Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 213

Chief Elder Lee Cheol-joong reflected on the hundred and some decades he had lived.

He had been with the Soongmoo Lee Family through its prosperity.

Born amidst the carnage at the end of the Great War, he dedicated himself to the family even through the post-war chaos, raising the Soongmoo Lee Family from ruins to its current state.

‘I am always right.’

If the Soongmoo Lee Family was a tree that had grown vast branches, he was the root beneath, unseen by the light.

The fact that Lee Tae-shin, a peerless warrior, could command the world, and that the Soongmoo Lee Family could prosper to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s great powers…

All of it was because the root called Lee Cheol-joong supported it from below.

Dirty work, hushed matters, things everyone avoided.

He maintained the center, volunteered for the villain’s role, and became an advisor to the Family Heads.

But he was right.

‘I am, in effect, another Family Head.’

Lee Cheol-joong narrowed his eyes, standing in the Chief Elder’s office of the Soongmoo Lee Family, looking down at the main compound’s scenery.

At that moment, a member of the Dark Sword Unit appeared from behind.

Lee Cheol-joong spoke in a deeply沉着的 [chén zhuó – calm and collected] voice.

“What has happened?”

“As expected, they have suppressed the Capital Garrison and are advancing south. The exploration unit is splitting off and descending separately.”

Lee Cheol-joong turned leisurely, leaning on his cane.

“Then they will arrive soon. Is the preparation complete?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Understood.”

Tap!

Lee Cheol-joong’s cane struck the ground forcefully.

Lee Cheol. That impudent illegitimate son.

His fate would end today.

As always, he would make it so.

* * *

Immediately after the battle, I ordered all exploration unit members, including the Ironclad Squad, to return to the main compound first.

The twin brothers nodded right away, and my sixth sister wore a very ambiguous expression.

“Little one. Are you alright?”

“Little one. What are you going to do?”

Both brothers looked at me with subtle worry.

I chuckled it off.

“I’m fine. This is my дело [dyelo – matter/business in Russian], so all three of you should return first.”

“We’re sorry there’s nothing we can do to help.”

“Yeah. Good luck, little one. We’ll go ahead.”

“……”

Of course, all three direct family members had no reason or justification to help me.

The fact that they didn’t attack me along with the warriors who came to arrest me was enough to fulfill their duty as siblings.

Meanwhile, there was also someone who didn’t leave as easily as them.

“No. I don’t want to. I don’t want to go! Run away! Baby, run away!”

Aunt acted much more childish than usual, struggling, and after a long struggle, she collapsed on her own.

I put Aunt, who was almost unconscious, to sleep by pressing her blood points [acupressure points], and entrusted her to Lee Young-sung.

“I’m counting on you, Lee Young-sung.”

“……”

He looked at me with complicated eyes.

I gave instructions to him, who was hesitating, with a light smile.

“When you return to the family, make sure to get the answer you couldn’t get back then. Until then, take care of Aunt and the members. I trust you with that.”

Lee Young-sung’s eyes widened at my words.

He tried to stop me, but soon closed his mouth and nodded.

“I will faithfully carry out the order.”

The exploration unit, including the twin brothers and the sixth sister, left like that.

* * *

I headed to the Soongmoo Lee Family alone.

The main gate of the Soongmoo Lee Family, where dusk had fallen, was silent, and the darkness that had settled around the boundary lights was thick.

No one was visible in front of the Soongmoo Lee Family’s main gate, and not even a trace of human presence was felt.

Even though the towering outer walls of the main compound were blocking it, I could feel the numerous presences waiting for me beyond the main gate.

This gate was a passage into a trap.

The moment I opened this gate, I would face a trap set by an old snake who had lived in the Soongmoo Lee Family for over a hundred years.

Creak-.

Slowly pushing open both doors, I stepped inside.

In the low, 沉着的 [chén zhuó – calm and collected] atmosphere, beyond the streetlights illuminating the main gate area, I could see hundreds of warriors lined up.

Behind them.

The figures of the Chief Elder and the family elders stood with strange smiles beyond the wall of people.

Clack! Swish!

At that moment, the warriors of the main compound surrounded me, brandishing their weapons.

Dozens of spears and swords tightened around me.

“Such an impudent fellow. How can you hold your head so high when you are a sinner!”

The one who spoke first was the Head of the Judicial Office.

Several Capital Garrison members in front stepped forward, aiming their spears and swords at my neck.

“Sinner Lee Cheol, disarm yourself and submit to capture. You have already crossed a river you should not have [gone too far; passed the point of no return].”

In the pressure that seemed to strangle me, I 오히려 [on the contrary] took a step forward.

Swoosh…….

The blade grazed my Adam’s apple.

It was the Capital Garrison member who was aiming the spear who was 오히려 [on the contrary] surprised and stepped back.

I stepped forward without paying attention.

“There is no reason for me not to be confident when I enter my own home.”

“A sinner. You are still confident without knowing your sin!”

“A sinner, you say. What sin have I committed?”

“You know better that you have committed the crime of communicating with the enemy, inciting and instigating insurrection, and treason, as well as 12 other crimes.”

“Haha!”

I burst into laughter.

“That’s ridiculous. Where did my sins that I don’t even know about come from?”

“Don’t even think about denying it. Circumstances have been discovered that you leaked information from the main family to the outside. In addition, you threatened the elders with false information to incite insurrection, and it has also been revealed that you colluded with external forces, including the Nine Dragons Gang. The evidence is already crystal clear. There will be no room for rebuttal!”

Subtle information manipulation.

Incitement and fabrication.

These are the methods that the Elders have been using as those with vested interests.

Since the Chief Elder was the one who handled this matter, I could guess that numerous pieces of information had already been fabricated.

Thud!

I started walking forward again.

One of the Capital Garrison members, who could no longer back down, gritted his teeth and thrust his blade at my neck.

However.

Clang!

The blade could not penetrate Eunhan.

Rather, it shattered and scattered into the air.

I glanced at the warrior who was looking up at me with a bewildered expression, and turned my head to look at the Chief Elder.

The one who was leaning on his cane, looking at me with a meaningful smile.

The culprit of all this.

“Chief Elder. I’m disappointed. Is this all you can do?”

Everyone was shocked at my low words.

A young man was speaking informally to the family’s greatest elder.

“You are truly impudent! What kind of manners are those to the great elder of the family!”

“What are the Capital Garrison members doing! Arrest that sinner right now-.”

-Do it.

The rest of the words could not be 이어지지 [ieojiji – continued].

Boom!

I spread my aura in all directions.

Tearing apart the silence that had settled in front of the main gate, jet-black aura stretched out in streaks.

The dust and soil that had settled on the ground were crushed and crumbled by my aura, and the approaching warriors were overwhelmed by the momentum and either collapsed or dropped their weapons.

“I am currently talking to the Chief Elder. If you value your lives, do not interfere.”

“……!”

I spoke to the Chief Elder again.

“How long are you going to hide behind them? If you are truly a great elder who carries the name of Soongmoo, shouldn’t you come forward yourself instead of hiding behind them?”

“Haha, is it because you are of lowly birth that you cannot distinguish between what is important? Anyone would think this is a duel between you and me.”

I narrowed my eyes at the Chief Elder’s 허허로운 [heoheoreoun – hollow/empty] words.

I am truly disappointed until the end.

While carrying the name of the Soongmoo Lee Family, that person must have always lived like that.

Under the illusion that it was for the sake of the main family.

“You talk too much. Am I that scary?”

“What? Are you really… out of your mind.”

Koo-oong!

The Chief Elder’s chilling aura spread out.

Even though his body was old, the level that the Chief Elder had achieved was by no means low.

But I didn’t feel even a shred of emotion from that momentum.

“This is indeed a fight between you and me. Chief Elder, I think you are the one who doesn’t understand the situation.”

“You really can’t tell the difference!”

Clang!

The Chief Elder slammed his cane down with a sneer, and pointed to his surroundings with one hand.

“Can’t you see them? This place was created to deal with the ‘sinner’ Lee Cheol. It is not me, but the ‘family’ that has moved to suppress you, who will once again disregard the 엄한 [eomhan – strict/severe] family rules by wielding force.”

Again, he talked about the family.

“Do you really think I haven’t prepared at all for your fabrications?”

“These are materials created under a fair investigation. To deny this is to disregard the authority of the Elders. Don’t you even know that?”

“It’s just your own data created by your forces to depose me. I don’t think there’s even a speck of fairness in those fabricated things.”

Everyone gathered here was shocked by those words.

Lee Cheol had just belittled the Elders as the Chief Elder’s forces.

Moreover, the statement that he doubted its fairness could shake the very foundation of the family.

“I can’t stand it anymore! Daring to speak to the Chief Elder, you 천출 [cheonchul – one of lowly birth/illegitimate child]!”

“Truly like a babe in arms……!”

Several elders who supported the Chief Elder burst into anger and rushed out.

But they couldn’t even take a step.

Thud! Kwang!

The light of a flashing black aura.

Immediately after, the elders who opened their mouths flew into the air with blood and crashed to the ground.

“This is the last warning. Next time, I will kill you.”

Tremble!

The elders who had fallen to the ground had sunken faces and were vomiting blood.

Everyone in the audience was shocked.

No matter how strong Lee Cheol was, the elders were suppressed without even resisting.

I took out a dark bundle from Eunhan and threw it in front of the Chief Elder.

Thud!

The knot of the bundle came undone, and several heads flowed out onto the ground.

“The heads of the Nine Dragons Gang leader’s disciples. 14 of them. The heads of those who came to kill me at your request. Also.”

I threw a few more documents in front of him again.

“These are rebuttal materials for the fabrication charges you have imposed on me, and evidence of all the evil deeds you have accumulated so far.”

“……How amusing. How will you prove that it is a fabrication?”

I snorted.

“That’s what I’m saying. How will you prove that those accusations against me are true?”

The Chief Elder frowned.

I stared directly at the Chief Elder.

“In the end, these things are just meaningless scraps of paper. All the justification and power you have put forward are nothing more than a sandcastle.”

I did not hide my momentum and moved again.

Thud! Clang!

The spears and swords blocking the way could not stop my steps.

And before I knew it, those gathered in front began to choose to step aside rather than block my path.

“Once you remove these meaningless things, what will be left for you? Will you bring up the family again?”

“There are too many nonsense words. I knew that your tongue was 요사함 [yosaham – bewitching/seductive], but you are only spouting plausible sophistry!”

“Chief Elder!”

The voice I shouted at the top of my lungs pierced through the silence and echoed.

“If you really had the pride of the Soongmoo Lee Family.”

One step. Another step.

“You should have represented your words with actions and proven yourself with results.”

Another step.

A few warriors who had struggled to escape from my aura swung their swords.

There was no need to dust off my hands.

Their swords could not 벗겨내 [beotgyeonae – peel off/remove] the magic flowing through Eunhan.

“Whatever method you use to fight for victory is fine.

But.

It was not the 모습 [moseup – figure/appearance] of the person in charge of the Soongmoo Lee Family’s Elders to bring in foreign forces due to lack of power, hide behind the walls built with false logic, and not even stand before the ‘enemy’ with dignity.

“You are just a kid whose blood hasn’t even dried yet. Are you discussing the Soongmoo Lee Family with me?”

Flames like anger flowed from the Chief Elder’s eyes.

“I can discuss it because I am. I have been proving it like that so far.”

For a time that was short if short, and long if long.

I never stopped fighting.

I never compromised, nor was I ever satisfied.

I always looked at that high place and fought, won, and conquered.

Unless you are a blind person, you cannot not know.

“And as I see it, you are just a parasite that defiles the name of the Soongmoo Lee Family. As long as you are in the Soongmoo Lee Family as the Chief Elder, the history of the main family will end in this generation.”

“How dare you! How dare you utter such nonsense! I am the Soongmoo Lee Family! I made the current Soongmoo Lee Family, and I have seen all the decline and development of the Soongmoo Lee Family. Only I in this family can discuss Soongmoo!”

Chief Elder Lee Cheol-joong burst into anger and glared at me.

Madness-like anger settled in his eyes.

“You are the pest. A parasite that disrupts the laws of this family and upsets the balance!”

Lee Cheol-joong spat out a chilling murderous intent and continued.

“Dark Sword Unit! Kill that guy.”

Whoosh!

While clearing the air.

A streak of sword light came right up to my nose.

Thud! Kwaang!

The sword strike that was swung at my neck was blocked in the air.

A weapon made of black energy floated in the air, easily defending against the Dark Sword Unit’s attack.

“Those who are not standing here voluntarily, step back right now.”

I 뿜어냈다 [ppumeonaetda – spewed out/emitted] all the magic in my body.

It was an enormous magic power, and a spirit that did not yield to it.

Some warriors unknowingly took a step back.

“Chief Elder. No, Lee Cheol-joong.”

Swish!

I raised Black Night.

The sword created by the founder of the Soongmoo Lee Family.

“Draw your sword. If you are truly the Chief Elder of the Soongmoo Lee Family, prove yourself by 승리 [seungri – defeating] me.”