Chapter 21

Putting on the brand new clothes, Zhang Chengyuan immediately looked spirited and extremely handsome. To say that Sung Yuri had a great eye for style was an understatement; the clothes she bought were perfectly tailored to Zhang Chengyuan’s figure, and the style highlighted his stern and resolute character. Compared to the oddly dressed male idols of the time, Zhang Chengyuan exuded a more masculine and robust charm.

Sung Yuri clicked her tongue in admiration: "Chengyuan, you truly live up to the title of 'Jang Dong-gun's little brother,' or rather, you are our Fin.K.L's little brother, who is a hundred times better than others." She linked her arm with Zhang Chengyuan’s and walked up to Lee Hyori, Yoo Ju-hyun, and Lee Jin, boasting, "Sisters, take a look at my taste. Don’t the clothes I bought fit Chengyuan perfectly?"

Lee Hyori turned her head and teased, "It seems our Chengyuan and Yuri are quite a match, just like a prince and princess. Why don’t we just have Yuri marry Chengyuan?" Yoo Ju-hyun and Lee Jin thought, "You’ve already picked him, how can you still be with Yuri? How awkward and uncomfortable it must be for Yuri."

Sung Yuri retorted, "Why don’t you take him, Sister? Among the four of us, it’s clear that Chengyuan likes you the most. Chengyuan, what do you think?"

Zhang Chengyuan coughed and changed the subject, "Sister Hyori, are you still feeling sore? I’ve learned a set of massage techniques that are very effective. I guarantee you’ll feel much better after I massage you." Given Zhang Chengyuan’s skill in speaking, it was impossible for him to flatter four women at once, so he decided to ignore them and not offend anyone.

Yoo Ju-hyun, Lee Jin, and Sung Yuri all huffed, "How is that possible? You have such skills?" They subtly expressed their dissatisfaction and distrust of Zhang Chengyuan.

Lee Hyori responded with a noncommittal "Hmm," and said, "Let’s give it a try!"

Zhang Chengyuan gently picked up Lee Hyori and had her sit cross-legged. He then sat behind her, placed his hands lightly on her head, and pressed his thumbs on her temples, gently rotating them. Lee Hyori felt two streams of energy flow from Zhang Chengyuan’s thumbs into her head, and her spirits were instantly lifted. Soon, the dizziness from her hangover disappeared. The energy streams then converged at the top of her head, flowed down to her forehead, through her tongue, chest, and abdomen, reaching a private area. She felt a slight flutter of emotion and was about to react when she heard Zhang Chengyuan lightly scold, "Sister Hyori, don’t get distracted." She thought, "Chengyuan is definitely not that kind of person; I’m just being too suspicious!" She then refocused and calmed her mind.

Next, she felt the warm energy flow back up from her tailbone, through her spine, to the back of her head, and then back to the top of her head, forming a continuous cycle. Each cycle significantly reduced her body’s soreness, and after a few cycles, her body not only returned to normal but felt even more comfortable and energetic.

Lee Hyori was about to stand up with a "Ha," but Zhang Chengyuan quickly pressed her head down, stopping her, "Sister Hyori, it’s not over yet." He then used his true qi to massage her limbs, gradually smoothing out her blood circulation until he felt no more blockages, and then let her get up.

After getting up, Lee Hyori didn’t even wait to get out of bed; she jumped around on the bed, feeling light and agile. She was so excited that she hugged Zhang Chengyuan, saying, "Chengyuan, I feel amazing. I didn’t expect you to have such skills. Also, what was that warm energy? It’s so effective."

Yoo Ju-hyun, Lee Jin, and Sung Yuri saw that Lee Hyori, who had been in pain just a moment ago, could now move freely. They thought, "Chengyuan just casually touched Sister Hyori, how could it have such a miraculous effect?" They all looked at Zhang Chengyuan in disbelief, suspecting he might be a magician.

Zhang Chengyuan said, "That’s ‘qi,’ a substance that exists in the universe, human body, and all things."

Lee Hyori asked, "Qi? The air we breathe? Oxygen?" It was indeed difficult for a Korean who barely knew a few Chinese characters to understand the mysterious treasure of Chinese civilization, so Zhang Chengyuan changed his explanation: "‘Qi’ is what the Chinese call it. You can think of it as a form of energy. It can strengthen the body, restore energy, remove impurities, and slow down aging. It’s a mysterious energy that only a few people possess."

Lee Hyori asked, "How did you learn it?"

Zhang Chengyuan paused for a moment and sighed, "I was fortunate to learn it from an old Chinese man. Let’s not talk about this. Sister Hyori, do you want to learn?" He did indeed learn it from an old Chinese man, but this man was from the Northern Song Dynasty.

Lee Hyori said, "Of course I want to learn. Why not? If it can really slow down aging."

Maintaining a youthful appearance is something every beauty-conscious woman desires but finds hard to achieve. Regardless of whether Zhang Chengyuan’s ‘qi’ had that effect, Lee Hyori wanted to try it because the temptation was too great. Besides, she didn’t think Zhang Chengyuan would joke about it, as she had just relied on ‘qi’ to restore her health.

Yoo Ju-hyun asked, "Sister Hyori, Chengyuan, what are you talking about? What method can slow down aging? I want to try it too." Yoo Ju-hyun was a health enthusiast; whenever she heard of something beneficial to her health, she would try it. She even swallowed raw eggs soaked in apple cider vinegar, which smelled terrible, and persisted for over a year, continuing to this day.

Hearing Yoo Ju-hyun’s words, Lee Jin and Sung Yuri also said, "I want to try it too!"

Zhang Chengyuan originally intended to teach the four sisters a set of health-preserving techniques. Seeing their interest, he immediately agreed.

After lunch, he explained in detail a basic technique from his sect, the "Health Preservation Classic," and guided them with his true qi to help them remember the flow of internal energy and avoid mistakes. The "Health Preservation Classic" was actually a very basic technique from Zhang Chengyuan’s sect, originally used by outer disciples. In the world of cultivation, it was almost a standard manual, and it couldn’t cultivate any great powers. It wasn’t that Zhang Chengyuan didn’t want to teach the four sisters more advanced techniques; in the current era of sparse spiritual energy, those advanced techniques were useless, and the "Health Preservation Classic" was more practical.

The "Health Preservation Classic" had a low threshold and was easy to learn, suitable for almost everyone, and required very little spiritual energy. It was the most suitable cultivation method for the four Fin.K.L members that Zhang Chengyuan knew. Although they might only reach the lowest level of cultivation, its effects in detoxification, beauty, health, and body shaping far exceeded most fitness methods in the world, such as sports, taekwondo, and yoga.

Of course, the "Health Preservation Classic" was still a cultivation technique. Without Zhang Chengyuan’s true qi guidance, ordinary people would find it almost impossible to learn. Therefore, Zhang Chengyuan wasn’t worried about the technique spreading.

Since Lee Hyori and the others had good natural talent and Zhang Chengyuan taught them well, the four women quickly grasped the basics of the "Health Preservation Classic." As for their future achievements, it would depend on their individual efforts and opportunities.