TSWWTN: EPISODE 15

THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT EPISODE 15

Gunman in Joseon

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Lee: Stunning hairstyle

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Lee: Excellent dance performance

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Lee Joon Gi with two cute cats

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Lee Joon Gi and Lee Yu Bi

MATRILINEAL DESCENT

KIM SUNG YEOL THE ROMANTIC JOSEON VAMPIRE IN HIS CLASSY HANBOK A weak Kim Sung Yeol fights to protect his beloved In Episode 15 of ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’, the dour Kim Sung Yeol, Jo Yang Sun’s knight in shining armour (romantic Joseon vampire in his classy hanbok), arrives in time to save her. With outstretched hands, he blocks her from King Lee Yoon. Earlier, King Lee Yoon has mounted a hunt for Jo Yang Sun for the purpose of catching her and presenting her to Gwi as the Joseon Kingdom's sacrificial lamb. He is furious with Kim Sung Yeol for obstructing him and commands him to ‘Move!’ He brandishes his sword, which shimmers like brilliant steel. Furious: King Lee Yoon Kim Sung Yeol would not budge and instead confronts the king on the ground where he has fallen after his short scuffle with him. With his searching gaze and the murderous intensity of his eyes that pierce into the king’s heart, he growls out, ‘If you don’t kill me now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.’ The long shining sword, in the king’s hand, is thin enough to slice through Kim Sung Yeol’s body and he is ready to swing it towards Kim Sung Yeol’s head. Reasoning has left the king. What has happened to the king? The beginning of this episode gives the viewers no emotional respite because questions are raised about King Lee Yoon’s character. Is he so cruel as to want to sacrifice the lives of his subjects to save the Joseon Kingdom? He is no better than a beast and no braver than his grandfather. Is he going to kill anyone who is in his way of achieving his goals? It seems the lines between chivalry and cowardice, patriotism and betrayal are ambiguous and blurred. The soldiers swarm from all sides to surround Kim Sung Yeol and Jo Yang Sun. King Lee Yoon, being relentless, does not hesitate and brings his sword down, but he is stopped in the nick of time by the appearance of Baek In Ho, a hulking man, who takes the soldiers from the rear and slains them. And, if it is not for the alertness of Ho Jin, Kim Sung Yeol’s aide, King Lee Yoon would have stopped them with his sword. The arrival of Baek In Ho saves the day Kim Sung Yeol and Jo Yang Sun make a beeline for an escape route but the soldiers follow hard on their heels. However, the soldiers are no match for the vampire scholar Kim Sung Yeol  who is strong enough to be able to zigzag like a flash and fly swiftly like swirling winds with inhuman speed, carrying his beloved away. Kim Sung Yeol carries his beloved in his arms When they arrive at their destination, he collapses in a heap, unconscious, exhausted and hungry, and she has to position him away from the sun and close the door. Kim Sun Yeol’s wings are clipped. Carrying her over the threshhold The blinding light of the sun Soo Hyang, being allowed to leave Gwi’s underground palace, happens to see them and follows them. She instructs Jo Yang Sun to seek refuge at her relative’s abandoned house at the foot of Gobong Mountain. They forge ahead travelling with a horse under the mantle of darkness, and when they arrive at the deserted cottage in the faraway village, a man helps them. Kim Sung Yeol has previously saved his daughter from a band  of thieves. a kind-hearted villager carries Kim Sung Yeol The scholar is carried into the house Kim Sung Yeol passes out but upon stirring, his head is probably spinning round in dizzy circles. Perhaps, there is hammering in his head too. He groans, his lips and throat are dry and parched and his voice is hoarse. His whole being cries for blood nourishment. Kim Sung Yeol: unconscious Much has been said about Jo Yang Sun's fantasy of the scholar as a romantic figure. When he turns out to be a vampire who drinks human blood, she is shocked. Now, which normal  girl wouldn't? However, she is redeemed in the viewers' eyes when she accepts him for what he is, a vampire. Here, the writers of the drama invoke a conventional romance situation - a cold but vulnerable scholar and an infatuated, warm-hearted admirer. Not surprisingly, given the urgency of the situation, Jo Yang Sun even bites her own finger and gives him a trickle of her blood. The taste of the blood heals him but he tells her not to do it again because in the future,   he might not be able to resist her blood. The implication is that he might bite her in his madness. It’s an abomination. Fingers of hunger creep into his stomach. His face twitches. He has resisted feasting on human blood for some time. A wave of dizziness washes over him, drowning him in blood hunger and suffering. The vampire's suffering The vampire regains consciousness Jo Yang Sun goes in search of blood for her beloved. The villager who has helped them earlier recognizes Kim Sung Yeol as ‘The Night Scholar’. He is, coincidentally, a butcher, and gives her some meat, which is not what she wanted. While Jo Yang Sun is too embarrassed to ask for blood, he and his daughter seem to understand and give her a bowl of blood. Jo Yang Sun tries to obtain blood for Kim Sung Yeol Jo Yang Sun has accepted Kim Sung Yeol’s blood drinking activities. He drinks the blood, his stomach heaves but he does not retch it back.  He remembers the treachery of Queen Choi Hye Ryung and his stolen black robe. a bowl of blood Anxiety drives him to his feet and he is reeling from not feeding on fresh human blood. Jo Yang Sun forbids him, on any account, from venturing out of the house, and drives home the point that he must recuperate fully before going out. The vampire has not fed on human blood. Suffering vampire Vampire: after drinking blood Kim Sung Yeol wonders why he has recovered so quickly with just a drop of Jo Yang Sun's blood. Is it true that her mother’s lineage is related to Gwi? Meanwhile, Baek In Ho, the vampire hunter, who is Jo Yang Sun’s father’s friend, remembers that Jo Yang Sun’s mother has been bitten by Qwi but it has not affected Qwi in the least but instead, her mother dies from her wounds. Jo Yang Sun, having been told by King Lee Yoon about her special lineage, asks Kim Sung Yeol whether she is the key to Qwi’s destruction, but he denies it angrily, and lies that the king has been misled. She requests Kim Sung Yeol to live a simple life with her for awhile instead of spending time fighting against Qwi. He then asks her what she means by, 'For Awhile'. Her answer: 10, 20, 50 years. His heart feels lighter for awhile with the knowledge that she has returned his love for her. He wants to hug her but he fears if he embraces her then, he might hurt her, but she is not afraid of his vampirish tendencies and embraces him. Jo Yang Sun requests Kim Sung Yeol to stay together After Jo Yang Sun learns of her fate which is connected to her matrilineal descent, she feels burdened.  Kim Sung Yeol invites her for a walk. She puts on a new pair of shoes for him which she has made over several nights.  In the dusky moonlight, they take a walk and she confesses that her imagination is different from reality. She couldn't imagine in reality the heavy burden that he has to carry. But he retorts that her imagination changes a person and the person changes the world. In his mind, there is no flicker of doubt that her imagination of him changes how he sees the world. He again offers to give her a piggy back ride. ‘Am I not heavy?’ she asks but he does not think so. The trees block the moon and cast feathery shadows around them. Her sad expression, when she rests her head on his left shoulder, is quite touching. When he wakes up, she is gone. She has already planned to sacrifice herself. http://tvcast.naver.com/v/505540 piggy back ride Jo Yang Sun puts the new shoes on for Kim Sung Yeol

THE JOSEON KINGDOM PECKING ORDER Pecking Order Chart New Joseon Kingdom Pecking Order When King Lee Yoon returns to the palace after his failed manhunt, he demands to know how Queen Choi Hye Ryung has been able to steal Kim Sung Yeol’s black magic robe. and also, her exact relationship with Kim Sung Yeol. She explains that Kim Sung Yeol has mistaken her for his first love, Lee Myung Hee, as she bears an uncanny resemblance to her.  Qwi has threatened to turn her into a vampire if she does not wrest the robe from Kim Sung Yeol for him. She is able to relieve the weak Kim Sung Yeol of his robe with the help of her henchman, and then surrenders the robe to the king. However, she does not reveal the whole truth about her relationship with Gwi, that she has been his slave since young. The queen proffers a hand to Kim Sung Yeol Kim Sung Yeol is misled into believing the queen is  the same as his former girlfriend The resemblance is uncanny The vampire loses consciousness She offers to sacrifice herself to Gwi, if ever, one day, the robe falls into Gwi's hands,  but the King rejects it and orders her not to surrender to Qwi.  Queen Choi Hye Ryung remembers her father bringing her to be Qwi’s slave. She must have been deprived of parental love,   and compares King Lee Yoon’s love for her and her father’s love for power. Queen Choi Hye Ryung has not been appearing before Gwi for some time. He must have missed her, so, the evil vampire drops in for a night visit.  Queen Choi Hye Ryung lies that she has not been able to obtain the black magic robe from Kim Sung Yeol because his heart is with Jo Yang Sun. Gwi does not believe her and threatens her. Queen Choi Hye Ryung King Lee Yoon coincidentally appears when Qwi was in the act of strangling her. Qwi threats are not empty ones. He declares, as he lustfully wraps his arms around the queen’s shoulders and hands, that he has half a mind to make her a vampire. The king makes his objections clear. Being dissatisfied with the king's insolence, Qwi whistles, and suddenly, the 'trainee' vampire Yook Hak Yong hoists the shocked king up and smashes him onto the floor. The king grits his teeth, his voice becomes more hoarse and edged in pain. He tries to rise to his feet but comes face to face with his former aide and friend who does not recognize him. If truth be told, at that moment, King Lee Yoon looks like a frightened child, whimpering like a woman and with tears welling up in his eyes. He must have felt so helpless and weak. It amuses Qwi to no end to watch the confident king deteriorate emotionally and mentally before his very eyes. The king does not have to weigh the odds about Gwi's commands and threats. He has been treated with utter disdain and warned that he won't die an easy death. Having given a final warning to the royal duo, Gwi and his trainee vampire swiftly depart. King Lee Yoon is furious and wants to exact revenge on Qwi. He fears for his queen for if she is a vampire, she will walk in the shadows of the undead. King Lee Yoon is threatened by Gwi Qwi has achieved what he has set out to do. He has got the king cowering like a frightened kitten, or a mouse about to be trampled by a humongous elephant. His royal spirit is crushed. King Lee Yoon is scared that vampire Qwi will make good his promise of turning his queen into a vampire so he is compelled to obey Qwi’s orders. A cloud of misfortune seems to hang over the palace. Gwi mandates that meetings be held after 11.00 pm., not in the morning.  The king summons the ministers and palace officials to congregate for a session at night to issue an edict. The palace officials are vexed over the night time audience with their king. King Lee Yoon painfully summons all his strength to make the treacherous proclamation against his deceased grandfather, King Hyeonjo. Qwi has spelled out clearly what he has to say. ‘The previous king, has been niggardly with his generosity and affection and has provoked the heavens to punish him’, so from then on, he, King Lee Yoon, will tighten his rule over the ignorant people in the Joseon Kingdom. ‘If any officials or people were to rebel against his rule, punitive measures will be taken against them. The deputy Prime Minister is, indeed ,right when he says that the deceased king, his grandfather, King Hyeonjo, would surely turn in his grave. Puppet King: King Lee Yoon is humiliated  in the presence of palace officials Suddenly, the slow measured sound of Qwi’s footsteps could be heard. His arrival is full of melodrama. With the swishing of his hanbok robes,  Qwi enters, swaggering into the palace hall as if he owns the whole place. Parading up to the throne, he unceremoniously sweeps away the king’s edict from the low table. King Lee Yoon who is seated on his throne shivers in horror as Qwi proceeds to seat himself in front of him. It is a breach of political protocol to place oneself in front of the king but Qwi is openly and with great flourish trying to show to all and sundry, that he is the power behind the throne.  Qwi does not deny himself the luxury of implying that the king is just a figurehead and a puppet. With obvious authority and commanding presence, he silences all protests. The ambitious Prime Minister, Choi Chui Jong is obviously delighted. The helpless king shakes violently, and his hands and innards must have been twisting too. He is seething with rage at Qwi’s mockery of the throne. Qwi adds some more insulting new laws for good measure to ensure King Lee Yoon’s humiliation is complete. Qwi has, in actual fact, proclaimed his position at the top of the pecking order. It is obvious that his lackey, the Prime Minister is below him. Only then comes King Lee Yoon, and the much weakened Kim Sung Yeol is placed at the bottom of the Joseon Kingdom struggle.

SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION MATRILINEAL DESCENT THE EMERGENCE OF HALF-VAMPIRE, HALF-HUMAN DESCENDANTS Jo Yang Sun, overhears Kim Sung Yeol’s conversation with Soo Hyang that she is the key to the destruction of Qwi.  Later, she discusses the issue with Soo Hyang and realises then that Kim Sung Yeol has lied to protect her. Key To Killing Gwi: Soo Hyang discusses Jo Yang Sun's situation Soo Hyang talks to Jo Yang Sun about the matrilinieal descent pattern Meanwhile, the puppet king, wants to catch Kim Sung Yeol because he has been a hindrance in his drive to get Jo Yang Sun to sacrifice herself to Qwi so that Qwi will die from sucking her blood. At the same time, Qwi also wants to lure Kim Sung Yeol out and orders that young unmarried females to be sent to his underground palace. The Prime Minister thinks they should be able to trap both Kim Sung Yeol and Jo Yang Sun.    A group of black-robed rebels mounts an assault on the palace to prevent the virgin girls from being sent to Qwi. Jo Yang Sun is shocked to hear that she is Qwi’s descendant. According to the tale, Gwi once has a relationship with a human female. She has a child without his knowledge so he kills her. It is believed that the child's half-human, half-vampire blood would kill him. The child’s descendants have been killed by Gwi but luckily, Jo Yang Sun’s mother’s lineage has survived. It is now clear that Jo Yang Sun is a carrier of the half-vampire, half human blood. If Qwi knows, he will kill her. She then remembers that her father has told her to wear male clothing to protect her female identity and prevent people from hurting her. Soo Hyang informs her that if she does not sacrifice herself, one of the female descendants might be sacrificed, based on the matrilineal descent pattern. When Jo Yang Sun realises that if she sacrifices her life to Gwi, the Joseon Kingdom will finally be rid of Qwi. She makes the decision to be the sacrificial lamb. She chooses to sacrifice her life. What everyone does not know is the postulation about Jo Yang Sun's lineage is wrong. The vampire hunter, Baek In Ho, who is Jo Yang Sun’s father’s friend, remembers that Jo Yang Sun’s mother has been bitten by Qwi but Qwi is still safe and sound. Instead Jo Yang Sun mother dies from her wounds. Therefore, the postulation that those from that matrilineal line will be Gwi’s nemesis is not true. Based on the matrilineal charts above, only the matrilineal line is affected. In the second generation, females who have the half-human half-vampire blood are produced. In the third, fourth and fifth generation, both male and female carriers of the blood are produced. If Jo Yang Sun does not carry that particular type of blood and is normal, who is the carrier of that blood? Can it be a male carrier’s blood which could kill Gwi? Could there be a mixed-up of the children when they were young? Could the nemesis of Gwi be King Lee Yoon? But the question remains, if Jo Yang Sun is not the key, why does her blood help Kim Sung Yeol to recover that quickly?

TSWWTN: EPISODE 14

THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT EPISODE 14

Lee: athletic

Lee: smiling

Kim Sung Yeol: Intense look

Kim Sung Yeol: athletic

Kim Sung Yeol: Handsome

Kim Sung Yeol: Resting

Vampire Scholar: Kim Sung Yeol

Left profile: Kim Sung Yeol

Lee: contemplative mood

Lee: Sexy

Lee's laughter and smiles are his trademarks

REALITY SETS IN

FORGIVENESS KILLER OF HER FATHER Kim Sung Yeol: Shocked at Jo Yang Sun's screams At the beginning of the Episode 14, Kim Sung Yeol fights with the new vampire, Noh Hak Yong, who almost bites Jo Yang Sun. On defeating him, he raises his hands to thrust the sansa dagger into him. She screams at him to stop and then faints. It dawns on Jo Yang Sun that Kim Sung Yeol is her father’s killer. Noh Hak Yong has turned into a vampire Which is worse: your father’s killer or your boyfriend being a vampire? She accepts the fact that he is a vampire but an idealised romantic version of a vampire. Jo Yang Sun: distraught Finding out that Kim Sung Yeol is her father’s killer is a shock. Her father has been turned into a vampire by Gwi. It is not his fault that he is a vampire.  If her father sucks her blood, it is also not his fault. Kim Sung Yeol is also a vampire. Being a vampire is one thing, but being the killer of her father magnifies Kim Sung Yeol's shortcomings. He may have saved her from her vampire father but the fact remains that he is her father’s killer. Can she reconcile herself to the fact that Kim Sung Yeol is a murderous vampire as well as her father's killer? It is the biggest shock of her life and she is, indeed, heartbroken. Will the relationship between Kim Sung Yeol and Jo Yang Sun peter out? Is there going to be a downward spiral of emotions? Will there be personality or value clashes?  When she refuses to talk to him to thrash things out, Kim Sung Yeol tries to convince himself that the time has come for him to wake up from his dreams of having a human life-mate. Disappointed: Kim Sung Yeol Is Jo Yang Sun going to embrace and accept the fact that he is a vampire with animalistic instincts? His attack on vampire Noh Hak Yong has ruined her image of him being the gentleman scholar or the romantic vampire.  The sudden bolt of alarming remembrance is pulling them apart. She crouches in terror at the sight of him. It actually shows how fragile her love for him is. If she is not careful, her lack of forgiveness will skew her perspective of their future together. The two lovebirds have become more distant and the lack of forgiveness for him on her part over her father’s death is putting a distance between them. Is she going to freak out in the future every time she sees him killing a human?  In the first place, is there a recipe for success in such a unique relationship? He has a lot of emotional baggage and she has a deeply wounded heart. Are they going separate tracks and separate ways? Lovebirds: Two deeply wounded souls He wants to send her off to China (Qing Dynasty) to prevent her from being sacrificed as she is the ‘secret plan’ who will be able to kill Qwi. She might want to sacrifice herself if she finds that out. To her utter humiliation, he makes her leave by tearing her slave documents to pieces and telling her he is no longer her master. Background: Jo Yang Sun gathers up  the torn pieces of her slave document Perhaps, the two have to step back and look at their relationship in a different light. Does the vampire have any redeeming points? Ah, he certainly has. He loves her deeply and would sacrifice his life for her. It is so romantic! At the end of the episode, viewers learn that all these issues do not scupper the love relationship between them. He, Kim Sung Yeol is her saviour and protector and he deeply loves her. She is, probably,   the redeemer in his life and the tamer of his animalistic instincts. The healing process would be on-going in their lives. He, the gentleman scholar (or Joseon knight in his regal hanbok) will protect her with his life.

GWI UNCULTURED VAMPIRE The cruel and evil vampire, Gwi, has turned Noh Hak Yong, the son of the Deputy Prime Minister, into a vampire and allows him to go on a killing spree. Since Noh Hak Yong is still useful, he brings him back to his underground palace or hideout. Gwi does not seem to have fun in the regular way that common folks do. All he does is to play with or to kill his victims. Thanks to him, Hwayang-Gak is now in a mess. Evil vampire, Gwi and his victim He tells Soo Hyang that he plans to discard her after having fun with her, but he will now allow her to remain with him a bit longer since Hwayang-Gak, her property, is in shambles. Soo Hyang: Gwi's love interest The musically accomplished Soo Hyang, whom he has brought back to his underground palace, benefits him as she is a seasoned entertainer. He is probably bored with his meaningless vampire lifestyle of killing people and drinking their blood. Has he not seen the error of his ways? Doesn’t he have a real or healthy lifestyle? However, he is fortunate that he has got himself a gisaeng or courtesan to bring some sunshine, which he lacks, into his miserable existence. Is the uncouth and uncivilised vampire able to appreciate the beautiful musical notes that the lovely and demure Soo Hyang plays on the Korean traditional musical instrument, the komungo? Probably not. komomgo komomgo komungo komungo komungo komungo Like the Chinese saying, it is ‘like a treat offered to an unappreciative audience’ or in other words or idiom,  to cast pearls before swine, or to play the lute to the cow. Uncultured Qwi: His main interest is to kill Chinese saying: 'Play the lute to the cow' Chinese saying:  'Play the lute to the cow'

THE REALITY A VAMPIRE AS A LIFEMATE    Ho Jin, Kim Sung Yeol's aide, fears Jo Yang Sun would be further shocked to discover Kim Sung Yeol would be hunting for fresh human blood the next day but Kim Sung Yeol feels it is better that she sees his true nature. During the full moon, he would need to feed on human blood or else he would get into a frenzy and start killing people. Finally, the reality of Kim Sung Yeol being a vampire sets in. Would he want her to be a vampire too? He has tried to fight against his beastly instincts to sink his teeth into the nape of her neck. He loves her and does not want her to be in a similar situation, that is, regularly trying to find sources of human blood to drink.  Both her biological father and her adoptive father love her dearly and have sought to protect her from becoming a target of Qwi, and also from turning into a vampire. Can a vampire and a warm-blood be life-mates? Can she get accustomed to his need for blood and his regular feeding? Jo Yang Sun soon learns the realities of being the beloved of a vampire. But nothing could have prepared her for the shock of her life. He is a blood feasting vampire! She has to differentiate between the vampire Kim Sung Yeol, the reality,  and the vampire Kim Sung Yeol, the fantasy. Most viewers, by now, can differentiate between reality and fantasy. Does she need therapy to help her separate reality from fantasy? And of course, Jo Yang Sung can, by this stage of the story, differentiate fact from fiction. THE VAMPIRE DRINKS BLOOD Jo Yang Sun observes Kim Sung Yeol from the doorway. He has not taken fresh human blood for some time and he has become weak. When Baek In Ho brings back a deer for him, Jo Yang Sun braces herself to face the eye-popping truth of her man, the vampire. She has followed the trail of blood of the injured animal to his quarters. Horrors! He drinks the fresh blood of the deer from a bowl. Terror washes over her. She gasps.  He suddenly senses her presence but he does not stop because the need for the blood is overpowering. His cold and unemotional eyes latch on to her. Perhaps, he wants the reality of him being a vampire to sink in. His life ought to be transparent to her, if they are going to have a future together. Kim Sung Yeol, the vampire drinks cervine blood He lowers the bowl of cervine blood a little and gauges her reaction. Her hands instinctively moves to her chest, as if she is touching her pumping heart.   Everything comes to a screeching halt for her. His silence is telling. Tension and fear fill the air. He sees all her little hand movements and understands the turmoil she is feeling. He tears his eyes from her and continues drinking and making his otherworldly and gulping sounds as he swallows down the blood. She looks incredulously at his blood feeding and stares in trepidation at him. After he has drunk the last drop, he places the bowl of blood down. From where she stands, she can see traces of the blood on the bowl. He stares up and makes some nauseating sounds as he downs the blood. Blood dribbles repulsively from his mouth, and he bends his head, making retching sounds as if he has an urge to regurgitate the blood. As she watches, she covers her mouth with her hand in horror. She feels nauseated, and probably, a queasy feeling is swelling up from her stomach. Her breath comes out in gasps. She is almost choking in tears. She holds back her sorrow and alarm. Suddenly, she panics, then darts and takes flight. Kim Sung Yeol stares vacantly at her disappearing body. His vampirish eyes shine like a wild cat’s in the darkness. He suddenly heaves in frustration and grimaces at his own pain and suffering. If one could see into his mind, one would see a wild, rabid dog rushing round and round in circles chasing its tail endlessly. Ravaged with pain and marred by helplessness, his wrath climbs. Blind fury pours out and his anger boils over. Violently, he sweeps all the things from his table. Blood drips from his lips The realization that he is really a vampire shocks her like the suddenness of an explosive earthquake. Her mind is in chaos. Does she feel horror or pity? It is then that understanding dawned on her that vampirism is not a fantasy. Reality sets in. Kim Sung Yeol scowls at the thought of the awful sight that he has made that might have shocked her to the very core. He is enormously frustrated about his transformation and his irresistible urge to drink blood. He is emotionally distraught. His expression of his hunger for blood gives the viewers the creeps. The normally stony-faced vampire is desperate and seeks her out. He finds her in a corner, crouching in terror. Without much of a warning, Kim Sung Yeol swoops down with his face only a few inches away. Nothing escapes his attention. She is too terrified to think. His eyes narrowed on her face, noting the rising confusion and bewilderment. Point blank, he confesses that his true identity is that of a vampire. He looks at her squarely in the eye and frankly tells her that one day, he would not know what he might do to her in one of his rages. She demands to know why he has not shown this side of him earlier and his reason for allowing their relationship to develop that far. He answers that he is a beast  who cannot control his instincts. Does it mean that if he has told her earlier that he is a vampire, she would not have allowed her love for him to take root? He almost wants to bite her and she can feel his frustration.  She tells him gently and sympathetically that it is not his fault. That is not what he wants to hear. He then remembers how he has tragically become a vampire by drinking Lee Myung Hee, his first love’s blood. What is the difference between Lee Myung Hee and Jo Yang Sun? Both are torn, heart and soul. Her feelings are vague, and a boundary is drawn between them. When she turns her face away from him, her negative expression is like an open book to him and he catches glimpses of her innermost thoughts.   She has rejected him. One could imagine the depth of his pain and frustration. It takes an emotional toil on him. He is hoarse with suppressed emotion.  At this point, he walks off into the darkness of the forest in total dejection. Distraught lovers Jo Yang Sun is left to think about their love. She remembers that previously, he has frankly declared there is no future for their love. When she asks him why, he says she will soon find out one day.  So, has Jo Yang Sun’s romantic feelings for him been stymied by this incident? Can they be together without her turning into a vampire? Reality sets in: Kim Sung Yeol's vampire identity is exposed

BETRAYAL THE GUARDIAN VAMPIRE STRIPPED OFF HIS PROTECTIVE SILK ROBE Kim Sung Yeol: In his silk, vampire-mentor robe Gwi is cleverly planning to get his hands on Kim Sung Yeol’s special guardian-vampire black robe made of silk which has been handed to him by his vampire mentor, Hae Seo. This black robe can protect Kim Sung Yeol from the sun and he is able to walk around in broad daylight like any Joseon resident. Vampire Noh Hak Yong has torn a piece of the special cloth from Kim Sung Yeol's robes during his previous skirmish with Kim Sung Yeol at Hwayang-Gak. Gwi carefully studies the material which glimmers in the light. He soon understands that it is unique and it can probably protect Kim Sung Yeol from the dangerous rays of the sun. He wants to, by hook or by crook, get his hands on it. Gwi commands the new queen Choi Hye Ryung to weasel the robe out of Kim Sung Yeol. He bites her neck and orders her to pretend to be Lee Myung Hee. Earlier, the smart but conniving Queen Choi Hye Ryung has thought of a better plan – to get the enemies, Gwi and Kim Sung Yeol to meet. After Gwi defeats Kim Sung Yeol, he would be at the mercy of Jo Yang Sun. If that happens, the vampires will disappear from the face of the Joseon world. That night is a full moon night. A weakened Kim Sung Yeol has fled his home because of a combination of problems: his emotional problems with Jo Yang Sun and his lack of fresh human blood. He is under great stress and is in a turmoil. Being in a very weak physical state, he collapses in a fuzzy state of mind. Suddenly, he spies Queen Choi Hye Ryung in her royal sseugae chima, a head dressing, covering her head and body. This part of the clothing, which is typically worn by women who lived in the Joseon era, hides their faces and puts a distance between them and the men.   sseugae chima Choi Hye Ryung appears before Kim Sung Yeol Running into Choi Hye Ryung is not fortuitous; it is pure bad luck for Kim Sung Yeol! Choi Hye Ryung pretends to be Lee Myung Hee. She has reopened his emotional wounds. She proffers a hand, and he accepts it trustingly and falls for her treachery. Kim Sung Yeol suddenly falls unconscious. Choi Hye Ryung commands her henchman to strip him off his special black vampire-guardian robe which can make him almost invincible and almost impossible to defeat. Kim Sung Yeol: Unconscious She has a vested interest in bringing his robe back, that is, to maintain her power in the palace. She is depriving him of his protection. Though cold and calculating, she seems wracked with guilt and feels a bit regretful about relieving him of his guardian-vampire clothes which accords him protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. This special robe makes him different from Gwi. Without his vampire robe, he will be forced to live in darkness. Wily queen and Emotionally troubled vampire Will she surrender the robe to Gwi? Is she actually a master of deception and manipulation? Has her real nature seeped to the surface? Could she be Lee Myung Hee who probably has been robbed off her memory? Kim Sung Yeol is not able to discern Choi Hye Ryung's real self in his hazy state due to a lack of blood. Deprived of his protective clothing from his vampire mentor who has passed on the baton to him to destroy Gwi, he is now helpless. He is incapacitated by the loss of his protective robe. He has to face the reality that he cannot protect the Joseon world anymore. Stripped of his special robe: weakened vampire Kim Sung Yeol: Affected by the bright, hot and burning sun Has Choi Hye Ryung changed?

THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE QUEEN CHOI HYE RYUNG Chess Tantalising suggestions or questions are crystallising. Are Queen Choi Hye Ryung and Lee Myung Hee the same person? Has Choi Hye Ryung's memory been wiped out?  The queen has no qualms about taking advantage of a weakened Kim Sung Yeol. She has committed a hideous crime against him. It is betrayal if she is the reincarnation of Lee Myung Hee. Kim Sung Yeol’s love for her will be over. The closure would be final. His wound would heal. But, will it come back to haunt her? Chess: The Queen is stronger than the King Like in a chess game, the Queen is more powerful than the King. Is Queen Choi Hye Ryung also the power behind the throne? Is she demonstrating,   in no uncertain terms, who really runs the show?  King Lee Yoon looks weak and helpless. Though King Hyeonjo suspects that Choi Hye Ryung may have dark secrets and ambitions of her own, he has delegated to her the difficult task of assisting Crown Prince Lee Yoon in ruling the kindom. King Hyeonjo, when alive, is clearly someone whose major task on behalf of the palace is to guide and shepherd Crown Prince Lee Yoon, and to insulate and protect him. Now that King Hyeonjo is gone, the new king has lost direction especially under the threat of Gwi. While the king is weak and ineffective, his queen is hard-edged, vindictive and manipulative. Her words are as tart as vinegar especially when dealing with Jo Yang Sun. Is she helping or hurting the dignity of the crown?  Despite her dainty and gentle demeanour, she is thought to be exerting a strong and ruthless force as she could easily obtain Kim Sung Yeol’s robe for the king. Probably he would surrender it to Gwi.

THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB TRUE COLOURS KIM SUNG YEOL AND THE KING The sacrificial lamb Jo Yang Sun is the sacrificial lamb to be offered to Gwi for the common good of the kingdom.  Earlier in the episode, Baek In Ho discusses the issue with Kim Sung Yeol and both agree that she should be protected. Queen Choi Hye Ryung suspects that Jo Yang Sun is directly descended from Gwi. She remembers that Gwi has let his guard down once and has divulged to her his secret that he has once impregnated a human, and unbeknownst to him, she has given birth to a baby. Their offspring could supposedly be his nemesis because her blood would destroy him.  In her pursuit to keep her position as queen and gain the king’s affections, she allows herself to obey Gwi’s devious plans to get rid of Kim Sung Yeol. Meanwhile, King Lee Yoon wants to hunt  Kim Sung   Yeol down despite the objections of the Deputy Prime Minister, who feels their target should be Jo Yang Sun. King Lee Yoon finally goes in search of  her. Kim Sung Yeol: helpless and weakened Realisation: Robbed of his black robe His body is intolerant of the sun Upon waking up, Kim Sung   Yeol is shocked by the betrayal of Choi Hye Ryung. He has lost his black robe and the sun is shining into his eyes. His body burns and smoke seems to emanate from his body. Having to confront the reality that he has lost his powers is quite an intimidating situation. He has to half walk and half crawl home. King Lee Yoon is now unafraid of Kim Sung Yeol because Kim Sung Yeol’s special robe is in his hands. The king has a defensive note in his voice when he informs Jo Yang Sun that she is to be the sacrificial lamb to annihilate Qwi. She is shocked that she is the secret weapon to destroy Qwi, and that she must offer herself to him so that when he bites her, he will die. King Lee Yoon, the human vulture, swoops down, cawing his reason why she needs to be sacrificed. He has revealed his true self. He once proclaimed that if she was a lady, he would have made her his lover. Here is a man, and a king at that, mandating that one of his subjects must be sacrificed, not protected for the common good of the kingdom. Kim Sun Yeol defends his beloved, Jo Yang Sun Think back about how he represented, portrayed or projected himself earlier as ‘The Lustful Scholar’ who heroically tries to expose the presence of the vampire, Gwi in the palace. He has also said that ‘the King must be righteous for the kingdom to be righteous’.    Viewers can now be a judge of the character of King Lee Yoon, for the coward that he is. Reality and fantasy has to be distinguished. ‘The Lustful Scholar’ is fictional but King Lee Yoon is real. Kim Sun Yeol: Jo Yang Sun's protector Kim Sung Yeol arrives back in time to protect Jo Yang Sun.  The human vulture, King Lee Yoon, has descended and it has triggered Kim Sung Yeol’s protective instincts. His heart manifests   itself, even though he is too weak to defend Jo Yang Sun.  He cannot bear to see the person he loves perish unjustly. His pleading in his weakened state is of no consequence. There is an exchange of heated words. Kim Sung Yeol’s voice drips with bitterness as he admonishes the king for baying for her blood. The eyes of the two men lock. King Lee Yoon’s voice is low with menace but Kim Sung Yeol’s burns hotter. The true colours of the two men eventually show. King Lee Yoon says dispassionately that it has to be done quickly to save the Joseon world. Cold hearted. Ruthless. These are the words to describe the new King and Queen. Both of them deserve each other. Would he, later, be held up as an example of a cowardly king? It is the defining moment of King Sung Yeol’s romantic life. He finally shows quite clearly that he loves and cherishes Jo Yang San, and is even willing to sacrifice his life to protect her.  Kim Sung Yeol bellows at King Lee Yoon that if he sacrifices her, he will regret it forever. On a positive note, the incident is  a blessing in disguise for Jo Yang Sun. At least, she is now convinced of Kim Sung Yeol’s true feelings for her and can breathe a sigh of relief. She can take comfort in the fact that he really loves her with his life unlike King Lee Yoon who would sacrifice her at the behest of his father. Kim Sung Yeol  v.  King Lee Yoon

EPISODES 13 AND 14 Lee Joon Gi is a joy to watch in all the episodes, not only for his handsome looks but also for his enormous acting talent. The two episodes show what a consummate actor he is, especially in the scene where Kim Sung Yeol drinks the blood of the deer, and also in the scenes which showcase his emotional interaction with Jo Yang Sun. Viewers stare at him in fascination as the blood goes down his throat. His facial expressions as a vampire and lover are priceless. It’s impossible not to be impressed by him and his acting talent. Lee Joon Gi Lee Joon Gi as the vampire Kim Sung Yeol: Exceptional acting talent Gwi and Soo Hyang’s flirtatious exchange is exciting and interesting, and very amusing. The script writers must inject the drama with more of such scenes. Lee Soo Hyuk as Qwi Jang Hee Jin as Soo Hyang King Lee Yoon and Queen Hye Ryung are in their element. They are getting more thrilling to watch. Max Shim Chang Min as King Lee Yoon Kim So Eun as Queen Choi Hye Ryung The old King Hyeonjo makes quite an impressive show of his courage. One’s heart nearly drops when he plunges into the well. Lee Soon Jae as King Hyeonjo People who have watched the drama are excited about it. It is such a fantastic drama.  Just remember, some people do not know how to appreciate the best.