Yama Rising

Chapter 540: Kim Tae-ji

The best way forward… was naturally to locate Lee Jung-sook, and then ride on the auspices of her identity.

He would have to attend the opening ceremony of the Hanyang Underworld at the end of October, and as soon as he did, Liu Yu was sure to keep his whereabouts under close scrutiny. Naturally, he would no longer be given any latitude to carry out any investigative work once that happened.

His thoughts began spinning rapidly at once. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given the luxury of time to craft his response, as the lady soon barked through the intercom with a deeper voice. That said, she spoke in Daeian, and nobody could understand what she was saying.

Holy shit?!

Wang Chenghao stared at Qin Ye with consternation. Unexpectedly, Qin Ye’s response was met with silence on the part of the old lady.

This time, she spoke with fluent English, but with a distinct Daeian accent.

The intercom shut off as soon as Qin Ye finished speaking. Three seconds later, the door to the main entrance opened with a soft click.

“What’s that--...” Wang One Tail was clearly oblivious to his surroundings.

Naturally, Qin Ye had his means to get about these devices. As they walked along, his voice suddenly sounded in the ears of the other two.

“If we can get Kim Tae-ji on our side, it’ll most certainly smoothen things out here in Daehan. After all, Samsung is practically synonymous with privilege here in Daehan.”

Wang Chenghao frowned, “She’s Kim Tae-ji? Are you sure she’d help us out in our search for Lee Jung-sook? How can you be so certain about people’s hearts…”

After all, how could a 700 years-old lady be swindled by a mere 70-years old infant? That’s… practically impossible.

They went straight to the top without stopping. Then, as soon as the elevator doors opened, their eyes immediately widened.

The entire 24th floor was designed with an open-concept in mind. Everything was constructed with a luxurious baroque style, adorned with religious elements and gold accents that brought nobility to the elegance of the classical brown furniture. The curtains, carpets and antique chandeliers all came together to make the entire space look grand and elegant.

A silver-haired lady sat right atop a grand sofa, holding a glass of red wine in her hand. As soon as they entered, she nodded softly at them, “Take a seat.”

That’s a great start… Qin Ye sorted through his thoughts and organized what he had to say. He needed to have some measure of restraint while speaking with a member of the upper echelon of society. Sure, she might not be the top when it came to influence and finances, but she was still undoubtedly one of the top 200 most influential people in Daehan.

Therefore, Qin Ye chose to burst through the doors to Kim Tae-ji’s heart with the most straightforward approach. After all, time wasn’t on his side. “Miss Lee isn’t dead.”

It took her some time before she finally retracted her gaze and stared blankly at her own reflection in the wine glass, “Then why didn’t she contact me? And why didn’t she even preside over the monthly council meeting?”

“The fact that you know of this place might be compelling evidence in and of itself, but that… is still insufficient. I need something more concrete; something more incontrovertible.” She set down her glass and gazed deeply at the trio, “I don’t sense the qualities of a professional bodyguard or assassin from you, so you may speak your mind. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

“She’s lost her memory.”

Finally, the third salvo from Qin Ye completely crushed all psychological defenses in her heart.

Clink… Kim Tae-ji accidentally knocked over her wine glass, and the scarlet liquid flowed down the surface of the solid wooden table. Even then, she appeared completely oblivious to that right now.

This was one of the secrets that the top brass of Samsung had sworn to keep to themselves. Everyone seated at the top of the organization knew that Lee Jung-sook was a monster originally from Cathay. She had died once, but had returned to life, and her appearances had maintained just as young as she had always been decades ago.

“Why?” After a protracted pause, she finally shut her eyes, yet her eyelids continued to tremble softly, “I mean… she’s got bodyguards around her. Who could possibly harm her?”

“It was an Infernal Judge.” Qin Ye took in every bit of expression in Kim Tae-ji’s eyes. Apologies. Unfortunately, you’ve met your match today. You’re still decades away from my level of experience.

This would dictate how he was going to proceed with his objectives in Daehan, and how forcefully at that!

Even though she had mentally prepared herself for some earth-shattering news, she didn’t expect her defenses to have crumbled this quickly!

That’s… the term used to refer to the god of death!

“To be more precise, it’s two Infernal Judges.”

Kim Tae-ji grew taciturn. Moments later, she picked up another wine glass and gently poured wine into it from the carafe. Everything seemed calm and placid on the surface, yet Qin Ye could clearly tell that her knuckles were quivering slightly.

Unfortunately, not even the slightest movements could elude Qin Ye’s keen vision. He was incredibly adept at reading the contemplations of other’s hearts through the subtlest of movements. This was a skill that was almost second nature to him, after having honed it well for a hundred years.

“Look for her.” Qin Ye spoke through gritted teeth, “She’s somewhere in Daehan, but we don’t know exactly where. It’s not exactly convenient for us to be moving about overtly, but we know you’d have your means to locate Miss Lee’s whereabouts. After all… Daehan isn’t too large by any means.”

“Yes.”

“Give me a week.” She set down her wine glass once more and brushed her silver hair elegantly, albeit with a bitter smile, “Samsung’s already in a pickle without her around to steer the helm. I’m still counting on her to take good care of my offspring. Rest assured, I’ll have an answer for you in one week at most. How should I get in touch with you?”

Kim Tae-ji smiled and sighed with relief as she began to swirl the contents of her wine glass about once more, “This is the best news I’ve heard in recent times. Would you like a drink?”

Then, she smiled and got to her feet, “Then, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Are they somehow involved?”

“Alright. Return here tonight. I’ll make the necessary arrangements for a meeting.”

Kim Tae-ji remained seated right where she was.

She remained silent as she drove around the vicinity. Finally, she gritted her teeth, pulled out her cell phone and made a call.

“Yes.” Kim Tae-ji’s eyes were completely devoid of any warmth or tenderness. Instead, she bit down hard onto her lower lips as she fervently sought to suppress her ragged breaths. Several seconds later, she instructed, “I want you to send 15 people to the Daelim One Apartment tonight. I’ve got three targets for you.”

Kim Tae-ji took a deep breath and stared at the traffic lights ahead, “One condition. You’ll have to leave one target alive. I’ll deal with the police.”

The vehicles behind sounded their horn.

“I… cannot trust you!”