Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 329

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Chapter 329

The battle at the Sungmu Lee Family estate sent shockwaves through the world.

The scale of the battle was immense, and the seemingly unshakeable Sungmu Lee Family appeared to be faltering.

The death of Lee Tae-shin, the subsequent silence, Lee Gun-sung’s succession as head of the family and the transformation of the Sungmu Lee Family, and the large-scale war that followed.

The Sungmu Lee Family dismissed the situation as an internal conflict, only announcing Lee Chul’s victory before falling silent again.

Amidst the swirling rumors, major powers in the know realized that the Sungmu Lee Family had suffered significant damage.

Naturally, those who could read the tides believed that the Sungmu Lee Family would be weakened by external forces and its fortunes would decline.

They expected the government to tighten its leash or nearby forces to move in, leading to a period of turmoil.
The ruined gates of the Sungmu Lee Family and the devastated surrounding area seemed to foreshadow this future.

But nothing happened.

Lee Gun-sung had already taken care of domestic affairs, and the same was true for the Japanese armed groups closest to the Sungmu Lee Family.
The South Korean government downplayed the situation in its reports, and the Nine Dragons Syndicate of China acted unusually quietly.

Curiosity about the current state of the Sungmu Lee Family only grew.

What was the current state of the Sungmu Lee Family?

Why were nearby forces observing the situation?

If Lee Chul had won, why the silence?

* * *

Three days had passed since the end of the Sungmu Lee Family’s internal strife.

The Sungmu Lee Family was working tirelessly to restore its strength.

Sungmu Lee Family, Council of Elders meeting room.

Elder Council Head Lee Dong-young faced the Nine Dragons Syndicate Leader, who appeared on the video conference screen, and replied,

“Thank you for your consideration, Nine Dragons Syndicate Leader.”

A young man appeared on the screen.

It was Jang Han, the newly appointed leader of the Nine Dragons Syndicate.

He wore a displeased expression as he replied.

-……You must make it clear that this is my will, not the Nine Dragons Syndicate’s.

“Understood.”

-Tell him when he wakes up. That this repays a debt.

With that, the video conference ended.

Lee Dong-young realized from those words alone that Lee Chul had somehow incurred a debt with Jang Han.

“Elder Council Head.”

At that moment, a man opened the door and entered.

It was Lee Tae-hong, the chief manager of the Sungmu Lee Family, covered in bandages.

“Chief Manager. You’ve arrived.”

“Did the meeting go well?”

“Yes, it did. The Nine Dragons Syndicate has agreed not to interfere with the main family for the time being.”

In fact, the reason the Nine Dragons Syndicate did not invade the Sungmu Lee Family, which had just experienced an internal conflict, was entirely thanks to Jang Han’s consideration.

No, it would be more accurate to say it was thanks to the connections Lee Chul had built.

“Hmm.”

Lee Dong-young ran a hand over his forehead and let out a long sigh.

Lee Tae-hong approached him and said,

“Are you alright? You still have aftereffects, yet you’re already working.”

“I was only imprisoned in the underground prison, so I don’t have any aftereffects.”

Lee Gun-sung, after seizing control of the Sungmu Lee Family, imprisoned those who did not yield to his persuasion in the underground prison.

It was a strange thing.

He didn’t kill them or corrupt them with Black Qi [dark energy].

In any case, the underground prison was a harsh place, so there were naturally aftereffects from the imprisonment.

“You should rest more, Chief Manager. I heard you were seriously injured in the battle with the Training Inspectorate Commander… no, Lee Baek-chul.”

“Seriously injured, seriously injured…”

Lee Tae-hong felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

In that battle, was he able to survive because Lee Kyung-hwa had reached the level of Sword Mind [a state of heightened awareness and skill]?

No matter how much Lee Tae-hong thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel that Lee Baek-chul had hesitated to kill him.

“Chief Manager?”

“Ah, no. I am of the Sungmu Lee Family bloodline, so I can’t be feeble just because a few bones are broken and I have some internal injuries.”

Lee Tae-hong smiled and shook off his thoughts.

“I see. I feel the same way. The old folks have to work hard in times like these.”

“That’s right.”

Lee Tae-hong and Lee Dong-young exchanged a brief glance as they spoke.

Of course, after such a major event, things couldn’t return to normal in the blink of an eye.

This battle had brought too many changes.

Half of the elders of the Council of Elders had been killed or purged.

40% of the total forces had been killed or seriously injured.

And an additional 20% of the forces had been purged.

“Fortunately, the main family has many talented individuals. We’ll be back on our feet soon.”

“That’s right. Everyone is working together, so we must.”

Even in the unprecedented chaos following the great war, Lee Dong-young and Lee Tae-hong felt hope.

Lee Jae-hak, the direct descendant of the current generation and the Golden Sword, began to manage the Sungmu Lee Family’s finances swiftly after being released from the underground prison.

The twins and Lee Seo-hyun, representatives of the forces Lee Chul had brought, were consoling the warriors of the main family.

“Besides, we also have their help, don’t we?”

“Them?”

“The two people helping Chul.”

“Ah.”

Lee Dong-young smiled faintly and nodded at Lee Tae-hong’s words.

While the direct descendants and elders were internally managing the family, Anastasia and Jung Jin-soo, outstanding individuals from outside, were helping with the reconstruction of the Sungmu Lee Family.

“The L.I Group is providing a lot of help. We’ll have a lot to repay later.”

“The Black Crow is the same. Both organizations must have suffered damage, but they’re stepping forward to help. We’re grateful.”

Jung Jin-soo, the chairman of the L.I Group, which had achieved the greatest growth in recent decades in new materials, steel, pharmaceuticals, and construction, and the Black Crow, which had grown into a global information group, were providing full support, greatly contributing to the stabilization of the Sungmu Lee Family.

“It’s all thanks to Lee Chul. He’s blessed with good people.”

Lee Tae-hong said proudly, as if it were his own accomplishment.

Lee Dong-young watched him, pressed his lips together, and tapped the desk.

“But…”

Lee Dong-young continued cautiously.

“Is Young Master Lee Chul still the same?”

“…Yes, he is.”

Silence fell between Lee Tae-hong and Lee Dong-young.

Since the internal strife of the Sungmu Lee Family, until now.

Lee Chul, who had resolved all these issues and should have been the victor, had not opened his eyes since the last battle.

“He was seriously injured, so it can’t be helped. He’ll wake up soon.”

“Yes, that rascal. He might be sleeping because he doesn’t want to work.”

Lee Tae-hong joked lightly and smiled.

“…We must get as much work done as possible until he returns. We can’t put all the burden on him.”

Lee Chul had not yet woken up, but there was a mountain of work to be done.

Lee Tae-hong felt his calling there.

For some, the moment of drawing a sword might be their calling, but in this world, there were more people like Lee Tae-hong.

Time passed quickly.

They had no time to stop.

* * *

I was in the darkness.

Since I passed out after spreading Black Qi for the last time, I had been drifting in this darkness.

It was a vague place, neither dream nor reality, not even self-aware.

I wielded a sword in it.

No, to be precise, another version of me watched from afar as I wielded the sword.

Soon, the sword became a knife, a spear, a bow, or even a whip.

Then, I grew by slaying monsters, fighting warriors, and cutting down inhuman figures.

It was the history of all the practical combat and training I had accumulated since entering this path.

It was the record engraved in my bones and muscles, the martial path I had walked.

I felt all those memories intertwining.

Soon, it took the form of a shining person.

I stared endlessly at that form in this dark space.

Time continued to pass slowly, and I slowly reached out and grasped it.

Soon, it became a sword, a knife, a spear, an axe… all the many weapons I wielded.

Soon, I sensed that it was time for me to open my eyes.

* * *

Sungmu Lee Family’s medical ward.

As the setting sun passed over the artificial mountain, a woman was dozing off with a fruit knife in her hand in a hospital room where visitor access was restricted and only direct family members were allowed.

It was Lee Chul’s nanny, Baek Ga-hwa.

She had been taking care of Lee Chul and had only been able to catch a few winks of sleep in the past few days, so she had been dozing off while cutting fruit and had fallen asleep.

Clang!

At that moment, the fruit knife fell to the floor.

The nanny startled awake and lifted her heavy eyelids.

“Hmm, I shouldn’t be doing this.”

She tapped her forehead and reached out to find the fruit knife.

“Huh?”

But the fruit knife that should have been there was gone.

She turned her head slightly and looked to the side.

There, she saw a person holding out the handle of the fruit knife towards her.

“Nanny still does this sometimes. You did this when I was a kid too.”

The nanny smiled brightly at the sight.

“Young Master!”

Lee Chul, who had been unconscious, had finally opened his eyes.

* * *

The first person to visit me after I woke up was the Elder Council Head.

I politely declined the Elder Council Head and the nanny’s advice to rest a little longer and got up.

The internal strife had ended, but there were still many unresolved issues.

The wounds on my body would heal slowly, and the enlightenment could be sorted out gradually.

I thought it was time to deal with the accumulated work.

I left the hospital room and started walking.

The Elder Council Head reluctantly reported the current situation to me, and I was able to receive reports on the events that had occurred while I was unconscious.

“…This is the situation.”

“To think he’d try to settle a debt with just this much. That guy is something…”

I chuckled as I listened to the story Jang Han had told me to convey.

It seemed that not only the Nine Dragons Syndicate but also the Gyoguk [likely refers to a religious organization or a country with strong religious influence] and other Western powers were helping to check the Western forces.

I couldn’t be more grateful.

“By the way, you’ve always been formal, but you seem even stiffer now, Elder Council Head. Speak comfortably.”

At my words, the Elder Council Head paused for a moment.

“Stiffer… hmm, perhaps you’re right.”

“You don’t have to be so uncomfortable.”

“No, I’m not particularly uncomfortable, so you don’t have to worry.”

Lee Dong-young replied and glanced at Lee Chul’s profile.

As Lee Chul said, Lee Dong-young was unknowingly treating Lee Chul like a superior.

What was the reason for this?

When he asked himself, the answer was simple.

‘It’s not that I’ve changed, but that the image of the youngest young master in my eyes has changed.’

Lee Chul until now was certainly impressive and admirable, but only to that extent.

But not now.

Was it momentum, energy, or experience?

Lee Chul now had the unique aura of those who lead people.

It was similar to but different from Lee Tae-shin.

Lee Chul himself had an atmosphere that was more relaxed and laid-back than before the internal strife, but those who faced him naturally lowered their heads.

“What happened to my third brother after that?”

At that moment, Lee Dong-young had to stop thinking at the sound of Lee Chul’s voice.

“Do you still call him brother?”

“He is my brother, after all.”

That’s how it was for me.

He was already dead, so there was no reason for me to insult him.

“Lee Gun-sung… was autopsied, and after leaving the data, he was cremated immediately, and his ashes were scattered in the fields. According to family law, his name was removed from the family register, so there will be no record of him.”

It was a humble end for a direct descendant of the Sungmu Lee Family.

But it was fortunate that he wasn’t publicly executed.

I didn’t think my third brother would be dissatisfied with this treatment.

My third brother wouldn’t care about family registers or posthumous tombs.

Rather, he would be happy to be mixed in the air and float around the world, watching the events that would unfold.

At that moment, Lee Dong-young stopped walking.

“The first… no, aren’t you curious about him?”

Lee Dong-young was being cautious.

I knew who he was talking about.

“You’re talking about my first brother.”

First brother, Great Young Master Lee Myung-jung.

I knew about the changes that had occurred to my brother.

And now I saw that Lee Dong-young had heard about it as well.

“He hasn’t shown himself since the battle. If Young Master Lee Chul is right, wouldn’t the family have to go through another major ordeal the moment he appears?”

“That’s unlikely. The family wouldn’t be important to him.”

His only interest was the fight against the primordial monster.

To that end, he was targeting me and the Black Night I was holding.

“If you’re diverting troops to search for him, withdraw them. You probably won’t find him. It would be more of a problem if he were found.”

At my instruction, the Elder Council Head paused for a moment but nodded without question.

‘The progenitor is possessing my brother. And if that’s true, there’s no way you can find him unless he reveals himself.’

His being found meant that he was thinking of revealing himself, which meant that it was ‘time.’

So there was no need to worry about that.

No, rather, you shouldn’t worry about it.

“Instead, we need to focus our search on someone else.”

“Who are you talking about?”

I started walking again and replied.

“Father. We need to confirm the death of the head of the family first.”

Lee Tae-shin, the head of the Sungmu Lee Family.

We had to confirm the life or death of the man who was said to have died.

“…His blood was found on the broken weapon of the head of the family. Moreover, the Ten Swords reported it as they were dying.”

“We can’t conclude that Father is dead with just that much evidence.”

Lee Dong-young sighed briefly and said firmly.

“Young Master Lee Chul. Even if that’s true, the head of the family has no reason to hide his death in the current situation.

And if the head of the family were alive, he wouldn’t have remained hidden while the family was in such a state.”

Lee Dong-young finished speaking with a stern expression.

“Young Master Lee Chul. It may be a good idea to inform the outside world that his death is uncertain, but the main family should move forward on the premise that Lee Tae-shin, the head of the family, has died.”

Lee Dong-young was talking about the direction forward.

Lee Tae-shin was dead. We shouldn’t be bound by that.

We had to move forward without the existence of Lee Tae-shin to avoid any errors in the future.

“I fully understand what you’re saying. But the search is necessary. Please proceed immediately.”

“…If that’s what you say, Young Master, yes, I understand.”

I smiled bitterly and walked on.

Whether he was dead or alive.

I felt the need to find him.

‘From here on out, it’s a scene I’ve never experienced or seen in my past life.’

I took a deep breath and thought so.

So many events had already become entangled, and now a future I had never experienced was approaching.

From here on out, I had to work even harder to pioneer it.