Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 130: Buddhist Scripture Written with Gold (3)

“Prince Anpyeong?”

Jin Shyaomin looked confused as if he had never heard of that name. To him, Anpyeong was the brother of the king of a foreign country, so of course, he didn’t know.

“Yes. As I said, he was the brother of a king called Sejo. He was also a famed master calligrapher. Of course, you can compare his handwriting if you want.”

“Where can I see his calligraphy?”

This time, Haejin was a little ashamed to answer.

“In the main library of Tenri University in Japan. There is a painting called Peach Flower Paradise of Dream. That painting has Prince Anpyeong’s writing, so you can check it there.”

It felt ridiculous to tell him to check the handwriting of a royal of Joseon in Japan, but that was the reality. What could Haejin do?

Jin Shyaomin nodded and immediately took a photo of the scripture. It was to compare the handwriting, so Haejin didn’t try to stop him.

After that, he spoke gravely.

“First, we will check with the documents we have. And if it really is a Joseon’s artifact, I will formally apologize.”

“Okay.”

Haejin wasn’t going to care about his apology. Actually, the fault lied onto the auction agency that had been wrong about the artifact rather than on Jin Shyaomin’s rudeness, so he didn’t want to blame him.

Many of the Korean artifacts that had been sold or bought abroad were thought to be Chinese.

Even Sotheby’s and the Christie’s, the top two auction agencies of the world, can make mistakes, and they often conclude all Asian artifacts as Chinese.

Goryeo celadons are especially misunderstood as Chinese. This is why international appraisers who know well Korean artifacts are in demand.

After Jin Shyaomin went away, the watchers all left in time. Haejin took the scripture and the brooch, then he went down to the parking lot.

He didn’t continue to speak to Hassena lest someone else would see them. Hassena had given him a meaningful look after he revealed the artifact’s true identity, but she didn’t say anything more.

After Haejin arrived at the hotel, he first took out the golden brooch. There was no other reason, he just wondered what kind of powers it held.

The brooch itself was magnificent, but the vestigium was also mysterious as it felt like it was absorbing all the energy around it.

He kept staring at it, and a moment later, he fell on the bed as if he had been hit by a tranquilizer gun.

Buzzzzz…

Haejin reached for his buzzing phone, and it took some time to do it. It was Saliyah, Hassena’s secretary.

“Yes, it’s Haejin.”

“Why didn’t you answer sooner? The princess is looking for you. Where on earth are you?”

“In my room…”

“Then why didn’t you say anything when I knocked on the door. If you hadn’t picked up this time, I would have asked the people to open the door for me.”

Haejin looked at the time, it was after 10 p.m.

“I’m sorry.”

“Come to the restaurant, the princess has been waiting for you all this time. She hasn’t had dinner yet.”

“Okay, I will go now.”

Haejin hung up and looked at his phone’s record. 15 unanswered calls. It was good that Saliyah didn’t open the door with the master key.

There was one more call among them that wasn’t from Saliyah, but Haejin didn’t care about it. He thought whoever it was, he or she would call again.

He hurriedly went to the restaurant, and Hassena was there with her usual calmness. She smiled as if he was just in time.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay. You’re hungry, right?”

Haejin didn’t have the time to think about it, but now he realized that he was famished.

“What? Yes.”

“I’ve ordered some food. Would that be alright?”

“Of course.”

Haejin sat down. Hassena then looked around and, in a low voice, asked, “Have you gotten the power?”

After the brooch’s power knocked him out, Haejin had had a dream about the same witch as before. But this time, she didn’t torment him. She taught him magic like a teacher instead.

The spells he learned this time were pretty scary. Spell that made a person burn, spell that summoned snakes and bugs, and there was even a spell that could make someone lose their short-term memory.

What Haejin wanted to know was what the witch wanted from him as she taught magic. What learning magic had to do with finding the lost land?

“Yes. They are a little… strange, but I did get some new powers.”

“That’s good. Actually, I was worried. Although I was sure that brooch hadn’t been contaminated, things can always go wrong.”

“What happens if I have been infected by that corrupted brooch?”

Hassena thought about it and shook her head.

“Then I will have to find a way to make you become who you are again, but that wouldn’t have happened. You’re the chosen one, so you wouldn’t be so easily tempted.”

“Okay, let me ask. What is that organization? No, what is that thing we both saw? Tell me everything you know.”

It took some time for Hassena to talk.

“There was an ancient civilization, one much older than the first civilization in the history books. For some reason, that civilization disappeared, but it left some traces. I think it left a mission to the finder of the traces, to find itself again.”

“Then, I’m supposed to find the traces of that civilization?”

“Yes.”

“Then what about that dangerous organization you’re after?”

“That ancient civilization left a lot of things. Like the powers you have…”

“Oh…”

Haejin could see what’s going on now.

“You must find the traces before they do. So…”

“So?”

Hassena sighed.

“I don’t know yet, I just know that I must help you.”

“Hmm… then you don’t know much, either.”

“They always hide in the shadows. That’s why you must be careful, they might endanger you at any time. But you got new powers this time, so that relieves me.”

“It was all thanks to you…”

After that, they ate dinner and had a pleasant chat. They mostly talked about Islamic culture because Haejin was curious, and he had to solve their marriage problem.

But then, someone knocked on the door.

Knock knock!

“Yes?”

A waiter came in and carefully said, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have a visitor. What should I do?”

“Who is it?”

“He said the governor sent him.”

Hassena looked at Haejin with a questioning look. She didn’t know about what had happened between Haejin and Howard.

“Please let him in.”

Howard was already thinking Haejin and Hassena were very close, so Haejin thought it wouldn’t be a problem.

After the waiter left, Saliyah came in. A man in a neat suit followed him.

Saliyah probably came in as another man was about to be in the room now.

“Nice to meet you, I am Paul Jackson. Governor Howard sent me. May I sit down?”

“Please, sit.”

Paul sat down, bowed to Hassena, and turned to Haejin again. He didn’t talk to Hassena, he must have thought this might happen in advance.

“The governor said what you asked is hard to do.”

Actually, it wasn’t easy. Even the governor couldn’t force a museum to send its artifacts to where they had come from.

“Really? That’s funny.”

Haejin reacted as if he had seen it coming. Paul then continued, “He is very sorry about it. So, if there’s anything you want, he will help as much as he can.”

Howard was scared, indeed. He thought about it for a few days and had finally decided to solve this matter in a reasonable way.

“Do you want me to ask for money?”

“Governor Howard is not rich. Of course, if you want, he can get you 500 thousand dollars, but not more.”

Howard was trying, but Haejin wasn’t thinking about money.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not that interested in money. I only want the return of Korean artifacts.”

Paul Jackson looked troubled.

“Mr. Park, he really tried his best. But unfortunately, the director of the Metropolitan has no political relationship. He only manages the museum. There’s nothing we can do.”

At least Howard had done some research.

“Hmm… the governor is from Boston, right? Which university did he graduate from?”

Paul answered, but he looked confused.

“Harvard. He majored in Economy.”

That was good. Haejin was going to have some business with Harvard. He had realized it again after getting that Buddhist scripture.

“Good. Then what about Harvard University? Does he have any influence on it?”

“On Harvard? There are Korean artifacts in Harvard University?”

He asked back as if he had had no idea. Of course, few American would be interested in it.

“Haven’t you heard of the Henderson Collection?”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Harvard University has a number of valuable Korean artifact under the name of Henderson Collection. Of course, I’m not demanding to get them all back for free. I just want a chance to buy them at a reasonable price. Wouldn’t that be a good deal?”

Actually, that was a more difficult deal. However, Haejin said deal instead of favor to press Paul.

Henderson Collection was created by Gregory Henderson. It consisted of artifacts he collected while he was in Korea. It was when the US and the Soviet Union separated Korea and ruled it right after Korea was liberated.

But sadly, he didn’t collect artifacts by robbing and stealing like Ogura Takenoske did. Koreans gave them to him willingly.

Some rich people and scholars gave precious artifacts to bribe him and emigrate to Korea or get his help.

That is truly shameful history, and what is even sadder is that those people, who willingly gave away their legacy, are still prospering now.

Buddhist Scripture written by Prince Anpyeong had been included in the Henderson Collection, but thankfully, it was then put on auction, and Haejin got to buy it.

It was a great fortune, good enough to say the ancestors helped him.

“If there are dozens of artifacts, even the governor cannot make it happen easily. Even if you are willing to buy them with money.”

“But I want a chance to buy at least a few of them. They have been almost never revealed to the public. Is there a reason why they are so hidden? If there isn’t, they should be able to sell at least a few. It would be also good for Harvard to make some money.”

Paul thought about it and then nodded.

“I cannot give you any promises, but I think it makes sense. We’ll see what we can do. If Harvard says it will sell just a few, what do you want to buy?”