Chapter 7
‘The first thing I need…’
Kang Taehan placed his hands on his father’s shoulders.
He was different from the clients he had seen in Seoul.
Although there were differences in degree, all three people he had met at that time had suffered from an excessive accumulation of vital energy that did not circulate, causing harm.
Simply put, their bodies were oily and full of impurities.
In such cases, it was more efficient to apply strong pressure to crush the turbid Qi blocking the meridians and directly stimulate the hardened muscles to awaken them.
However, Kang Hoyeon’s case was different.
The vital energy in his body was literally at a minimal level.
His muscles were awake, but due to the lack of vital energy, they lacked elasticity and vitality overall.
To make a comparison, it was like a dry twig.
Applying strong force to it would not loosen it, but rather harm it, and in severe cases, it could even tear or break.
‘Besides, he’s also getting old.’
In such cases, the top priority was to gently relax the stiff body.
Kang Taehan released the tension in his hands and began to slowly massage his father’s outer shoulders.
Even though there was no force in his hands, it was far from being done carelessly.
On the contrary, this was a more difficult and delicate task.
This was because the reduced emphasis on strength meant it was a realm of pure skill.
First, the Jianjing and Jianyu points on the outer shoulder.
Then, the Dazhu and Quyuan points on the inner shoulder, and other major acupoints between them.
He moved each of his ten fingers, applying appropriate pressure, pressing, and massaging each acupoint simultaneously.
“Oh?”
“Does it hurt?”
“Not that… Hmm.”
Kang Hoyeon tilted his head.
“Maybe it’s because you learned it in college, but it feels different… Huh…”
Kang Hoyeon suddenly trailed off.
He wasn’t trying to change the subject, but a gasp escaped his lips due to the sensation spreading through his relaxed shoulders.
‘What is this?’
It felt like blood was suddenly rushing into his shoulders.
That was a funny thing to say.
Because it sounded as if there had been no blood flow to his shoulders before.
But what could he do?
There was no other way to describe this feeling.
The sensation traveled from his shoulders to his forearms, wrists, and hands.
It was just the feeling of blood flowing, but it was a pleasure in itself, stimulating his nerves.
But it wasn’t just his shoulders.
His neck, back, waist.
Every time Kang Taehan’s hands passed along his spine, Kang Hoyeon felt as if his whole body was melting.
“Does it feel good?”
“Yes… It feels good…”
Kang Hoyeon said in a pleasantly relaxed voice.
He was now lying face down on the table with his upper body.
‘Good.’
After finishing with his waist, he checked his father’s overall body condition once again.
It was hard to believe it was the same body as before, as it was now full of elasticity and vitality.
‘But this is only temporary.’
His muscles were gently relaxed, and the meridians were open.
However, this was only a temporary measure.
If he continued to lack vital energy in his body as he did now, he would soon return to his original state.
But it was difficult to replenish vital energy in a short period of time.
It slowly recovered with proper nutrition and sufficient rest, but in this state where it was almost completely depleted, even that would take a long time.
However, there was another way now.
Kang Taehan had the extra internal energy, or Qi , he had absorbed from his clients earlier.
‘I’m glad I went to work part-time. It’s just a tiny bit of internal energy, but…’
Still, it was enough to revitalize a single person’s body, not to mention restoring a dantian or reviving acupoints.
Of course, Kang Taehan’s internal energy was not abundant by any means, and even this small amount was important…
But there was no hesitation in Kang Taehan’s actions.
‘As similar to natural Qi as possible… in its purest form.’
He drew the necessary amount of internal energy from his lower dantian to his middle dantian and went through the process of returning it to its purest form.
Since they were blood relatives, there was little risk of rejection due to differences in constitution, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
‘Okay.’
After completing the series of processes, Kang Taehan carefully placed his hand on Kang Hoyeon’s back, at the Shenshu acupoint.
The Shenshu acupoint was located on the back at a height similar to the chest.
As its location suggested, it was closely related to the lungs.
Kang Taehan slowly infused the Qi he had gathered in his hand into the acupoint.
What was the most basic way to absorb external Qi into the body?
It was through breathing.
Therefore, the method with the least resistance when transmitting Qi to another person was also through the lungs.
Kang Taehan carefully controlled the flow of Qi so as not to strain Kang Hoyeon’s meridians and slowly infused it.
“Uh, uh…”
The Qi that flowed into the Shenshu acupoint gathered in the dantian for a moment, then transformed into vital energy and spread throughout his body.
The life force flowed through the meridians to every part of his body.
This feeling of the parched body being drenched was truly deserving of the expression “pleasure.”
“Ugh…”
A long sigh escaped his lips.
All the strength drained from his body, and he felt as if all the sighs that had been building up in his chest were melting away.
But the loss of strength was just a feeling.
His skin, which had lost its luster, gradually regained its elasticity, and his muscles, which had been dry and weak, were now filled with vitality.
Although it was on a small scale, with a bit of exaggeration, it could be called rejuvenation.
‘And now what’s left is.’
His right shoulder.
The spot that had stiffened with the aftereffects of the surgery.
But now, the muscles were relaxed, and vital energy was flowing sufficiently through the meridians.
The preparations were complete.
Kang Taehan placed his thumbs on the meridians on either side of the surgical scar.
And then he applied pressure, strongly stimulating both sides.
“Ugh?”
Kang Hoyeon flinched and lifted his head.
“Does it hurt?”
“No, it just… surprised me.”
Kang Hoyeon couldn’t bring himself to say it hurt.
Kang Taehan awkwardly scratched his head.
“I guess I pressed the wrong spot. I’ll be careful.”
Of course, it was a lie.
Kang Hoyeon flinched and naturally shrugged his right shoulder.
This meant that things had gone as Kang Taehan had planned.
‘It won’t have an effect right away today…’
But perhaps tomorrow, as soon as he woke up, the effects would be apparent.
Kang Taehan smiled.
⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢
The next day.
Father and son left the house together for the first time in a while.
Kang Hoyeon to the restaurant for work.
Kang Taehan to the terminal to catch the bus.
Their destinations were different, but their paths were the same until midway.
“That’s really amazing.”
Kang Hoyeon moved his body this way and that as he walked.
Until yesterday, his body had felt stiff and tired, but when he woke up this morning, he felt as light as a feather.
Not only that.
Unlike usual, his right arm naturally rose above his shoulder.
A chronic ailment that had plagued him for a long time since his shoulder surgery.
He used to have to grit his teeth and move it slowly to get it up there, but now it swung up so easily.
“My body feels so light, it’s like I’ve gotten younger.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Was massage always this effective…? Or is it because you learned it in college?”
“I guess you’re just built for massage, Dad.”
Kang Taehan said with a smile.
It was gratifying to see his father’s complexion brighten up.
“By the way, have you thought about making hand-pulled noodles again?”
“…Hand-pulled noodles?”
“I noticed you still have the noodle-making area empty.”
A large glass window in the kitchen that opened up to the entrance of the restaurant.
Kang Hoyeon used to place a large kneading board there and make hand-pulled noodles.
It was quite a sight to see, and it attracted more customers.
Of course, that was in the past, and he had taken down the hand-pulled noodle sign from the signboard…
But the kneading board remained, and as if he still had some lingering attachment, only that window was kept clean and transparent.
In any case, hand-pulled noodles were the pride of Taehan Restaurant, no, of chef Kang Hoyeon.
“I’d love to make them again. But…”
“Give it a try today.”
“…Wouldn’t that be making a fuss?”
“What’s wrong with making a fuss? I saw that you didn’t have many customers yesterday.”
“You little… Well, you’re right.”
Kang Hoyeon pretended to be angry, then burst into laughter.
As Kang Taehan had said, the number of customers had dwindled for a long time, so it was time to try something.
No, even aside from that, he wanted to try it again himself.
Hand-pulled noodles, which were once his most confident skill.
“Well then, I’ll be going, Dad.”
“Okay. Come again.”
They had arrived at the fork in the road.
When Kang Taehan greeted him first, Kang Hoyeon patted him on the shoulder and said,
Only a day had passed, but the relationship between father and son was closer than before.
“I’ll come and give you another shoulder massage.”
“Oh, just go carefully.”
Kang Taehan took the lead, and Kang Hoyeon stood there, watching his son’s retreating figure.
Some time passed.
“Dad!”
Kang Taehan, who had walked some distance away, turned around and shouted.
“Stay healthy for a long, long time!”
“…Haha. Just go, you rascal.”
Kang Hoyeon waved his hand as if urging him to leave quickly.
But the corners of his mouth were lifted high and wouldn’t come down.
Was it because his complexion had brightened?
It was the happiest Kang Taehan had ever seen his father.
‘This moment alone is enough.’
This alone made his trip to Murim worthwhile.
