Episode 3 of *The Murky Stream* opens with a haunting flashback to nine years prior in Gyeongwonjin, Hamgyeong Province—the cherished hometown of Si-yul and Chun. The year is 1583, a time shrouded in the chaos of the Nitanggae rebellion. As darkness descends, the Jurchens launch a ferocious raid on the village. With barely any soldiers to defend them, terror grips the hearts of the villagers, and most flee in panic at the mere sight of the enemy forces.
Amidst the turmoil, a young Si-yul desperately seeks refuge with his mother. But fate is cruel; the Jurchen General, with a heart as cold as steel, strikes her down without a shred of mercy. Nearby, another soldier subjects Si-yul to unspeakable torture, leaving scars both physical and emotional. Later, as Chun and his mother scour the devastated landscape for survivors, they stumble upon the broken Si-yul and, with a heavy heart, take him under their wing.
Years pass, and Si-yul and Chun, now inseparable brothers, spend their days sowing chaos and defying authority. One fateful day, they cross paths with the magistrate’s son, who is harassing a defenseless woman. Without hesitation, they spring into action, delivering a beating that leaves the bully reeling. But their heroism is short-lived; they soon find themselves pursued by angry townsfolk. When they return home, their mother—Chun’s biological mother and Si-yul’s adoptive mother—unleashes a torrent of scolding. Yet, the brothers, with mischievous grins, find her fury amusing, further fueling her ire.
Their laughter is abruptly silenced by the arrival of examiners, who deliver devastating news: Si-yul is disqualified from taking the state exam due to his grandmother’s remarriage. They suggest seeking a recommendation from the magistrate, but the arrogant official refuses. Si-yul, his dreams of becoming an officer and protecting his people shattered, is consumed by disillusionment. In a fit of rage, he storms into the magistrate’s home, causing a scene that ends in violence. As he fights back against his attackers, he inadvertently sets the place ablaze.
Just as all hope seems lost, a masked Chun appears, whisking Si-yul away to safety. Chun urges him to flee with him, but Si-yul, filled with a sense of duty, implores his brother to stay and right the wrongs of the world on his behalf.
In the present day, Mu-deok pays a visit to a literate friend, who deciphers Chun’s letter and reveals Si-yul’s true identity. The news spreads like wildfire: Si-yul is wanted for burning down the magistrate’s residence, and whispers abound that Chun aided his escape.
That fateful night, Si-yul and Chun gather to hold a solemn memorial service for their beloved mother. In the wake of the fire, the magistrate subjected her to unspeakable torture, and she succumbed to her injuries the previous year. As they mourn, Si-yul confesses his burning desire to fight on the frontlines and earn his pardon. Chun, filled with trepidation, tries to dissuade him, but Si-yul bids him a tearful farewell.
Just as Si-yul prepares to embark on his perilous journey, he is confronted by Mu-deok, who wields the threat of exposure like a dagger. Si-yul, initially unyielding, relents when Mu-deok threatens to have Chun arrested as an accomplice by turning in the incriminating letter.
The following day, Chun attempts to bring order to the chaotic camp, but his efforts are met with ridicule from Dol-gae, who mocks his naivety. Neither he nor the General, it seems, have any intention of helping implement the necessary changes. At Chun’s welcome party, the General indulges in drunken revelry with escorts, while the officers dance around him like puppets. Chun, humiliated and powerless, can only watch as Dol-gae declares with a smirk that it is not their responsibility to safeguard the country.
Simultaneously, Si-yul finds himself dining amidst the bandits. Mu-deok, with a flick of his tongue, spills the beans about his arsonist past, an act that inadvertently endears him to the bandits while leaving Si-yul squirming in discomfort. Meanwhile, Choi Eun proves to be a prodigy, even in the gritty realm of the guild's money-lending operations. Her father, it seems, is beginning to thaw, warming up to the notion of her taking the helm as his successor.
However, trouble lurks on the horizon, particularly with her inaugural dawn shipment. With Si-yul flexing his physical prowess, Mu-deok re-enters the fray, seizing control of Mapo port. When another guild offers a hefty "rush charge" to expedite their loading, Mu-deok jumps at the chance, relegating the Choi guild to the back burner. Unwilling to stoop to bribery, Choi Eun attempts to rally her guild's workforce to load their boats with goods.
Under the guise of a "torch charge," Mu-deok blocks her from using any light sources. Unfazed, Choi Eun calls his bluff and resumes the loading operation. In response, Mu-deok commands Si-yul to intervene. When the boy hesitates and then refuses, Mu-deok retaliates by threatening to have both him and Chun apprehended. A look of regret clouds Si-yul's face as he meekly snatches the torch from Eun's hand.
Emboldened by Si-yul's capitulation, the rest of the bandits follow suit, extinguishing the guild's torches and plunging the port into an ominous darkness. Eun, her voice tinged with betrayal, declares that she had mistaken Si-yul for an honest worker but now sees him as nothing more than a parasitic leech.
