Chapter  24  The Innkeeper

A few incidents of importance happened prior to the massacre at the temple in Jemulpo, and they centred around Gu Dong Mae, who, whether he liked it or not, had become inextricably involved with the fight to protect, and free Joseon.

The first of these incidents was the meeting that took place between Dong Mae and Takashi Mori.

It did not go well.

Yujo had informed him that the new general, who had arrived from Japan to take charge of the Japanese Colonial Forces in Joseon, was waiting to see him in the dojo.

"He speaks, and understands Korean," said Yujo. "Above all, do not speak to him in Korean."

"What an ambivalence," Dong Mae shrugged.

Takashi smiled widely at Dong Mae's entrance.

"What do you wish to speak to me about?" asked Dong Mae.

"I believe that you are the man who controls Jingogae," said Takashi. "I have to come to enquire why the people have refused to use the Japanese currency in a Japanese colony."

"The Japanese currency is worthless in Joseon," shrugged Dong Mae. "The people know it; that is why they are leaving Jingogae in droves."

"I have also come to inform you that Jingogae is under my jurisdiction now," smiled Takashi, "and, as such, it would be wise of you to relinquish your authority. After all, I am the highest commanding officer in Joseon, and how could you," he laughed mockingly, "a mere butcher's son, compare to me, descended from the purest, the noblest family of the Moris?"

Dong Mae looked at him, and smiled.

"I will continue to rule my district," he said. "I will continue to do so, and it would be wise of you to acknowledge that."

"You are to show loyalty to Japan," Takashi spat out, his face wiped of all humour. "By refusing to relinquish your authority over Jingogae, you are refusing to show loyalty to Japan."

"I am loyal only to the Musin Society, not Japan," Dong Mae said.

Takashi whipped out a gun, and pointed it at Dong Mae.

"There are two things that I hate the most: aristocrats and soldiers," Dong Mae said, grabbed Takashi, and flipped him on his back.

The gun flew out of Takashi's hand, and landed at Dong Mae's feet.

"Get out," said Dong Mae, softly. "Crawl out the way you came." 

He kicked Takashi's fallen spectacles over to him, and threw the gun at his back.

"Take off your shoes the next time you come," he said. "My men mop the floor every day."

The second incident took place on a bright sunny morning, and it caused ripples of shock and fear among the people of Joseon.

The tram was crowded with people, as was usual during that hour of the day; it was early, and some were on their way to work, while others had errands to run. The tram was the fastest way to get from one part of Hanseong to another, and it saved a lot to time, for those with money in their pockets to spare.

The tram approached on its tracks, with the overhead bridge in sight, when it suddenly screeched to a halt.

The passengers stared out of the windows; some screamed, others turned pale. Mothers covered their children's eyes.

For, in front of the tram, and almost touching it, a body dangled, that of a woman's, dressed in a blood-stained hanbok. Her hands were bound behind her back with rope coiled around her wrists, and her arms, while her feet, with its sandals dangling, were bound with rope, as well. A thick noose had been tightened around her neck, and her body strung from the bridge, where it rotated, left to right, and back again, in a macabe, silent dance of death.

It was the innkeeper.

The passengers gasped. 

A crowd of onlookers had gathered, and they pointed at, and whispered among one another.

"She is from the Righteous Army," they whispered, taking care that the Japanese soldiers staring down at them from on top of the bridge, with rifles in their hands, could not hear what they were saying.

"He did it," said a man, "the general."

They looked up, and saw Takashi Mori standing on the bridge, his face cold as ice, his eyes hard.

A chill went down their spines.

The third incident took place when Dong Mae was on his way to the temple at Jemulpo, to pay his respects to Lord Go Sa Hong on the 49th day.

He and his men were walking toward the temple when they saw the group of men approaching, swordsmen who were clothed entirely in black, and outnumbered Dong Mae's men in number. The two groups of men halted when they saw one another, and Dong Mae knelt down at once, and his men, as well, when he recognized the man at the helm stalking with long, powerful strides toward them.

"Sir," Dong Mae said, his eyes cast down, and his men echoed, "Sir."

"My son," the middle-aged man said, and helped Dong Mae to his feet, and embraced him in a bear hug.

The chief of the Musin Society had come to Joseon.

The fourth incident took place in a restaurant in Hanseong, and Dong Mae met Takashi Mori for the second time.

Dong Mae bowed to his adoptive father.

"Meet General Takashi Mori, the chief of the Japanese Colonial Forces of Joseon," he said, indicating the bespectacled man in uniform sitting next to him.

"We have met," Takashi smirked. 

Dong Mae bowed, and took his seat next to his adoptive father, and across from where Takashi sat.

"Have you indeed?" The chief looked from one man to the other curiously.

Dong Mae remained expressionless.

Takashi stared at him, and pushed his empty glass toward Dong Mae.

"Pour me a drink," he said softly, keeping his eyes on Dong Mae.

Dong Mae took the bottle of wine, and poured until the glass was full. He handed it back to Takashi.

Takashi smiled widely.

"Good boy. Do what your superiors tell you to do." He downed the drink in a gulp.

A soldier came, and said something to Takashi in a low voice.

The general slammed his fist on the table.

"Those confounded fools!" he spat out.

"What is the matter?" the chief asked.

My soldiers have been massacred at the temple in Jemulpo, every last one of them; and it is the Righteous Army who is responsible," he snarled. "I have to leave at once."

He stormed off.

The chief looked amused.

"It would appear that things are not going too well for General Takashi."

Dong Mae did not say anything.

She was back, he knew it, deep within his bones.

She had returned.

He felt the familiar worry and anxiety surge and overcome him.

She was in danger.

The massacre at the temple in Jemulpo had claimed the lives of many: relatives from the Go clan, wno had gone to the temple to pray for the recently deceased Lord Go Sa Hong, as well as Japanese soldiers of the Japanese Colonial Forces of Joseon.

All of Joseon reeled in shock, and more shocking news emerged a few days later; Lord Lee Wan Ik had been murdered from two gunshots at his residence, and the murderer was Dr. Machiyama, who had left a will, and was found, sprawled on the floor next to Lord Lee Wan Ik with a gun in his hand. It appeared that he had turned the gun on himself after murdering Lord Lee.

Dong Mae found the pouch of coins in the dojo the next day.

He opened the pouch and looked inside.

She had put in coins to last for six months, and another three more months.

She had left enough coins for nine months.

She had returned, and she had left again.

Did she have something to do with the killing of Lord Lee Wan Ik?

Was it she who had killed the traitor?

He had destroyed her home, and massacred her clan.

She had returned to kill him.

And now that the deed was done, it was time for her to leave.

She had left enough coins for nine months.

She would be gone for nine months.

A lifetime.

He stared unseeingly into the emptiness that stretched beyond.