It seems like the ice stone has been split into 2.

one part with queen and the other with mudeok.

if there are 2 souls inside the queens body (queen's and shaman's) there should be 2 souls inside mu deok as well(bu yeon's and naksu's)

so does that mean bu yeon was the one who saved jang uk from a soul shifting scene in a previous episode?

and bu yeon was also born with the help of alchemy of souls. she was already dead in the womb. but bu yeon's mother begs jang kang to revive her using ice stone.

how does alchemy of souls revive dead body's souls?  does it somehow put the dead person's souls back into the body? or does it put someone else's soul into the dead body? how was bu yeon's birth possible?

 Kathryn_51:
at the halfway point in the series, we now know that Jang Uk and Jin Bu Yeon are the two Daeho mages whose fates were twisted AT BIRTH by the ice stone. Others have been indirectly affected, but JU and JBY are different. It's possible that Cho Choong's daughter ("Naksu") was also impacted at birth, but so far we haven't been shown any indication of this - she was indirectly affected because her father soul-shifted and went wild.

Yeah. It is still unclear how Nak Su's birth came to be. If I understood correctly, she's older than Bu Yeon and Jang Uk? Especially since her father showed her the King's star (then again, maybe that scene after Jang Uk and Bu Yeon were born and she's younger?)



 julie:
we know that jin buyeon wasn't born 'naturally'. she was actually dead, then brought back to life by jang kang with the power of the ice stone, so stayed in mother jin for a total of 13 months. mother jin begged jang kang to save her daughter by using the ice stone to "summon" back her soul in her dead body. does this mean that jin buyeon was actually born a soul-shifter ? we know that alchemy of souls has 3 distinct purposes, one of them being bringing back the dead.

Oooh, yeah! I totally forgot about that!

That explains why she has an affinity to the ice stone. It also explains why Jin Moo used her to find the ice stone Jang Kang locked away, only Bu Yeon can sense it and release it.

This makes it even more interesting as to the reason why Bu Yeon refused to give the ice stone to them and instead tried to use the power (or absorb?) herself. Was she tempted? Or, her affinity made her feel or sense that she's one with the ice stone or a part of her was from ice stone?


 julie:
it brings us back to ep.1, with that 'mysterious woman' aka actress yeom hyeran, when we first saw a soul-shifter (her son) running wild+absorbing her energy. she seemed close to jang kang, seemingly during the same time as he was learning alchemy of souls. that also means she was close to the ice stone that he unsealed during that time period. could she be that choi shaman (aka the current queen soul-shifter), as she seemed to be kind of 'assisting' jang kang in his practice of alchemy of souls ?

That is very possible!

 Conservative_Torch:
if there are 2 souls inside the queens body (queen's and shaman's) there should be 2 souls inside mu deok as well(bu yeon's and naksu's)

There is only one in the case of the Queen's body. Initially I thought there are two souls but after I replayed the conversation, the real queen is in the Shaman's body locked some place.


 Conservative_Torch:
so does that mean bu yeon was the one who saved jang uk from a soul shifting scene in a previous episode?

Correct, it was Bu Yeon.


 Conservative_Torch:
how does alchemy of souls revive dead body's souls? does it somehow put the dead person's souls back into the body? or does it put someone else's soul into the dead body? how was bu yeon's birth possible?

The ice stone has many powers, one is making AoS spell work. It call the original soul of a dead body back; or it can eject a soul from a body and replaced with another one.

It can also place a different soul in a dead body. This was how Jang Kang practicing AoS, he place souls in dead bodies. When the king asked him to perform AoS, it was more likely the first time he used AoS to shift souls of two living people. Which later he told Jin Moo, his apprentice (because he needs Jin Moo to cast AoS so they can return to their own bodies).

So, yep, quite possibly the real Bu Yeon was called back to her body.

OR OR OR OR OR!!!! I just thought of this now.

The soul that entered the Bu Yeon body (inside the womb) was not the original Bu Yeon soul rather the soul of the Jin mage who called down the power of heaven which also brought the ice stone. Hence "Bu Yeon" was born blind because she technically became the reincarnation of their ancestor.

My small Conclusion from last scene of ep12 i feel-


When Uk saw Mudeok keeping her hand on the soul shifted guy, it was Buyeon who was sucking the energy.

It's not Naksu who's running wild. Uk and Mudeok are simply confused since they're unaware that icestone girl Buyeon's soul is still present in Mudeoks body! Buyeon being very powerful didn't want her body to be damaged. Maybe she needs that human energy to overpower Naksu's soul and finally takeover her body

Ep13 preview shows Mudeok has tied a cloth on her eyes again..maybe it's the blue mark in her eyes showing Buyeon's existence ??

This is getting very interesting now!

jxxvvxxkstan , Fujihara Tomomi , Ahead and IM YourOnlyOne
Your theories are always what I look forward to reading, always detailed with insights that we didn't catch at first oh and  Kathryn_51 too for being eagle eyed.

Now that everyone's trying to deduce who and what the ice stone does to who ie. Naksu? Bu Yeon? Bu Yeon/Naksu?

Let's take a step back and see the others in the picture. So far we don't know:

1. How did young Bu Yeon agree to go on that raft "expedition" to extract the ice stone? Mommy Jin was never on good terms with Uncle Jin Mu, it was a well-known fact, and knowing Mommy Jin was overprotective how did this happen? There were people behind them but it was more like Uncle Jin's hencemen.

2. Who is Daddy Jin? We know from ep 12 that he is suspicious. Is he the Shaman/fake Queen's right-hand man sent to infiltrate the Jins?
 
3. Why is the Jin matrilinial? I.e. mothers and daughters are the head of the household. Has this to do with the fact they are descendants of the priestess? Hence only the female of the household gets the powers?

4.  Was the woman Mu Deok/Bu Yeon living with a normal person or a mage who knows Mu Deok/Bu Yeon needs to be protected? Hence changing her name to Mu Deok. We know Mu Deok/Bu Yeon is too kind (and probably gullible). Could this be the reason why the lady was killed or made to die?

5. How or when did Mu Deok/Bu Yeon become friends with So Yi?

On the Naksu front:
1. Who is daddy Cho? Why is he targeted to be a soul shifter and thus end up killing every one of his family except Naksu?

2. Was Naksu always so special (even before Jin Mu's training) that Jin Mu "picked" her to be used to do his dirty work? (coz now we know Naksu actually didnt kill all the mages like the Songrim people think she did, she was just cleaning up Jin Mu's mess)

Now you are probably asking why I ask all these, well from ep 12 you can see that every character they put in the show means something (now we know that Eunuch Woo was an important soul shifter) and adds to the layers of storytelling. Even in the funny scene of the jade being activated and we get Uk hating that his heart beats "for the Crown Prince".  We know it's going to be used later when Mu Deok/Naksu got it back that it's going to be their tracking device, and (I hate to say this) an indication of their existence. I.e. if one stops shining it shows that the person is dead. This brings me to that pesky line that Jang Uk keeps repeating, "if I die, you die too". Now if both die then it's probably why part 2 has less JSM and more Naksu because Mu Deok/Bu Yeon is technically dead, to begin with (she was supposed to be stillborn, the only reason she existed was that Jang Kang put the ice stone in her). 

I have a feeling that Jang Kang will come at the end and rescue Uk. Jang Kang's whereabouts are still unknown, so he must be mastering some spells and waiting for the right time to come. I hope he will protect Uk and Jin since Jin Mu will target them. Also what if Naksu's body isn't actually burnt and is kept hidden. And at the end, Mu deok will soul shift into Naksu's body and Bu yeon will try to end all the evil soul shifters with her ice stone. The real Queen might also take over the shaman's body.

Ok, for more visibility I'll post this here as well.

Have you noticed that in past scenes the male mage that was holding the shifting Ice Stone and making black powder was called Choi mage? Looks like it was that clan who figured out the alchemy of souls first and misused it. Soul shifted Choi shaman inside the queen's body is of that clan and maybe even still alive frome those past times? Choi are a disgraced clan seeking revenge and destruction of Songrim. And in the latest episodes we've learnt they also seek immortality through soul shifting sorcery.
And then there was a scene with that Choi mage from past times and two people silouettes - a man and a blind dancer woman from the rain summoning ritual. They were likely Songrim founder and Jin clan’s ancestor with whom Songrim founder was in love and wrote that invisible poem to. Songrim founder was the one who disgraced Choi clan. Likely a foreshadowing of history repeating itself - ML and FL will have to stop Choi and their minions again.
Also, the real queen is still alive somewhere in shaman’s body.

And one more thing, in episode 12 when eunuch spoke to the fake queen/Shaman he mentioned that Shaman's sibling is somewhere in Jinyowon and that only that eunuch can bring that sibling back to the Shaman. Shaman's sibling is trapped or in trouble? Or is it Jin father who was already revealed to be working with the villains. Did he get soul shifted as well?

 Aurora Nebula:
I have a feeling that Jang Kang will come at the end and rescue Uk. Jang Kang's whereabouts are still unknown, so he must be mastering some spells and waiting for the right time to come.

I doubt that Jang Kang is off mastering useful spells. More likely, he's off feeling angry, sulking, brooding over the past, congratulating himself on what he did to Jang Uk, drinking, or looking for female companionship. It's way past the right time, and if I were Jang Uk, I'd place no stock in Jang Kang.

 Vniverse:
Ep13 preview shows Mudeok has tied a cloth on her eyes again..maybe it's the blue mark in her eyes showing Buyeon's existence ??

Wow I thought that because Bu-yeon used her power Mu-doek ended up being blind for a moment but honestly that makes a lot more sense since she's not blind in the end of ep 12. I just hope Jin Mu doesn't see her blindfolded and suspects anything.

Heh, was replying to a thread in another community and I realized something.

Since you need the power of the ice stone to perform AoS …

When Jang Kang performed AoS with the former king; and the king slept with Jang Kang's wife, Jang Uk not only inherited the magic of Jang Kang (as his biological father), the king's (as his second magical father), but also the power of the ice stone.

This is similar in a way to Bu Yeon. She was already dead and her soul was returned through the power of the ice stone.

In other words, there are two people with the power of the ice stone in them:
a. Jang Uk
b. Bu Yeon

And both can not "unleash" their powers.

This would also explain why Bu Yeon "saved" Jang Uk during an AoS attempt against him. Bu Yeon recognizes the power of the ice stone in Jang Uk. Since the magical expertise of the Jin clan is "sealing" and Jang Uk doesn't know how to use his hidden power, Bu Yeon intervened to ensure the power of the ice stone hidden in Jang Uk remains in the correct body.

Imagine if Bu Yeon did not intervene. Jang Uk in a different body may go wild with the power of the ice stone. Or, the power of the ice stone remains in Jang Uk's body and someone else will be able to use it. Both scenarios are dangerous, very dangerous.

---

Now, there's Nak Su.

There is something about Nak Su's birth. Bu Yeon wouldn't just absorb her soul.

We do not know when her father was soul shifted. Was her father already soul shifted before Nak Su was conceived? If so, then it means Nak Su's birth was from a soul shifter thus Nak Su is also carrying a portion of the ice stone in her.

And could it be the reason Bu Yeon absorbed Nak Su because part of her came from the ice stone?

If so, then Jang Uk + "Bu Yeon / Nak Su" is one very scary combination and CAN truly match Jin Moo's plans.



 Aramintai:
Choi are a disgraced clan seeking revenge and destruction of Songrim.

Ahh! I've always wondered why there are only 11 families + 1 Royal family (who themselves are a mage clan).

It is very common to always have an odd number when talking about clans/families because 1 will always be the "special" or "royal" or "leader" or "strongest".

In their case, it should be 12 families + 1 royal family. I've always wondered where the other family is.

Good catch that it's the Choi clan.

Ma théorie :  

  • Le père de Jang UK est  réellement Jang Gang  (il avait derrière la naissance de Jang UK un plus grand dessin. Je trouve qu’il a accepté trop facilement le changement d’âme avec le roi). le roi mort, Le roi n’était pas un mage, comment il aurait pu hériter des pouvoirs de mage de Jang Gang si  ce n’était pas son vrai fils ?
  •  Mu Deok est la Bu-Yeon, la fille ainé de la famille JIN (elle a ouvert sans aucun problème la cave des reliques de la famille JIN quand elle a été emprisonné dans le miroir. Elle possédait ou possède un énorme pouvoirs divine, c’est ce qui permet à l’âme de NAKSU de ne pas se transformer en métamorphe malgré la faiblesse de son corps et ce qui fait qu’elle n’a pas besoin d’absorber l’énergie des vivants. Je pense que c’est la seule qui pourra débloquer le pouvoir de la Pierre de Glace.
  • Mu Deok n’a pas de relation avec Seo Yul mais est attiré par lui du fait  qu’il peut voir une certaine similitude avec Naksu qu’il a connu plus jeune. Même si ils se sent attiré par elle, il a déjà vu que Mu Deok aime Jang UK.
  • J’imagine que JANG GANG a dû voir un grand dessin pour le bien du pays à travers JANG UK et Mu Deok à travers la lecture des constellations qui auraient été fait par le Père de NAKSU  c’est pour cela qu’il a été tué après avoir été transformé en Métamorphe par la reine et Jin M. Peut-être qu’il  a vu comment se débarrasser de la Pierre de Glace sans qu’il y ait a nouveau le chaos comme 200 ans auparavant , ou il pourra détruire le DANKU ???

Bonjour, J’aurais une question à poser s’il vous plait :

Je vois constate que certains d’entre vous  en sont déjà aux épisodes 12. Pouvez-vous me dire sur quelle chaine ou application  vous regarder la série s’il vous plait ? Je vous remercie de votre partage et de votre gentillesse

 Kim Hee Soo:
2. Who is Daddy Jin? We know from ep 12 that he is suspicious. Is he the Shaman/fake Queen's right-hand man sent to infiltrate the Jins?

My guess is that he is Shaman Choi's sibling.

 Kim Hee Soo:
3. Why is the Jin matrilinial? I.e. mothers and daughters are the head of the household. Has this to do with the fact they are descendants of the priestess? Hence only the female of the household gets the powers?

I guess it's because Jin Seolran had divine powers. That's why she was the one who performed the spell to make it rain in Daeho again. She is also the founder of Jinyowon. Who knows, maybe it was prophesized that only the girls in the Jin clan would have that kind of strong connection with the divine.

 Divine = everything celestial. In the first episode, they said "the energy of the sky rules the wind, clouds, and rain." Daeho was created with the energy of the sky. Hwansu is said to be a "godlike" power to transform water into fire. The ice stone has that same power. 

 Kim Hee Soo:
1. Who is daddy Cho? Why is he targeted to be a soul shifter and thus end up killing every one of his family except Naksu?

My theory is that Jin Mu used him to get Uk's constellation birth plate. Whoever was inside daddy Cho's body, willingly sacrificed himself to bury the truth. Jin Mu likes to fabricate stories to eliminate suspicion (see how he ordered a public assassination for the noble soul shifter in episode 12). 

 Kim Hee Soo:
2. Was Naksu always so special (even before Jin Mu's training) that Jin Mu "picked" her to be used to do his dirty work?

Jin Mu didn't expect her to be that strong. But since she was the only survivor and was too young to understand what happened, he did use her trauma to control her.

Thank you for asking all those questions! Hopefully, the writers won't forget to answer all of them.

 jxxvvxxkstan:
My theory is that Jin Mu used him to get Uk's constellation birth plate. Whoever was inside daddy Cho's body, willingly sacrificed himself to bury the truth. Jin Mu likes to fabricate stories to eliminate suspicion (see how he ordered a public assassination for the noble soul shifter in episode 12). 


We dont know if he soul shifted with another person... If he did than this person ran wild and killed the entire family.  

Where are the other body with his soul? Could he be still alive? Why he didnt killed Jin Mu or took revenge from the murderer of his family? Is he being controlled by the ice stone power to not run wild through this years? Coul he be Jin dad? 

But I think the case of Cho Chong must be similar to Gil ju. He didnt soul shifted with another person, something went wrong  when he became a soul shifter and he ran wild. Because we could see Jang Kang crying for his petrified friend.