Haejin was expecting to learn something with the hearing spell, but to his surprise, he couldn’t find out anything. Of course, he got to know how the senator thought the citizens were idiots, but it didn’t matter to him right now.
He asked Silvia to prepare for their trip to Antarctica and, in the meantime, arrived at Narita International Airport. There was a small man waiting for him.
“Welcome. I am Hatzne Mori.”
He was so short that he didn’t even come up to Haejin’s neck and was so thin as if he had never had meat, but his gaze was quite intense.
He spoke fluent Korean. He then took Haejin to a small car and drove while talking about things like the weather in Tokyo, political situation, and its economy.
He was probably trying to be helpful, but as it was practically meaningless to Haejin he just nodded and agreed with him from time to time.
After about an hour of driving, they arrived at a mansion that was very huge for a Japanese house.
As houses were expensive in Tokyo, Haejin could tell that the seller was at least as wealthy as Korean chaebols.
“Please, come in.”
Hatzne Mori led him inside. The splendid interior was overwhelming.
Each stand and each chair were luxurious. Numerous painting hung on the walls and all of them seemed real.
It was like a small museum, and Haejin couldn’t help but feel surprised. Then, he saw a man waiting for him in the living room.
“It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
Haejin was so shocked that he froze for a moment. The man in the wheelchair was none other than Ando Hadake.
“You’re hurt.”
He looked at Hadake’s wheelchair, and the man’s gaze got even colder.
“I gave mercy to your father. He was able to raise you with wealth because of it. But you are so ungrateful,” Hadake then said.
Now that Haejin knew it was Ando Hadake, he brought a chair and sat in front of him.
Although he was in a trap, he wasn’t scared at all. Now, he had the power to kill everyone in that mansion if he wanted.
A man who appeared to be Hadake’s bodyguard flinched at this, but he did nothing as Hadake raised his hand to stop him.
“This is funny. I know very well what you did to me and my father. Have we had a different experience? Or are you just so full of yourself?” Haejin asked.
“You’re still arrogant. Do you think you can walk out of here alive?” Hadake asked back.
“Why? You’re going to use violence on me? Be my guest. Ando Hadake, the Devil Merchant of Tokyo, finally shows his yakuza nature when he’s about to die. Well, that’s how inferiors do, they use their fists when they have nothing better,” Haejin commented.
That was sharp enough, but Hadake didn’t say anything.
“You can’t be afraid now. What, you are so angry for being defeated by me?” Haejin continued to taunt him.
“You messed up with what you shouldn’t have messed up with. You shouldn’t have touched Ogura Takenoske’s tomb,” Hadake replied.
Haejin disagreed, “No, no… before that, you shouldn’t have invaded Joseon, and you shouldn’t have stolen our artifacts. He even gave them the name of Ogura Collection to mock us, so him hoping for a peaceful rest is rather ridiculous.”
Hadake clenched his teeth and snapped his finger. Then, one of his men disappeared to somewhere and came back with a large scroll.
Hadake had his man unroll it on a huge table and spoke to Haejin.
“One of us will not get to see tomorrow. Your very existence will be an obstacle to Japan’s future forever.”
In his point of view, he was probably right. Haejin smiled coldly and said, “Then you would have no reason to live.”
Hadake nodded at this, “I’ve drawn my sword, so either I stab you with it or get stabbed myself.”
He was really determined.
“Good. Then, is this what you have prepared?” Haejin stood up and looked at the painting on the huge table.
It was a typical eastern ink-and-wash painting. However, it was drawn in perspective, which was unusual for an eastern painting.
Gwanghwamun Gate was far away, and there were a broad road and trees in front of it.
Next to it, a comment was written.
[How can those who wait for the gate of the palace to be opened at dawn and get frost on their shoes understand the subtlety of this painting?]
“The comment shows great pride about knowing how to appreciate paintings. It must be Pyoam’s.”
That comment wasn’t just about what Pyoam had felt from the painting. Pyoam was saying only Gang Huieon, the artist who made the painting, and he himself could understand such perspective.
Pyoam Gang Saehwang was a great artist who left many paintings, but he also wrote comments on other artists’ paintings.
“We think so too. Well, what do you think? Do you think it is real?” Hadake asked.
As the ink had faded and the paper was about to crumble, it was hard to think it was fake.
Haejin didn’t have to use magic to be sure of its authenticity.
“It appears to be. So? What have you prepared next?”
Ando Hadake looked into Haejin’s eyes and said, “I’ve seen many good artifacts, and I did anything to get those artifacts. Things sometimes go wrong in the process, but why would it matter? That’s how human nature is. It is violent and extremely selfish. And then I encountered one thing I couldn’t control as I wanted: you and your father.”
“Didn’t my father behave as you wanted?” Haejin asked.
“Huh! You think I’m a fool?”
Hadake moved in his wheelchair to take out one of the liquor bottles displayed on one side. He poured it out, took a sip, and turned to Haejin again.
“Your father didn’t follow my orders. He went to Korea, hid, and ran away abroad when I was about to reach him.”
“That’s good. If he hadn’t done that, he would have died at least a decade earlier,” Haejin replied.
Hadake then said, “It’s funny. You blame me for your father’s untimely death? Grave robbers don’t get to live long. They get cursed by the dead. It was you who dug up Ogura’s tomb, wasn’t it? You would not have let someone else do it. But as you have disturbed the dead’s sleep, you shouldn’t hope for a long life.”
“I don’t want to live a thin and long life. I plan to live a thick and short life. So, get rid of those useless talks and tell me the rules. You’ve set the mood enough, so let’s start the game,” Haejin replied.
Hadake finished his glass of liquor and snapped his finger again. His attendant disappeared again and came back with a table with wheels.
The table was covered with transparent glass, and the painting was inside it.
“Perfect humidity and temperature. Of course, it cannot stay here for long. It must be kept well, even under that layer of glass. Well, what do you think of it?”
The painting was huge, 1m wide and 1.7m long. It showed Xian with a little boy in the beautiful mountainside.
“I’m supposed to find out whose painting it is?” Haejin asked.
Hadake smiled slyly, “Hhhh… it would be too easy and boring. You must tell me whose painting it is. If it is real or fake, and the reason behind it.”
“And if I fail?” Haejin asked.
“You won’t get out of here alive.”
Hadake took out a gun. It had a silencer, so Haejin could see he had prepared to drag him into this trap.
Haejin stared at it and asked casually, “And what happens if I win?”
“You can leave with Gang Huieon’s painting. I will also go to my grave quietly. You can trust me on this. My organization will not let me live on if I fail to kill you anyway,” Hadake explained.
“But you can just kill me now. Why are you doing this?” Haejin asked.
Hadake hit his wheelchair and yelled, “I’m a samurai! I’m not a samurai who wields a sword but a samurai who has the spirit of great Japan. I bet everything on this duel. One of us dies here.”
“You really mean it?” Haejin asked with the truth spell.
Hadake nodded, “It is a samurai’s promise. If I lose, you will get to see my dead body leave this house in a few days.”
“Okay then, I’ll play along.”
Haejin thought he couldn’t lose. As he had magic, he could play that kind of game hundreds of times.
However, Hadake wasn’t done yet and said, “But you cannot use your hands to appraise.”
The moment he finished speaking, his attendant came and tied Haejin’s hands behind.
It happened before Haejin could say anything.
The attendant tied hard, from Haejin’s wrists to the fingers. Haejin protested, “What are you doing? Do you think you will get an advantage by tying an appraiser’s hands?”
“We’ve been watching you all along. We could find out that you use your fingers when you do difficult appraisals,” Hadake replied.
Haejin was shocked. He had to apply blood or water on his finger and draw the pattern to use magic, and until now, he had fooled others by using saliva.
But Hadake had noticed that…
“I don’t know what that action means, but we mean to beat you with everything we have. If this is really about your true skills, not being able to use your fingers wouldn’t be a problem,” Hadake said.
“It is just my habit, it doesn’t mean anything. So, untie me,” Haejin continued to protest.
“You’re giving up? Then fine, do as you wish.”
Hadake seemed to believe Haejin, but then he showed a photo on his phone.
Surprisingly, it was Eunhae’s photo.
“The moment you give up on this game, this photo will be sent to a gang in Heilongjiang, China. With a billion yen, of course. Are you still giving up?”
He meant he was going to put on a bounty of a billion yen on Eunhae’s neck.
Haejin had no choice and realized he couldn’t give up.
“Fine, I’ll play by your rules. So, delete that photo, you bastard.”
“There’s no need to get angry like that. I always keep my promises,” Hadake replied.
Haejin turned to the painting under the LED lights. He looked at it for some time and then spoke to Hadake.
“Now, thinking about it, the terms are not fair. All I will get by winning is just one painting of Gang Huieon.”
“You think my life is that trivial?” Hadake asked.
“Funny. Don’t think my life and your life are of the same value. I’m not interested in an old criminal’s life. Offer me something else, and I will fulfill this deal,” Haejin replied.
“Well, I’m all ears. What do you want?”
“Throw in An Gyeon’s Mongyudowondo*.”
Hadake’s eyebrows flinched. Then, he moaned.
“You’ve found out whose painting this is.”
*Mongyudowondo means Paradise Seen in Dream.
