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Volume 24 The Place I Dream Of

This is Shenyang, the capital of Qing.

Faster! Faster!

Hurry up and get up! Get up!

Why are you doing that? Don't you know he's sick?

Hey, hey!

Hurry up!

What happened to the war?

It's over.

It's over?

The Qing Army moved out immediately and arrived in Hanyang in ten days.

The Commanding General Kim Ja Jeom

received the fire signal but didn't relay the message

so the royal court didn't have a chance to get prepared.

Even the Namhansanseong fortress surrendered a month and a half after the siege.

The King put his head to the ground and bowed to the Qing Emperor three times.

The first thing that came to Iljimae's mind was Kim Ja Jeom.

Iljimae, there's no way you can beat me.

Iljimae, you can't ever win!

Did Iljimae do the right thing by following Master Yeol Gong's teachings?

- You're going to your house in the south? - Yes, Master.

There is one good thing that came out of all this chaos with the Orankes*.

* barbarian/savage.

What was that called? Pardon? He's been pardoned.

Pardoned? He's been pardoned?

Now that we're a subject state of Qing, amnesty was granted to those previously convicted.

Considering the state this country is in, it's hard to be happy about that.

But at least we don't have to live in hiding anymore.

I see. That's how it is.

- Is the house safe? - Yes.

My uncle was able to take good care of it while I was away.

That's good to hear.

It'll be a better place to raise the baby and hear news about the father.

You mean news about Iljimae?

The prisoners of war are coming back.

I want to find out if they know anything.

Master, thank you so much for taking care of us during all this time.

No, it's me that was grateful to have enjoyed the food you've prepared.

Hold on!

Hey! That looks familiar.

Yes, this was given by Iljimae's mother.

You've been keeping this from me all these years?

I forgot about it until now... until just now.

Since this is from his grandmother, use it the way she intended, on clothes for the baby.

That can't be! You've got to be mistaken!

Excuse me... he looks like a girl and is very tall...

I don't know, don't know.

See here... here.

He looks like a girl and is very tall. Do you know anyone like that?

I don't know.

Nothing.

No one knows anything about him.

Is that so?

You must be hungry.

I used to be a beggar. Being hungry is not a big deal to me.

When Iljimae left, my thoughts were to to back to being a beggar like before.

But life thwarted those plans.

Who would've ever thought that I'd help to raise Iljimae's son?

He left to try and stop the war. But the war has been over for a long time.

Do you think he's still alive?

He's alive. Without a doubt.

Isn't that right?

See? He thinks so, too.

The way he smiles, he looks just like his father. Exactly like him.

Selling the prisoners... the government

released the prisoners upon payment from family.

But many people paid extra to have their family members released sooner.

That demand in service caused the fees to climb up astronomically.

Pardon me.

Yeon Ju!

Father!

- Why did you come all the way here? - I came to take you back.

Don't worry, your father will get you out.

- Where did you get the money for that? - I sold our land to get the money.

Then how will my brothers live?

We have to save you first.

- Don't worry. Just hang in there a little longer. - Over here!

Let's go! Let's go!

Wait! Wait!

This is my daughter.

I have the money to buy her release so please let me take her.

- How much did you bring? - 300 nyang.

Do you want to sell?

The price just went up. It's now 500 nyang.

Didn't you just see the last one being sold for 500 nyang?

Look here. How could we come up with 200 more nyang in this foreign land?

- This is our life savings! - That's none of my concern.

If you want to buy her, bring more money then make the deal!

You're lower than an animal!

It wasn't enough to buy and sell humans so now you harrass people who travel thousands of miles?

What are you uttering about?

- I'll sell her another time. - Look here, please sell her today.

- Father! - Yeon Ju!

- Yeon Ju! - Father!

- Who's next? - Yeon Ju!

That's the reality.

Those with money and power pay the fee to take their family back to Joseon.

But because they pay whatever price is set, the fees are rising through the roof.

The poor people who had to sell their life savings and borrow money to get here...

can't be united with their families.

This is what has been happening while you were asleep.

I wish I hadn't woken up.

Hurry.

Father!

Stop right there!

How dare you run away!

Do you want me to chop your feet off?

Let her go!

Now what is this annoyance?

If you don't leave right now, I'll not show any mercy.

I'll take you to your father.

Father!

- Father! - Yeon Ju... Yeon Ju... Yeon Ju!

What happens to the captives who can't go back to Joseon?

The men are sent to battlefields to die while deflecting enemy arrows.

The old and the young are sent out to do hard labor.

The women work as maids and also have their bodies defiled.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

It's not your fault.

Iljimae, would you like to meet the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince?

Crown Prince Sohyeon is detained here in Shenyang.

Think of how miserable he must be, as a Crown Prince to be trapped here.

But instead of wallowing in despair, he's working hard to save the prisoners.

He is truly one that the Joseon people can trust.

He desires to meet you.

The Joseon Center.

This is where Crown Prince Sohyeon is staying as a prisoner.

While working to release the captives and in commerce between Qing and Joseon,

he was exposed to the science of the West.

What do we have from Joseon this time?

100 tobacco, 300 birches, 100 pagoda trees...

4,000 pears, 2,000 persimmons and 5 sacks of ginger.

The tobacco was pre-ordered with a premium from the Qing officials.

How many people can we release with this?

It's okay. You can tell me.

About 20 people.

Is that all?

The price for the captives is rising everyday.

Save the young children, the women, the old, and the sick first.

Yes, Your Highness.

I'm paying as much as I can to send the people back home but we don't have enough.

Some escape to my place and beg me to save them.

Most of them get caught before they get out of Shenyang.

Even the lucky ones who made it to the border can't cross the river.

They jump into the river and end up dying right in front of their homeland.

I need someone to protect and guide them to Joseon.

Is that something you can do for me?

The river is at the end of this forest.

But you have to be very careful from here. It's guarded by the border patrol.

If we run into them, I'll deal with them while you run as fast as you can to the river.

You can run fast, right?

You've been through a lot.

We don't know how to thank you enough.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You're not safe yet. You have to get out of the forest first.

Stay here for now. I'll go and check out the area.

Gak Su, isn't that him?

Who?

The man who was bleeding in the mountain.

Please refer to Volume 18.

Who is it?

Run!

- Run! - Let's go! Run!

Kill him!

Kill him!

~ Book Dealer ~

What do you think? It's good, isn't it?

Yes. I especially like the part where Ms. Park teaches the Qing soldiers a lesson.

It's because it's full of hope.

Life doesn't always work out that way, but we hope it will.

This will be a hit if we scribe this.

It would but we don't have the paper to make the copies.

There is no paper?

Everyone at the paper mill was either killed or held captive during the war.

Paper is scarce now.

In the past, we got paper from the monks, but even they're not around anymore.

Go away! Stop hanging around here! You'll drive away all the customers!

Are you children from Qing?

Here, have some more.

Do you want some more soup?

Any news of Seon Dal-nim?

Nothing.

He went to Qing to find Cha Dol but hasn't returned yet.

He's been gone for a long time.

Did you bring in more people?

They were taken captive and just got back.

They found their house had been burned down and all the refugee camps are full.

That's sad to hear but how are we going to feed all of them?

We're even out of rice now.

Paper?

Please teach me how to make paper.

I think I can make a lot of money making paper because it's so precious now.

It's impossible.

You can't make paper by yourself. It takes a lot of work.

There are plenty of workers. We just need the knowledge and skill.

Master, please teach me how to make paper.

Is Wol Hee jumping into hard labor

in order to forget Iljimae just like she did at the forge?

But we know that although the sunlight of Iljimae is gone for now,

Wol Hee shines over her surroundings like the moonlight.

It's a good quality. They are all asking for more.

Even the government offices and the palace are out of paper.

But I get first priority.

Okay.

Now that you're busy making paper, you can't scribe anymore.

Why not? Making paper is one thing and scribing is another. I will do both.

Please give me that sample back. I need that to do something.

What did you write there?

- Just go on your way. - Alright. I get it.

- Hey you, slug! - I'm coming!

Hurry up, will you? How long will you just sit there?

How long has it been since you went to get water?

Move quickly! Take this over there, hurry!

What am I going to do with you?

Hurry up!

Take this to that table.

- What's going on? - I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry. I'll replace that right away.

Hurry up, will you? I just can't have you do anything!

Hurry up, will you?

Ch... Cha Dol!

S... Seon Dal-nim!

- Seon Dal-nim... - What the...

- Seon Dal-nim... - Cha Dol...

I found you!

I finally found my Cha Dol!

Seon Dal-nim.

S... Seon Dal-nim!

So why did you come here all by yourself?

Why didn't you just forget about me?

I was sick even before I left Joseon.

I knew that I did't have much time to live, so I came here to ask you for one last favor.

What... what favor?

That envelope on top of that book...

Open it.

That is a document that says I've adopted you as my son.

I notified my relatives and received permission from the Ministry of Rites.

When you return home, show this to my family, they will give you my house and my land.

Seon Dal-nim.

As you well know, I don't have a son to honor me after my death.

I want you to become my son and honor me and my ancestors.

Can you do that for me?

Yes, Seon Dal-nim.

What do you mean Seon Dal-nim?

You are my son now.

Father...

And... finish the Chonicles of Iljimae.

You're the only person who can finish it.

No, I can't do it by myself.

No. You can do it.

You can do it without a doubt.

So hurry up and tell me you'll do it.

That way, I can die in peace.

I will do it. I will most certainly do as you say.

My son...

Don't cry.

If a person is born, he must go at some point.

During my lifetime, I was fortunate to have met two important people.

One is you... and the other is Iljimae.

In a world where it's hard to have even one important person, I met two.

That's more than enough.

Oh my goodness, you made this much already?

Is the baby sleeping? Hah! He's sound asleep.

Everyone's working hard.

This work is giving them hope for the future so they're full of energy.

- You're right. - I'm so grateful to all of them.

You know... I've been listening to them and they talk about someone who helped them.

Someone helped them back to Joseon?

Yes. And I think it might be Iljimae.

He took us to the border.

He even saved us when we got caught by the border patrol.

Did he really have a scar on his face?

Yes, on this side.

What about his name? Do you know his name?

He didn't tell us his name. He said he didn't have one.

Oh hey! Was that scar from a burn?

That's right.

Really? He's the same one that helped me?

You too?

Not only did he do that, he even rescued me from the house I was sold to.

- Hurry up! - Hurry up.

Where are you taking us?

Hurry up! Go in!

Hurry up!

Okay, okay, okay.

Go inside. You're sleeping here tonight.

Why did you bring us to a place like this all of a sudden?

Someone keeps taking you guys away from us. We're going to take turns guarding you.

Go in!

- Look here! Please! - Open this door!

- Please! - Why are you doing this?

Who are they saying is freeing the people?

I hope that someone gets me out, too.

With them guarding the door like that, it probably won't be possible.

Unless there's someone like Iljimae in this country.

Why would Iljimae come all the way here?

Who's there?

Listening to this makes me feel like I'm back at home.

I heard that the border security is getting tighter.

We use varying courses to throw them off.

How do they cross the river?

There was a person who took them on a raft, but he died of illness.

That's too bad.

But no need to worry, Your Highness.

We've run into a temporary hurdle but we'll get as many as possible back home.

We are indeed very fortunate to have you.

Are you here? I've been waiting for you.

We found someone to man the raft.

Is that so? That's good news.

That person will be waiting on the next trip.

Oh, and you have a guest waiting for you.

A guest?

Cha Dol!

Il... Iljimae-nim.

How did you get here?

Seon Dal-nim told me.

He came here but you weren't here so he didn't get to see you.

Yes, I heard he had come.

I was in Peking when he stopped by.

Where's Seon Dal-nim?

He passed away.

He passed away?

I had him cremated as he had requested from his death bed.

It would've been nice if you had seen him.

You're right...

Looking back, I see a lot of people cared for me.

But I was too caught up in myself to realize how much people loved me.

I was such a brat myself.

I regret not having treated Seon Dal-nim better.

Ah... Did you know that Lady Wol Hee had a baby?

Wol Hee had a baby?

Yes. It's a son.

He's probably grown a lot by now.

A son?

Wol Hee had my son?

Yes.

Are you waiting for the person who is to man the raft?

A war broke out soon after you left Liaodong.

I was reluctant but I followed my master to the war.

I was tortured as a prisoner of war but I killed many people in the battlefield.

Both soldiers and civilians.

But I could no longer do that.

I couldn't stand killing people in order to save myself.

I couldn't stay there any longer.

My daughter and I traveled with the smugglers to the border.

It was there I heard of a person who helped people return to Joseon.

The instant I heard that, I knew that it had to be you.

So you came here to help me?

Yes.

Finally, I can accept your help.

Nine years has passed since the 2nd Manchu Invasion.

Mother!

Yeong, you brought the paper.

You're good at even running errands for me.

- Hello. - Hi.

~ The Chronicles of Iljimae ~

Ahjussi!

- Where did you get this? - Oh, that?

Who brought this here?

A young man brought it and said he'd like copies made for people to read.

A young man?

Could that be...?

When did he come? Where did he go?

What's the panic? He's right here.

He's here?

Cha Dol.

Lady Wol Hee.

After helping Iljimae and finishing the late Bae Seon Dal's work in Shenyang,

Cha Dol returned with 8 volumes of 'The Chronicles of Iljimae'

and a message from Iljimae, that he'll come back for Wol Hee.

Thank you, Cha Dol.

You've given me hope.

I bought this for you.

These books are about Yeong's father?

Yes.

Mother, hurry up and read this to me.

The story of Iljimae begins at the Cheonggyecheon Creek in early spring...

...when the plum blossoms started to bloom.

Yes, the Cheonggyecheon Creek.

That's where I found him.

In the season when all things come back to life, one life was abandoned there.

The baby, still with his umbilical cord attached, was about to end his short life.

Even so, he was sleeping so soundly.

Looking at the brilliant clouds

always reminds me of the place you held.

The memories are gone,

even of your common expressions.

I cry once again at the memory of you.

I'll wait for you, whatever is said.

This dream is not temporary.

I will sing for you as I embrace my pain,

songs that hold your smile.

It wasn't so common to see a rainbow in the spring.

And that can make a young lady's heart leap.

A young boy suddenly shows up.

He was just as fair as before but by now, a 20 year-old man...

I can't read this anymore.

Wol Hee...

- Mother! - Wol Hee!

- Massage harder and let me feel it. - Yes, Sir.

Look, look, look, look at this!

No wonder the captives keep escaping.

- Who are you, and where are you from? - Don't you know?

I'm Wang Hweng Bo of the Royal Guards.

- The Royal Guards? - Yes.

I'm here with a special mission to arrest Iljimae.

Get in a single file line.

Lower, lower...

Higher...

Wang Hweng Bo hasn't changed a bit.

Can they be glad to see him or be fed up with him?

It was Iljimae who helped the captives cross the border.

I can tell from this ninja star.

There is none so far that's succeeded in capturing him. But I'm different.

How so? Because I'm awesome!

You should be honored!

Lower, lower...

There he is!

Run!

Iljimae!

How many times must we meet?

Wang Hweng Bo.

I shouldn't have let you live.

When I heard that a man was smuggling out the Joseon captives, I knew it was you.

Iljimae... kneel down and surrender.

You can't arrest me.

You know what will happen if you try to stop me, right?

Iljimae!

Sound the drum!

Iljimae, I know your weakness. It's the sound of the drum.

It's starting to work.

Iljimae...

Keep sounding the drum!

Why aren't you fainting? Faint!

Why aren't you fainting? Keep sounding the drum!

Iljimae! What's happening here?!

Once you have suffered greatly, the pain you felt before doesn't mean anything.

You've given great pain to my country and to me.

Iljimae! Iljimae!

Iljimae wait!

You still have something left to say to me?

There's another reason why I'm here.

The Emperor wants to see you.

The Emperor?

You can't fool me this time.

No. I'm really telling you the truth this time.

The Emperor became ill right before the Ming campaign.

He wants to see you. That's why he sent me to bring you to him.

Please, please go and meet with the Emperor.

- Stop with your sneaky tactics. - No, I'm telling the truth. This time, I am.

Please, can't you grant me this one request? Even someone dying gets to have a last request granted.

Fine, tell me.

The Emperor said that he needs you to give something back to him.

- Something I must return? - I don't know what that is,

but he just said that he needs it back in place of the golden plum blossom.

I have to learn how to walk sideways again.

There's nothing better for exercising than the twist.

I'm so bored.

You're that child I saw at Liaodong.

I knew it was you.

It's a hard name to forget, as well as those eyes.

Iljimae...

I need the sword back.

Do you know the meaning of that sword?

I heard that it symbolizes the authority of the Emperor.

It's much more than that.

The sword has been passed down from the first Emperor.

Only he who has the sword can be acknowledged as the true Emperor.

I don't have much time left to live.

I've placed a fake sword in the place where the real one should be and have fooled people with it.

But I need to pass that sword down to my son before I die.

If I don't, this country will be thrown into great chaos.

I know why you took that sword.

You could have killed me but you didn't and by that, you wanted me to stop the war.

Numerous people have died from that war.

Innocent lives are being tortured in this land.

What is it that you want?

If I tell you, will you grant it to me?

Tell me what it is.

Release as many Joseon people as that sword is worth.

As many as that sword is worth?

If you don't keep your promise, I'll take the sword back.

This conversation we just had must never leave this room.

Can you do that for me?

- Of course. - Good.

How will you return the sword?

The sword never left the palace in the first place.

It is hidden in the ceiling of your room.

How come Iljimae gets to meet the Emperor?

I'm so curious... curious... curious!

Iljimae, why did he ask for you? Why?

I'm dying to know!

Wang Hweng Bo, are you going to trail me again?

Don't ever follow me again.

This has nothing to do with you.

Iljimae.

Iljimae!

~ Book Dealer ~

- Did you hear the news? - What news?

Ming surrendered to Qing.

They did?

Yanjing has raised the white flag to Qing.

This is the world we're living in.

They say that the world is round.

Until now, we thought that the world is flat and Ming was at its center.

But there is no center of the world.

That means Joseon can also be the center as well.

Joseon can be the center of the world?

Yes.

I have the received permission to return.

Amnesty has been granted to everyone, including the remaining 30,000 prisoners of war.

Really?

It was the late Emperor's dying request.

Iljimae... let's go back.

Let's go back and change the country.

Come with me.

Yes, Your Highness.

But Crown Prince Sohyeon died a mysterious death

immediately after returning to Joseon.

The rain was coming down steadily but now it's stopped. Even the people lining up have stopped as well.

What's going on? Everyone that should have returned has come through already, but where is Iljimae?

I should go home. Maybe we missed him on the way.

How could we have missed him? We've been waiting here all this time!

Still....

Hey, Yeong! Where are you going?

You can go home. I'll wait here a little longer.

Okay.

My dear, I know you will be back someday.

On that day when you left, I thought you were gone for good.

I wondered why.

We are thousands of miles apart but I don't feel as though you're far away.

Wherever you are, no matter how far apart we are, I can feel you.

My heart beats with you.

Everything that you saw and heard,

I also saw and heard.

I'm going to go on ahead.

- Okay, I'll see you at home. - Yes, mother.

I can hear and see the wind, the water, the cloud, and the sunlight.

My dear, you will be back someday.

Words cannot express how much I miss you.

Do you know who I am?

My mother told me that the only person who will read that letter is my father.

What's your name?

It's Yeong.

Yeong...

Yeong...

You're a big boy now.

I'm sorry I couldn't watch you grow up.

Can you forgive me?

Thank you very much.

- Go home safely. - Take care.

- Hello, Lady. - Hello.

You're back.

Yes.

I'm back.

Why aren't you sleeping?

I had a dream.

What dream?

It was an unknown world.

There were white lights shining at night.

The houses stretched as high as the sky.

The people were wearing strange clothes.

It seemed like a world in the future.

Maybe 100... or 200 years later?

I don't know.

I think it's further away than that.

Even then, I was on the rooftop with my mask on.

As if my work was still unfinished...

How sad it is...

if you still have to do that even in that future.

Yes, it's very sad.

But don't worry.

I'm sure it's just a dream.

If it's that far into the future, the world won't need Iljimae anymore.

Do you really think so?

Yes, of course.

You should go to sleep. The sun won't be up for a while.

Okay.

After making it as the Chief State Councellor,

Kim Ja Jeom was put to death

by dismemberment instead of fulfilling his ambition.

They say that a deep river runs quietly.

The name of Iljimae quietly holds our dreams

as the bottom of a river called time.

A dream for a world where we don't have to call out for a hero.

It is our sad and old dream.

Main Translator: MBC America Transcriber & Timer: Xsav

Lyrics & Spot Translator: songbird Chinese Translation: haywires, rambutan

Timer: benchmarkjoe Timing QC: mclvene

Editor/QC: leesja

Coordinators: sayroo, cute girl

Thank you for watching ~ The Return of Iljimae ~

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Where a flower with no name bloomed,

where the bird cage that he left was,

a heavenly smile, slowly forming,

brings me back to this place once again

This world that follows the wind and the clouds,

the scenery that changes with each passerby,

the blade in my hand cries in my stead...

...won't you leave me be at last?

I am just a lonely wolf.

I am just a lonely wolf.

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