Chapter 63: Night Raid

  Lu Wenjun said: "Of course, we can't do it with just a few people. However, the Donghak religion has branches in Kaesong and Gyeongseong, so we can mobilize the followers of the Donghak religion, and there's no problem with manpower. The key is how to coordinate this, which depends on Mr. Zhou."

  Most of the Donghak Army were ordinary civilians, and Lu Wenjun was a scholar. Park Jung-yang, on the other hand, had a military background, having served as a low-ranking officer in the Korean army, and knew some martial arts and firearms. However, the training and combat capabilities of the Korean army were extremely weak, and apart from suppressing peasant uprisings, they had no experience in modern warfare.

  Because of this, Donghak followers made three or five attempts to send people to Yanghwajin to seize the remains, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, all ending in failure.

  Zhou Xuanzhang frowned and said, "Not a single one of the monks in the capital can be used! The branches of the capital have already been exposed, and they are right under the eyes of the imperial court. They have long been targeted by the imperial court. If we go, it's equivalent to self-exposure."

  Then gather the city's religious followers, open the city altar in the north of the city, called Gu Luo Tang, the master is Li Chengyu, can gather at least three hundred people." Lu Wenjun said.

  He nodded: "It can only be like this. However, we cannot be careless, the city is not far from the capital and Japanese people have appeared again. We can't go to the ancient Luotang in a big way. I think Mr. Lu, Jin Xiu, Yao Xi, and Na Ha Wu should stay at the inn until the second watch of the night, then I and Pu Huofa will sneak out of the inn to the ancient Luotang, take a look at the situation over there, and make a decision."

  Gulao Hall is actually a land temple located in the north of the city.

  After the first leader of Donghak, Choe Je-u was killed by the government, Donghak went underground and did not have a fixed gathering place. After reaching the Jeonju Agreement with the government, Donghak was recognized by the government as a legitimate organization. Except for the Cheondogyo Central Temple in Gyeongsangnam-do, all other temples were made public, and local followers mostly repaired abandoned temples to serve as branch temple locations, which they called "such-and-such hall".

  Jin Shu hastily said: "Brother Zhou, I want to go with you."

  "Mei'er, it's inconvenient for you to go out at night. You're a girl, so it's better for you to stay in the guest room."

  "Big Brother Zhou, you said before, I should follow by your side, or else you will get angry."

  Zhou Xuanzhang was speechless, and this was indeed what he had said. In recent days, Zhou Xuanzhang had been taught a lesson by Jin Shu's persistence, and once this girl made up her mind, no one could persuade her otherwise.

  "Go on, then you reapply your makeup..."

  "It's already dark and no one can see." Jin Shu reluctantly said: "It's so uncomfortable to have charcoal ash on my face."

  Zhou Xuanzhang sighed inwardly, which girl doesn't love beauty? And Jin Xiu is a fairy-like little beauty. In this chaotic world, she was forced to smear black on her own face! Zhou Xuanzhang secretly made a vow - when the world is at peace, he will definitely dress up Xiu'er beautifully and let everyone under the sky see her beauty!

  ……

  At the second watch of the night, the darkness is deep.

  Everyone in the store has fallen asleep, and the inn is quiet.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang, Jin Xiu and Park Zheng Xiong changed into night clothes, walked quietly to the downstairs, came to the yard, borrowed the moonlight, touched the back of the inn, where there was a back door.

  Zhou Xuanzhang carried his 1888 Commission Rifle on his back. Originally, Zhou Xuanzhang didn't want to bring a gun, the rifle was too conspicuous, but because Jin Xiu was following him, Zhou Xuanzhang dared not be careless, in case something happened, having a gun was better than not having one.

  There were several large pine trees along the wall of the courtyard, and under their lush canopies, a shaded area was formed. Zhou Xianzhang walked in front, Jin Xiu in the middle, and Pu Zhengxiong followed behind, walking close to the wall towards the back door.

  Suddenly, Joo Gun-chang swung his hand back and crouched down, with Kim Ju-kyeong and Park Jeong-ung crouching behind him.

  Only in the main room of the inn did two black shadows flash out, their bodies agile and their footsteps nimble, walking three or two steps to the side of the back door.

  The door opened quietly and two black shadows flashed out of the back door, then the door closed quietly again, like a ghost.

  Jin Xiu's soft chest was tightly attached to Zhou Xuan Zhang's arm, her body slightly trembling.

  "Don't be afraid, it's those two Japanese people." Zhou Xuan Zhang said in a low voice. Jin Xiang's body emitted a faint fragrance, which made Zhou Xuan Zhang somewhat distracted.

  "What are they going to do?" Jin Shu asked.

  Park Jeong-ung got up: "I'll go out and take a look." He said, and was about to head towards the back door.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang's heart sank, and he secretly called out "not good". He grabbed Park Jung-woong with one hand: "We're surrounded!"

  Park Chung-hee asked in surprise: "Mr. Zhou, who is surrounding us?"

  "Japanese!"

  "It's impossible." Park Jung-ung shook his head: "They don't know us, we're strangers to them."

  Zhou Xuanzhang patted Jin Shu's shoulder: "Shu'er, crouch and don't move, I'll go up the tree with Pu Hu Fa to take a look at the movement outside."

  Jin Shu nodded and pulled out a dagger from her bosom.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang smiled and said: "Rou'er, with Big Brother here, we don't need this thing."

  Jin Shu smiled lightly and put away her dagger. She absolutely believed Zhou Xianzhang's words.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang and Park Jung-woong climbed up the pine tree, hiding in the dense foliage to look out at the wall outside, and suddenly took a breath of cool air.

  Outside the courtyard wall was a narrow alley, and in the alley were soldiers with live ammunition, wearing blue-black military uniforms, holding Murata rifles.

  This was a well-trained army, with over a hundred men marching into the alleyway in an orderly and silent manner, their bayonets glinting coldly in the moonlight.

  The two Japanese who just walked out of the back door are standing outside the door with a revolver in their hands.

  This is Japan's regular army!

  Zhou Xuanzhang made a gesture to Park Zhengxiong, and the two slid down the pine tree to come beside Jin Shu.

  "Brother Zhou, is he really Japanese?" Jin Xiu asked in a low voice.

  Zhou Xuanzhang nodded.

  Are you afraid?

  "With you by my side, I'm not afraid."

  A warm current surged up in Zhou Xuanzhang's heart, and then he was worried again. Jin Xiu trusted him unconditionally, but he had no way to cope with the current crisis.

  The back door is blocked, and the front door must be a dead end too!

  Zhou Xuan Zhang looked around, the backyard was not big, to the south was a two-story small building of the inn, to the east were two flat houses, which should be the owner's residence, to the north was a cattle shed, with two horses inside, outside the cattle shed was a small road, passing by the flat house, leading to the front door of the inn. To the west and north were courtyard walls, with several pine trees growing along the wall edge. Apart from this, there was no hiding place. Once the Japanese rushed in, everyone could only be captured with their hands tied.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang said: "Pu Hu Fa, you quickly return to the guest room, notify Lu Jun Shi and them, hurry up and leave the room, come to the backyard, I and Jin Shu are waiting for you here!"

  Park Jeong-ung responded with a single word and quickly walked away, entering the inn in no time.

  Park Jeong-ung had just walked into the inn when Joo Hyeon-chang suddenly grabbed Kim Ju and said, "Ju, come with me."

  "Zhou Dage, didn't you say we were going to wait for Pu Hufa?" Jin Xiu was puzzled.

  "Now is not the time for talking," Zhou Xuan Zhang hastily said. He then pulled Jin Shu towards the cattle shed and ran off.

  As soon as the two of them stepped into the stable, they heard a loud crash at the front gate of the inn, followed by the sound of footsteps and a group of people rushing in from the front door.

  Outside the courtyard wall of the back door, it was still quiet and silent.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang sneered, the Japanese were using a tactic of "startling the snake by hitting the grass". Zhou Xuan Zhang could be certain that all those who had rushed into the inn from the front door were Japanese disguised as Koreans. Once the people inside the inn panicked and ran out of the back door, they would fall right into the hands of the Japanese army.

  The Japanese did this, certainly out of diplomatic consideration. Now Japan's garrison in Korea is under the pretext of protecting overseas Chinese, and the two countries have not declared war, so the Japanese army cannot openly arrest Koreans. But tonight, they want to catch someone extremely important, they must get them, so the Japanese used regular troops.

  To resolve this contradiction, the Japanese army quietly surrounded the rear door of the inn, while sending plainclothes to make a loud disturbance at the front door, forcing the person they wanted to capture to escape from the rear door. The Japanese army then lay in wait at the rear door and once the target rushed out, they could seize them without anyone being aware.

  The Japanese must be looking for Jin Shu!