Chapter 255
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 255
Chapter Title: The Busan Tai Chi Dojo
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Ha Nam-su ran a small Tai Chi dojo in Busan.
As a kid, he'd always been on the frail side, so it wasn't until his early twenties—pretty late for an athlete—that he got into Tai Chi.
He'd wandered into a dojo on a whim, drawn by how cool it sounded to cultivate qi through qigong to balance and harmonize the body, and just like that, he was hooked.
The master at that dojo—the one Ha Nam-su had stumbled into as a young man—was an absolute legend.
He'd mastered all three internal styles in China, racked up dozens of local tournament wins, and even snagged medals at the world championships. A true master.
Completely captivated, Ha Nam-su performed the discipleship ceremony and trained alongside dozens of senior and junior disciples.
"I offer nine prostrations to my master and humbly request to become your disciple!"
He threw himself into grasping the true essence of Tai Chi and embracing the Dao.
His martial skills weren't the standout among his fellow disciples, but he worked hard to understand the meaning behind every movement and the philosophy of the art.
And when he opened his own dojo, he wanted to pass that insight on.
After all, through abdominal breathing, he'd smoothed out his qi and blood circulation and experienced real health improvements.
"Rent's tight again this month."
But reality didn't quite match the dream.
Ha Nam-su wasn't a master with the same renown as his teacher.
And the martial arts movie craze that had been raging when he started was long gone.
In a world overflowing with taekwondo, kendo, judo, hapkido, jiu-jitsu, fitness, yoga, Pilates, and every other exercise under the sun, even recruiting students was a challenge.
"Our director's the best."
"My mind's been so much more at peace since I started training."
Luckily, Ha Nam-su wasn't one for big ambitions, so scraping by was enough for him.
He gave his all every day to share what he had with the students who showed up.
And hearing from regulars about how consistent practice had improved their health filled him with a real sense of accomplishment.
It was the life of an ordinary guy—maybe a touch more diligent than most.
"Hello. I'd like to sign up."
"What's your name?"
"Kim Jaegyu."
And then one day, a new student appeared.
"What brings you here? Any prior exercise experience?"
"Yeah, a bit of this and that. I was getting treated for high blood pressure at a Korean medicine clinic, and they suggested Tai Chi at a moderate intensity combined with meditation might help."
High blood pressure. Not an unusual reason to start.
Ha Nam-su himself had begun for health reasons, after all.
"Give it three months steady. You'll soon get a taste for Tai Chi."
Most people who made it past the first three months felt the changes in their bodies and got hooked.
Ha Nam-su taught Kim Jaegyu diligently, hoping they'd share a long teacher-student bond.
"You're opening your acupoints and communing with heaven and earth. At this stage, focus on the qi itself more than memorizing the form perfectly."
"Director, am I breathing right? I can't quite visualize it, and it feels like my breaths are shallower than usual."
"No, you're doing great. Your breathing's already much more stable than when we started."
He threw himself into Tai Chi beyond all expectations.
Unlike the other students who treated it like light exercise and followed along for an hour before heading out, he always stuck around to pepper Ha Nam-su with questions.
"We can move on to the next part."
"No! I still don't quite get the feel for gathering qi. If I don't solidify the basics here, I'll never complete the Lesser Heavenly Circuit."
He showed up for every morning and afternoon session, completely immersed in Tai Chi.
Even Ha Nam-su hadn't been this intense when he first committed to the path.
And a few days later.
"I'm Kim Jinsang. The clinic sent me here..."
Another one joined.
"Ahh! Training day by day, I'm becoming a better person. How did I live so anxiously all this time?"
"I think the same every day. If only I'd had this open mind when I was teaching my students."
The two hit it off like they'd known each other forever.
"You both came on recommendation from Seongsu Clinic, right?"
"Yes! The doctor's incredible."
"Get acupuncture from the director there before and after training, and it clears your energy right up."
"I wonder if Director Han's a qigong master himself."
"You too? I thought the same."
They loved chatting about qi.
Truth be told, students didn't always take well to qigong talk.
Ha Nam-su wrestled with it on his own but never pushed it on hobbyists.
The simplified version gave them mental and physical peace, and it kept his bills paid—what more could he want?
"Ahem! So, the Lesser Heavenly Circuit is..."
Ha Nam-su dusted off topics he hadn't touched in ages, trying to live up to their expectations.
"Hah! Haat! Taaaah!"
But their passion only grew.
They were obsessed with Tai Chi to the point where "going wild" wasn't an overstatement.
Fine, Kim Jaegyu was a retired elite athlete who trained all day anyway.
But Kim Jinsang—how was he progressing so fast in such a short time? When did he even train?
"Aigoo, I need a break today. Twisted my ankle on the way here..."
"Sir! Head to Seongsu Clinic right now!"
There had to be something special about that Seongsu Clinic.
Anytime someone so much as got a minor injury, they pushed them to go.
And they were always talking about sore muscles or foggy heads, popping in and out constantly.
"Heh heh, the young surpass the old... That's a good thing..."
And then one day.
"Ah, hello. Here for a signup consultation."
Yet another showed up.
Seongsu Clinic recommendation again.
What kind of place was this clinic, sending students his way nonstop?
"If Director Han sent you, you're like family to me."
"Let's train hard, junior sister."
And not just any student.
"This is a secret, but I listen to the Han Yeowon anthem while practicing at home."
"Han Yeowon anthem?"
"Yeah, it's called 'Song of Healing.' The composer revealed the original lyrics himself."
"Oh my!"
Fans? Otaku? No, more like zealots!
The three bonded instantly and dove headfirst into Tai Chi.
They kept asking about concepts even Ha Nam-su didn't fully grasp himself.
He even had to reach out to his old master after ages.
He couldn't help being curious about Seongsu Clinic.
But he wanted to live out his days in ordinary peace.
Some primal instinct warned that knowing more might hurt him somehow, so Ha Nam-su played dumb with the new recruits.
"Director, wanna go hiking with us?"
"I'll sit this one out. My knee's been acting up lately..."
Then he slipped up.
He'd let his guard down and mentioned his pain in front of them, thinking it was just casual chatter.
"Oh my god, Director. You have to go to the clinic right now."
"Seongsu Clinic specifically. You must."
"You'll be amazed once you try Director Han's acupuncture."
No refusing.
Ha Nam-su practically got chased to Seongsu Clinic.
'Whew...'
Before going in, he took several deep breaths in front of the door.
He was no slouch at breathing, but the clinic had him shaking.
What kind of director ran the place?
Since they'd produced Kim Jaegyu, Kim Jinsang, and Lee Dajeong... maybe someone like his own master, Flowing Cloud Master.
"Let's check with an ultrasound~."
But the clinic was nothing like he'd imagined.
It was... just a regular Korean medicine clinic.
"Herbal injections at the inflamed spot~ and acupuncture, cupping for the surrounding muscles. Ever had acupuncture before?"
"Oh, yeah."
Why do standard treatments like any other clinic?
Ha Nam-su awkwardly brought up his students' stories.
He'd been tensed up, imagining what kind of terrifying figure had sent Kim Jaegyu and Kim Jinsang his way.
"So, uh, it was so ordinary that I ended up flustered..."
That was exactly what I wanted to say.
"Weren't you the one teaching Kim Jaegyu...?"
"I teach dozens of students right now, but there's only one like Mr. Kim."
"No, I don't have patients like Kim Jaegyu either..."
I almost said "only him," but then Kim Ijin and a few others popped into my head.
"...Well, a few maybe."
"Ahh, I should've come sooner. You kept sending students, so I was grateful and curious, but honestly more scared."
Ha Nam-su patted his chest in relief.
I just smiled.
What was so scary!
"I'll treat you well. Nice to meet you too. I sent Kim Jaegyu for blood pressure management and meditation, but meeting you is a bonus."
"I didn't do anything."
"Hahaha. Now that I know you're such a good guy, I'll send over patients who need it from time to time."
For some reason, Ha Nam-su's lips twitched.
"...If any elders complain of knee pain, I'll recommend you. Thank you."
"Hey, no thanks until after treatment. We gotta fix Nam-su's goosefoot tendonitis first."
"Ha, haha. Right you are. Haha."
Anyway, he seemed totally normal.
The Kim Jaegyu trio... either spontaneous, or maybe blame it on Kim Jaegyu.
Chatting about them, I hit it off with Ha Nam-su right away, the room buzzing with friendly vibes.
"An honor to meet White Crane Zen Master."
So I offered a handshake in delight.
"Wh-wh-where did you hear that name?"
But Ha Nam-su's face flushed a bit.
"From Kim Jaegyu, of course? He said his master is White Crane Zen Master, and grandmaster is Flowing Cloud Master."
"I... see."
"Cool nickname."
I praised him sincerely.
Maybe his humility made compliments awkward.
"Thank you... Take care, Director."
Ha Nam-su kept glancing at the treatment room, gesturing like he wanted to bolt.
"Steam therapy and physical therapy first."
Oh no, was "nickname" the wrong term?
Dharma name? Or does Tai Chi use something else?
I pondered long after sending Ha Nam-su to the treatment room.
Musculoskeletal issue, so full steam and PT, then acupuncture.
Goosefoot tendonitis usually stems from inflammation there, but you treat all three connected muscles.
And since the nearby tendons weren't supporting well, it could strain the knee joint too, so I preemptively added a few needles there.
Squish-.
Standard herbal injection.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Acupuncture.
And as always, I infused a bit of qi with each needle.
When treatment began, Ha Nam-su closed his eyes.
That nickname story embarrassed him that much? Or maybe just bracing for pain—lots of patients did that.
I didn't think much of it.
Once all the needles were in.
"...So that's what it was."
A glint sparked in Ha Nam-su's eyes.