We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 46

046

The Unfinished Battle (2)

The soldiers, now transformed back from demonic figures to ordinary people, murmured amongst themselves.

So, the demonic appearance is only visible to those with deep-seated grudges, while to those less involved, they appear as they once were?

-Seems like he respects General Yi Sun-sin?

-That’s what he says, but how can we trust him?

-Could he be a Japanese spy?

-Nah. If he were a Japanese spy, why would he have collected the Japanese demons?

-How did he collect the Japanese demons?

-That’s true.

*Perhaps they lack trust in me?*

Well, even I would find it hard to believe someone who claims to be a descendant recognizing us after 400 years.

The circumstances of capturing the Japanese demons were also unclear.

In the end, I had to play my trump card.

“Ahem, esteemed ancestors?”

-What is it?

“My clan’s origin is Deoksu Yi.”

-……!

“Our founder was Yi Don-su, a Jungnangjang [a mid-level military officer] of the Shinho Guard [a royal guard unit] during the Goryeo Dynasty, and Yulgok Yi I and Admiral Yi Sun-sin are among my ancestors.”

-Are you kidding me! You’re even faking your clan’s origin! What’s your reason for doing this to us!?

-Isn’t he a Japanese spy?

The demons’ faces turned fierce.

In this day and age, who isn’t descended from royalty or nobility? It’s rare to find a family without at least one distinguished ancestor. So much time has passed, after all.

In modern times, a family tree is useless, but to people of the Joseon Dynasty, it was as precious as treasure.

*Do I even have a family tree now?*

Of course not, but the internet is well-developed these days. LTE even works here, probably because there’s a base station nearby.

So, retrieving a family tree that I saved a long time ago wasn’t difficult.

“Ah, I am indeed Yi Yu-seong, the 24th generation descendant of the Deoksu Yi clan, Chungmu Gong [posthumous title for Yi Sun-sin] branch. My generation name is Seong (성). Would you like to verify it?”

-Huh! You brought a family tree?

“Yes.”

I compared my resident registration card with the family tree.

The family tree clearly stated that I was the 24th generation descendant of the Deoksu Yi clan, Chungmu Gong branch. I even showed them my ID for comparison. The Chinese characters had to match, too.

It was a revised version of the family tree from my childhood, and naturally, I hadn’t paid any attention to it. Who cares about family trees these days? Listing names on the family tree probably stopped around my childhood.

-Huh! It’s real!

-He’s a descendant of the General!

They suddenly bowed deeply.

To the people of the past, one’s clan origin was a very important matter.

More than anything, once they learned that I was a descendant of Chungmu Gong, their *mal-tu* [tone/way of speaking] even changed immediately.

-Aigo, ask us anything.

“Um?”

-We’ll answer to the best of our knowledge.

I scratched my head.

To think they would change their attitude so quickly.

I really thought presenting the family tree was a last resort. That’s why it took me so long to search for and retrieve the photos.

“There’s only one answer I want. Where did the Turtle Ship sink?”

-Ah, that was on a terribly windy day. Everyone remembers, right?

-Of course, I remember.

-The Japanese were chasing us relentlessly, and General Won Gyun changed the planned route.”

The soul speaking in Seoul dialect explained.

He was probably a helmsman or a sailor. Or perhaps a sailor and soldier combined.

Through him, I was able to learn the detailed route.

As the scholars had speculated, the route at the time started from Chuwonpo and led to Jangmunpo in Geoje Island. The problem was the route to Jangmunpo.

-There was a possibility that the Japanese were ambushing us on the direct route, so we had to go around. But wouldn’t you know it, there was an ambush there too?

“Where was that?”

Flap.

I unfolded the map.

The helmsman soul marveled at the incredibly detailed map.

Could it be the same as the maps from the old days? This was created based on satellite photos. There’s no margin for error.

-It’s around here.

“So, you deviated north from the direct route?”

-Yes. About 100 *li* [approximately 40 kilometers or 25 miles]?

That’s enough.

But considering that the wind was strong at the time, and just marking it on the map wouldn’t guarantee that the Turtle Ship was there.

“Is it possible to go together tomorrow?”

-We can’t cross the sea…….

“I’ll come to pick you up by boat.”

-Oh, in that case!

“I’ll come to get the rest of you after the Turtle Ship is salvaged. How does that sound?”

-We’d love that!

-To think we’d see the Turtle Ship again!

-I can ascend to heaven without any regrets now!

The souls said in unison.

“Ah, and.”

-……?

“Clean up the Japanese. Leave no one behind.”

The mop-up operation began.

Even just from the moment I arrived here, the number of souls I had absorbed was more than half of the demons that had been active until now.

Approximately 300 Joseon soldiers and 400 Japanese soldiers were trapped on Daebumbeok Island, and their numbers had dwindled as they fought fiercely until now.

Now, only 40 Joseon soldiers and about 90 Japanese soldiers remained. The rest had all been annihilated.

It must have been a truly brutal battle.

How wronged must they have felt by their defeat in the war to continue fighting like this even after death?

The souls, tempered over the past 400 years, employed various tactics. They flew through the sky, driving the enemies, and since they weren’t outnumbered, they simply annihilated them on the spot.

All I did was collect the souls of the approaching Japanese soldiers.

“Soul Absorption.”

-Kkeuaaaak! Save me!

-Aaaagh! You vile bastard!

“What are you asking to be saved for when you’re already dead?”

Again, I felt a heavy force.

The demons possessed black magic that they were absorbing on their own. The longer they had been spewing out evil emotions, the more black magic they possessed.

Absorbing those souls naturally had a positive impact on my circle.

“This is quite moving.”

I looked up at the sky.

Most of the Japanese *악귀* [evil spirits/demons] had been absorbed, and the few remaining ones were being unilaterally hunted.

It was 4:30 AM when the hunt ended.

-It’s over!

-We finally won!

-Waaaaah!

The Joseon soldier souls shouted cheers of victory.

This long and tiring battle had finally come to an end.

In some ways, it could be considered a touching scene.

“You’ve all worked so hard.”

-Hahaha! It wouldn’t have been possible without you, descendant.”

“Don’t mention it.”

-You’re truly a descendant of the General!

Well, I wasn’t sure what that had to do with being a descendant of Chungmu Gong, but I didn’t particularly want to argue with them since that’s what they believed.

Boooo~!

The sound of a ship’s horn could be heard in the distance.

It was probably the captain coming to pick me up.

The sight of 40 souls lined up in formation was quite a spectacle. Especially since they were wearing Joseon naval uniforms instead of modern military uniforms and holding *byeongjanggi* [various types of traditional Korean weaponry], it felt even more impressive.

“Then, please wait for me.”

-We’ll trust you and wait, descendant!

I no longer felt any evil energy from them.

Since they had completely wiped out the Japanese soldiers, there was no longer any resentment left.

Perhaps if they heard that Japan had colonized the Korean Empire afterward, they might become demons again, but they didn’t need to know that far.

I had one helmsman soul attached to me. I needed to accurately determine where the Turtle Ship had sunk during today’s exploration.

The captain, who was close to the rock where I had landed, said.

“Aigo, you really succeeded in bivouacking?”

“It’s all thanks to you, Captain.”

“Come on, aren’t you cold? No matter how good the relics are, really spending the night here. Ugh. It just gives me the creeps.”

“Do you still feel creeped out now?”

“It’s much less than yesterday. Probably because it’s almost morning.”

*No.*

*It’s because there are no demons left.*

Of course, the resentment they had been spewing out until now hadn’t disappeared, but just the fact that the demons were gone had changed the atmosphere of Daebumbeok Island by 180 degrees.

“Let’s depart.”

Tadadadada!

The engine started with a loud noise.

As we headed towards Jangmunpo, the captain asked.

“So, was there any result after all that hardship?”

“Of course.”

“That’s a relief then.”

The captain didn’t ask for details.

His mission was only to drop me off and pick me up. He had received enough money for that, so he probably thought there was no need to ask about unnecessary things.

I briefly stopped by the hotel to take a shower.

The hot water made me feel a little less tired.

The helmsman soul next to me was startled.

-Wow, the world has changed so much. A lump of scrap metal moves, and there are buildings like this. And the toilet and washing place are together?

I glanced at the soul’s appearance.

Even after 400 years, he was still a young soul with the appearance of that era.

Had he just started his 20s?

Well, in the past, even 18-year-olds were conscripted, and in urgent cases, they would round up everyone from the age of 14 and push them onto the battlefield. 20 years old wasn’t a young age back then.

“It’s been 400 years, so it’s developed. You’ll probably be even more surprised if you go out into the world.”

-Haha. I don’t really want to. We’re actually very tired too. We were just fighting the Japanese because we had no choice.”

“I understand.”

He seemed to be thinking of ascending to heaven.

Of course, their wish hadn’t been fulfilled yet. They had to find the sunken Turtle Ship.

I washed up, ate a quick meal, and came outside.

There were still many people camped out in front of Jangmunpo.

-Who are those people?

“People who are interested in Chungmu Gong’s legacy.”

-There are many patriots in this era too.

“Actually, it’s because he’s a *seongung* [a sacred hero; a figure revered almost as a deity]. In Korea, the name of a *seongung* is very heavy. He’s probably comparable to King Sejong.”

-Equal to a king…….

The soul had an expression of disbelief.

To the people of that era, comparing a great king and a general would have been considered blasphemous.

But now?

It wasn’t a world where people would criticize you for comparing a king and a general.

*I guess I’m used to it now too.*

I took a seat in a place where the cameras could easily capture me.

“Team Leader! Please say a word about today’s determination!”

“Ahem.”

My voice was a little hoarse because I had been shivering so much yesterday.

I cleared my throat once and approached the microphone.

“Today will be a historic day when we discover the Turtle Ship.”