Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 111: Lost Sword of the Great General (1)

Chapter 111: Lost Sword of the Great General (1)

Haejin knew what he was talking about, the NIS knew about Jaewon’s buddha.

They had found out how to approach the Japanese black-market merchant in such a short time…

“It must be quite expensive.”

Sanghun’s lips curled up.

“Low officials like me don’t spend much money.”

Haejin could almost see Jaewon wailing.

“Hmm… I can use it well once it is in my hands, but how will you get it from Insadon? I don’t know this.”

“I understand, you two know each other. You will not be revealed.”

Haejin wondered about what else he didn’t know.

“Is there a reason it has to be that buddha? There are some artifacts Japan might be interested in at this museum…”

Sanghun smiled bitterly.

“You see… I never wanted it. Honestly, I’m not an antiquity expert. There’s no reason for me to want that specific artifact.”

“Then?”

“China wants it. I don’t know the details, but I think the Chinese embassy found out about it… but we do not know how. Anyway, we must give that buddha to China, so it would be better if we could use it to approach that black-market merchant. We might be able to catch two birds with one stone.”

This was really surprising. It wasn’t like Jaewon advertised it on TV, the rumor spread through the people from Insadong, so how did China find out about it?

“Did he… did he expose it to the Chinese? That would be madness…”

“If that’s what happened, of course, the Chinese embassy would find out about it. But did he? Unless he is really mad like you said…”

Jaewon could have done that if he were really blind for money, but he didn’t look that urgent at the time.

Anyway, Haejin decided to stop thinking about Jaewon. He didn’t matter now.

“Hmm… okay then, how long do I have to wait?”

“The ticket is for tomorrow morning.”

Sanghun gave Haejin the ticket as he answered, but Haejin was shocked.

“Are you saying that you can get it before this evening?”

Even though they could lower the price, they couldn’t just get it through force, so Haejin had thought it would take a few days. It was way too fast.

“Of course. It isn’t a company’s secret that is worth hundreds of billions but an object on sale. If we can’t get it, we should all go out and kill ourselves. This evening is more than enough. However, it will go on a ship that leaves in Busan. You can go with it from Busan or take the plane and receive the buddha from the agent who will bring it there. Do what you want.”

“That will delay the whole plan… can’t you send it on the plane?”

Sanghun shook his head for the first time.

“Korean customs are easy to handle but going through the Japanese customs wouldn’t be so easy. In fact, it is impossible. Japanese never give up artifacts once they are in their hands.”

“Then the ship…”

“The customs of an airport are tricky but going in on a ship isn’t that hard. If necessary, we can transport it to a fishing boat before it reaches the harbor.”

“Oh…”

“Then that’s all settled… and I have to ask you a favor.”

Haejin was frightened to hear that.

“Favor? What favor?”

Haejin had been asked many favors, but he accepted them gladly as they always got him something in return, but this time, he was an official, an agent of the NIS…

“Let me ask you again before I explain. You really don’t know how to rob graves? Not at all?”

Haejin wondered how he should take it, but he thought Sanghun couldn’t be asking that for no reason, so he replied honestly.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’ve never done it before. I’ve never done it, but…”

Sanghun brightened up.

“You mean you’ve never done it, but you can do it?”

“Hu… yes, I know how to.”

Haejin had watched his father do it for more than a decade. It’s just that he never dug and stole himself, but in theory, he was better than anyone.

Sanghun nodded with satisfaction. He stroked his chin and started to explain what the favor was.

“As you know, Japan stole countless artifacts from our ancestors during the Japanese colonial era. But now, we have no legal way to bring them back. We are trying diplomatically, but it’s not easy.”

Few people knew that better than Haejin. He wondered something else, so he interrupted him.

“But does the NIS care about that kind of stuff?”

“Oh, of course not. We mostly handle industrial spies, so we started to work on this matter only a while ago.”

“Oh…”

“First, let me explain why I mentioned that. A Korean student studying in Japan found a very important book in the library of Waseda University about a month ago. It said a Korean artifact is buried in the tomb of a Japanese.”

“And?”

“That student was clever. Instead of spreading the news through SNS or something, he took a photo of it and sent it to us directly. So, Japan doesn’t know we’ve found out about it yet. After an internal discussion, we proposed to the superior authority to bring it back.”

“Superior authority…”

“The head of the NIS, and the VIP.”

“Oh… so what happened?”

The story was interesting, so Haejin started to get absorbed into it.

“Actually, I thought they would say no, there was no way they would let us dig up a tomb no matter how valuable an artifact it was. But they accepted, it was really unexpected.”

“What kind of artifact is it?”

Of course, the government couldn’t permit it easily. If an agent of the NIS is caught while robbing a grave in another country, it would bring unimaginable diplomatic consequences.

“The Double Dragon Sword used by General Lee Sunsin.”

For a moment, Haejin doubted his ears.

“What? What is the sword in the tomb?”

“We’ve checked that General Lee Sunsin’s ‘Double Dragon Sword’ is buried in that tomb.”

Haejin’s heart started to pound. General Lee Sunsin’s Double Dragon Sword, that had been missing for more than a century, had been found…

There are six remaining swords from Lee Sunsin in total. Two in Hyeonchung Temple in Asan, Chungnam (Treasure No. 326), and four in Chullyeol Temple in Tongyeong.

However, these six swords were all for commanding and for ceremonial purposes and were never used in actual battles.

The sword General Lee Sunsin actually used was the Double Dragon Sword. It was stored in the museum of the Department of the Royal Household of Joseon till 1910, and its photo was in the Joseon Art Exhibition.

This sword was treasured by the military, but after Japan wrongly took the sovereignty of Korea, they took this sword from the military and stored it at the museum of the Department of Royal Household.

And after that, although there is no specific record, the Double Dragon Sword of Lee Sunsin disappeared.

There is no record left of it, so people have almost given up on it, so if Haejin could manage to find it, it would be a historical return.

Haejin calmed down his heart.

“There was a reason why they permitted it.”

As it clearly is an artifact from Korea, they were determined to bring it back, even with the risks.

Additionally, this Double Dragon Sword wasn’t just a sword. It was the sword that saved the country and saved its people from slavery.

It had the soul of the general and the sorrow of the people. For that sword, Haejin was ready to dig up any tomb.

“Whose tomb was it buried in?”

“Ogura Takenoske, the owner of the Ogura Collection.”

(During the Japanese colonial era, Ogura Takenoske took more than a thousand artifacts from Korea.

It is called Ogura Collection.)

Just as Haejin thought… it was him.

“Why did that bastard have that sword buried with him? Usually, people are buried with money and precious artifacts… being buried with a sword is rather rare…”

“This is what the book said, ‘I will take care of the sword that has the soul of the man who stopped Japan’s future. I will become a ghost and protect this country, so do not announce that the sword is here.'”

“Ha… fxxk…”

Haejin couldn’t help but swear. These two countries, that had the sea between them, had the worst history possible.

“Now, you know why I asked if you know how to rob graves. We would have done it even without you. But coincidentally, you showed up right in time. I don’t believe in God, but I think God might have helped us this time.”

Haejin didn’t believe in any God, either, but he thought he had to do this.

“I’ll do it. Do you know the location of the tomb?”

Sanghun gravely shook his head.

“That’s the tricky part. Even that book didn’t have the exact location, it just had clues in riddles.”

“So, there are some hints.”

“Yes.”

“Fine, then. It is better than nothing.”

Professional grave robbers don’t only rob already discovered graves. As known graves were likely to have been robbed already, grave robbers who wish to hit the jackpot search for unknown tombs.

Of course, Yunseok, Haejin’s father, also found and excavated in unknown graves.

Unlike other grave robbers, Yunseok was interested in art history and loved history, so he went after families that had a strong influence in history and dug up the hidden tombs.

Searching the house of famous families and going after their trails was always included in the trips he had with Haejin.

Haejin had seen that for more than a decade next to him, so he thought finding a hidden tomb was part of grave robbing, not something impossible.

The location of the Double Dragon Sword was important, but now that he knew in whose tomb it was in, he was sure that he could find it, even though he had never done this before.

Haejin was confident, and it made Sanghun smile.

“Good. As for the equipment and the personnel needed to work, our agents will help you with them once you are in Japan. Then, I will have faith in you. We’ll meet again when you come back to Korea.”

“Thank you for everything. And… as for the buddha China wants, we will have to get it back from that black market once this is over. Would that be possible?”

Sanghun laughed.

“Hahaha! We will take care of it. Don’t worry.”

It would be even easier for Haejin. He only had to take care of the Terracotta Soldier and move on to finding Ogura’s tomb.

The next day, Haejin went to Japan through Incheon Airport. Eunhae was with him, too. The reason was simple: being a pair aroused less suspicion.

However, when they arrived at Narita Airport, surprisingly, there was someone waiting for them.

“Hello. It’s been a long time.”

An awkward Korean accent.

“Oh… hi.”

It was a lady in her mid-20s. It was Kitagawa Momoko, who used to work for Yang Sojin of Hanbit Gallery, the one who confessed the truth after being enchanted by Haejin and ran away. Haejin had never heard of her after that…

She spoke to Haejin, somewhat afraid.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”