episode_0020

Among the commoners, there were those who fought against the Japanese pirates, but their skills were nothing to boast about; it was almost accurate to say that I fought alone.

“I must be the only one feeling impatient. From the perspective of a military officer, gathering troops in the early morning must be challenging.”

After throwing all the rocks, I picked up the sword on the ground and leaped downwards.

The Wol-do, in simple terms, was similar to the Blue Dragon Unwol Sword that Gwanwoonjang wields.

Grasping the Wol-do with both hands, shooting arrows with the bow, my arm, which had been sore from throwing rocks, now felt refreshing.

“Ah~!”

Swish~ Clang, swish~ clang…

With momentum, I swiftly wielded the Wol-do, and the Japanese invaders who rushed towards me simultaneously spilled blood and fell as they were cut down.

During the Imjin War, Western missionaries who followed the Japanese army reportedly said this about the Koreans:

– “A tiger inside the fortress, a flock of sheep in the fields.”

When fighting relying on fortresses, they are as fierce as tigers, but without a place to rely on, they are as defenseless as sheep.

Conversely, it could also mean that the Japanese fight like tigers in the fields.

Honestly, I’m not sure if the missionary actually said these words.

Japan, during its colonial rule, tried every trick to degrade the Korean people.

Things like the Goryeo Jar were not part of Korean culture but were falsely created by Japan!

Even the missionary who mentioned tigers and sheep doesn’t have a precise name.

It is true that before the Imjin War, over a hundred years of civil war experience in Korea led to many skilled warriors, but were they really tigers in the fields?

I find it hard to believe…

Anyway, at this moment, I was the tiger in the fields.

Though the Japanese outnumbered us, they scattered like sheep when hit.

Despite the bloodshed and gore in front of me, the determination to win and survive arose within me, not allowing this situation to overwhelm me.

As close combat ensued, surprisingly, the enemy’s arrows did not rain down on me.

They ceased shooting arrows because hitting me would likely harm their own allies rather than me.

Instead, various types of attacks came towards me, but I either blocked or dodged them with the Wol-do aimed at my face, while the leather armor on my chest and vital spots protected me.

Step by step… thud.

“Huh, is this a wall?”

As enemies surrounded me from all sides, I found myself gradually fighting while leaning against a mud wall of some villager’s house.

Nowhere to retreat, I became like a piece on the chessboard, as I had imagined in my mind.

But it wasn’t just me being pushed back.

The true power of the martial arts I had honed for over ten years began to show as enemy bodies piled up in front of me, forming a natural barrier.

Whenever an opening appeared, I swiftly moved past the wall of bodies with movements that seemed almost superhuman, breaking through the encirclement and shifting towards the nearby houses.

Initially, they seemed like disorganized individuals, but soon enough, a samurai with proper armor and a long katana appeared.

“A samurai?”

I welcomed this situation, finally facing someone wielding a genuine Japanese sword.

However!

Swish~ clang~ clang!

Swoosh~ clatter.

Contrary to expectations of a prolonged battle, the samurai couldn’t even clash a few times before dropping his sword.

The overwhelming force of the Wol-do, combined with its long length and wide blade, proved too much for him to handle.

As the samurai swung his sword, his palm tore open, and before he could even register a bewildered expression, my successive strikes severed his neck.

I hoped for another samurai to appear.

But there was no second one.

The deceased samurai seemed quite skilled; after his death, the enemies who had been frightened did not approach and only threatened with their long spears, unable to attack.

Although the enemies hesitated with their spears in hand, I couldn’t let my guard down.

Their numbers increased so much that there was no opening to be found.

At that moment, archers appeared from behind and began shooting arrows.

Initially, one or two arrows were not a problem, but as the number of archers grew, I was struck by dozens of arrows in my arms and legs, not hitting any vital spots.

Now, except for the parts covered by armor and thick leather, my body was soaked in blood, flowing down to my feet.

“Is this how I die?”

As I pondered that I was too young to end my second life, shouts erupted from behind, and soldiers appeared.

“They’ve finally arrived!”

The exhausted enemies, having lost half their troops without capturing me, cursed vehemently.

Furthermore, the enemy commander issued a retreat order.

In a situation where I couldn’t handle even one opponent properly, the appearance of well-equipped soldiers made it impossible for me to even consider standing my ground.

Moreover, as the remaining enemies were exhausted from chasing me, the arrival of new allies instantly shattered their morale.

Some retreating enemies looked relieved, some regretful, while others glared at me with venomous eyes.

“Hey! Come at me! You can’t kill with your eyes. Attack!”

I shouted in Japanese.

But there were no takers. They lacked the skill to face me.

As the enemies retreated, Gebok and Bokjong approached, pretending to be concerned.

“Oh, my lord! Are you… are you alright?”

Can’t you see?

“Gebok, it’s hard to even speak. Just support me.”

Gebok and Bokjong quickly flanked me, offering support.

“Gebok alone is enough. Bokjong, take this.”

Even though I was strong, after fighting for a long time, my sword felt as heavy as a boulder.

Handing it over to Bokjong, I felt a sense of relief.

“My lord, can you walk? Are your arms and legs okay?”

“Huff, I was so tense that I didn’t realize I was injured, but my legs can still move.”

Upon closer inspection later, I realized that apart from avoiding vital areas, my clothes had been torn, revealing numerous wounds underneath.

Covered in blood from head to toe, with blood trickling down my pants, I felt proud to have fought on despite losing so much blood.

“If I hadn’t known history and prepared in advance, would I have died?”

Even without knowledge of the future, I knew that without preparation, I wouldn’t have been able to perform as I did now.

“Still, it’s not absolute.”

Even without knowing the future, I knew that Ichinok was inherently a character with high resilience.

Besides, archery was unrelated to the game.

“Anyway, the biggest factor in victory is knowing the future. So, what I prepared in advance was greater than Ichinok’s abilities.”

While the enemies retreated, the damage to the villagers was significant.

Over a hundred people had died, which was one-third compared to the original history.

However, since no one knew the original history, they thought they had suffered significant losses.

Unlike the original history, our soldiers suffered no casualties.

Though I couldn’t count the exact number, I had killed at least three hundred enemy soldiers.

Sadly, like in the original history, seven of our ships were burned, and we couldn’t capture a single enemy ship.

Honestly, holding them off alone had its limits.

#

Supported by Gebok, I was immediately treated by the physician upon reaching the fortress.

I also met the leader and explained the battle.

After hearing my explanation, the leader was greatly astonished by what I had prepared and displayed in the battle.

Particularly upon learning my lineage and the fact that I had reached the highest rank in the military examination, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, even if Cheok Jun-kyung were to be reincarnated, I wonder if he could match your prowess. Your feats will surely be recognized from above, leading you to receive great rewards.”

The commander reassured not to worry, but this matter was so significant that it couldn’t be concealed.

Moreover, having already bribed two of the sacrificial ritualists, there was no concern in his mind at all.

However, he had no intention of letting it end like this.

“We must capture the remnants of the enemy before they escape.”

Although they are remnants, there are still hundreds of surviving enemies.

The naval fleet remained intact with around 40 ships.

“I want to capture them. However, they have already gone out to sea. With only seven warships left, there is no room for leisure.”

“I have a plan.”

“A plan?”

“To sail a small boat at night and sneakily approach the enemy’s ship to set it on fire.”

“Haha, reckless.”

The commander shook his head as if looking at a madman.

In fact, he was somewhat crazy. But I had already decided to see this through, and I had no intention of stopping my reckless actions.

“How could they have gone out to sea on a dark night where visibility is poor! No one would dare to venture into such a situation.”

“I will do it.”

“Nonsense!”

The commander snapped.

“You are a patient who needs treatment right now. Take care of yourself.”

“I may have been injured, but I have avoided vital spots. And I cannot miss the opportunity to wipe out the remnants of the Japanese invaders.”

“Get a hold of yourself! Even if you are a divine being favored by the heavens or the earth, you cannot exert any power on the sea. Did I mention a small boat earlier? If it doesn’t capsize in the rough night sea, consider yourself lucky.”