“Ugh.”

An office located inside Cheonma Massage.

On the sofa there, Sunghyun Choi let out a light exclamation and sat down. Perhaps it was because he had just been working out and taking a bath, and a strangely languid look flickered on his face.

“At this point, I feel really tired and refreshed.”

It’s been several months since I started exercising with Kang Tae-han.

Now, Choi Seong-hyun has developed a habit in his body and is exercising alone even without Kang Tae-han.

In the past, I had the thought, ‘I’m still tired, but what do I do while spending all my time exercising’, but now it’s different.

On the contrary, if I didn’t warm up my body, I’d say it’s frowned upon, and even on my days off, I was warming up at the gym near my room.

After working out like that, and taking a cool bath in the sauna right upstairs… A truly refreshing end to the day. It was Choi Seong-hyeon’s daily routine to go home like this and spend his personal time.

However, of course, all of these things happen after Choi Seong-hyun leaves work. Still, there was a reason he was sitting in the office now.

“Can we start soon? Or would you like some more rest?”

While Choi Seong-hyun was breathing heavily, Kang Tae-han, who was sitting across from him, asked insinuatingly.

At that moment, Choi Seong-hyeon’s face, which had been sluggish until just now, was energized.

“no. You can’t be sloppy from day one.”

The story I promised Kang Tae-han during the day.

It was a story that if he had the necessary skills within a certain period of time, he would entrust Choi Seong-hyun with Jeong Ga-in’s massage next week.

In fact, in a way, you don’t even need to listen to it.

Originally, the public and the living should be distinguished. However, this was a very private request, inevitably containing Choi Seong-hyun’s personal feelings.

Nevertheless, Kang Tae-han did not reject it outright, and suggested a compromise of his own. That alone was something that Choi Seong-hyun was quite grateful for.

In such a situation, it is impossible for the person himself to be lazy from the first day. Choi Seong-hyeon corrected his posture and looked at Kang Tae-han with eyes full of ambition.

“Okay, then let’s start right away. Shall we start with the posture?”

“okay.”

At Kang Tae-han’s words, Choi Seong-hyeon slowly closed his eyes and relaxed his body. Then he brought his hands together and placed them carefully below his navel.

A state in which you can focus on your inner self with a relaxed mind.

Even the enthusiasm that had been filled up a moment ago had subsided, and it was an ideal figure that seemed to be literally calm.

Of course, when it comes to meditation or fortune-telling in martial arts, the first thing that comes to mind is the lotus position, and Kang Tae-han also often uses the lotus position… … .

To be honest, the lotus position is quite an uncomfortable position until you get used to it. If I had to use an analogy, I would say it feels like the attitude of a senior.

After all, sitting cross-legged is to focus on the inside, but wouldn’t it be absurd if the posture is uncomfortable and your concentration drops?

In such a case, it is rather desirable to take a comfortable posture in this way.

‘But even taking that into consideration, it means that he has good aptitude.’

Choi Seong-hyun began to focus on his inner side shortly after taking his posture.

Of course, it’s not revealed on the outside, but if you can read the change in the internal blood flow, you can roughly figure it out. Seeing Choi Seong-hyun, who was quite handsome, Kang Tae-han smiled involuntarily.

“Then, I’ll give you a brief demonstration.”

“uh… Demonstration?”

“No, you don’t have to see it yourself.”

At Kang Tae-han’s words, Choi Seong-hyeon opened his eyes, but Kang Tae-han shook his hand and restrained him. Then she slowly walked up behind him and placed her hand lightly on the back of his neck.

“You just have to experience it yourself.”

After that, Kang Tae-han activated Choi Seong-hyeon’s blood flow in that state. The inner senses were raised a little more, and the flow of energy was amplified in that state.

“Oops… … !”

“Stay focused.”

That in itself is quite a stimulus.

An exclamation mixed with pain came out of Choi Seong-hyeon’s mouth, but Kang Tae-han spoke in a quiet voice as if urging him to do so. Because feeling that feeling right now was part of what could be called a demonstration.

‘I’m out of breath… … .’

On the other hand, Choi Seong-hyun was feeling embarrassed by this strange sensation felt all over his body.

The senses had already been opened and trained, and it was at a level where one could recognize one’s own blood level to some extent, but it was still an unfamiliar feeling.

If the previous condition was the feeling of qi flowing naturally along the bloodstream, now it feels a little artificial, like pumping it up.

“It cycles slowly from before stopping.”

In the meantime, Kang Tae-han added a little strength to the hand placed on his neck with those words. At the same time, Seonghyeon Choi felt the energy flowing through her body concentrating into her chest.

And that energy began to circulate through his body as if it were lumpy. Starting from the chest, passing through the abdomen, lower extremities, and going around the blood vessels to his hands.

Is this the feeling of ‘gathering energy’ that appears in comics and novels? No, it wasn’t that kind of feeling, it was itself.

Choi Seong-hyeon felt the energy filled his hands and twitched the corners of his mouth involuntarily. I felt as if I had caught the clue of something.

“Okay, here we go.”

how long was that

From the moment Kang Tae-han uttered the words, the energy that had filled his hands gradually dissipated and returned to a calm state as if it had never happened.

After calming down both the amplified flow of energy and the feeling, Kang Tae-han slowly removed his hand from the back of Choi Seong-hyun’s neck.

“Huh uh uh… … !”

At that moment, Seonghyeon Choi breathed heavily. It was like a man who had held his breath for a long time, breathing heavily.

It went through a calming process, but the aftermath still remained. Choi Seong-hyeon took a deep breath and tried to calm his breath, while Kang Tae-han watched silently.

“… Whoa.”

“how was it?”

By the time I noticed that my breathing had calmed down a bit.

Kang Tae-han asked Choi Seong-hyeon about his impressions. Choi Seong-hyeon delayed answering for a while, looking down at his hands and opening his mouth quietly.

“… It was amazing.”

It had already been quite some time since I knew of the existence of ki, and I was used to it to some extent. However… I’ve never felt anything of this magnitude or this level of power.

It feels like something that was originally impossible can become possible.

In other words, power, power. In a way, I wondered if it was too crude an expression compared to this delicate sense, but there was no expression more appropriate than this.

It was because I thought that I could exert an influence with this alone, starting with simply physically increasing my physical abilities.

“As you know, qi is a concept that runs through everyone’s body… … .”

Then Taehan Kang slightly raised his right hand as if showing it to Seonghyeon Choi. A soft blue light enveloped the surface of her hand.

“When treated artificially, it not only animates the body, but can be used in other ways as well.”

A fairly heterogeneous figure in which a human hand emits light.

If someone sees it, whether it’s a trick or their own eyes, it’s something to doubt either side. However, if it was Choi Seong-hyun now, I could understand. That’s quite possible.

Of course, that’s not an easy task, and it’s virtually impossible for an ordinary person… It would not be too difficult for Kang Tae-han. Seonghyun Choi nodded slowly and said.

“I don’t think I fully understand… I think I know what you’re talking about though.”

I thought I understood what ‘ki’ is now, but suddenly it felt like I was perceiving a completely different realm.

And the area was dizzyingly wide, it was like coming out of a narrow cave and discovering the horizon of a vast plain.

“I’m glad. So, is the first step taken?”

At Choi Seong-hyun’s reaction, Kang Tae-han said with a satisfied smile. At those words, Choi Seong-hyun asked.

“A first step?”

“This is what I ask of you.”

“… What did you just do?”

Seonghyeon Choi asked again with a look of bewilderment.

Although he had experienced it himself, he could feel that this was impossible. However, Kang Tae-han smiled at that response and shook his head.

“Of course, I’m not telling you to do what I just did. It just needs to be able to artificially handle the flow of qi. Anything at all.”

Choi Seong-hyun is in the position of a beginner who has just stepped out.

Of course, Kang Tae-han wasn’t the kind of person who would put forward an overly unreasonable story to such a person as a condition for accepting a request.

“ah… That’s what you mean.”

However, to Choi Seong-hyeon, it felt overwhelming enough. I knew it was possible, but I still didn’t know ‘how’ to do it.

Although it is possible to grasp the blood flow in the body and read the flow of energy to some extent… However, to control it was a story that Choi Seong-hyun heard as if he was asking him to control the blood flow in his veins.

“… Can I do that?”

“As I said at the beginning, it is possible enough.”

Seonghyun Choi, who lost some confidence, said. On the other hand, Kang Tae-han said in a non-trivial voice as if it was a matter of course.

While in Moorim, Kang Tae-han had never had a direct successor or disciple, and had no experience in nurturing the younger generation.

However, he had learned various martial arts while climbing up from the floor, and he was quite good at recognizing talent and potential, perhaps because of that experience.

And when he saw it, it was possible enough for Choi Seong-hyun.

Of course, it’s not an easy task, and if you achieve it within this amount of time, it can be said to be a decent growth rate in Moorim, but… Because there seemed to be a lot of will and motivation.

“… Well, if that’s you, that’s what it would be like.”

Seonghyeon Choi put on a thoughtful expression for a while, but soon nodded her head obediently as if it was useless to think about it.

I honestly don’t know the details. However, I knew that Kang Tae-han wasn’t the kind of guy who could make me do the impossible, and that was enough.

“… So, what should I do first?”

“Continue the idea of gathering energy while focusing on the inside. First… It will help if you imagine the image of collecting them around here.”

Kang Tae-han said while holding his belly button. Where the lower end is usually located. It was the source of accumulation of inner energy and the location where the energy naturally gathered in the body.

“Can I do that?”

“Well, for now. and… … .”

Then Kang Tae-han got up from his seat and walked to the refrigerator in the corner. Then, I took out a glass bottle that seemed to have a capacity of about 1L.

“Drink this and do it. It will help.”

Something I had been thinking about a few days ago.

It contained a clear liquid with a vaguely brownish tinge. Upon receiving the bottle, Seonghyun Choi asked in a puzzled voice.

“What is this?”

“It’s the moon of wild ginseng.”

A good elixir is essential for smooth training of the younger generation.

Although he had no experience raising disciples, Kang Tae-han knew that much common sense. Kang Tae-han laughed at Choi Seong-hyun’s slightly surprised expression.

* * *

“… Hmm.”

Kang Ho-yeon wakes up early in the morning.

It was not yet a good time to rise, but he yawned once, stretched lightly, and immediately rose from his seat as if waking up from sleep.

First, brush your teeth and wash your face.

In the meantime, look at the headlines in the newspaper.

It is a morning routine that I have naturally become accustomed to while running the store for a long time. After completing a series of courses, he was ready to go to work after eating breakfast in an instant.

“… These days, I have some energy left.”

However, no matter how much waking up in the morning was a habit, it was originally quite tiring.

It was just that there were many things to prepare in advance to run the lunch business, and I had no choice but to do it because I had to wake up early in the morning to do those preparations every day.

Furthermore, there was no holiday, so I was always tired and when there were no customers, I sat on a chair in the kitchen and took a nap.

However, it was different these days.

I’m overflowing with energy, or should I say it’s surplus.

The number of customers who came to the store increased several times, and of course the number of orders that came in a day also increased significantly, so it was a situation where the wok had to be shaken without rest, but somehow, I didn’t feel tired at all.

Rather, the more I use my body, the more I feel refreshed.

To what extent, it was difficult to stay still even on Wednesdays, when the store was off, to the point of climbing the peaks of nearby mountains with President Cho.

What’s even more amazing is that somehow, as the days go by, this feeling gets stronger and stronger.

My health improved significantly from the moment I received a massage from my son, Tae-han, but even after that, I could feel that my body was getting more and more energetic.

“Well, it’s good for me, but… ah.”

Kang Ho-yeon, muttering to herself, was wearing shoes.

As if he had just remembered, he took off his shoes again and walked towards the kitchen. Then, he took out a glass bottle from the refrigerator.

“I almost forgot this. It was given to me by my son.”

It contained a dark brown liquid.

Did I mention it was boiled with this and that? I couldn’t remember well, but my son took care of it, saying it was good for the body, so I was drinking a glass every day.

“… Huh.”

Kang Ho-yeon drank a cool cup as it was.

After a brief exclamation, he put the glass bottle back in the refrigerator and walked to put on his shoes.

Kang Tae-han placed elixirs in the store so that masseuses could naturally build up energy and get used to it.

Although the purpose is slightly different, the plan was progressing step by step without exception for his only family, his father.