A Family's Warmth
Time flew by without him noticing.
While listening to the story of those twenty years, the sun had already slipped below the horizon.
Dan Hyunwoo had resolved not to leave again. Yet Jin Yeongyeong spoke on as though she might never see her son if she stopped even for a moment.
Just then, Dan Seoyeon returned from the inn and opened the door.
“You haven’t eaten yet?”
“Oh my, is it already this late? I should hurry and make some porridge.”
“I brought the leftovers from today. Eat this and rest.”
She held out a tiny bowl wrapped in cloth. The portion was barely two fistfuls. There was no meat, only scraps of vegetables tossed in seasoning. Still, in the current state of Danga Manor, it counted as a feast.
The realization that this was their reality pressed heavily on Dan Hyunwoo’s heart once more.
He slid the bowl toward his mother and nephew.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You haven’t eaten anything all day. At least have a spoonful.”
“I’m truly fine.”
Because he kept refusing, Jin Yeongyeong placed half the food before her husband and the rest before her grandson. She had offered it to her son, but she herself had no intention of eating. The amount was too small to share.
Eun Doyun, however, glanced around nervously before quietly pushing half of his portion toward his grandmother. Jin Yeongyeong noticed the boy’s thoughtfulness and offered a faint smile.
“I’m all right. Eat it all yourself.”
“Grandmother hasn’t eaten anything all day either. You should have at least a little.”
“I’ll eat something later, so don’t worry.”
She handed the food back to him. In the end, a few pieces of seasoned vegetables found their way into Eun Doyun’s mouth. Though he had kept offering them to his grandmother, a smile bloomed on his face the moment he swallowed. It had been so long since he tasted anything besides thin rice gruel. The simple act of chewing felt new again after months.
The state of Danga Manor is far worse than I imagined.
Dan Hyunwoo’s heart twisted. No—it shattered. The bodies of his family, forced to live like this for years, must have suffered terribly. Far more than their thin frames suggested.
To restore them, he placed a hand on his mother’s shoulder.
“It’s been a long time. Let me give you a massage, Mother.”
“What are you saying? A massage out of nowhere?”
“Consider it the filial duty I couldn’t fulfill before.”
“A sudden massage might shock the body.”
Jin Yeongyeong twisted away in embarrassment, but Dan Hyunwoo gently began working her shoulders. In a single instant, she felt something pierce straight through her.
The chronic stiffness in her shoulders vanished. The pain that had plagued her for over a decade—frozen shoulder, they called it—disappeared without a word, like an old friend slipping away in the night. When his hands moved to her neck, the constant ache that had made lifting her head difficult vanished as well. Everywhere his touch reached, her body grew light, as though she had returned to her twenties.
Seeing his mother’s relaxed expression, Dan Hyunwoo explained, “It’s called Qi-Blood Meridian Massage. It uses internal energy to regulate the entire body.”
“I’ve never heard of a massage that uses internal energy. But is it all right to spend it so freely?”
“The amount used for massage is tiny. Don’t worry.”
To him it was a negligible amount. To ordinary martial artists, however, it would have been an incomprehensible realm. Directly injecting energy into acupoints, muscles, and fine meridians was more fantastical than a dream. Only the Ten Thousand Martial Divine Art made it possible.
“Aigoo! How refreshing! I can’t believe anything could feel this good. It doesn’t seem real even while I’m experiencing it.”
“Hahaha. Feels good, doesn’t it? I trained hard with only the thought of doing this for you one day.”
“So you’re finally acting like a proper son.”
“I have to make up for all the duties I neglected.”
The massage lasted one full ke. It was miraculous. Color returned to her once-pale fingertips. What astonished her most was that her perpetually hungry stomach no longer felt empty.
Good heavens, there really is such a massage in this world!
The energy had replaced her depleted vitality. It was internal energy, yet not ordinary internal energy—the power of the Ten Thousand Martial Divine Art performed a grand circulation throughout her body.
Dan Hyunwoo spread the fingers of both hands and looked at Dan Seoyeon. She flinched and shook her head violently.
“Don’t you dare. A massage? How embarrassing!”
She tried to leap up and flee, but her brother’s hand was already resting on her shoulder.
Why is he so fast?
His movement had been too quick for her eyes to follow. With a face flushed scarlet, she protested.
“I mean it, stop! I’m perfectly fine!”
“For someone who claims to be fine, your shoulders are as hard as stone.”
“I said no! I’ll really get angry. I’m not at an age to be getting massaged…?! Ahhh……”
A moan slipped out before she could stop it. Her whole body felt as if it were melting. The pain in her shoulders eased until they moved as smoothly as cartwheels freshly greased. Warmth surged through her, sweat broke out, and the crushing weight she had carried for years lifted. Her body grew lighter with every breath.
“Mmm… Ahhh… Mmm……”
“Seems you like it.”
“Huk! What kind of sound am I making?”
“It comes out naturally. By the way, Seoyeon.”
“Yes?”
“It’s this late and I still haven’t seen your son’s father.”
“Ah… Well… That is……”
“Why can’t you speak? Did he abandon you and run off?”
“No! He’s a truly good person.”
“Then I’m relieved. But why doesn’t he come home?”
“He works as an escort. When he’s on a mission, he can’t return for days. When he’s free, he always helps me with my work. He’s a rare man.”
“A good man, you say. I’m curious just how remarkable he must be to have married our clever, beautiful sister.”
“Um… Well? He’s not… that remarkable……”
“Your tone suggests you’re hiding something.”
“You’ll understand when you meet him, Brother… Anyway, see for yourself.”
“There is a saying that seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. All right. I look forward to meeting him.”
“Don’t expect too much. Mmm… Ahhh!”
When the massage ended, Dan Seoyeon slumped against the wall like melted wax. All the fatigue and pain she had accumulated over the years had vanished completely. If she had known it would feel like this, she never would have refused.
Dan Hyunwoo gave Eun Doyun a massage as well. The boy’s eyes widened in disbelief at how light his body felt. Dan Hyunwoo ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.
After tending to all three, he told them, “I could give you massages every day, but the effects last only about a month.”
Jin Yeongyeong shook her head. “How could I ask for one every day? Even a month without shoulder pain makes me feel like I could live forever.”
“Actually, there is something even better than massage. If you follow exactly what I teach you every day, your health will improve far beyond its current state.”
Dan Hyunwoo taught the family a breathing method—the Harmonious Strength Qi Regulation Method.
Besides the Ten Thousand Martial Divine Art, he remembered countless techniques he had seen in the imperial palace’s martial archives. It was no exaggeration to say he knew nearly every martial art that existed in the world. Many of them had already been lost to the murim. The Harmonious Strength Qi Regulation Method was one such ancient technique, far too valuable to have disappeared. Even ordinary people with no martial training could build internal energy and restore their health simply by practicing it.
Dan Hyunwoo steeled his heart. His family had endured hunger and hardship for too long. He would make them learn, even if he had to be firm.
When he demonstrated, the family—though dazed—began to follow along. Had they not witnessed the massage’s effects moments earlier, they would have refused outright.
While they practiced the basics, he encouraged them. “Keep going. Once you fully master the Harmonious Strength Qi Regulation Method, you will never fall ill and your health will flourish.”
Jin Yeongyeong asked, “Will it work even for someone as old as me?”
“It will extend your natural lifespan by twenty years. Danga Manor will rise again, so you must live long enough to see it.”
“Hohoho, then I must try my best. I want to watch Doyun get married, have children, and live well.”
“You should also see his sons and daughters marry and have children of their own.”
“Hyunwoo.”
“Yes?”
“What about your own sons and daughters? Do you plan never to marry?”
“The next movement of the Harmonious Strength Qi Regulation Method is……”
“My goodness, the boy learned how to dodge questions while wandering the world.”
“Hohoho.”
“Hahaha.”
Both Dan Seoyeon and Eun Doyun clutched their stomachs and laughed. It had been so long since laughter filled the house. They kept laughing, unable to stop. After far too many empty years, vitality had finally returned to Danga Manor.
The next morning, after giving massages to both his father and mother, Dan Hyunwoo visited the Hangzhou market for the first time in years. He returned with armfuls of fresh ingredients, rolled up his sleeves, and began to cook.
The sizzle of meat and vegetables filled the air, their savory aroma drifting through every corner of Danga Manor. Dan Seoyeon and Eun Doyun were still asleep, but the smell would surely wake them soon.
He transferred the dishes to plates, set up a low table on the wooden porch, and arranged the food. When the family opened their eyes, their gazes widened in shock. It was a table laden with meat.
Eun Doyun swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. Jin Yeongyeong, however, looked worried.
“Hyunwoo, where did you get the money for all this meat?”
“I have plenty. So don’t worry and eat your fill.”
The emperor had not simply allowed him to retire empty-handed. Besides the golden plaque engraved with six horses and the golden identification tablet, the man had forced additional gifts upon him. The emperor’s trusted aide guarding the secret passage had pressed a hefty sum of travel money into his hands. That alone was enough to restore the entire estate. On top of that, ten years of accumulated salary lay stored away.
Even so, the amount had never felt particularly large to him.
Thinking back, it really is a shame. The emperor offered gold that would never run out even if spent for a lifetime, yet I foolishly refused it.
He had believed money held no importance. He had never swung his sword for the sake of the empire in pursuit of wealth. That had been his pride—at least until he witnessed his family’s suffering with his own eyes.
“Everyone, let’s eat.”
Dan Hyunwoo sat first. The others followed, albeit hesitantly. Jin Yeongyeong took a bite before anyone else, knowing her family would not touch the food until she did.
“Mm?!”
An involuntary exclamation of delight escaped her. The same sound immediately followed from Dan Seoyeon and Eun Doyun.
“It’s truly delicious!”
“Eat plenty. Seoyeon, Doyun, hurry and have some too.”
Before he finished speaking, their spoons were already flying. It was not merely good. He could confidently say that even the finest inn in Suzhou could not match this flavor.
Dan Seoyeon briefly wondered whether her brother had secretly lived as a chef all these years. In truth, cooking had been an essential skill for his work in the secret organization. No profession offered better cover for infiltration. It had also been necessary during his travels across the empire with the emperor; he had been the one to feed them both.
There was one secret to these dishes. They were health-restoring meals, packed with ingredients that replenished deficient yang energy. That was why they tasted even more satisfying.
While the family ate, Dan Hyunwoo carefully fed his father porridge boiled in rich meat broth. Spoon by spoon, it slid down the old man’s throat. His mother had always said his father would take no more than two mouthfuls, yet today he emptied the entire bowl. The sight brought a warm smile to Dan Hyunwoo’s lips.
His family, happy at last. Why had he forgotten something so simple for so long? Only now, at thirty-seven, had he learned its true value. The realization left a ticklish warmth in his chest—almost too much to bear.
After the meal, Dan Seoyeon began gathering the dishes to wash them, but Dan Hyunwoo stopped her.
“I’ll do the dishes.”
“You?”
“You must be tired from working at the inn. Rest until you have to leave.”
“It’s work I’ve done every day. What’s tiring about it?”
“Prepare to quit the inn.”
“If I quit, how will we survive?”
“I will take responsibility. You’ve carried the household on your shoulders for too long. Set down that heavy burden. I’ll carry it from now on.”
“Brother?”
“It’s late, but I must finally act like a son. I don’t want to watch you struggle anymore.”
“If only you had been this mature before you ran away from home.”
“Hahaha.”
He ruffled her hair roughly. Though she was a grown woman now, Dan Seoyeon only gave him a light glare and said nothing more.
Once the dishes were done, Dan Hyunwoo taught the family additional forms of the Harmonious Strength Qi Regulation Method, having shown them only the basics the day before. Today was the second sequence. Sweat beaded on their brows as they followed his instructions.
Only yesterday they had been drowning in despair, ready to abandon everything. Now they were striving once more to stand tall. Watching their renewed vitality, Dan Hyunwoo remembered his declaration that he would become the head of the family.
Debt, huh… I need to handle this first. But something about this debt smells distinctly fishy.