YOU...!
TAKE ME...
AS YOUR DISCIPLE.
OH, JAKYEONG...!
WHERE ARE YOU HEADING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT, HM?
...FATHER.
IF I WERE A BOY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN EASY TO LEARN HOW TO READ, RIGHT...?
IF I HAD BEEN A BOY...
MOTHER WOULDN'T HAVE DIED EITHER, RIGHT?
JAKYEONG!
BUT BECAUSE I WAS BORN A GIRL...
THE ONLY THING LEFT
FOR ME TO DO IS MARRY SOME PEASANT FARMER'S SON.
SO...
I WANT TO TRY DOING SOMETHING BEFORE THAT...
IS THAT SELFISH OF ME, TOO?
...JAKYEONG.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO...
NEVER HOLD YOURSELF BACK. LIVE YOUR LIFE.
BECAUSE TO YOUR FATHER, YOU ARE
THE ONE SHINING STAR IN MY LIFE...
SHOULD I ADDRESS YOU AS MASTER FROM NOW ON?
WHAT...?
JUST SO YOU KNOW, I VALUE STANDING MY GROUND
FAR MORE THAN SAVING FACE.
A WHILE AGO, A WOMAN BOUGHT TEN BASKETS THAT MY MOTHER MADE,
ONLY TO PICK A PETTY QUARREL AND RIP HER MONEY BACK.
SO I SPRAWLED OUT FLAT IN HER FRONT YARD,
BARGED IN AND PLANTED MYSELF RIGHT AT THEIR DINNER TABLE,
AND EVEN TRIED TO SNATCH HER BABY'S BREAST MILK.
ARE YOU... TRYING TO THREATEN ME RIGHT NOW?
I'M SAYING IT WOULD BE WISE TO TAKE ME IN WITHOUT A FUSS. I INTEND TO TAKE BACK EVERYTHING OWED TO ME.
IN RETURN,
I PLAN TO FORGIVE YOU, MASTER.
I'LL FORGIVE THE EXORCIST WHO SPARED MY MOTHER'S KILLER,
AND BY SERVING THAT VERY EXORCIST AS MY MASTER,
I WILL ATONE FOR IT.
...WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR NAME WAS?
IT'S JAKYEONG.
JAKYEONG...
YOU REALLY WILL BE BACK IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, WON'T YOU...?
...YES.
I'LL GO MAKE PLENTY OF MONEY AND COME RIGHT BACK, FATHER.
WHO CARES ABOUT MONEY...!
JUST DON'T GET SICK OR HURT, AND IF IT'S TOO HARD, YOU CAN COME STRAIGHT BACK HOME...
...I HOPE THIS PARTING
GIVES EACH OF US THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ON.
BECAUSE I AM MY FATHER'S STAR,
AND MY FATHER IS MY EARTH.
ARE YOU SNEAKING OFF ALL BY YOURSELF? THAT'S FOUL PLAY!
QUICKENING YOUR PACE WON'T HELP YOU, MASTER!
WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU LEARN TO SPEAK LIKE THAT...?
I WAS PLANNING TO RETURN HERE IN TEN YEARS ANYWAY.
RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE YOKAI WAKES.
ONCE I CUT ITS LIFE SHORT,
YOUR MOTHER'S REVENGE WILL BE SETTLED.
BESIDES, IF YOU WISH TO GO TO THE SHAMAN BUREAU, I COULD WRITE YOU A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.
EVEN IF YOU CANNOT BECOME AN OFFICIAL SHAMANESS,
IF YOU HELP WITH CHORES AND LEARN OVER THEIR SHOULDERS-
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT...?!
I MEAN THAT I AM OFFERING YOU ONE LAST CHANCE.
ONE LAST CHANCE...
TO LIVE YOUR LIFE AS A WOMAN.
...I DON'T CARE IF I CAN'T LIVE AS A WOMAN.
I KNOW I WON’T REGRET IT.
...VERY WELL.
THEN,
I SUPPOSE I’LL HAVE TO LEARN THE FIRST LESSON.
THE FIRST...?
WHEN ELIMINATING YOKAI OF CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE,
YOU MUST DEVOTE EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR FOCUS.
AND WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT THEN IS...
PREVENTING THEM FROM SEEKING REVENGE.
EVEN THOSE WRETCHED YOKAI THAT DEVOUR HUMAN ENTRAILS
AND DRINK BLOOD FROM SKULLS
POSSESS THEIR OWN PATHETIC HUMAN EMOTIONS.
SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO KILL THEIR MATE OR YOUNG,
THEY WILL RELENTLESSLY SEEK RETALIATION ACROSS DECADES.
WHOA...
IF THAT'S TRUE,
ARE YOU SAYING WE HAVE TO TAKE A YOKAI'S PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE SLAY IT?
ABSURD AS IT SOUNDS, YES.
We Are Sorry, Master!
ARE THEY ALL DISCIPLES...?
A SHAMANESS MAY BE ABLE TO HOLE UP
IN THE SHAMAN BUREAU SURROUNDED BY A BARRIER WHEN THINGS GO WRONG,
BUT AN EXORCIST MUST SURVIVE BY PROTECTING THEIR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD.
THEREFORE, FROM NOW ON, YOU MUST OPEN YOUR VESSEL
SO YOU CAN PROPERLY UNLEASH YOUR POWER.
EVEN UNLOCKING HALF OF YOUR ENERGY WILL LET A GOD RUN RAMPANT THROUGH YOUR BODY,
SO IT WILL BE AN ARDUOUS PATH.
YET ALL THE MORE REASON YOU MUST ENDURE AND GROW ACCUSTOMED TO IT.
SINCE IT MEANS BECOMING ONE WITH A GOD,
YOU MUST NEVER SLACK OFF ON YOUR TRAINING JUST BECAUSE IT FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE.
MOTHER...
DON'T GO...
I'M SORRY...
SEVEN YEARS LATER-
BE CAREFUL...!
AH...
EEK...!
AVERT YOUR GAZE, AND CALM YOUR BREATH-
FOR FEAR WILL VANISH, GATHERED IN MY EMBRACE.
AMI.
SEEK REST NO LONGER,
AND RETURN TO YOUR NEST.
JAKYEONG, AGE 22
MASTER!
YOU ARE ACTUALLY QUITE DECENT NOW.
THE ENTITY DWELLING WITHIN ME IS THE ‘FIREBIRD GOD.’
Ugh, Give Me A Proper Explanation Already~
WHEN I FELT THE SHARP YET WARM ENERGY EMANATING FROM ITS SOFT, PALE YELLOW FEATHERS,
MASTER SAID TO ME,
"looks Like I Won't Need To Watch Over You Anymore."
"yes! Much Obliged!"
PERHAPS...
MY LATE MOTHER
HAD RETURNED AS A DEITY.
INDEED.
EVEN THEN, I HAD NO IDEA.
OVER THERE, TO THE RIGHT!
IT'S TO THE LEFT, YOU IDIOT!!
AAAARGH!
CATCH IT RIGHT NOW!!
AFTER IT!!
FEARLESS AND AFRAID OF NOTHING IN THE WORLD...
OVERWHELMED WITH THE JOY OF FEELING LIKE MY MOTHER WAS WITH ME ANYTIME, ANYWHERE,
I NEVER IMAGINED SOMEONE WOULD APPEAR AND HOLD MY ENTIRE LIFE HOSTAGE.
At night, Jakyeong bids farewell to her father and asks the exorcist to accept her as his apprentice. She laments being unable to read because she was born a girl and blames herself for her mother's death; her father sends her off as his shining star. After stubbornly persuading the Master, Jakyeong seeks to atone by serving the master who forgave her mother's killer. The Master warns her, offering one last chance to live as a woman, but Jakyeong is resolute and begins her first yokai lesson.
