In 'The Haunted Palace,' Yook Sung-jae wailed at the appearance of his younger brother Imugi Jo Han-gyeol, who had perished after having the luminous jewel snatched by Palcheokwi.

In the 11th episode of 'The Haunted Palace,' aired on the 23rd on SBS, Gang-cheol (played by Yook Sung-jae), Yeori (Kim Ji-yeon), and Lee Jeong (Kim Ji-hoon) were getting closer to uncovering the identity of Palcheokwi while the shocking development unfolded with younger brother Imugi Bibi (Jo Han-gyeol) falling for Poongsan’s trick and losing his life as Gang-cheol became increasingly humanized. In addition, episode 11 of 'The Haunted Palace' achieved a peak viewership rating of 9.5%, with national ratings of 8.7%, metropolitan area ratings of 8.1%, and 2049 ratings of 2.3%, maintaining the top spot for six consecutive weeks and firmly keeping its number one status for the week among mini-series broadcasts.

Taking advantage of the moment when Poongsan possessed by Palcheokwi escaped, Gang-cheol saved Yeori and fled the shrine. Although Gang-cheol, Yeori, and Lee Jeong came to learn of Poongsan’s identity, he had already vanished. Yeori recalled how the vanished Poongsan had called her a 'bait' and felt uneasy, while Lee Jeong expressed his anger toward Palcheokwi, which pushed him into endless terror. Moreover, Gang-cheol reflected on Poongsan's words and actions while possessed by Palcheokwi, leading him to think that the monster knew who he was.

Meanwhile, Gang-cheol found himself in conflict with Bibi (Jo Han-gyeol) while helping her catch the wicked nobles in order to ascend. Gang-cheol admonished Yeori saying, "Do not be angry, as it is the work of the gods," but Yeori expressed her disappointment toward Gang-cheol, who was involved in human life and death while inhabiting the body of Yoon-gap (Yook Sung-jae), saying, "It is divine punishment when a god kills a person, but it is merely murder when a person kills a person." Gang-cheol, who thought Yeori was concerned for Yoon-gap, could not sleep at night due to jealousy, and Bibi's resentment toward Yeori, who was already a thorn in her side, flared even more. Furthermore, Bibi was shocked to learn that in order for Gang-cheol to eliminate Palcheokwi, he would need to exhaust all the luminous jewels within him.

As Poongsan’s identity was revealed, Kim Bong-in (Son Byeong-ho) threw himself into the aftermath. He hinted to Lee Jeong that there was someone behind Poongsan, namely Dae-bi (Han Soo-yeon), trying to blindfold him, but Lee Jeong became suspicious of Kim Bong-in's attitude and sought out Dae-bi to disclose Poongsan's wrongdoing, asking who had introduced him. During this process, Dae-bi realized that she was the foolish mother who had sacrificed her son Yeong-in Daegun (Kim Seon-bin) to Palcheokwi, writhing in pain. On the other hand, Kim Bong-in attempted to kill Poongsan to cut off the tail, but overwhelmed by the horrifying presence of Poongsan possessed by Palcheokwi, he reluctantly decided to hide Poongsan. With renewed confidence, Poongsan proclaimed, "The Lord of Heaven and Earth has said that the time has come to harvest the ripe feelings,” unveiling another plot that heightened the tension.

Meanwhile, Gang-cheol, Yeori, and Lee Jeong stepped closer to the identity of Palcheokwi. They deduced that Palcheokwi harbored a grudge against Lee Jeong's great-great-grandfather, King Yeon-jong, who was from 100 years ago, and that he had been in Yongdamgol during the time of war. Furthermore, Lee Jeong speculated that Choi Won-woo (An Nae-sang), a descendant of the officials who served Yeon-jong, might know something, declaring that he would personally head to Yongdamgol in ten days.

On the other hand, Gang-cheol politely declined Bibi's request for noble hunting. Feeling that Gang-cheol had chosen Yeori over her, Bibi became furious and declared, "At this rate, I’ll go as far as to dedicate the luminous jewel to completely take over Palcheokwi. You didn’t possess that body; that body consumed you. You’ve gone too far from Imugi Gang-cheol," before storming out. Meanwhile, Yeori handed the 경귀석 (a gemstone) to Won-ja (Park Jae-jun), and on her way back, she witnessed the two and followed them, overhearing their entire conversation.

Feeling a sense of guilt for inadvertently forcing sacrifice upon Gang-cheol, Yeori was struck by her own emotions as she realized Gang-cheol was genuinely worried for her without revealing a thing. In this moment, Yeori reassured Gang-cheol, saying, "Gang-cheol, I no longer need the경귀석. You are my경귀석," tenderly stroking his heart while emphasizing that she did not confuse him with Yoon-gap. Additionally, she said, "Without the경귀석, I can do things like this," and kissed Gang-cheol, creating an explosive moment of excitement and lingering feelings.

That night, Yeori sought help from Monk Gaseop (Lee Won-jong), as she aimed to find a way to transcend Palcheokwi without the luminous jewel of Imugi. After discovering the identity of Palcheokwi, Yeori resolved to call upon the 'Hwaduk Chasa' (a grim reaper who takes away the spirits of those who died in flames), risking her life.

In the meantime, Bibi fell for Poongsan's insidious enticement, ultimately putting Yeori in danger. After luring Yeori with lies, Bibi intended to offer her as a sacrifice to Palcheokwi in Poongsan's shrine. However, there was another scheme hidden behind that. Poongsan lured Gang-cheol to the shrine, inciting a battle with Bibi, intending for one of them to lose their life to claim Imugi's luminous jewel. Although Yeori desperately tried to intervene in their fight, Bibi was hit by a weapon filled with energy instead of Gang-cheol, and the suddenly appearing Palcheokwi shocked everyone by swallowing the luminous jewel from Bibi’s belly. Ultimately, Bibi left behind the words, "I just wanted to protect you, Brother. I feel saddened and frightened by how far you’re going," before vanishing without a trace in Gang-cheol's embrace, causing him to shed heartbreaking tears that moved viewers.

Amid this, attention turns to the unfolding drama in 'The Haunted Palace,' as the fate of Gang-cheol, who witnessed the demise of Imugi without the luminous jewel, remains uncertain; and as Palcheokwi, now empowered by the luminous jewel, displays unpredictable behavior.

[Photo] A capture from the SBS 'The Haunted Palace' broadcast

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