The Golden Medallion was a wondrous object of unknown origins. This medallion is essential for finding and entering the legendary Golden Castle.
Appearance[]
The golden medallion is a ring-shaped gold necklace with intricate engravings on it and is strung on a beaded thread. It is recognizable by the fact that it is the only gold necklace in the world that has a blood red glow.[1]
History[]
Yul Mog-In[]
It was unknown how Yul Mog-In came into possession of the Golden Medallion, and he was unaware of its legendary status. On one of his merchant trips, his caravan was beset by brigands who slaughtered everyone. As the sole survivor, he tried to flee, eventually being forced to jump into a gorge to escape. In there, the Golden Medallion shot a beam of light which guided him towards the Golden Castle. Soon after, Yul Mog-In fled the Golden Castle with the medallion and hid it deep inside the Geumcheonbo estate.[1]
Yul Mugi[]
Demonists from the Asura Blood Sect slaughtered Yul Mog-In and his retainers in search of the Golden Medallion but Yul Mugi managed to escape with the medallion. Later, Yul Mugi was found unconsciousness in a river by Biryong who brought him to Yongbi. Yul Mugi then offered Yongbi the medallion as payment to take him to Geumcheonbo's Hobuk branch.[2] Unbeknownst to Yongbi, the reason Yul Mugi gave such a valuable treasure to a stranger he just met was to get the stranger to accompany him to Hobuk Castle where he could discover Hwangbo Soong's true nature.[3]
Yongbi[]
Hwangbo Soong attempted to retrieve the Golden Medallion from Yongbi, but he managed to escape Hobuk Castle with the medallion by having Biryong swallow it. As they traveled through the murim in search of Yul Mugi, their journey was unfortunately delayed due to Biryong's constipation. Luckily, they were encountered by three men and the eldest brother removed the blockage from Biroyng's anus which turned out to be none other than the Golden Medallion. Upon finding out that the gold necklace was the Golden Medallion, the three men fought Yongbi but were no match for his martial arts prowess and ultimately lost their lives. Then Yongbi continued his travels, fending off hordes of warriors who attacked him for the medallion. On the way, he encountered Sanggwan Chaek who brought him to a villa for entertaining guests of the Cheonwoong Faction. Soon after, Cruel Moon Archdemon and his bodyguards attacked the villa. Yongbi successfully fended them off for a while until he was incapacitated by a sneak attack from Sanggwan Chaek. After revealing his treachery, Sanggwan Chaek retrieved the Golden Medallion and escaped with the demonists. Due to Yongbi's mistake, Sanggwan Chaek took the real Golden Medallion while Yongbi was left with the fake medallion made by the Gold Bug.[4]
Sanggwan Chaek[]
As Sanggwan Chaek searched for the Golden Castle in the Muhae Valley, the Golden Medallion activated but he kept it a secret from the demonists.[4] He attempted to sneak away in the middle of the night but he was unsuccessful. Sanggwan Chaek fought the demonists but was eventually overwhelmed and knocked unconscious. Unexpectedly, Go Hyeop saved his life and brought him to an area near the Golden Castle. After Sanggwan Chaek woke up, the Golden Medallion once again activated and brought him to the entrance of the Golden Castle where he inserted the medallion into a slot, granting him access to the castle.[5] This was the last known appearance of the Golden Medallion and it was most likely destroyed when the volcano the Golden Castle was in erupted.
Mechanisms[]
The Golden Medallion is crucial for finding the Golden Castle since it is the only object capable of nullifying the effects of the powerful Five Elements Ward which prohibits the approach of anything that breathes.[1]
It is unknown how the Golden Medallion activates but Sanggwan Chaek speculated that it only responds in a certain place at a certain time of day.[6] When it activates, the Golden Medallion will make strange sounds and begin to glow. It will then shoot a beam of light that guide its owner towards the Golden Castle.[1] Then, in order to enter the castle, the Golden Medallion has to be inserted into a slot in the wall of the entrance.[5]
Alternate Translations[]
- Gumhwagyung amulet
Notes & Trivia[]
- The Golden Medallion itself is worth 1,500 nyang.[2]