This past week isn’t the best time for uploaders around this blog. Worst case is many fans refuse to read the official announcement and just post mindlessly in the thread. Some even resort to emailing. Sigh. This makes me sad and annoyed!

Anyway, episode 9 & 10 are slow because it narrows down to DongWoon bromance. I will merge two episodes together and cut out scenes I deem as draggy and not needed. Just a small summary.

From the previous episode, our boys are dealing with the Hong Evil Twins (Hong Sa Hae & Hong Myung Ju) at the palace training grounds. There’s no way I will remember their names, so Hong Evil Twins it is. Despite the obvious disadvantage in numbers, our boys efficiently floor the other side. Dong Soo uses Sword Saint’s Hopae (Plate) technique and Chief Im Soo Woong looks at him curiously (Chief’s Sword Saint’s disciple and took a year to master that skill, so Dong Soo is a genius, heh). He calls a stop to this madness.

Because our boys didn’t join the trainees earlier, the evil twins are dissatisfied with the special treatment they get by joining in now. Chief Im Soo Woong agrees with the assessment. And since they didn’t participate in the official training hours, our cheeky trio are ranked lowest, becoming Beacon guards.

For her safety, Ji Sun is protected by Sword Saint and Sa Mo. They learn about her past upbringing, being the sole descendent of the Yoo’s family. Sa Mo takes an immediate liking towards her and claims to himself that she’s the other half of Dong Soo. OH PLEASEEEEE Ajusshi, that’s one thing I will fight to death with you about. ‘Cause I’m Jin Ju’s designated warrior.

Chief Im Soo Woong informs Crown Prince that Sword Saint Kim Gwang Taek has returned and is now with Sa Mo. Prince Sado is eager to meet him again.

Walking down the street, Ji sees WANTED sketches of Hwang Jin Gi posted on the wall and is displeased with Hong Dae Joo for his impatience and distrust in her. To shut his trap and prove her credentials, Ji presents to him Hwang Jin Gi’s broken sword which is confirmed to be real by Hong himself because he has fought with Jin Gi years before. But Hong is more concerned about the scroll and Ji lies that Jin Gi died in the sea of flames so the scroll is naturally ashes by now.

Back at the house, Sword Saint shows Sa Mo his book of martial arts techniques and the latter is eager to see it in action. But Sword Saint can’t perform all of them because he’s missing an arm. Hwang Jin Ju, my dimple pie, drops by to visit and is teased non-stop by Sa Mo. And this is the first time Sword Saint sees his (possible) daughter. He compliments her kind disposition. Does it remind you of someone? Yunno, like Ji perhaps? heeee!

Looks like Chun has found his new crib to hang out. On top of Hwang Jin Gi’s house. I’m scared. SCARED. Holy, moly. Later that night, Jin Gi stays true to his words and burns the emperor’s scroll. Jin Ju sees this scene but doesn’t bother her dad about it. Good girl.

The cheeky trio meets yet another Ajusshi – Seo Yu Dae, their Beacon Chief. Basically, their task is to collect and maintain dry firewood. They also have to find wolf dung (or cow dung or horse dung) to start the fire. Yeo Woon cracks me up when he’s the first one to pull out a notebook and a pen to jot down the instructions.

When they learn that Yu Dae has been a beacon guard for more than 30 years, their faces turn sour. hahaha! Don’t worry boys, you won’t stay there for so long or else this drama name would have been Dong Soo and his Beacon Years. He reveals to them the reality of palace guards, even if he did take and pass the second examination known as Bok Si, he wouldn’t be able to rank higher. The kids who have backing from government officials pull strings and bribes so he’d rather stay here.

It’s hilarious as we see the boys work (’cause they want tips to pass the Bok Si) – most of the times, only two of them are working, one always being Cho Rip because Dong Soo and Yeo Woon take turn tanning and day dreaming. Dong Soo thinks about Ji Sun and doesn’t even get mad when Yeo Woo places him below horse dung, in rank. He only flashes his million-watt smile.

Craving for some Kimchi, Yu Dae lures Dong Soo into a cave to get him a head of cabbage. What Dong Soo finds crawling in the cave are snakes, lots of them! He gets bitten by one but manages to make it back. He complains to Yu Dae about the lack of meat and takes it upon himself to hunt.

Dong Soo successfully shoots down an eagle and is preparing it, while Yeo Woon stares up at the sky, whistling….Man, those kissable lips of yours shouldn’t be puckered up like that, little boy! It will drive noonas crazy.

Returning back home, Cho Rip hands him a wing that they had saved. Aw! Yeo Woon bites it hungrily until Dong Soo says it’s a messenger eagle with the word “kill” written on a scrap of paper tied to its legs. Comprehending the demise of his poor bird, Yeo Woon spits out the tender white meat and smiles awkwardly. OMGosh, this cracks me up! And those shiny red lips….dang, what’s with all this pretty lip scenes!

Cho Rip points out Dong Soo’s dark eyes and fatigued behavior which is when Yeo Woo notices the bite marks. Dong Soo waves off their concerns and says he’s not going to die from a mere flower snake’s bite. Seconds later, he faints and Yeo Woon looks around for herbs.

Ajusshi catches Yeo Woon and tells the boys to close their eyes because he’s going to chop off Dong Soo’s arm! WHAA? And here I thought you have better solutions. Cho Rip instinctively shields Dong Soo’s body with his own and pleads Yu Dae. Behind them, Yeo Woon remembers the time when Dong Soo and Cho Rip shielded his body with their limbs. Decisively, he volunteers to treat Dong Soo.

After placing two needles near Dong Soo’s temple (probably to numb him), Yeo Woon opens up the infected area and sucks out the bad blood. *tears* This scene is definitely going to haunt me in the future.

Prince Sado finally meets Kim Gwang Taek after all these years. Sword Saint hands him a book of battling skills performed on horseback’s, hoping that it would help strengthen the prince’s military powers. In the midst of talking, Gwang Taek senses a fourth person breathing outside the room. The lady is from palace hall, here to announce that the King would like Sword Saint’s presence. Again, Sword Saint refuses any governmental positions and wishes to live a peaceful life with the woman he lives. The King doesn’t force him to accept but Hong Dae Joo is boiling at the fact that Gwang Taek came back alive.

For those of you who are wondering about In‘s whereabouts, he’s alive and is causing chaos in Hoksa Chorong. For future reference, he’s known as BAT around here. For my mentality I can’t call him “In” anymore because “in” means something trendy and not filthy or despicable, like him. So Bat it is. And who the heck gives him the title “Human Lord”?

Fed up with his constant arrogance, Chun delivers a stab but Bat doesn’t die…WHA??? Yep, that’s my question too. Irritated with the Sword Saint and Chun right now. Just kill the low-life already! When his underling finds the supposed corpse missing, Chun quietly states, “He tries his hardest to live, maybe it’s his fate.” Sorry, but his fate is to die in MY hands. Sword, please.

Having no where else to go, Bat seeks hospitality in Hong Dae Joo, from a wolf’s place to a scheming fox’s den. This man….pshh.

Meanwhile, Prince Sado is trying to find a method to remove the tattoo from Ji Sun’s back, after the map is copied. Chief Im tells him about a gisaeng who learns the art of removing tattoo from the Qing people and is known for her expertise. Contact her immediately, he orders.

As for Jin Ju, she successfully sneaks out of Jin Gi’s watchful eyes (more like sleeping mode but yea). In the streets, Hong Dae Joo’s man sees the carriage that brings Ji Sun into the palace.

Because of sickness, the painter finds traveling inconvenience so he sends his student instead – Kim Hong Do. He’s going to make a copy of Ji Sun’s map. Heads up my friends, he’s going to be mesmerized by our Jin Ju. Can I see some jealous fits from Dong Soo?

Ji Sun takes off her hanbok and sits there quietly as Yesung’s song “For One Day” resonates in the background. In the rain, Dong Soo walks restlessly to the temple. Oh….Sigh. Writers, can you stop with this lovesick scenes? I can’t feel a single spark for this relationship. Burrrrrrr!

Kim Hong Do has completed the copy and it turns out to be 3 maps combined into one. Oh, smart boy. Each map shows the advantages and hideouts on the road straight to Beijing.

Missing and wanting to see Ji, Gwang Taek is blindfolded and led into Hoksa Chorong. Chun announces that no one lives to step out of Hoksa Chorong, and Gwang Taek smiles at the thought. He says, “Then I might be the first… and also the last person.” woooo! Fight! Fight! Fight! You two better fight and NOT be having another tea party around here.

Ji sees Gwang Taek as he says, “I came to hear Ga OK playing the Gayageum.” Ga Ok was Ji’s name before she joined Hoksa Chorong. Being considerate today, Chun takes his time to get the wine so that Ji and Gwang Taek can spend some time alone.

Alone by themselves, Ji doesn’t spare a glance at Gwang Taek until he wishes to have a woman’s tender heart. She stops playing and advises him to go back. Blocking her words, he steps closer and whispers, “I missed you. Don’t you remember our agreement? I will get you out of here.” Gwang Taek gives her ten days to think this over.

Sitting with his back to Chun, Gwang Taek sips in the wine. These two men are so cool with each other that I feel suffocated for Ji. What binds her to Hoksa Chorong? To Chun? Her loyalty?

At a gisaeng house, Chief Im visits Gu Hyang, a gisaeng known for her tattoo removal skills. However, after the meeting, she enters another room where Chun is lounging around. 10 steps ahead. Arg!

Yang Mi, Mi So, and Jin Ju bring pounds of meat to visit the boys. Jin Ju is the designated worker of the day because she doesn’t have money to pay Yang Mi for the night rent. The two kids she saved earlier stole her money. (Sidenote: From the screencaps, doesn’t it look like Dong Soo wants a kiss but Jin Ju is like, “Ew, get away from me Pervert!”)

When they leave, Dong Soo calls out, “HWANG JIN JU! Nice to see you again.” Finally! He acknowledges who she is. Jin Ju laughs like a lunatic and Yeo Woon also smiles seeing the girl from years ago. Aw, now THIS should be the love triangle around here writers!

The gisaeng, Gu Hyang, meets with Prince Sado and promises to remove the tattoo completely. It will take three operations and Ji Sun will undergo painful sensation throughout the process.

Hong Dae Pyo’s son, elder of the evil twins, report to his dad about the three new qualifiers. Hong Dae Joo pays a visit to Chief Im and takes a look at the boys’ background info. He asks Chief Im to carry out the examination for Jeilno Bongsudae immediately. Right, it’s actually Hong’s evil way of getting rid of Prince Sado’s people. If the beacons are not lighted promptly, the beacon guards will be beheaded.

Due to the recent rain, the logs are all wet, Ajusshi suggests that they run to the beacon post in the capitol to inform them. Dong Soo rushes out and Yeo Woon follows him.

Dong Soo runs to the same cliff he jumped down when he was a lonely little boy. This time, with new found confidence and a healthy body, he’s a different person. Yeo Woon is worried but Dong Soo smiles slightly at his friend before he jumps! Dong Soo-AH!! Don’t worry ladies, he knew he wouldn’t die. This jump serves as a shortcut because he leaves Yeo Woon behind.

But Dong Soo makes a mistake, Yeo Woon is someone from the Intelligence Services. He knocks an officer over to steal the horse! While Dong Soo is drenched in sweat, Yeo Woon is a prince on a horse. He waits for Dong Soo at the end of the bridge and smiles victoriously. heehee!

Meanwhile, Hwang Jin Gi meets with Sa Mo and Sword Saint. The three chat and Gwang Taek notes that Jin Ju matches well with Dong Soo! Oh yea! I’m on your side Sword Saint!

The boys arrive at the gate but the officer there has been bribed by Hong Dae Joo and refuse to open the entrance for any trainees. Last minute, they decide to use the wooden tower outside the wall to shoot the arrows. There are a total of four beacons that need to be light up.

Dong Soo successfully lights up 3 beacons. During the last round, rain begins to pour down. Dong Soo hands the arrow and bow to Yeo Woon.

Gathering up all his strength, Yeo Woon shoots! They look up in silence until smoke is seen from the fourth beacon. Yay to teamwork!

Too excited, they jump into each other’s arms. Aw!

Back at the palace, the gisaeng Gu Hyang empathizes with Ji Sun and couldn’t bear to hurt her. She also has a tattoo on her back, thanks to Chun. Instead, she drugs Ji Sun and contemplates over what to do.

Succeeding in his mission, Dong Soo walks around the palace. He sits down and notices some petals on the ground and has the urge to make the Chinese word for “love”. Ji Sun’s light footsteps disperse the petals as she enters the scene.

Gu Hyang hands the map over to Hong Dae Joo, who is so happy I think his eyes would pop out. So I’m confused, did she make another copy of the map? Or did she lazily stole the scrolls? Maybe next episode would answer my question.

Anyway, that night, Hong Dae Joo orders a secret meeting with the big guns in politics, especially from the Noron Faction.

What the heck, one of them is Queen Jung Sun. Another big shot is Prince Sado’s father-in-law, who is the leader of Noron faction. WHA?? All these people against Prince Sado!? Sigh.

Hong Dae Joo then reveals the content of the Qing Emperor’s imperial degree. The emperor wants The King to designate Prince Sado as his successor. Since the scroll is destroyed, what they need to do now is get rid of Prince Sado altogether.

Alice: As I said earlier, these two episodes focus on developing the bromance for later sabotage. As of now, the road looks really bleak for Prince Sado. While his side has audacious warriors, the other side is packed with scheming foxes.

Oh Dong Soo, I really hope he would snap out of his infatuation with Ji Sun. He doesn’t know anything about her, except that she’s preeeeety. His lovesick scenes are great, he displays sad emotions well but I’m like…what should I feel for you when you guys haven’t even started?! To top that, you two barely have any significant scenes together. Pshhh writers!

If you want real romance at this point, I think the older generation has a richer presentation.