Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 117: Lost Sword of the Great General (7)

“How do you know what’s inside Ogura’s tomb?”

“Hey, who do you think I am? Ogura Takenoske’s tomb is like a hidden treasure vault to us grave robbers. It’s just that we couldn’t find it because there was no treasure map. Of course, words would get around among us about what’s inside.”

“Well… that makes sense.”

“Some argue that there must be lots of golden artifacts like a golden crown from Shinra and gold earrings, but I don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“It might surprise you, Ogura became a poor man in his last days. Well, I’m not saying he had to beg for food, but his last days were not easy. Have you heard of it?”

“Yes, I have, but I thought it was a lie made up by the Japanese.”

“Why would they make up such a lie? Anyway, what could have been the reason? He tried to collect Korean artifacts no matter the cost, so he went bankrupt. Such a man being buried with gold? That’s unlikely.”

“Then, what do you think would be in there?”

“Do you know what artifact Ogura Takenoske dedicated his life on finding?”

“That… Buddha?”

“Hhhh… that’s how you know it, right? Yes. Ogura was very interested in Buddhism and collected many buddhas. But it wasn’t his most favorite artifact.”

“What was it, then?”

“Goryeo celadon. That’s the artifact he strived to find the most. He couldn’t hide his joy when he finally did.”

“Really?”

This was new to Haejin. Byeongguk seemed to know all kinds of things.

“You know that not all of the Ogura Collection was donated to the national museum in Tokyo, right?”

“I’ve heard that some were sold.”

“Do you think Ogura would have sold the artifacts which he had worked so hard to collect?”

If you think about it, it was a little strange. He spent all of his money on buying artifacts, and his artifacts were sold afterward? It made no sense.

Then, at least one of the two had to be a lie. He wasn’t poor in his last days, or the artifacts were never sold.

“Then, you are thinking most of those artifacts that are thought to have been sold were buried with Ogura.”

“Yes. And most of those artifacts are Goryeo celadons. I also think that they are in the tomb of that wretched man.”

“I wish that is the case so that I could take them all out…”

“Hhhh… just thinking about it makes me feel good. But how are you going to bring it here? Have you prepared a way?”

“I haven’t even dug yet, and you’re already thinking about moving them?”

“If there’s no escape plan, getting a huge lump of gold would be no good. Are you going to cling on to those artifacts and die in Japan?”

“There’s someone who helps me. Someone I can trust.”

Byeongguk didn’t feel bad about Haejin not explaining as if he knew Haejin had his reasons.

“That trustworthy person can bring those artifacts to Korea, right? But he or she knows nothing about grave robbing.”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“What kind of place is it?”

“It’s just a mountain. The good thing is that there are not many rocks.”

“If it were a rock mountain, they wouldn’t have made a tomb there. Hmm… you’re going to use a cover, right?”

“Yes, I am planning to do a fake funeral and dig.”

“You are going to make a fake tomb and dig 30m? On your own?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… the efforts wouldn’t be enough. Digging isn’t the only thing, you must take care of the soil you’ll dig up and check if the tunnel will collapse or not in the middle.”

Without magic, Haejin would never have dared to do it alone.

“I can trust no one.”

“Hu… just prepare the entrance. Tools won’t be enough. You have selected the spot, so if you get the direction, I will go and dig. How’s that?”

Haejin had planned to do it alone, but as unexpected things could happen, he decided to listen to Byeongguk.

“Okay. Come to Narita and call me. There will be someone at the airport waiting for you.”

“Okay then, we will need a 50cm long log to use as the buttress. At least 50 of them. Also, plastic bags for the soil we’ll dig, a portable generator, and a small drill.”

“Wouldn’t it make too much noise?”

“We should prepare just in case. Sometimes, there can be a rock that you can’t take care of with a shovel. Of course, if there’s enough time, we can get rid of it, but if there isn’t, we will have to break that rock. As I said, just in case.”

“Okay. I’ll get those.”

“I hope your partners are good in their job.”

“They don’t know much about grave robbing, but they are supporting me well.”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

Haejin hung up. He told Momoko that one more person would come and asked for logs, plastic bags, a portable generator, and a small drill.

Momoko nodded. She disappeared and showed up again after about 15 minutes. In her hand was a piece of paper with information about Yang Byeongguk.

“You’ve done the research already?”

“The country sent the information.”

The country probably meant the NIS in Korea.

“What does it say?”

“He has done illegal excavating and trading of artifacts for decades, but he mostly worked abroad, so details aren’t known. And… the late Mr. Park Yunseok is mentioned here, too.”

Probably as a partner or accomplice.

“I see.”

“Can you trust him?” Momoko asked.

It felt strange to hear that from someone who had been a Japanese only a few months ago.

“Of course. Even more than you…”

Haejin thought that could hurt, but she nodded.

“That’s good. Then I will go to meet him.”

“Please bring what I asked to the spot I told you tomorrow.”

“Of course.”

Haejin let Momoko handle it, but he was secretly worried. However, Momoko took care of everything perfectly.

She called about a dozen people and displayed a show of digging up a grave and putting a coffin in it.

It certainly drew attention.

As more than 90% of the dead are criminated in Japan, putting a coffin in a grave was something that rarely happened.

Monks from the temple and even tourists came to see it. When the sky turned dark, a few people ran to the grave when the onlookers had left.

It was Haejin’s people, and Byeongguk was among them. He had been picked up immediately after he arrived at Narita Airport. He was enjoying what was going on and kept smiling.

Byeongguk touched the grave and slightly nodded.

“Good location. If we dig in the back and cover this side, no one would be able to know there’s something wrong with this tomb.”

“I thought about it all night and explained how the tomb must be to Momoko here.”

“You have learned a lot from your father. Anyway, where is the tomb?”

Haejin pointed at the massive tree near the temple.

“I think the tomb is under that tree.”

It was dark already, but Byeongguk frowned and looked in the direction Haejin pointed at.

“That’s certainly strange. A tree that huge must have roots that spread all around it, but it is too close to the temple.”

“Can you see it?”

Haejin had his magic, but Byeongguk didn’t. Haejin asked as he couldn’t understand, but Byeongguk smiled.

“Hey, grave robbers don’t hike with lights. So, we should be able to see at night like owls. We run around the mountains at night. You father could see well, too.”

“Oh…”

Haejin couldn’t fully understand, but he thought it was kind of a grave robber’s skill and decided to move on.

“Anyway, I think the tree was moved before the temple was built.”

“I think so, too.”

“If the tomb is big, it should be about… 28m… anyway, let’s start.”

Byeongguk roughly measured the distance and started to dig the back of the grave with the shovel Momoko gave him. Haejin started to dig, but Haejin’s skill wasn’t as good as his strength. They dug with a similar speed.

About half an hour later, they reached the fake coffin. Byeongguk opened the nailed lid with a lever.

“Oho… you have prepared well.”

Inside were all kinds of tools. Digging a grave could be done with a shovel, but digging an underground tunnel needed more, so they had filled the coffin with tools in advance.

“Then, shall we start?”

They ate food which Eunhae had prepared for them and started to dig.

As people rarely went to that area, no one came close although the area was being monitored with the CCTV.

Meals for a day were brought at once at dusk, and when they had to relieve themselves, they dug a hole nearby. It was to not leave any trace.

After about a week, Byeongguk quickly got tired. When he used to work before, he always started when he was ready, but as he had started suddenly this time, he quickly lost his strength.

From then on, Haejin dug and Bgyeongguk put the soil in plastic bags and brought them to the entrance. These bags were sent away by Momoko and others at dawn.

Haejin didn’t know who those people were, but he just hoped Momoko had brought trustworthy people.

After one more week, Haejin’s shovel met an empty space. Byeongguk, who had been watching from behind, yelled with excitement.

“Hold your breath and get back.”

Haejin widened the hole a little and quickly backed off. Virus or toxic gas that had been inside the closed space could hurt him.

Haejin tried to calm down and let Eunhae and Momoko know that he had reached the tomb. After two hours of waiting outside, they crawled back into the tomb.

They set two LEB lamps on both sides, and the tomb was lit.

“Oho… this is great!”

Haejin had never been inside a tomb. He only watched artifacts after they were brought out. So honestly, he was a little afraid when he came in.

But Byeongguk looked around and smiled brightly. It melted his fear.

And after he saw a pair of swords right next to the coffin, joy and thrill overwhelmed him.

“This is the Double Dragon Sword.”

Haejin slowly drew the sword. It didn’t rust at all.

Just like when it was stored in the Department of Royal Household’s Museum, it glowed coldly as if it could bring bloodshed with just one swing.

“Yes, it is the Double Dragon Sword.”

Haejin sheathed it again and carefully wrapped it with a cloth he had prepared in advance. It was an invaluable artifact that couldn’t be lost again, so he couldn’t even lose a single strap of the thread that decorated the sword. His hands were shaking.

“It is here.”

Byeongguk looked at three celadons for a long time and carefully put them in boxes. There was no reason to leave them there.

There were a few Japanese paintings and some Japanese artifacts, too, but they decided to leave them. There was no reason to take other’s artifacts and they weren’t interested, either.

It was time to leave.

The moment Haejin put himself in the hole to leave, he spotted an earring on the ground. It must have fallen when he made the hole with his shovel.

“What are you doing? Quick, come out!”

“Okay, I’m coming!”

Haejin quickly picked it up and went outside.