So far, what was revealed in Episode 1 was the backstory of the Crown Prince and the wicked Prime Minister Cho. At the end of the episode, the people in the clinic who ate the food prepared made from Dani-i’s body died and reanimated as zombies, killing and the living’s flesh.
The Crown Prince Lee Chang and his bodyguard Moo-Young finally reached DongNae in search for the Jiyulheon clinic. The two were on horse back heading to Geumjeong Mountain where the clinic was, and while jokingly threatening Moo-Young about executing his family, he paused. It’s far too quiet and they’ve not heard a sound from birds or insects. Something seems amiss.
Ahead of them, Moo-Young saw a house beyond the forest. It is Jiyulheon.
It’s not what they expected, with spears dripping in blood and flesh, the clinic looks abandoned and the entrance cordoned off.
Failing to open the locked entrance, Moo-Young decided to climb over the roof to take a look.
Once inside, Moo-Young opened the door for Prince Lee.
It was a shocking sight to behold as two of them continued to explore their surroundings, mouth agap. It was a mess of deadly spikes, with furniture stewed in disarray. Blood splatters and broken doors everywhere.
Lee Chang was seen tripping over as he stepped into a plank that broke under his weight. As he recovered from the fall, the both of them made a horrific discovery.
There were dead people hidden under the house.
The local guards were called in and they were seen pulling the bodies out from under the house, and laying them out on the ground.
48 bodies were found in total hidden under the houses and were loaded on a wagon to send to the magistrate.
Physician Lee Seung-hui’s body is not here, said the Crown Prince
The magistrate Cho Beom-pal (Jeon Seok-ho) was seen partying with his associates when someone ran over to inform him of the horrific incident. As they ran back to the magistrate office, they saw the bodies laid out on the ground.
Visibly panicking, the magistrate asks the constable if they have any suspects for this heinous crime. The guard said that Yeong-Sin who was being treated at the clinic at the time, was seen gathering bamboo poles (which were incidentally found at the clinic). Yeong-Sin’s identification tag also happened to belong to a man who supposedly died 3 years ago.
Meanwhile, Beom-il and his men are hot on the heels in pursuit of the Crown Prince.
Back in the Palace, a bloodied body wrapped in cloth was seen hurriedly brought to the estate’s lake. Two imperial guards were seen tossing the wrapped body into the waters.
As the scene pans below the surface, it was revealed that there are countless other bodies that were thrown in.
(It’s not difficult to make the connection that the bodies were people fed to the Emperor – now zombie, and quietly disposed off into a watery grave where no one will ever find out. Or so they thought.)
In search of Physician Lee, Moo-Young & the Prince Lee went to a medicinal herbs supplier in Dongnae to ask of his whereabouts. He mentioned that Seo-Bi came by, and that she is probably at the Frozen Valley in search of the resurrection plant. According to the herbs supplier, people say that the resurrection plant can bring dead people to life.
On hearing that, the both of them made their way to Gomi Mountain, on the north side of Dongnae. They arrived to mountainous place looks as treacherous as it is cold.
While exploring the caverns, they came across a women dressed in the attires of the female physicians they found dead at Jiyulheon. As she turned, it was revealed it was Seo-Bi. As she cautiously approached, disheveled and with a digging tool in hand, the Crown Prince asked for Physician Lee.
Seo-Bi told of Physician Lee’s death – that he could not escape the zombie outbreak at the clinic. She also mentioned that it was the resurrection plant that cause everything to happen in Hanyang and at Jiyulheon. Puzzled, Prince Lee asked if the deaths at Jiyulheon are related to what is happening in Hanyang.
With a worried look, Seo-Bi asks the Prince how did he know about the people that died. Upon telling her that they took the corpses to the magistrate’s office to investigate, she exclaimed that those people were not dead and that they have to stop it before it’s too late.
With more bamboo sticks in tow, Yeong-Sin returned to Jiyulheon only to find the clinic opened and officials there. He quickly ran in and his fears were realised – the bodies were removed. Where are they, he asked agitatedly.
Over at the magistrate’s office, medical examiner and the magistrate were seen inspecting the dead bodies. Examining the injuries and bites, they surmised that the bites were not of animals, but from human.
Yeong-Sin appeared running desperately to the magistrate’s compound, pushing aside villagers and soldiers. He explained that the bodies are not dead and they must dealt with immediately.
Realising that Yeong-Sin is the suspect they were looking for, the soldiers tried to subdue him and he was eventually overpowered, but not before setting alight a few bodies. Fearing that their loved ones body are being desecrated, the villagers ran up to the bodies to douse the flames. Yeong-Sin looks on helplessly.
Meanwhile, Seo-Bi was rushing to get to the magistrate’s office. She explained that the dead will rise soon and the people in town will be in trouble. Prince Lee then further questions her on the statements she made about the resurrection plant. She explained that Physician Lee saved a dead man in Hanyang with it – but the dead came back to life as monsters. Remembering his encounter with the strange beast in the King’s chambers, Prince Lee confirms with Seo-Bi that the creatures are very much alike – the stench of death and making sounds of a beast.
Asking for proof, Seo-Bi said that Physician Lee’s journals are kept in Jiyulheon. It is written that if they could find the resurrection plant, they can figure out how to cure the outbreak. The Prince decides to set off for Jiyulheon while he orders Moo-Young to accompany Seo-Bi to the magistrate’s office.
Upon arriving, the Crown Prince finds Beom-il waiting for him with Physician Lee’s journal in hand. Beom-il brings out a letter, supposedly from the King, describing the Prince as the mastermind behind the conspiracy, and that the Crown Prince is to be brought back to the Royal Investigation Bureau.
Suspecting that his father has already died, the Crown Prince questions Beom-il about it.
Beom-il lies about the king’s death, but reveals a half-truth that the king’s mental capacity isn’t quite right. Jealous of the Prince’s position, he continued to argue that he was only lucky because of his birth. Beom-il decides to attack the Crown Prince and a sword fight ensues.
It was a fight in close quarters and Beom-il was clearly the better fighter, given that he is military trained. The Crown Prince managed a lucky break but cutting the skin of Beom-il’s cheeks, but was otherwise overpowered by Beom-il. Prince Lee eventually got sword broken in two and Beom-il held the sword to his neck.
At that critical moment, a knocking sound was heard in the room. It came from a locked cupboard and the two guards went to investigate.
The scene cuts to Seo-Bi running up to Cho Beom-pal and affirming Yeong-Sin’s testimony of the events. Naturally, the magistrate and all those around thought they were all out of their minds and did not believe them.
The magistrate ordered the guards to lock the two up, while the everyone looked on with scorn and ridicule.
The sun began to set behind the clouds.
It moved, said on one of the guard(?)
Back in the Palace, the King was revealed to be indeed dead and a zombie. As the sun set, the zombified King woke and was seen mindlessly aiming for flesh, but was held back by a collar around his neck.
Night comes, and the people gathering over the dead bodies are noticing some movements in the body. The magistrate orders a soldier to investigate one of the bodies that appeared to be twitching. Gingerly, he took his spear and began to lift up the covers.
The body started twitching alive. Bones cracking, it stood up in the most grotesque, inhuman manner. Everyone was in disbelief. A villager recognized the corpse as his wife and ran over, calling and reaching to her. The zombie woke and turned to bite him and the rest of the corpses awoke as zombies.
Panic ensues as the dead began to chase the living and it’s every man for himself.
*Seo-Bi was seen locked up while Yeong-Sin managed to escape in the chaos.
Back in Jiyulheon, two the guards that were investigating the locked cabinet (finally) opened it. At that very moment, the zombie that was Physician Lee dashed out and ripped into the throat of one of the guards. Beom-il stabbed his sword through the body to no effect as it rose and faced him, and then pinning him against the racks on the wall.
The other guard tried to assist by stabbing the zombie but that did nothing except upon stumbling, the zombie faced the guard and charged toward him. The guard managed to escape by hiding in the very box that the zombie-Physician Lee came out of.
At this moment, the other guard that was bitten turned and charged toward Beom-il. Dodging the zombie-guard, Beom-il swung his sword and cut the throat of the zombie. As Beom-il looked on in shock, zombie-Physician Lee lunged at Beom-il and managed to get get a bite on his neck.
Beom-il strugged, then seemingly died. Just like the guard that was bitten, Beom-il turned and became a zombie.
Zombie Beom-il faced the Crown Prince, charging at him. Running, the Crown Prince found himself locked out of the exit by the other surviving guard that ran out first and closed the door shut. The Crown Prince turned in time to decapitate the charging zombie’s head, and broke out of the door tumbling.
In a heightened state of anxiety and full of adrenaline, the Prince ran through the forest as fast as he could away from Jiyulheon.
After tumbling out of the forest clearing and finding himself at the river bank, Prince Lee caught side of the town on the opposite shore in flames.
The zombie infection it seems, has started to spread.
