reapers, but failed to catch So-hwa.
I sent the black birds, so they will bring the news.
The Chuneens we killed didn't have Chun-hon's 'Holy Stone.'
So-hwa must have it.
Since there is no one to help her, she'll be easy to catch.
I will go get her now.
But the one who saved So-hwa was none other than Yi Gwak.
Spirits can't use the 'Jajak Sword.'
So Yi Gwak must be alive.
This is the place where spirits remove the smell of the living.
A seven-day-wash here will help you adapt to Midheaven's 'Yin' energy.
Empty this bath.
Yes, ma'am
What are you waiting for? Get in.
OK.
Why do you have so many scars?
You must've suffered a great deal.
Chuneens can read the minds of others.
You seem to be a good person. A nice man.
Why do you take off your clothes? Just get in.
What?
Stay in the water for a half day.
You'll rid the smell from your body.
How could I be in the water for a half day?
Because you believe it's water, it looks like water.
If you don't, then it is not.
You can do it.
Ban-chu got his power
from the Pool of Reflection, which removes the livings' memories.
The only way to get rid of his power
is to put my spirit
into the pool when the moon is full.
If Midheaven vanishes,
the dead cannot get into Heaven,
and there will be no more births in this world.
You have to protect Midheaven.
I will give my 'Holy Stone' to So-hwa.
Sir Chun-hon. But I'm only a student.
I'm too weak to carry out this mission.
So-hwa.
Your mind resembles that of humans the most.
That's why I chose you.
You believe in humans. Don't change that thought.
When you become enlightened,
you'll receive great power from it.
Sir Chun-hon, please give me the strength.
Is this enough?
Oh no.
It was you?
Where is she?
So you're the man who So-hwa asked me to take to the village.
I asked you where she is.
Yon-hwa!
Hyo!
Yi Gwak, you've gotten very thin.
Sir Ban-chu is waiting for you.
Although I don't believe in the gods any more,
I have to thank them for one thing.
They still allow me to connect with you.
Thank you for being alive.
Sir.
You have good eyes.
So the one who sees the ghosts was you, not her.
We are the Royal Demon Slayers,
Chuyongdae.
Won't you join us?
The Jajak Sword, leading the spirit to the path to Heaven.
Only a human being can use this.
This is yours now.
Look at the sky, the earth,
and human beings with truthful eyes.
And remember the sword's meaning.
Now I appoint Yi Gwak to lead the Chuyongdae.
He'll hold all of Chuyongdae's power
and take charge of all ceremonies in the palace.
What shall we call you now?
Sir Yi Gwak?
Come on, that's weird between us.
Why not?
- Let's go. - Let's go have a drink!
Were you thinking of Yon-hwa?
I have something like that as well.
It's my wife's.
When I was Chuyongdae's head soldier,
my wife was raped while she was pregnant.
She committed suicide,
begging me for forgiveness.
The police executed a beggar for it,
but I knew all along that
the sons of the aristocracy
were the ones who raped my wife.
Now they are ministers of the court.
I've stood back and waited,
but there is no justice in this country.
While powerless people suffer, those with power grow fat.
Tonight, Chuyongdae will attack the capital.
Yi Gwak, let's go together.
Yi Gwak!
Now is not the right time.
If you go on like this,
everyone will be killed in vain.
Is that your answer?
Sir, please think this over.
Protect Sir Ban-chu!
Woong-gul!
Hyo!
Sir.
Get out of here.
I'll buy you some time.
Now is the beginning.
Are you still trying to change the world?
Is that why you brought about this revolt?
Yi Gwak.
I don't shed blood without reason.
If I can only get a hold of Chun-hon's Holy Stone,
there will be no more victims.
Yes.
She looks exactly like Yon-hwa.
She just lost her memories, that's all.
If she doesn't remember anything,
she isn't who she was before.
Even if you're right, she's already a Chuneen.
She'll never recognize you again.
Deliver this message to her.
Giving me the Holy Stone is the only way to stop the deaths.
But it's...
I trust you.
To complete my power, I must change the full moon's energy.
I won't move until my power is complete.
I'll use the Pool of Reflection to advance the full moon.
Demon Slayers?
They had the power to raise the revolt by using the demons.
What's Chun-hon's 'Holy Stone'?
Is that what you're after?
Is that why you pretended to save me?
I'm not your enemy.
Don't lie to me. You deceived me.
You said you can read minds, didn't you?
Then read mine.
I would never deceive you.
You promised
that you wouldn't forget me,
that you would remember me forever.
It's Sir Ban-chu's order. You two. Catch So-hwa.
The key to opening the portal to the Living World is the Holy Stone.
If he advances the full moon's arrival,
then he has to have it by then.
But what if Yi Gwak blocks us?
Cut off his head.
It's so beautiful.
Even if you're not my enemy,
as long as you know them, I can't be with you.
Yi Gwak took good care of us like a real brother would.
- Do we really have to kill him? - Everything depends on Yi Gwak.
Brother.
We received our order.
Be strong.
Do you know how dangerous it is for a living person to stay here?
Yin energy will get into your scars, and you will die.
Then you won't be able to reincarnate.
Why and how am I here?
I don't know why I have to care about you!
Why did you save me?
Why did you meet me?
Yi Gwak, please step away.
All we need is the Holy Stone.
Woong-gul.
Stay away from her.
This is none of your business.
If you block us, there's only one way out.
We can't fight like this.
You may kill me, but not her.
Run away.
Get out of here!
Now I will respect you no more.
I can't just stand here,
and see you all change like this.
Woong-gul.
I'll handle Yi Gwak.
I wish we could've met under better circumstances,
now it seems that's unlikely.
I wouldn't have to fight Yi Gwak if it weren't for you.
Woong-gul.
Yi Gwak.
Yi Gwak!
If you act on your own again, you won't be forgiven.
I came all the way here to see the world you've built up.
But Yi Gwak is a betrayer,
so why do you care so much about him?
Enough!
Still think of him as the head soldier?
I will tell you once more.
Let Yi Gwak come to me.
I understand him
since we have experienced similar suffering.
But,
he'll soon realize that he is being deceived by memories.
Once he realizes that love is transient,
he'll see the suffering the world has given him.
Yeo-wi, where are you going?
Don't do anything stupid.
Wake up, Hyo.
He has never cared about you.
If Sir Ban-chu hesitates, I'll kill Yi Gwak myself.
I can't stand that I'm so miserable and pathetic.
If I had been stronger, Midheaven wouldn't be like this.
And you wouldn't be in this mess.
I hate them so much.
I promised that I wouldn't change,
but I feel like I'm getting worse.
You can't change.
I'll help you.
I'm sorry for getting mad at you.
That's alright.
Are you hurt anywhere?
I'm okay.
OK.
Are you worried about me now?
I'm just worried because you're a living being.
Wasn't my hand cold?
What?
Spirits don't have any warmth.
It's the first time I've ever held a living person's hand.
And to feel my heart beating.