A soundless tension swallowed the marble hall of the Murim Alliance's grand chamber. Sunlight seeped through the high windows, showing a group of martial arts elders in their embroidered robes. At the center of the chamber stands the man known as Heuk Cheon. A man that was once known as the most feared demon lord of the martial world. HIs strands of dark hair fell to his brow, revealing a single scar across his right cheek, a symbol of the battles from his past.
He looked back at the gathering with blandness in his eyes. The huge double doors at the back were guarded by the most elite fighters of the Murim Alliance, each holding their weapons tight due to their nervousness. After all, they all know the havoc Heuk Cheon could do to them, even if there was a facade of calmness in that moment.
"Heuk Cheon, Sect Master of the Blood Raven Sect" announced the Chief Elder, his voice resonating across the chamber. "For the role you played in the Great War and the destruction you did on the lands, you are standing here to acknowledge your unmeasurable sins. By law, we should forfeit your life right now."
A wave of uneasiness went from one end to the other in the crowd. Almost all of these elders had directly faced off against Heuk Cheon in their prime. Some still have the battle scars from when they fought. While others had lost their beloved's to his rampage. Just thinking about how he is still alive right in their face, breathing, manifested bitter resentment in their hearts.
Heuk Cheon's stare switched lazily from the Chief Elder to the guards stationed in the chamber and then back again. He has still yet to give a response, but there was no need. Knowing if he let his rage take control, it would have led to an all out fight. Even though he is certain of his abilities, he still had to admit that fighting a bunch of masters continuously would not be easy to say the least.
The Chief Elder coughed. "We acknowledge that your skill level... is a precious resource to the martial world. And even though you have made tsunami's out of blood-" He stops, looking at Heak Cheon's lukewarm eyes. "Some testimony from your former sect members convey that you might not be all that evil. There are specific instances where it was said that you spared the children of your enemies."
Heuk Cheon's lips moved. It was factual. He has never taken a life of a child in all of his ventures. But that sliver act of goodness cannot possibly outweigh his other doings. Still, he has yet to say anything.
The Chief Elder raised his voice so that everyone in the chamber could hear him, "Thus, the Murim Alliance have decided on the most acceptable sanction. You will not be executed." A united gasp came from the warriors, and a commotion of whispers manifested. "On the condition that you see to it that you do this one task that we will impose on to you."
The whispers stopped as quickly as they began. Every single person leaned forward to hear the Alliance's task. Heuk Cheon himself felt a sliver of interest in this idea.
"You will run an orphanage. In specific, you will take care of the children that was left behind due to the war that you yourself caused and countless others. You will provide them with food, you will clothe them, and educate them on how to be honorable members of the martial word." The Chief Elder's tone stiffened. "You will make sure that these children are not going to grow up and repeat the same set of choices that you and their parents have chosen. "
For a long while, nobody thought to speak. Heuk Cheon himself did not expect this kind of sentence. He thought and prepared himself for prison, death, and even an attempt of forced loyalty, anything but babysitting. The members, also, looked confused by the decree. They did not know if they should laugh or protest the decision.
And at long last, Heuk Cheon moved, lifting his head with a dark spark of entertainment showing in his face. They thought that taking care of these kids is a better punishment than death? He almost couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. However, he could still sense the serious intent of the Chief Elder's words. If he had refused, or tried to run, the Murim Alliance would hunt him down for a lifetime.
"I shall commit to it.", Huek Cheon said, his voice echoed through the room bearing an aura the guards at the door couldn't handle. A weird silence stood over the chamber. He assumed that the people suspected him to either shout in anger or try to fight. Oppositely, he chose to bow down, just enough to show that he is willing to cooperate.
It was at that time when he contemplated the degree of his new dilemma. Children. Not just one kid or two, but an entire orphanage. The thought of trying to discipline a lively bunch of brats who may or may not idolize him, who might even hate him, made his stomach turn more than any wars ever had.
As the assembly concluded and the guards started to leave, the Chief Elder gave a short nod. "Tomorrow, you will be escorted to the grounds of the orphanage. I will give you a month to prepare the facilities that you need and after that, the children will come."
Heuk Cheon left the building with the glare of every elder on his back. This is my sentence, is it? he muttered, walking through the open grounds where the sunlight of the sun shined on him. In the midst of the chattering alliance warriors and the noise of the banners, he could hear his own heart pulsating in his ears. For the very first time in a decades, he started to feel uneasy.
He looked back at the towering red walls that surround the courtyard. I, Heuk Cheon, the demon lord of the murim, is now forced to open an orphanage? The ridiculousness of this entire situation almost made him laugh. However, he remembered the vow he had just said in the chamber and the numerous parentless kids that the war he caused spawned.
With a sarcastic grin of his mouth, he took a step onto the cobblestone path that would bring him to his new destination. Unaware that this orphanage meant to take control of him as a cage, would later be a different kind of battleground that he was not used to. A war made up of screaming children, nightly sickness, an innumerable requests for food, and more problem than any army of skilled warriors could ever present in front of him.
He had been the Blood Raven Sect Master, feared across the world. But right now, he was going to become the strongest babysitter in Murim's entire history.
A single horse drawn carriage made noise across the cobblestone path, its rusty wheels kicking up little clouds of dust. Heuk Cheon was inside with his arms folded, and glare focused on the impending appearance of a busted down estate in the far distance. Although the early morning sunlight painted the countryside in a heartwarming glow, the jagged road and the overgrown grass coating the roadside felt anything but welcoming.
Two guards that have been dispatched by the Murim Alliance rode ahead riding on their horses, they had been asked with escorting Heuk Cheon to where his new "home" would be. They both exchanged weary looks at each others shoulders, as if they were expecting him to break out and to disappear into the vast lands of the mountains. Heuk Cheon found their nervousness slightly amusing. After all, if he really wanted to try and break out, this laughable excuse of an escort squad would not be any trouble for him at all.
But, he had zero intention in running away. He had given his vow, and surprisingly, his interest was peaking at him. Thinking about what would an orphanage for brats with martial arts prowess even look like?
"We are almost there, Sect Master," one of the escorts notified, his voice was cracking a little.
"No need for that," Heuk Cheon stated, with his eyes fixed on the building ahead. "I am not a Sect Master any longer."
The escort guard bowed his head ever so stiffly, not sure whether or not an ex-demon lord would have preferred to be addressed informally.
The poorly built horse drawn carriage crumbled to stop outside a rusted set of iron gates. An almost broken wooden sign that reads, "Redwood Estate - Orphan Care Facility."
Heuk Cheon stepped outside the horse drawn carriage. In front of him was a plunging, if somewhat neglected, manor with broken walls marked with the time that past by, roof tiles missing showing patches of grass and wild weeds taking over the courtyard. A wrecked stone path led to a pair of huge red doors that looked like it was one strong gust of wind away from breaking up and down.
"Huh," he grunted. "I was thinking they would bring me somewhere smaller."
He had visualized a little cottage at the most, and most definitely not a mansion like building. But still, the huge place was weirdly quiet, as if even a gust of wind doesn't make any sound here. The only sign of life that ever came from this place was a couple of birds that tweeted over the distance.
The second escort guard spoke up after clearing his throat.
"We will stay here for about two days to make sure that you settle in properly and not escape," he said. "Don't worry, rations will soon arrive along with food, bedding, and basic necessities. The children however are set to arrive in a month's time.
Heuk Cheon breathed abruptly. A month granted him valuable little time to cultivate this sorry excuse of an estate into something that would be livable for a bunch of children. But he should have known that the Alliance would not have asked him to do an easy job.
Opening the loud double doors, he was surprised by the air of the room that smelled and was stale. Every inch was filled with dust that could be seen from the light that was shining through the dirt-covered windows. A foyer that had tons of space widened in front of him, with corridors that set off in every direction. Ragged curtains stuck to the walls, and a neglected reception desk that was standing on one side.
He did a quick search of the building. It had a wooden floor, some parts are broken, some make noise if you stood on them. Numerous signs of animal break-ins, a couple of jumbled chicken feathers, upholstery that seemed to have been scratched were also seen in the room.
"Amazing," Heuk Cheon whispering under his breath, taking off some cobweb that got stuck in his sleeve. "I see I'll be executing some spiders before I can even begin to start to babysit."
The escort guards weirdly made their way beside him, not entirely sure if they were supposed to help him or not. Eventually, they decided to air out a couple of the rooms, busting open the windows that needed to be forced to open because of rust. A warming gust of wind finally started to circulate, getting rid of some of the musty stale smell.
To Heuk Cheon's light surprise, one room appeared to be quite clean and it looked like someone was living there. It was in the back of the foyer. Upon entering, a lone stature sat by a busted table, wiping tea cups with a skilled hand. He was a skinny man in some common cotton robes, hair tied into a high topknot. At the sound of hearing Heuk Cheon's footsteps, he stood in awe and gracefully presented himself.
"Ah, you must be the new caretaker."
Heuk Cheon blinked. "Caretaker?"
"My apologies, the new Orphanage Master?" The man gave him a courtesy bow. "My name is Lee Jin-Ho, I was sent here by the Murim Alliance to come and assist you."
Heuk Cheon raised one oh his brow. This Lee Jin-Ho did not look like he can fight, he has poor posture, too relaxed, and he exuded an aura of calmness that is more suited to be a scribe than a martial artist.
"You live here?" Heuk Cheon asked.
"I just arrived yesterday. My role is to aid you in preparing for the children's arrival. Cleaning, basic cooking, you name it."
Although despite his normal looking demeanor, Lee Jin-Ho's eyes was filled with clarity. It put Heuk Cheon on high alert, considering that those who looked like they were harmless often could be the one that could cause the most harm.
Once the introductions were finished, Heuk Cheon set to explore the rest of the manor. He found a huge hall for dining with an underwhelming dirty kitchen, lots of bedrooms in increasing states of brokenness, and a courtyard garden ruled by vines and thorny bushes.
"At least it has a lot space," Lee Jin-Ho remarked, while following along Heuk.
Heuk Cheon let out a small frown. "Having a lot of space and being not able to live in it are two different things."
He put on of his fingers through a decaying wood in a window frame, punching a hole right through it without any resistance. A long face appeared in his face. The orphanage would need more than a couple of nails and wooden planks. The idea of forcing his past sect members to aid him in fixing this place up crossed his mind. But the Alliance would most likely not agree to that.
As their day continued, they broke open a couple more doors, managing to find hidden storage rooms scattered with dusty furniture and rugged crates. The escort guards, clearly hesitating to sleep in this sad sad place, tried to keep themselves busy by focusing on one decent looking part of the manor where they could sleep without worrying about the ceiling crashing on top of them.
When late afternoon came, Heuk Cheon had already lost the ability to count the amount of times he has sneezed due to the dust. His mood turned dark each time with new discoveries of rot. If one child would have arrived by now, they would probably have every single disease known to man.
"Why go to all this trouble?" he said in anger to no one in specific, kicking aside a broken chair in the courtyard. "If the Alliance really cared for these brats, they would not have given me such a wicked place."
Lee Jin-Ho, who was carefully sweeping leaves from the shattered tiles, shrugged. "They are testing you, I suppose to see you would actually go through with this or if you would have ran away by now."
Heuk Cheon huffed. "No, what they are testing, is my patience."
As the twilight came down, the estate gave off a weird peaceful air. Sunlight seeped through the holes, creating golden beams of light in the dusty halls. Standing in front of a scrapped window, Heuk Cheon looked out the overgrown garden in the courtyard. Fireflies started to twinkle amidst the grown grass, showing signs of life and a sense of tranquility to a broken down estate.
A sarcastic smile showed in his face again. He could not fool himself enough to deny that this sentence did not brought about a faint spark of thrill that he had once felt during conquering a rival sect in the past. Only this time however, his "enemy" would be a crumbling estate echoing with ghosts of neglect and abandonment.
"I will do it," he whispered with his voice strengthened with determination and grit. "They think I can't handle a couple of measly brats? I shall turn this place into a bastion they would not be able to mock"
Looking away from the window, he trampled down the corridor, passing Lee Jin-Ho. And with not even stopping, he hawked, "Tell those escort guards to chop more wood and bring nails tomorrow. We will start fixing this place up at the crack of dawn.
Lee Jin-Ho blinked, then bowed with a slight smile. "As you command."
Huek Cheon was sentenced to manage an orphanage, but he has refused to be outdone by the decaying wood and dust filled rooms. The real battle would begin in a month, when the children would inevitably arrive. But for some weird reason, Heuk felt strangely alive, excited to take on the quiet chambers and crumbling walls, as if this was the greatest match of his life.
The night darkened, the moonlight beams on the manor's rooftops. Unbeknownst to Heuk Cheon, the next couple of days would bring with them their own unique set of chaos.