episode_0029

The advantages of the Moon Sword lay in its exceptional length, long blade, wide sides, and overwhelming power derived from its weight.

After demonstrating various ways of using the Moon Sword for about half an hour, Daelang spoke.

“How do you like it? Do you fancy this weapon?”

“I like it!”

Someone replied.

“If handled properly, you will easily defeat your enemies with this weapon. But can you all handle it like me? I have spent nearly ten years since the age of ten learning various martial arts from skilled individuals. As a result, I rose through the ranks in the military.”

Everyone listened quietly.

He had never mentioned his military achievements to the soldiers before.

They were aware of his exploits in defeating the pirates.

Despite his large build, they referred to him as a young novice due to his age.

When he revealed that he had risen through the ranks in the military, the way they looked at him changed.

“Due to lack of time, those who wield the Moon Sword cannot master all the techniques. They only practice slashing and thrusting to perfection. And there is one thing you must never forget. Always keep your weapon with you, no matter the situation!”

If you get scared and drop your weapon and run away, that’s the end of it.

Currently, they only practiced slashing and thrusting, but in a dire situation, anyone would have to apply these skills to use the weapon.

No one uses only two techniques they learned in real combat.

Unless they are robots, perhaps.

After a week of rigorous training, we set off for Daemado.

#

“Slowly, slowly.”

I steered the boat slowly.

Our departure point was Geoje Island.

From here, heading towards Daemado, the Kuroshio current flows, so just by staying still, we could reach Daemado in about two days.

I wanted to arrive at the same time as in the original history.

Precisely at dusk.

As I steered the boat slowly, the person who held the helm frowned and complained.

“If we keep going this slowly, we’ll only arrive at Daemado at night. We might hit a reef and run aground.”

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

Such confidence?

Well, I have the ability of ‘luck in avoiding reefs’!

Moreover, even if the port changes in scale or appearance, the basic location remains the same, whether in the 15th century or the 21st century.

I didn’t plan to move along the beach; instead, I believed that by accurately locating the port on an internet map and approaching it from the sea, I wouldn’t have to worry about reefs.

Finally, as the sun began to set on the day we aimed to arrive, around June 20th.

We could finally reach Duji Port on Daemado.

In the original history, on this day, a Korean naval fleet of ten ships arrived at Duji Port, mistaking the returning party for Ming Dynasty raiders and preparing a welcoming feast with alcohol and meat.

There was such a lack of vigilance, and they had no idea that Korea would attack.

Arriving at Duji Port on the same day, dozens of residents were seen coming out of the port, cooking food over fires.

Especially as the sun set, they seemed unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

In any case, causing a misunderstanding, we safely docked at the port, only to realize we were the enemy.

However, it was too late, as the fleet had already landed, and I led them at the forefront.

Once again, the remarkable power of my firearms was demonstrated.

While ordering the front line to annihilate the enemy, I swiftly started firing bullets into the enemy’s ranks from behind.

Pewong, pewong, pewong…

Alone, it was I who had killed hundreds of Japanese soldiers.

Leading the troops at the front, there was no way to lose in battle even if I tried.

Around fifty Japanese soldiers resisted, but half fell to my arrows, and the other half lost their lives to the soldiers in the front line.

The remaining Japanese abandoned their provisions and property, fleeing into the mountains.

In the original history, Yi Jong-mu sent a letter to the Japanese commander Sadamori, surrendering.

In response, Sadamori did not reply.

However, I never had any intention of sending such a letter.

With a plan in mind, I was determined to kill Sadamori.

I gathered all the Japanese ships at the port in one place.

Furthermore, I thoroughly searched the villages to capture those in hiding.

#

Some time later.

“Bring the captured individuals before me.”

The captured Japanese, unable to escape and taken as prisoners, were brought before me tightly bound. Their number easily amounted to dozens.

After separating them from the soldiers and seating them aside, I took out a small bottle from my pocket.

One can guess what was inside, but to be precise, it was Du Chang-gyun.

Du Chang-gyun was stored in two different ways.

One was for inoculation purposes, collected from the pus of those infected when smallpox spread widely in Joseon upon my return from Beijing.

The other was not pus but blood.

Containing sand washed with fire for sterilization, mixed with blood, sealed, and stored.

Having married and lived separately from my parents and siblings, I converted a warehouse into my own laboratory.

Here, I conducted various experiments alone, including using Torricelli’s vacuum method.

Simply put, Torricelli’s vacuum involves preparing a vessel and a glass tube, then adding mercury until the glass tube is about 75% full.

Subsequently, by flipping the glass tube, air is removed.

Adding more mercury until the tube is completely filled, finally sealing it with mercury and flipping it entirely.

As the density of mercury is high, the upper part becomes a vacuum as it descends.

Although I wished for a culture medium, that was not possible.

“A culture medium… Could blood itself be the culture medium?”

Regardless, I prepared dozens of Du Chang-gyun-infected vessels this way.

Yesterday, I opened one of these to pour the fresh Du Chang-gyun generously.

Selecting a few, I poured the blood from the bottle over their heads.

I couldn’t help but worry if this was another form of inoculation.

Yet, even after researching, there was no mention of using a patient’s blood for inoculation.

“Even if Du Chang doesn’t work, food won’t rain from the sky or sprout from the ground, right?”

The Japanese would face food shortages just like in the original history.

Therefore, holding out in Duji Fortresses would ensure victory, whether Du Chang worked or not.

After pouring the blood, I cut the ropes binding the captives with my sword and shouted in Japanese so they could understand.

“From now on, you are prey. If you want to live, run like quails or wild boars!”

“…”

Though freed, none of them moved first, their eyes wide.

“Heh heh. Can’t even run away? Do you need an example?”

Swish~ Thud.

Among those released, I swiftly severed one’s head from his neck.

“Ahh!”

Witnessing this, all the captives panicked, and those whose ropes were untied quickly ran towards the mountains.

Subsequently, I made the rest of the captives stand up one by one, releasing them gradually to flee.

After all the prisoners had left, I called upon a soldier who had experience with a bayonet to interrogate the one whose throat had been slit.

Furthermore, those of us who buried the bodies went into the sea fully clothed to wash off.

Following this incident, the soldiers brought back Chinese and Korean captives held by the Japanese.

They seemed more wretched than beggars, clearly having lived a miserable life not as prisoners but as slaves.

The rescued Chinese and Korean captives were provided with several houses in which to live, previously occupied by the Japanese.

There were over 120 Western ships in the harbor.

However, only about 20 were deemed seaworthy.

The rest were dismantled beyond use and piled up in one place.

Orders were given to dismantle them later for use as lumber.

In the original story, all remaining ships were set ablaze.

Lumber used for shipbuilding must be carefully dried to prevent warping.

Just this task alone takes several months.

Additionally, there is the labor of felling and cutting trees in the mountains.

Even if they were old ships, dismantling them would surely yield usable lumber.

After the enemies disappeared, the soldiers looted the villages without specific orders.

I personally oversaw the first row while preventing the second to fourth rows from advancing.

Since I wasn’t going to distribute anything, allowing rows two to four to roam and loot would undoubtedly lead to conflict with the first row.

Food supplies were gathered in one place, and items of value were also collected in one place.

The food brought back from looting the villages was designated for military use, and the best-conditioned, large mansion housed me along with my Violet and female slaves.