Moon River
Episode 5
Last time on Return of Iljimae...
Late winter, when the plum blossoms began to bloom...
What is that?
What's that? What is it?
- I think it's a newborn baby. - What?
His umbilical cord is still attached.
Who could have abandoned this baby?
When the child grows up, please let him know how his mother felt about him.
Please give some breast milk!
Aigoo...
How can there be so many women here?
Please give some breast milk!
Get some clothes for the baby.
Where did you get this?
Is that baby yours?
If you buried the baby like I told you, you wouldn't have to do this again!
Oh! The baby isn't here!
Since we're being chased by people who want to kill you! Please don't cry!
The Monk hid the baby in Qing to escape the assassins.
When I first saw him, it was early spring.
He was lying under a plum blossom branch.
So then...
Iljimae?
Iljimae was living as the son of a merchant in Qing.
You're not their son.
No matter what it takes, bring Iljimae before me!
Yes. I should go.
To the place where I was born, to my mother.
I've even sinned...
just to find my birth parents.
How could you abandon your son...
not once, but twice?
You...
are not my son.
Iljimae, who was abandoned by his father twice...
I'm going to kill him.
Love, Fury, and Sadness.
This is a real girl, right?
Do you live alone here?
No, with my father and Iljimae. The three of us live here together.
Where did Iljimae go?
He went to the mountains with my father.
Mountains?
They went to gather wild ginseng*. (*highly prized root used in herbal medicine)
When is he coming back?
After picking ginseng, of course.
They couldn't go all winter until now...
so, they won't come back empty-handed.
Shimbandda!* Shimbandda!* (*the yell when ginseng diggers find wild ginseng)
We're almost there.
Dal!
Iljimae, stay where you are!
Something's wrong here.
What is?
Dal!
Iljimae!
We got him!
We've got him now!
Bind him tight...
- and arrest the ginseng digger too! - Yes, Sir!
As expected,you are very good!
I mean, how did you come up with the idea?
If Su Ryeon hadn't disguised herself like this, no one would have known...
that the ginseng digger had such great martial art skills.
When Su Ryeon put the sword to his neck,
that man, who knocked down ten officers with one stroke of his stick,
just gave up without any resistance.
If he had been serious, ten of her wouldn't have defeated him.
Excuse me?
It's Kang Se Wook.
He used to be the instructor at Hunryeodogam*. (*training center for officers)
So he's someone you know?
I was trained by him when I first joined the Police Bureau.
Have you ever heard of the Japanese Special Unit?
Yes. During the Japanese invasions of 1592, they were feared more than guns.
That's right.
He was the living legend who killed twenty of the Japanese special unit...
with a single sword!
He served under Lee Jun Shik, the former Minister of War
and when his master was accused of treason,
he vanished like smoke.
Because of Iljimae, Gu Ja Myeong discovered a case that was hidden by time, one he wanted nothing to do with.
So the girl in that mountain house is the daughter of Minister Lee Jun Shik?
Where is Dal Yi?
She has been already transferred.
So, the bloodline finally ends.
But how did you find out that I was Kang Se Wook, who served Minister Lee Jun Shik?
Even Dal Yi doesn't know this.
You were my training master at the Bureau.
It's me, Gu Ja Myeong.
Don't you recognize me?
Gu Ja Myeong...
Though I was not outstanding at martial arts,
you favored me since I became an officer at such a young age.
I don't know how I can take on such a difficult case like this one?
There was never any treasure to begin with,
but, in order to protect the family line of my master, who was unjustly killed,
I hid myself in the mountains.
The accusation of treason was made up by the people in power.
I am sorry... I cannot save you.
I don't expect to be saved.
Dal Yi and I should have died earlier.
No need to blame yourself.
You are just doing your job.
However...
Iljimae has no idea who we are,
so I ask you to let him go.
I'll do everything in my power.
Then, I'm happy with that.
This is my final request.
The respected teacher, who lived in seclusion to save the life of a young innocent from the trap of those in power,
will die because he took in another boy who suddenly appeared one day with nowhere to go.
Since he could do nothing to prevent his execution, the tip of Gu Ja Myeong's brush was as heavy as lead.
Are you okay?
Father, what will happen to us?
Don't worry too much.
We'll be released soon.
They wouldn't execute us over just a few stolen chickens.
They wouldn't, right?
I'm sorry... it's all because of me.
When I am out, I'll pay for the chickens and beg those people for forgiveness.
Then we'll be able to go back to the mountains.
Iljimae...
do you remember where we buried the ginseng?
Yes.
It was under the big rock in the valley.
I give you that wild ginseng.
What?
That's very precious, isn't it?
You must be careful and keep it with you!
It will be helpful to you someday.
Then, I'll sell it now to pay for the chickens.
And when I'm released I will find more wild ginseng.
That doesn't matter now.
Excuse me? What are you talking about?
Iljimae,
listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you.
Iljimae...
It was only a short time, but you've learned all the skills of the Jangbaek sword method.
All these years, I thought the Jangbaek sword method would die with me.
I was ashamed to show myself before my ancestors.
But we met and I was able to teach you the Jangbaek Swordsmanship.
This is a blessing of my ancestors.
Now I will give you the last lesson.
What do you mean the last?
Repeat after me.
"Find the truth of a sword by the sword."
"Find the truth of war through war."
"Find the truth of a person through a person."
These lessons have been passed down from the mouths of my ancestors.
You must now realize their meaning with your own heart.
Yes.
Three days later...
Everything seemed like a mystery to Iljimae.
"I'm the one who stole the chickens, but why was I the only one released?"
But, no one would tell him why.
No, it was more like no one could tell him the truth.
What do you want?
When are Ajusshi and Dal Yi going to be released?
We don't know. Go away.
Hey, get off!
I'm the one who stole the chickens. Let them go.
Get lost when I tell you nicely.
What? Kang Se Wook was caught?
Yeah! And the girl caught with him is the daughter of Lee Jun Shik, who was executed for treason.
Because of the factional fighting from over a decade ago,
we're losing another treasure.
Oh... you're leaving already?
After hearing this bitter news, I've lost my taste for alcohol.
Thank you.
Oh! Oh my! Oh my!
Not only did politics give Bae Seon Dal nausea,
but the last inheritor of the Jangbaek sword method, regarded as the essence of Joseon martial arts,
was sentenced to death, which gave him heartburn above all else.
Sir.
Huh?
- Did you call me? - Yes.
I... was wondering if you would be interested in buying this sword?
This is my family's treasure,
but my mother passed away early,
and my father is lying in bed, so I want to sell it to buy my his medicine.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that.
So, this is a precious sword?
Yes. The handle is made of ivory.
It's from way out West...
...from an animal in the West called an elephant.
It is very precious!
Oh, ivory? So you mean this is real ivory?
Well,
the day that I hear the age of Jangbaek Swordsmanship is coming to an end,
encounter this precious sword.
This could be fate!
So, how much do you want for it?
I don't really know.
Think of my situation when you are considering how much to pay for it.
Well then...
how about 5 nyang?
5 nyang?
Is that all this precious sword is worth?
Well then, what about 6 nyang?
7 nyang, okay?
Yes. Alright then.
I am relieved that our family's treasure is now in the hands of such a man as you.
I appreciate that.
You are pretty eloquent for your age.
Hey, here you are. 7 nyang.
Thank you!
You know, it's not because I desire this sword
I'm only buying it because of your pitiful situation. Understand?
Yes, okay. Thank you.Then take care!
Please enjoy a long life, Sir!
Okay. Okay.
Hey, I unexpectedly gained a great sword, right?
Hmm... do you think so?
Excuse me, sir?
Did you call me?
That sword, did you buy it?
Of course I did. You think I found it or stole it?
Was it a young kid this tall who sold the sword to you?
Yes, it was.
What's the matter?
The Police Bureau has recently received reports of a young child
selling fake swords in this area.
F... fake swords?
Then the handle is...
Did he say it was made of ivory?
Yeah, that's what he said. Imported from a far-away land.
It's not ivory, but pig's bone.
Pig's bone?
And the blade is made of low quality iron so it will break easily.
Oh, come on. It's a precious sword,how can that be possible?!
How can this break?
Darn!
Why that little...
This only happened because I'm strong in theory but weak in practice!
- Where can I find him? - He's very clever.
The Bureau has increased patrols to catch him
but he avoids them and keeps on selling these swords.
That little brat!
Where the hell is he?
Bae Seon Dal was upset to find out that his short-comings were made fun of again by a child.
Moreover, seeing the official notice that Kang Se Wook and Dal Yi were to be executed
was like pouring salt on his wounds.
Meanwhile, Iljimae had waited for Kang Se Wook and Dal Yi in front of the Police Bureau for a week.
We're ready, Sir.
Dal.
Dal!
Get away!
Iljimae!
Dal!
Step back!
Iljimae!
Dal!
Iljimae!
Dal!
Iljimae! Iljimae!
Get back!
Dal!
Iljimae!
Dal!
Iljimae!
Let's get going!
- Dal! - Iljimae!
Bitten by the monster called power and fed to the madness of factional fighting,
Lee Jun Shik's family...
The family's only survivor, Dal Yi,
and their loyal servant, Kang Se Wook,
were about to be crushed under the cold-hearted wheel of history.
Dal!
Execute them!
What are they going to do now?
You.
Be quiet!
Lives are sacrificed unjustly once again...
What would that young girl know about any of this?
What a shame. She'll die before she even has a chance to bloom.
What do you mean die? Who?
What's the matter? Let me go!You're hurting me!
Who's going to die!
Oh come on! You don't know even though you're watching them?
Darn...
No...It can't be!
Save us, merciful Buddha!
Huh?
Let's see...
he looks exactly like the kid who kicked me that time before.
Stop!
Dal.
Dal!
It's me.
It's me, Iljimae!
Dal.
Iljimae?
Dal!
Did he just say Iljimae?
Dal!
Dal Nim!* (*Moon)
Dal Nim!
It's me.
It's me, Iljimae!
Dal Nim!
Dal Nim...
To me, you are...
From now on, you are my Dal Nim. Dal Nim.
Dal Nim?
A considerable amount of time is needed to realize the void left...
when someone you love has suddenly disappeared.
It was like that for Iljimae.
But his fury was swallowing him up even before he could feel that emptiness.
Hey! You better watch where you're going!
What did you just say?
What did you say to me just now?
I... don't know how you got in a bad mood.
Let me go!
You're right. I'm in an extremely foul mood right now.
Oh...
Hey!
Why did you kick that?
I kicked them because I just felt like it!
What? You little brat!
Hey...what a bastard!
Come here...
Fury burned Iljimae like he was firewood,
but damp wood makes more smoke.
The young branch 'Iljimae'caught alight,
covering Hanyang in a dense cloud
and spreading unbearably hot smoke.
Hey over there!
Catch him!
He's over there!
Okay. Come on.All of you come.
I will kill every last one of you.
Are you waiting for news?
Yes.
It should be finished by now.
Shall I bring you something to drink? - No, thank you.
So,
where's Iljimae?
Don't even talk about it. The whole market is a mess right now.
Iljimae seems to have gone crazy. All the men are looking for him.
The people he lived with were executed,
so he must be shocked.
What should we do? Should I arrest him again?
Well, he's messing up the market,
so we can't leave him alone.
When you find him, bring him to my house.
Yes, Sir.
For Gu Ja Myeong who believed in principles that were as important as life itself,
having Iljimae brought to his private quarters was not a trifling matter.
However, his compassion for Iljimae was making him break his old habits.
Gu Ja Myeong, while getting rid of the smell of an old bachelor,
got ready to meet Baek Mae's son in earnest.
However, an unforeseen event separated the two...
I'm worried because business has been bad lately.
So, Chil Bo still won't sell the store?
We were about to sit to negotiate
when a boy showed up and ruined it all.
So his primary concern now is not the negotiations.
He is trying to catch the boy.
That's exactly it.
Yes, I've just heard about the boy.
I heard that a boy who beats up people,messed up the southern market.
That's correct. The market is a disaster because of him!
The timing is good.
Get rid of Chil Bo.
Then the boy will be charged with murder.
Understand?
Very well, sir.
Stop right there!
Hey! Where are you going?
He will come to the back of my store. You follow him.
I will block his way. Got it?
Alright!
Well, I'll show you my brute strength, you bastard.
Oh! Why are you here?
I told you to postpone the negotiations.
Which way did the boy go?
Huh?
There he is!
Oh! What's that?
Isn't this Chil Bo?
He's dead!
Chil Bo... Hey!
The boy killed him!
He did what?
Are you sure it was him?
I think so, Sir.
The boy...
the boy killed a man?
Are you saying he really committed murder?
Yes, I am.
This is unbelievable...
Go inside!
No one has touched the body yet.
- Uncover him. - Yes, Sir.
There's blood on his back!
This is a stab wound.
Was the boy carrying a knife?
He... didn't have anything like a knife.
Bae Seon Dal, whose urge to get involved was as vast as the Serengeti, finally got his big moment.
Sunbae, did you see it?
I did! I followed him all day long,
but... I didn't see him carrying a knife.
Then, this is strange...
This man's wound was definitely made by a knife.
It wasn't made by a fist or a kick.
I...
At that moment, Bae Seon Dal thought of the man he bumped into earlier.
He could have been hiding a weapon,
so wouldn't it be better to arrest him and investigate the matter?
If he did kill a man,
we have no choice but to bring him to justice.
Arrest Iljimae!
Yes, Sir.
There is he! Catch him!
That way! You little rat!
Catch him! That way!
Catch him!
You follow him.
- Yes, Sir. - The rest of you, follow me.
I am sure he will run through the herbal store alley.
Let's go!
- Let's go! - Yes, Sir!
Stop!
You can't run away anymore!
Surrender peacefully!
Catch him!
What kind of kid...
Come down, Iljimae!
Come down at once, and ask for forgiveness.
Then, you'll be forgiven.
Are you okay, Sir?
Don't lie.
I know I'm dead as soon as you catch me.
I'll be beheaded, just like Dal Yi, right?
What are you waiting for? Catch the damn kid!
Yes, Sir! Catch him!
Catch him!
Since he made an officer bleed,
Iljimae will be charged with obstruction of justice in addition to murder.
He jumped to the ground. Catch him! There he goes!
Which way did he go?
He went that way!
Search the back!
Yes, Sir.
Who are you?
Dal Nim...
Who are you?
Dal!
It's me, Iljimae!
That's not my name.
You're not Dal?
No, my name is Wol Hee.
Yeah. There's no way
Dal could be here - she's dead.
Are you sure it was this way?
Yes, Sir.
They followed me all the way here.
I think he went this way, Sir.
Hey!
That's a dead end.
The road is blocked, Sir.
Then it's that house.
Anyone in the house? Open the door!
Who is it?
What's going on?
Didn't someone come into this house?
Who are you saying is hiding here?
Search inside!
Yes, Sir!
Look everywhere!
Yes, Sir!
He could be hiding here somewhere.
How many people live here?
It's two of us,just my daughter and myself.
What's this room?
Oops! So it was your daughter's room.
Though this is a poor house, it's still a yangban's *house of high standing! (*nobleman's)
It is not alright for you to open a girl's room like that!
Why are you waiting? Shut the door!
There's no one here.
I guess this isn't the house. Let's go.
Yes, Sir.
- Let's go. - Yes, Sir.
Wol Hee...
were you shocked?
Who were they?
I think they were chasing someone.
It's okay. Don't worry.
He opened my room so rudely!
Something must be going on outside!
I'll be out for a while,so lock the gate.
Hurry!
Alright, after I put on my clothes.
Turn your head that way.
The girl looked exactly like Dal.
However, Iljimae's Dal was not shy at all
and this girl's face was already red with embarrassment.
Hold on! If she was going to be shy, why did she hide him under her blanket in the first place?
I'll go lock the gate.
No.
I should go out now.
You can't. You'll be caught if you go out now.
By the way, why is it always girls who come to Iljimae's aid?
Because he's good-looking?
Because he's kind-hearted?
Because he's the main character?!
Are they gone?
I think so.
Thank you.
Did you eat? Do you want something to eat?
If your father comes back,it won't be good.
You just need to stay quietly in this room.
Wol Hee couldn't understand this pretty boy's heart at all.
He seemed to have fallen in love with her at first sight,
yet on the other hand, he seemed like he wanted to distance himself from her.
What is this frustration she feels?
You must be tired,do you want to rest here?
No, thanks.
If you're too kind to me,you might get hurt.
You said your name is Wol Hee?
Yeah.
My name is Iljimae.
I won't forget that you helped me.
What if you're caught?
But, Iljimae was not caught.
The boy who threw the city into utter chaos
did not come back for a long time after that.
I was being nice to him because of you,
and a tile... ah!
he threw it at me suddenly.
He definitely resembles his mother.
Excuse me?
His mother had a temper too.
Even after she was brutally interrogated,
she didn't give me the answer.
In this world, slaves are not treated like human beings.
Even if what you say is true...
it's not a crime for a nobleman to defile his slave,
take her child away, and kick her out.
You can't even punish him and give me back my child.
What are you trying to do?
Chief?
What is it?
The Qing prisoner wants to talk to you.
Wang Hweng Bo?
You wanted to talk to me?
Well, did you come because you missed me?
I heard about your men failing to catch Iljimae.
Let me out. I'll catch him in one breath.
Look here.
Are you asking to play hide-and-seek all the way to Aprok* River again? (*Yalu)
Not at all!
I am the only one who can catch Iljimae.
Don't you get it?
He and I traveled together from Yodong.
I can quickly catch him for you.
Put shackles on both his ankles.
Shackles? Shackles?!
What do you mean more shackles?
Look here!
I will walk out of here if you keep doing this!
The neck bar is heavy enough but he wants to add shackles to my feet?
He's smarter than I thought!
Pay extra attention.
Yes, Sir.
No one can enter without my permission.
Yes, Sir.
While Wang Hweng Bo failed his first prison-break attempt,
Iljimae, with invisible wounds,
went back to the Bukhan Mountain cave where Dal Yi's scent still lingered.
The girl he had just met, who looked just like Dal Yi,
made him miss her even more.
Damn it. I will beat them all to death.
Beat to death? Whom?
Ouch.
Save us, merciful Buddha.
You're a monk!
Ouch... you!
Why are you doing this to me?
What's wrong with you?
You hit a monk?
Forget about going to paradise. Forget it!
You're alone?
A monk always travels alone,you rascal.
There's a term "pack of thieves", but nothing about a pack of monks, right?
Why did you come in here?
I came in to catch some lice.
That's why.
You, you little rascals.
They say even vampires from hell can't drink a monk's blood,
but these rascals!
You little rascals have the guts to bite me, don't you?
Look at them all fat and shiny.
What are lice?
They are parasites that live off people,
love darkness...
breed for a short time...
and die.
In the end,
how are they different from people?
Ah...so, when a person calls someone, 'him'...'me'...like that...
Everyone dies, even those born into a grand house of noble lineage.
A person abandoned under a plum blossum branch is still a person.
That...
"abandoned under a plum blossum branch..."
Are you talking about me?
I should be going back to the temple now.
That's when Iljimae remembered the monk's name that Wang Hweng Bo told him.
Excuse me, monk.
Monk.
Your Buddhist name is Yeol Gong, right?
- You're the one who took me to Yodong? - Kid, Yodong or soybean paste...
none of that matters now!
Follow me,
I will take you to your mother.
To your mother!
My mother?
What are you waiting for?
Come and follow me.
Where's my mother?
Go inside, and you will see.
You will see!
Go on.
Go ahead!
What are you doing now?
Why are you doing this? Why are you locking me up?
You're a foul-smelling wild dog that goes around biting people, right?
A wild dog needs to be kept in a cage!
In a cage!
Open the door at once!
You crazy old man!
Open the door!
Open the damn door!
Open it, I say!
Open the door!
Open the damn door!
Volume 6 ~ Wandering Iljimae
Iljimae,
that's your mother's womb.
Oh, my child.
Thank you!
Iljimae got a big rock and hit Bong Yi's head
and killed her!
Killed her?
My Iljimae killed her?
Don't wander off!