Planning for the Storm

Min-joon gulped down hard. "I... I was just sent to deliver a message to you. To warn you, that you must be cautious, for the storm that is starting to stir. I am afraid that you fail to prepare, the children and everyone else here might get caught in the crossfire."

A weighing silence followed his statement. Seo Ryung's jaw set firmly. "We will be prepared. I can assure you that absolutely nothing will be able to catch us off guard."

Heuk Cheon gave Min-joon an iron gaze. "Thank you for the warning. You will be provided a safer passage way back to your clan. And please, if you have any further information, I expect that you will come back here."

Min-joon gently lowered his head. "I will surely return here if we hear of any more news. Until then, remain careful."

And with that, he was escorted away, he left behind an atmosphere that was dense with apprehension and conviction.

"Did your that? Master Heuk?" Lee Jin-Ho spoke up as soon as the messenger departed. "It seems that our enemies are starting to grow bold."

Heuk Cheon while nodding, commanded. "We must tighten our defenses. And more importantly, we should keep on preparing the brats to understand that the outside world is not as bright and kind as it might appear. They must learn that vigilance and unity are our best weapons."

After the messenger had disappeared from view and the Redwood Estate had continued back into its original routine, Heuk Cheon was gathering his trusted members, Seo Ryung, Lee Jin-Ho, Do-won, and Jung-soo, in the silent alcove of the main chamber. The kids were too busy with their or were huddling in small groups to notice. Their voices was low and uncertain.

"Min-joon's warnings... I feel we should not take them lightly," Heuk Cheon started to speak up. "The Sable Tiger Clan is known for its cunningness and ruthlessness. Their coordination with the other disgruntled factions could give trouble to our Redwood Estate and even for me personally."

Seo Ryung's eyes started to narrow down. "We need to be thoroughly prepared on all fronts. May I suggest we extend and reinforce the perimeter and maybe ask the Murim Alliance for support? So, we are able to set up extra patrols, especially during the night."

Lee Jin-Ho was nodding in agreement. "And perhaps it is time to introduce some basic self defense techniques for the older children. They might be a bit young, but if danger does come, they must know how to properly defend themselves or others."

The look on Heuk Cheon's face started to soften slightly as he observed over the assembled members. "I will continue with the brats' regular training, but I want a special training session tomorrow. Han-ju and Jin-mu, I will task them to lead a group for advanced stances and awareness drills. The rest of you, make sure that every single corner of our estate is secure."

A wave of assent moved through the group. "We understand," Seo Ryung replied back firmly. "I will also help out with our escort guards Do-won and Jung-soo, we should be able to double our night shifts this way."

Do-won adds, "And maybe we should also consider a discreet liaison with the local authorities here? If these factions make their move and attack us, we should prepare to have back up ready."

Heuk Cheon started to conclude their meeting, "We have little to no time. The storm may finish gathering even as we speak. Steel yourselves and the brats for whatever it may be that comes next. I shall not allow my new home to suffer because of my old grudges."

Later that night, as the kids were settling down for the evening, tiny whispers of worry and excitement were brimming in the dim corridors. Some of the older orphans were gathering silently near the common room, they were talking about what they had overheard. Han-ju, ever watchful, reassured his friends in a hushed tone, "Don't worry guys, Master Heuk will protect us. We just need to do as he says and be ready and stick together."

On the other hand, in one of the small bedrooms, Ae-rin started to whisper to Su-yeon as they were preparing to sleep. "Do you think that we will learn how to fight like the older kids?"

Su-yeon while clinging on to her doll, replied softly, "Well.... maybe not fight, but at least we should be learn how to be brave."

Across the manor, Heuk Cheon was making his final rounds. He stopped by each room, he gave them a silent word of encouragement, a firm, almost quiet vow that no pain would come to these brats under his watch. Even as he was looking out into the darkened manor's courtyard, his mind was churning with plans and back up contingencies. The threat was real, and while the messenger's words were haunting him, at the same time, it also steeled his resolve.

Before going back to his sleeping quarters, Heuk Cheon stopped at a window that was overlooking the Redwood Estate's iron gates. The moon was hanging low in the sky, it was pale and watchful. "Tomorrow," he started to whisper to himself, "we shall rise even stronger, more united. And by doing that, we will be able to handle this storm head on."

As the night was growing deeper, and the Redwood Estate was falling into a restless slumber punctuated by the far distant noise of rain and soft gusts off wind through the trees. In the quiet moments before dawn, Heuk Cheon was sitting alone by the lone lantern in his room, he was lost in thought.

His mind was replaying the morning's events, the firm warning of Min-joon, the hush whispers of conversation among his aides, and the determination filled faces of his young orphans. He knows that the days ahead would be crammed with challenges. The shadow factions of the martial world were starting to stir, and their past grudges against him were threatening to break the hard won peace of his newfound sanctuary

But even as uncertainty was looming, Heuk Cheon felt a spark of resolve. The brats, in their innocent hope and raw genuine determination, had given him a new purpose beyond the bloodshed of his past. Guarding them was not just an act of atonement, it was a statement that even a former demon lord could forge a different destiny.

As the first hints of dawn was glimmering on the Horizon, Redwood Estate stands as a beacon of hope among the coming darkness, a testament to the power of unity, discipline, and the enduring promise of redemption.

Finally, the first light of dawn started to creep over the Redwood Estate, it painted its newly renovated walls and courtyards with colors of amber and rose. Though the storm of yesterday had passed, the memory of its dark message, and the bitter warning of rival factions, was still lingering in the air like a challenge. Today, the Redwood Estate was not just a sanctuary for its young orphans, it was a fortress that would soon be tested.

In the silent hours before the sun rises, Heuk Cheon was standing alone atop the eastern parapet of the estate. His eyes were cold and filled with determination, he observed over the sprawling compound. No longer did he simply guard a building, he was now guarding hope, his redemption, and the future of every brat who had found shelter within his walls.

He remembered the old woman's last words and the suspicious glances of the shady robed figures in the dark. A flash of steeled determination were manifesting inside him. If they dare come for my family, they will come to learn the full measure of my wrath. As we was clenching his fists, the scars on his cheek and arms were serving as testaments to battles he had partaken in long past, and battles that are yet to come.

Behind him, Seo Ryung was stepping forward from the dark corridor, his expression was earnest yet tinged with the same vigilance. "Master, our patrols show nothing unusual on the perimeter so far..." he said in a low but steady voice. "But I do sense a change in the air... as if the enemy is massing somewhere outside the lines of trees."

Heuk Cheon turned around to face him, his gaze was sharp. "Then we must prepare. Today, we will show them that Redwood Estate is not an easy target." His tone was low but it was dangerous, a far cry from the detached caretaker he had once been forced to become. Now, he was a reborn warrior, a Demon Lord whose sheer iron will protected the weak.

Seo Ryung nodded his head respectfully. "I understand, Master. I will inform the escort guards to double their rounds. Still, the kids must not know of our true worry."

Heuk Cheon's lips changed into a crude smile. "Let them think that we're busy with our daily tasks. After all, the real strength of Redwood Estate lies not in fear, but in our unitedness, and I mill make sure that our unity remains unbroken."