Artifact Reading Inspector

Haejin had checked the spot, so he turned around and went to the local real estate agency.

“Welcome.”

A man in his early 40s bowed and led Haejin to a table. He smiled pleasantly and dragged customers with ease, so he must have had been in this business for a long time.

“I just want to ask something.”

The man’s eyes showed disappointment. Usually, when people say they came to ask, they really just ask and leave, saying they’ll think about it.

“What do you want to know?”

“Do you know about the Yeonhwadang up the street? It looks like a fortune teller’s place…”

“Oh, I know Yeonhwadang. It is indeed a fortune teller’s place. However, the fortune teller is not that famous. Why did you ask?”

“I want to know if that villa is for sale.”

“Oh… okay. Would you like to sit down? I will try to find out. It won’t take long, so please, sit.”

Haejin was fine standing, but the man kept asking him to sit. He was trying to make Haejin stay as he might turn out to be a client.

“However, you don’t look like you’re from around here. Are you from Seoul?”

The man asked as he used his computer to search.

“Oh, yes. I’m from Seoul.”

“Why did you come to Iksan from Seoul? It’s not like this area is about to be renovated. The price of the land will probably not soar up as it did in Saejong City here.”

He was asking if Haejin was trying to buy a house or land. He was supposed to react differently according to what the client wanted.

“I am interested about the building I mentioned.”

“Oh, you mean Yeonhwadang?”

“Yes. Does the shaman own that villa? Or is she a tenant?”

The agent smiled faintly.

“Shamans cannot rent a place to work, as disputes can occur with landlords. if they also shake bells or shriek, they can get kicked out. Hahaha.”

“Then, what about Yeonhwadang?”

“Yeonhwadang’s owner owns that villa. So, even though she makes some noise, there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Sometimes, policemen go there, but it only works temporarily.”

“Oh, really.”

“Yes. Oh! I found it. It is for sale.”

The agent printed the document and brought it to Haejin.

“Really? How much is it?”

“It is built on a land of 270 square meters, and the price is 210 million won. I don’t know if negotiation is possible, but as it has been on sale for six months, I think I can lower the price to about 190 million.”

People who don’t know about real estate business think agents try to raise the price but, in fact, agents do their best to lower the price.

Raising the price is only good for sellers, and it’s not like the agents would get a much bigger fee with that.

As lowering the price makes the deal easier to be struck, they try hard to lower the price. Of course, sellers wouldn’t like that, but it is a method to make the deal happen.

“Two hundred million…”

It was a great coincidence. The building standing on the ground in which the incense burner is built is not that high, and it was for sale.

“However, why do you want to buy Yeonhwadang? People are usually reluctant to buy a house that used to belong to a shaman…”

“Oh, I’m looking for a place to build new villas to rent.”

Haejin had seen a few new villas during his search, so he could give a proper answer.

“You mean reconstruction. Well, there are people who live well with a monthly rent by building new villas nearby.”

Although he agreed, he looked doubtful. It was because doing reconstruction and renting a villa wouldn’t be profitable in that area.

It would be better to spend more and do that in other areas, so the agent couldn’t fully believe Haejin.

“Then, should I call?”

“Yes, but I need to see the place first.”

Haejin wasn’t trying to find something inside. It was just that saying he would buy it without having a look would be suspicious, so he was trying to act normal.

“Okay then, I’ll call.”

The agent was a little excited as he called. It was because he thought he might be able to achieve a deal as the client was enthusiastic.

“We can go immediately. Let’s go.”

The agent hung up, and Haejin followed him back to Yeonhwadang.

They went in through an old iron gate. A woman in her early 30s greeted them with a smile.

“Did you make a reservation?”

The agent waved his hand and smiled sheepishly.

“No, I just called. I’m from Buja Real Estate Agency. We want to see the house.”

The woman was disappointed at finding out they were not customers.

“Oh…”

“I heard we could take a look now…”

“This way, please.”

Disappointed, she went to the first floor and started to talk about the place getting sunlight, good water pressure, and low rent.

“Look, there’s a misunderstanding. We’re not looking for a room. We came to buy this building.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

She was surprised and ran down. 𝑓re𝘦𝔀𝗲𝘣𝘯𝘰νℯ𝒍.c𝗼ｍ

The agent was also puzzled. Then, he looked at Haejin and smiled.

“She was confused because she isn’t the owner. The owner must be downstairs, so let’s go meet her.”

They went down. A woman in her early 40s was coming out through the door that read Yeonhwadang.

She was wearing a shaman’s costume. She looked very tired as if she had lived long enough. The younger woman bowed to her.

“You came out. However, these men here came because they thought this place is for sale…”

“It is. I put this house on sale.”

The younger woman didn’t know what to do at the owner’s cold attitude. But she couldn’t object, so she backed up.

“This gentleman here wanted to take a look. The price has not changed, right?” f𝚛e𝗲𝔀e𝚋𝑛o𝘃𝒆𝗹.c𝗼𝒎

“Yes.”

She gave a short answer. As she always talked like that, instead of thinking she was rude, Haejin just thought that was how she was.

“Maybe you can lower the price…”

For the first time, she raised her eyebrows.

“Do you know how much I paid to buy this place?”

Was it because Haejin thought she wasn’t ordinary? Rather than being offended, he found it funny.

The agent got nervous. He scratched his head.

“It’s, it’s… actually, the price is a little too high compared to the other houses in this town… and it would be better to sell when there’s a buyer who wants it.”

“You…”

She was about to get mad. Haejin grabbed the agent’s arm and dragged him back.

“I’ll look around first. I didn’t get to take a look of the ground floor. It would be too early to talk about the price without looking around first…”

“Fine.”

The shaman backed off again calmly. It made Haejin smile. He passed by her and went into the gate she had come out. What he saw first was a scary painting of the Four Sky Kings.

Haejin took his shoes off and looked around carefully.

“It is big.”

The agent answered him immediately.

“It is about 440 square meters wide. In fact, you don’t have to build a new villa. Just fix this building and it will be as good as new.”

However, the owner chimed in.

“You’re planning a reconstruction? You won’t get what you invest.”

“Maybe.”

Haejin didn’t want to argue and tried to change the subject, but she snorted.

“Huh! You’re here because you’re looking for something.”

Haejin’s heart sank. What was it? Was she using magic, too?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“My general god said so. That you’re after something else, not the building…”

They say being possessed changes a person. She was clearly possessed since she had different aura now.

This is why people believed in shamans and fortune tellers. However, why was she about to lose her house when she was so good at her job?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, I guess you don’t get many customers.”

Haejin changed the subject and looked at the altar. Then, he spotted something.

Incense burner… it wasn’t that big. The gilt bronze had worn off. The top part was gone and only the bottom part was there.

It had been filled with rice to put the incense sticks on it. Haejin wondered where the more important top part was.

Animals like tiger and deer were carved on it. Haejin could see that it was from Baekjae.

“Huh! You cannot deceive me. You’re not here to buy this building, right?”

“I am here to buy this building.”

“No, my general says you’re lying. You’re looking for something with glaring eyes like those of a wolf. However, he doesn’t know what you’re looking for. What is it?”

Haejin could feel goosebumps coming up. With that kind of power, politicians should often come.

“Hmm… why don’t we sit down?”

Haejin realized talking more wouldn’t do him any good, so he just sat down. Then, the shaman smiled as if she had known Haejin would do that and sat down opposite to him.

She looked like she would ask what his worry was any time, but she didn’t say anything and kept smiling mischievously.

“I do want to buy this house. If you don’t want to negotiate, I’ll buy it at 210 million.”

“Hmm… you’ll really buy this house? That’s strange. My general says it is not possible.”

“I am here to buy this house… but now I have another thing to buy.”

“Huh?”

“That incense burner. Sell it to me.”

“What? That’s for the general. No way!”

She yelled. She wasn’t going to give it away easily.

“I’ll buy it and this house at 220 million.”

At that moment, everyone looked at Haejin with suspicion. However, the shaman started to laugh.

“I see. That’s what you want. But not that. That belongs to the general. If you touch it, you will get huge misfortune.”

“I’ll find you a better one.”

“I said no! No way!”

It’s a shame. It wasn’t the matching incense burner of the stand he had brought from Hong Kong, but it was a good artifact.

“Okay then, just sell the house. At 210 million.”

Haejin backed off too easily. The shaman narrowed her eyes and looked at him. Then, she got up, took something out of an old closet and put it on the table.

“220 million, but I’ll give you this instead.”