Chapter 33:

Chapter 33:

Chapter 33

Hyun-gwang (4)

“Today, we will first examine the lower leg and the ankle.”

Mu-jin said as he placed a towel, which he had prepared beforehand, over Hyun-gwang’s calf.

It was a towel that had been made warm by soaking it in hot water and then wringing out the water.

As the warmth of the damp towel slightly eased the muscle tension in the calf, Mu-jin carefully placed his hand on top of the towel.

“If it hurts, please don’t hesitate to tell me right away.”

Saying so, Mu-jin slowly moved his hand, checking the condition of Hyun-gwang’s muscles through acupressure.

‘Crazy... It’s even worse than I thought?’

How long had he been bearing weight to have almost no remaining muscles in his calf, and the condition of the few remaining muscles, ligaments, tendons, or cartilage was the worst.

“Master Uncle. It’s okay to make a sound if it hurts.”

Having faintly realized the condition with just a few acupressures, Mu-jin, like Beob Gang, noticed that Hyun-gwang was also enduring pain and groans, so he reduced the intensity as much as possible.

‘Ah, this Shaolin Temple. Is self-harm a hobby? I can’t understand why they all don’t show their pain.’

Mu-jin inwardly clicked his tongue lightly, but contrary to his inner thoughts, he continued to do his best to apply acupressure to Hyun-gwang’s lower body.

“Now that the body has been somewhat loosened up, we will proceed with the actual treatment.”

Mu-jin, having finished the acupressure, spoke to Hyun-gwang in a calm tone.

Then, to correct the twisted joints and muscles found during the acupressure, Mu-jin lifted Hyun-gwang’s right leg and began moving it around.

He had begun manual therapy.

Because direct manual therapy could strain the muscles and joints of a severe case, Mu-jin had started by warming the body with a warm towel and loosening tension with acupressure before beginning manual therapy.

[12:54 AM]

After treating both legs alternately for about a moment, Mu-jin continued to move and rotate Hyun-gwang’s legs and ankles.

This time, the treatment was not manual therapy but Close-Range Spear Technique.

“Now, I will move your right leg over to the left side. Keep your back flat on the floor, and just slightly turn your head to the right.”

After addressing the skeletal issues with manual therapy, Mu-jin used the Close-Range Spear Technique to gradually relax the tightly knotted muscles.

However, the condition of Hyun-gwang’s body, which had deteriorated over decades, was worse than even that of Mu-gung. It was as if, even though he was not a loyal subject but a Buddhist practitioner, there was a determination not to bend but to rather break.

Thus, Mu-jin continued with acupressure, manual therapy, and the Close-Range Spear Technique.Thê source of this conte/nt n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

For nearly half an hour, Mu-jin’s treatment went on.

Naturally, beads of sweat formed on Mu-jin’s forehead.

Mu-jin had been training his body for over a year and ten months. Naturally, a little help with acupressure or the Close-Range Spear Technique wouldn’t be too much for him.

But Hyun-gwang’s body was currently in such a deteriorated state that handling it was akin to working with glass art. A little too much force could cause it to shatter.

Just as Abbot Hyun Cheon had done, Mu-jin also had to meticulously manage not just strength but also endurance, which inevitably wore him down.

Despite this, there was no sign of annoyance or fatigue on Mu-jin’s face.

Instead, there was a kind of earnestness in his eyes.

It wasn’t that he expected to gain anything from treating Hyun-gwang.

Hyun-gwang, receiving the treatment, occasionally caught Mu-jin’s gaze and couldn’t help but be deep in thought.

‘Huh... What kind of inner turmoil does this young disciple have to look so sorrowful?’

Apart from having lost his martial skills, he was also a highly devout monk. Moreover, having lived beyond seventy and eighty years, one could vaguely discern a person’s character just by looking at their face and eyes.

It was because of Mu-jin’s gaze and expression that Hyun-gwang accepted his treatment.

In fact, Hyun-gwang’s current neglected state was a choice he had made himself.

[12:57 AM]

He was a hero of Shaolin and, at the same time, the most promising talent from Shaolin. Naturally, the Beob Gong faction and Beob Geon faction, who had survived the war with the demon cult and returned alive, did everything they could to save Hyun-gwang.

They fed him the Great Restoration Pills, the best elixir of Shaolin, and invited the most renowned healers from the vast Central Plains, known as divine healers.

However, the Great Restoration Pills had no effect on his body, with its shattered Danjeon, and the divine healers’ acupuncture provided only temporary relief. In a few days, his condition would revert to one where he could hardly walk.

To cure Hyun-gwang, the Beob Gong faction and Beob Geon faction invited all sorts of people to Shaolin, chasing rumors that floated around the Central Plains.

Among them, most were charlatans, and there were also treatments that, though effective, were close to inhumane necromancy.

Therefore, Hyun-gwang voluntarily refused treatment.

It was because he did not want the little wealth that Shaolin had, not accumulated through righteousness and fairness, to be squandered because of him.

Above all, he dreaded that Shaolin might accept unethical methods in the name of goodwill to heal him.

“Eh~ Being with grandfather like this is my way of resting!”

As a child, he had been a reticent grandchild, but as he aged, he utilized his increased sociability to earnestly apply acupressure to his grandfather’s calf.

* * *

While Mu-jin was deep in a dream, meeting his paternal grandfather after a long time,

“Hehe...”

Awakened from sleep, Hyun-gwang and Beob Geon were looking at Mu-jin, who was asleep beside them.

“...Grandfather.”

“I will heal you...”

“How much I have studied...”

They had woken up due to Mu-jin’s sleep-talking, which had been ongoing for a little while.

‘What should we do, Master Uncle?’

‘Just leave him be.’

To wake the already uncomfortable Master Uncle from his sleep would be a terrible thing, but the victims, Hyun-gwang and Beob Geon, showed no sign of complaint.

No, far from showing discomfort, they looked at Mu-jin with a compassionate expression.

‘So that was it. Amitabha.’

Hyun-gwang recalled the treatment he received from Mu-jin today.

The acupressure, manual therapy, and Close-Range Spear Technique. The unidentified sorrow, desperation, and sense of duty that had filled Mu-jin’s eyes as he performed various treatments that Hyun-gwang had never seen or heard of.

Choi Kang-hyuk himself might not be aware, but those experiences of helplessness from his youth had deeply embedded a sense of indebtedness in his mind.

That’s why he always did his best to teach and treat the elderly who came to the gym with physical difficulties.

And now, at this moment, Hyun-gwang understood why Mu-jin, without any ill intentions, had so earnestly treated him.

And how Mu-jin, at such a young age, had come to acquire such diverse knowledge.

* * *

The next day.

The treatment for Hyun-gwang continued without fail.

Yesterday, Mu-jin focused on the area below the knee, the calves, and ankles. Today, he was treating the front and back of the thighs and the pelvic area.

After a while of acupressure and manual therapy on Hyun-gwang’s body, perhaps because of the dream he had last night,

[1:07 AM]

“Grandfather, please let me know if you feel uncomfortable.”

Without realizing it, Mu-jin used the word “grandfather” instead of “Master Uncle.”

“Oh my, what kind of language is that?”

“How dare you call Master Uncle ‘grandfather’!”

Abbot Hyun Cheon and Hyun Seong, who were watching the treatment, scolded him with stern expressions.

“Ha ha ha. It’s alright, Abbot.”

For some reason, Hyun-gwang, the one who had been addressed incorrectly, simply showed a benevolent smile.

Then, Hyun-gwang, who stopped Abbot Hyun Cheon and Hyun Seong, turned to look at Mu-jin.

“Mu-jin, from now on, it’s alright if you call this old monk ‘grandfather.’ Feel free to treat me comfortably. Ha ha ha.”

Looking at Hyun-gwang’s benevolent smile, Mu-jin thought to himself.

‘What’s gotten into this grandfather?’

Mu-jin didn’t understand why he was suddenly being so familiar.

Still, it was polite to follow along with the wishes of an elder.

“Yes, gra... grandfather.”

As Mu-jin used the term “grandfather” with a somewhat awkward tone, different from before,

“Oh my!”

“Ha ha ha. It’s fine, Abbot.”

The stern voice of Hyun Cheon and the kind voice of Hyun-gwang were heard simultaneously.

“Can’t we just focus on the treatment?”

Mu-jin was left wondering what they expected of him.