Rallying the Spirits

As the escort guards were escorting the intruder away in restraints, the kids were gathering around them, with their eyes widening and their hearts pumping out their chests. Han-ju, who was always the protective elder, talked to them in a silent but commanding tone. "Listen up, everyone. Today, we have witnessed our home being attacked. But our Master Heuk has personally shown us what real strength looks like. We should always maintain our braveness and learn how to fight bad guys like Master Heuk!"

Chul-woo, who was usually quick to joke, he started to speak up with an unusual degree of seriousness, "I ain't scared. I want really want to learn how to fight like Master Heuk!" 

Ae-rin, though she was a bit shy, she added softly, "We will be safe if we stand together..."

Su-yeon who was clinging onto her doll, had her eyes shining bright with determination.

Jin-mu, Dae-hyun, Woo-jin, and Min-ah was agreeing with their sentiments in their own silent ways, each of them was vowing silently to become stronger.

Heuk Cheon talked to the group, his voice had a mixture of strict command and a bit of genuine care. "This day, you saw that our enemies will not come unchallenged. I destroyed our enemy not for glory but to protect each of you. And so, starting now, we will train not just for discipline, but for our individual survival. I will teach all of you how to defend yourselves, and you will come to learn how to work together as one."

Lee Jin-Ho, who had been quietly watching Heuk Cheon's interaction from the sidelines, stepped forward and greeted the kids with a reassuring smile. "Master Heuk is correct. Each of you has the innate potential to be a great martial artist in your own way, whether you are as swift as Han-ju, as determined as Ae-rin, as incredibly bold as Chul-woo, or as thoughtful as Jin-mu. We will channel that strength together."

The children started nodding, their youthful faces was marked with resolve and conviction. Even the smallest kid among them, Su-yeon and Min-ah, looked like they were motivated by the mighty figure before them.

Later that afternoon, as the panic of the ambush began to decrease, Heuk Cheon was gathering his trusted allies in the silent council room. Seo Ryung, Lee Jin-Ho, Do-won, and Jung-soo formed a tight circle around a nearly broken wooden table. The attacker had been taken into their custody, and while the attacker's presence was still threatening them with unanswered questions, now was not the time for idle movements.

"Today's assassination attempt was crude but it was for sure deliberate." Heuk Cheon states with a measured tone but it was filled with intensity. "The masked attacker was probably just sent to test our defenses, to see our weakness or to see if we would falter. We cannot condone such tests to continue."

The look on Seo Ryung's eyes was burning with silent fury. "I will further increase our patrol times, and construct more lookouts in our perimeter. We should really ask for reinforcements. We must be one step ahead of our enemies at all times."

Heuk Cheon's eyes observed all around the room, and his voice dropped to a low whisper that weighed a thousand years of battles. "We are not just a caretaking facility anymore. Starting today, we are a symbol. A challenge to the old order that once ruled in bloodshed. I have looked eye to eye with enemies that would crumble nations, and I shall not let my past destroy my future. We will stand hand in hand, and we will fight, only if necessary."

The gathered members swapped determines looks, they all nodded in unison. "For our Redwood Estate," Seo Ryung declared to everyone in a firm tone.

"Also, for the kids." Lee Jin-Ho added to his declaration.

"And for you, Master." Do-won and Jung-soo echoed.

The lips of Heuk Cheon started to curl into a half smile, it was a rare second of softness amidst the hardened resolve. "Then it is finished. We prepare ourselves, and we must also train. We can still get a bit stronger. Every day, each of you will have to strive to become stronger. Not just for yourselves, but also for these weak brats that depend on you."

That night, as the Redwood Estate were settling into a cautious lull, the kids were going back to their rooms with a renewed sense of conviction. In the dark glow of lanterns, Han-ju was whispering promises to his fellow orphans of being the guardian they all needed. Chul-woo who was usually so carefree, was staring at the ceiling as if he was imagining himself in a future battle, his fists were clenching in determination. Ae-rin and Su-yeon looked at each other with silent reassurances, their voices was a but soft but they were resolute. Jin-mu, Dae-hyun, Woo-jin, and Min-ah was laying awake, it had been a few minutes, each of them was lost in thoughts of the commanding figure Master Heuk and the path that lay ahead.

As the night after the ambush passed with restless vigilance and quiet whispers of promised retribution. At the crack of dawn, Redwood Estate were bustling as if it were a living building readying itself for an incoming storm. The aftermath of the previous night's events of swords clashing and creepy warnings, had left the estate panicking with anticipation. And today, news from outside the Redwood Estate's walls would start to change the very reality of their daily life.

In the cool predawn light, Heuk Cheon was standing on the eastern parapet once again, his gaze was stuck on the glowing horizon. The look he had on his eyes was steely and unyielding, it was a visage that remembered his days as a Demon Lord on the battlefield. But right now, his life's purpose was no longer just conquest, it was to protect. The memory of the masked attacker and Halmeoni's creepy words were still stinging him, it was fueling his determination.

And suddenly, a far distant sound of hooves were pounding on the road that lead up to the Redwood Estate. Seo Ryung, as he was usually alert, showed up at his side. "Master, the signal flares from the Murim Alliance are visible. They might have heard our concerns and sent some reinforcements."

The lips of Heuk Cheon started to curve into a grim smile. "If so then that is good. We really need all the help we can get." As he was clenching his fists, feeling the heaviness of his new responsibility. "Let's prepare to meet them at the iron gates. And let us show them that Redwood Estate has the ability to stand and defend on its own."

A couple of moments later, the sound of many coming horses and noisy clattering carts filled the air. At the iron gates, a line of armored soldiers appeared, it was a contingent of Murim Alliance guards that was sent to fortify the Redwood Estate's defenses. Their armor, looked like it was polished into a glowing shine, it reflected the early morning light as they were dismounting with precise movements. In front of them was a high ranking officer known as General Kang, a man whose stern eyes and commanding presence instantly announced his authority.

General Kang took a step forward, his voice was resonating over the assembled group. "I came here with reinforcements from the Murim Alliance. Recent reports show that shadow factions has been opposed to the transformation of our world are starting to come together. We were sent here to make sure that the children are safe, and to support Master Heuk Cheon in maintaining order here at Redwood Estate."

Heuk Cheon gently lowered his head in acknowledgement, with his voice low and determined. "Your presence here is appreciated, General Kang. We shall stand hand in hand against any who dare threaten our home." his voice left no room for any argument.

As the new guards were starting to move into the manor's courtyard, Seo Ryung filled them in swiftly on the Redwood Estate's perimeter's status. The added forces fortified the estate's defenses and reassured the adults that no enemy would attack them unprepared. But, even as the veteran martial artists took their positions, something else was happening, something devious, quiet but equally as profound.

(First Person POV: Han-ju)

I woke up first before the other kids, not because I was the noisiest, but it was because I couldn't stop thinking. Yesterday's events, the clash of swords, and Master Heuk's intense promise to protect us. It all felt like something that would happen or something out of a legend. As I was sitting by the window, I caught a glimpse of the first glimmers of the new guards coming in. Their armor was shining like the scales of a fearsome dragon, and they were carrying themselves with such purpose that even my heat started skipping a beat in admiration.

I recalled the lessons that we had been given, the idea that our power was not just inside our fists, but in our unity. Now, with these new men and women staying and guarding us, I felt a new spark of hope. Maybe now we weren't as helpless as we once thought. I promised then that I would become a man with power, not just for myself, but for every orphan here at the Redwood Estate.

(End of Han-ju's POV)