"I understand it was the Crown Prince's command." Uk complained.  "But how could he forbid me from visiting Mu-deok?" All this talk about the Crown Prince made Da-hye want to rip out her hair. Could they talk about someone or something else? "She must be worried sick about me." Uk said.

"I am sure she is just busy." Dang-gu said.

"I already told her you were doing fine." Da-hye said. Trying to end the conversation.

"No." Uk said.  "Do you think she would be relieved after hearing that?" Uk stood up. "She needs to see me in person." Uk said. So far, it seemed like he was in love with Mu-deok. He was so desperate to see her.

"Come here." Dang-gu put Uk's arm around his shoulder to help him walk. "Seeing her will only hurt you." Dang-gu helped Uk walk while Da-hye trailed behind them. Yul was probably showing Mu-deok his pet bird.

Da-hye was right that's what they were doing. Mu-deok was petting Yul's pet bird.

"See? Mu-deok is doing well." Dang-gu said. Uk started to leave.

"Wait. Uk." Dang-gu said. "What exactly did the Crown Prince and Mu-deok bet on?" 

Da-hye actually wanted to know that too. "I'm curious too." Da-hye said. "What was it? The thing you wanted to get." Da-hy asked.

"It does not matter. I cannot get it now since I lost." Uk started to walk away. "But how could she look so nonchalant after losing it?"

"So what was it?" Da-hye asked. "Tell me."

"Do not ask." Uk said.

Da-hye and Dang-gu took Uk back to Sejukwon.

 Da-hye had been summoned to talk with the leader and Master Lee. Master Lee was going to the Royal Palace to visit the King. He wanted Dang-gu, Yul, Da-hye, and Uk to accompany him. Da-hye was in a difficult position, she really did not want to see the Crown Prince but how could she deny Master Lee? It seemed like the Crown Prince was avoiding her as well.

"Please be careful at the palace." The leader said. "The ice stone is there."

"The ice stone?" Da-hye asked.  Someone in the palace had the ice stone? Who was it? It could not be the Crown Prince right? 

"My master, Master Seo Gyeong, before he died, he left an ice stone sealed in Lake Gyeonchondaeho. It has been found by someone." Master Lee explained to Da-hye. Could they be talking about the Queen? "Since they are shamelessly hiding it, I have decided to be brazen as well and make my move." Master Lee said.

The leader, Master Lee, Da-hye, and Master Heo were walking towards Uk, Yul, and Dang-gu to leave the training center and go to the Royal Palace. Master Heo and the leader walked next to Master Lee while Da-hye walked behind them.

"The last time I was invited to the palace, You were this little." Master Lee put his hand right below his cane.

"I remember enjoying the candies you had brought from there." The leader said. "By the way, should you not prepare a gift for His Majesty?"

"I have prepared one already." Master Lee said. "Yeom, send the gift over to the palace on time." Master Lee told Master Heo.

"Yes, Master." Master Heo said. "Was it between 5 pm and 7 pm?"

"Between 7 pm and 9pm, you fool." Master Lee scolded Master Heo.

"Right. I am sorry." Master Heo said. It was so strange how Master Lee looked much younger than Master Heo when in reality he was much older. Da-hye could not get used  to Master Lee scolding Master Heo, it looked so silly.

"Write it down so you will not forget." Master Lee said. "You used to be easily distracted. Now that you have aged, you have become forgetful as well." Master Lee told Master Heo. "Let us go."

Dang-gu, Yul, Da-hye, and Uk said their goodbyes to the leader and Master Heo and followed behind Master Lee.

"I just cannot get used to seeing that." Dang-gu said.

On their way out, they saw Sang-ho with a few other mages and a short man who looked like a broker.  The man was maybe around Mu-deok's height. Da-hye did not think too much about it.

The five of them finally arrived at the palace. There were many guards, obviously. Da-hye noticed that the Crown Prince was trying to avoid eye contact with her. Why?

The Crown Prince had not know that Da-hye was going to accompany Master Lee to the palace. Seeing her made him so nervous. He could not stop thinking about what his Master, Jin Mu, had said about her. It was bothering him so much. Could Naksu really have shifted into her body? He really wanted to believe that she was not Naksu. But it was so hard.

"Welcome, Master Lee Cheol." The King said. 

" I am grateful for your invitation, Your Majesty." Master Lee said.

"Master Lee." The King said. "If you were Master Seo Gyeong's pupil, you must be well over a century old. So how do you maintain such a youthful appearance?" The king asked.

"How old do I look, Your Majesty?" Master Lee asked.

"You look like you are in your mid-thirties." The King replied. "At most, forty years old."

"You are right." Master Lee replied. "That is my biological age." Biological age? What?

"What?" The King asked.

"My soul is over a century old." Master Lee said. "My body from birth had turned to ashes long ago. This body did not originally belong to me." Was Master Lee a soul shifter?

"Does that mean you have switched bodies?" The King asked.

"That is correct." Master Lee said. "I am soul shifter."

Dang-gu and Da-hye both looked at each other, shocked and confused.

"Your Majesty. Did you not summon me today to find the soul shifter?" Master Lee asked. "I will do just that. I can recognize soul shifters." Could that mean he knew Mu-deok was Naksu? He allowed this?  He allowed her to remain in the real Mu-deok's body?

On the outside, the Queen did not look to worried, but Da-hye had learned to read people. Her body language said otherwise. She was definitely nervous. Master Lee revealed that he had shifted souls using Hwansu.

"What Hwansu entails is truly impressive." The King said. "I thought all soul shifters were monsters. But in your case, you gained youth and eternal life. It is no wonder that everyone wanted the ice stone for the alchemy of souls."

"Everyone coveted it, which led to endless fights. And that is why it was banned." Master Lee explained.

The Crown Prince could not help looking at Da-hye. It seemed like she did not even care that he was ignoring her. But he was wrong, Da-hye felt like she was going to cry. She had never been as in love with someone as she was with the Crown Prince.

"All right, Master Lee." The King said. "You say you can recognize soul shifters. Take a look around. Are there any soul shifters in this palace?" The King asked.

Everyone looked at Master Lee waiting for an answer.  "I cannot tell just by looking at them." Master Lee answered. "If they do not show their blue marks or run wild and get petrified, they look no different from ordinary humans." Master Lee explained.

"Then how do you recognize them?" The Crown Prince asked.

"The fear of getting caught. The horror of getting petrified." Master Lee explained. "I must bring that out of them." Master Lee said.

"So you recognize them by instilling fear?" The king asked.

"I apologize if I disappointed you." Master Lee said. "Instead, I will give you a gift, Your Majesty." Master Lee told the King.  What could the gift be? Da-hye wondered.

"A gift? what have you brought?" The King asked. 

"A dog." Master Lee said. Da-hye's  mind immediately went to Gwigu.

"A dog?" The king asked.

"He is a clever and gentle dog." Master Lee said. "He should be in front of the royal palace by now. May I bring him inside?" Master Lee asked.

"You brought him as a gift, so of course." The King said. "Bring him in."

"Jang Uk." Master Lee told Uk. "I want you to go and bring the dog. If you successfully bring him in, I shall give you a reward." Master Lee said. Uk nodded his head and left. Reward for bringing a dog in? That was strange, why would Uk need a reward?

Everyone waited for Uk to come back with the dog.

𝗗𝗮-𝗵𝘆𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗜 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 😭. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴-𝗴𝘂. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴-𝗴𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗱. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗜'𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼