Volume 1 Jia Wu Chapter 56 To Kill Or Not To Kill

  Only the thin black man standing on the old man's left side came out, saluted the old man and said a lot of things. As soon as the thin black man finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers.

  Zhou Xianzhang can understand Japanese but cannot understand Korean.

  Qian's face turned pale and his pants were also wet.

  "What did he say?" Zhou Xianzhang hastily asked.

  Qian Yougui cried with a sad face: "Master, disaster has struck!"

  "What's wrong? Are they from the Huahua Party?"

  "No, they are Donghak followers. The old man is their leader and the one speaking is their left guardian, named Han Eung-jun. He's asking the leader to kill us in revenge for Kim Yu-jeon!"

  Yao Xi cried out "Oh no!" and fainted to the ground.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang heard that the other party was Dongxue Jiao and suddenly became calm.

  During his time at the Tianjin Military Academy, he also heard about Donghak, a highly mysterious religious organization in Korea. Donghak preached that "man is heaven" and "the heart of heaven is the same as the human heart", expounding on the principles of establishing a heavenly kingdom on earth and equality for all people. This doctrine was very popular among the common people, but it was in sharp contrast to the hierarchical system of Confucianism, which emphasized the distinction between ruler and subject, and was also distinct from Taoism and Buddhism. The followers of Donghak were known for their unconventional behavior, and it is said that when they fell ill, they would not seek medical attention, but instead recite a 13-character prayer to ward off disease.

  The founder of Donghak, Choe Je-u, was orphaned at the age of 8 and wandered before attaining enlightenment in 1860. He founded Donghak in response to Western influence and what he perceived as injustice and inequality in Korean society. In 1864, the Joseon Dynasty government cracked down on Donghak, labeling it a heterodox cult, and executed Choe Je-u.

  After Choe Je-u's death, the second leader of the Donghak movement, Choe Si-hyeong, rebuilt the organization. Due to the brutal suppression by the authorities, Donghak moved from being a public to an underground movement, establishing secret meeting places in various parts of Korea, gathering strength and resisting the government. After more than ten years of secretly building up their forces, Donghak grew stronger and finally launched a rebellion this year, forcing the imperial court to sign a treaty under duress.

  It seems that this Soul Valley is a secret base of the Donghak sect, and it is highly likely to be the general altar of the Donghak sect. The leader on the high platform should be Choe Si-hyung.

  Donghak teachings, with the help of folk legends, describe Fengling Valley as a dark and terrifying place, where outsiders dare not enter, thus ensuring the safety of the general altar.

  Donghak and Gaehwa Party were both anti-dynasty, but their political views were completely different. The Gaehwa Party wanted to use the Japanese to carry out reforms, demanding that the dynasty sever relations with the Qing Empire and achieve Korean independence. In contrast, Donghak was extremely hostile to the Japanese, with the slogan "Expel the Dwarf Westerners", while hoping to maintain the status quo in Korea's relationship with the Qing.

  That is to say, the attitude of Donghak followers towards the Qing Dynasty tended to be mild.

  Kim Yoo-geun was a Gaehwadang member and had no relation to the Donghak Peasant Movement, although these white-clad people worshipped Kim's memorial tablet. This can also be understood as Kim's death was too cruel and evoked widespread sympathy among Korean civilians. The Donghak Peasant Movement showed respect for Kim, which is a common human sentiment.

  However, it seems that Donghak also had no reason to kill more than a hundred Qing soldiers for Kim Yoo-jeon.

  As expected, a man walked out from the right side of Cui Shi-heng, with a broad face and tiger-like eyes, a strong back and waist, holding his head high and chest out, saying a few words in a loud and clear voice.

  As soon as he finished speaking, there was another chorus of approval from the crowd.

  Money has a precious face and a joyful color: "General, great joy. That person is the right protector of Donghak, named Park Jung-ung, he asked the leader to release us."

  "Why?" Na Ha Wu. Can't believe it.

  "He said we are soldiers of the Great Qing, and came to help them fight against the Japanese, shouldn't kill."

  Na Ha's eyes welled up with tears: "Bodhisattva bless, Pu Hu is a true hero! The favor of saving my life, I will never forget it in my lifetime!"

  Na Ha-wook was moved, and a man walked out to Choi Si-hyung's left. This person had a tall stature, an aquiline nose, blonde hair, black eyes, and yellow skin, but he was a mixed-blood of Russian and North Korean.

  Russia borders North Korea and many Russians do business in North Korea. The Russian government also considers North Korea to be within its Far Eastern interests, trying every means to control it, but because of the Qing dynasty, Russians dare not go too far in North Korea. Therefore, many Russians live in North Korea for a long time and have given birth to many mixed-blood children.

  The half-caste said a few words and the crowd erupted into cheers again.

  Money's face turned pale with fright: "Master, disaster has struck! The one speaking is their commander, named Zheng Shi-xiong. He says we're not here to fight the Japanese, but to help the imperial court fight against the Donghak teachings. We should be killed! The score is two to one! We're done for!"

  Yao Xi suddenly woke up and stuttered: "No, no, won't work, there's still one person upstairs who hasn't spoken."

  Choe Si-hyong stood surrounded by four people, who were likely the leaders of Donghak. Three of them expressed their opinions: two wanted to kill him and one wanted to release him. The crowd's attention focused on the second person to Choe's right.

  That man was slender, with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, shaking a folding fan, shaking his head and swaying his body, walking up to the stage in a dignified manner, and after a speech, there was another burst of applause from the crowd.

  Qian Yougui hastily said: "Master..."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang scolded: "Great joy! Great joy!"

  Qian was taken aback: "Master, it turns out you understand Korean."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang shouted: "I don't understand a damn thing about Korean. You stupid, can't you see? Whenever the people on the left cheer, we're in trouble; whenever the people on the right cheer, we're overjoyed."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang had already seen that there was a serious division among the Donghak followers on whether to kill the Qing soldiers or not. The people on the left mostly wanted to kill the Qing soldiers to avenge Kim Ok-gyun, while those on the right were reluctant to do so. Therefore, whenever someone on the platform proposed killing, the people on the left cheered, and whenever someone proposed not killing, the people on the right cheered. According to the reaction of the followers below the platform, the opinions of the four leaders on the platform were evenly divided at two to two.

  Qian Yougui admired Zhou Xuanzhang extremely, saying: "General, you are truly a godlike person! The man who just spoke is named Lu Wenjun, he is their military strategist. He said that Korea and the Qing Dynasty have been friendly for generations, and it's impossible to fight each other, giving Japan an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. As a military strategist, he guarantees that our Qing army will definitely be fighting against Japan in Korea, not against the Donghak teachings."

  Na Ha Wu Da shouted: "Greatly kind and greatly compassionate Master Lu Jun, I will definitely worship you at home..."

  Zhou Xuanzhang shook his head: "The top is two against two, our heads are just looking at the master's words!"

  "What did the Master say?" Na Ha Wu anxiously stared at Qian Yougui.

  "What are you looking at me for? The master hasn't said anything yet!" Qian Yougui shouted angrily.

  "Damn it, hurry up and tell him!" Na Ha was impatient.

  "Fart, he's the master, I'm a prisoner, what right do I have to order him around!"

  Two people were arguing, Master Choi Si-hyung slowly stood up and walked to the front of the stage.

  The whole field fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Choi Si-hyung, especially the 108 Qing soldiers, who widened their eyes to the point of almost popping out.

  Choi Si-hyung glanced at the crowd below, then looked at Joo Hyeon-jae and said a few words slowly before sitting back down on the stone chair.

  The entire congregation, whether on the left or right side, did not make a single sound, all were silent.

  "Big Brother, why isn't either side cheering? Is this a kill or not?"

  Zhou Xianzhang also couldn't figure out what Choi Si-hyung was trying to do and asked, "What did he say?"

  Qian Yougui stupidly said: "He said, we need to invite someone else to evaluate again."

  "Damn it, they're treating us like monkeys!" Na Ha Wu said angrily: "If you want to kill or rob, then do it quickly and get it over with!"

  "Who does he want to invite to make a judgment?"

  "He said it was Kim Yu-jeong's wife and daughter."