Sect Master’s Guide to Babysitting

Soon enough, their group started to wander the busy marketplace. Stalls was overwhelming them on both sides, they were full of fruits, vegetables, meats, and a diverse selection of cloths. Vendors was shouting there items, "Fresh apples here!" "We have the best spices in town!" all of them creating a unharmonic sound. 

Han-ju was lingering at a stall selling neatly painted wooden action figures of martial heroes. He looked amazed, he carefully picked up a little version of some legendary swordsman. The vendor was full on giving him a sales pitch, boasting the action figures' lucky charm, but Heuk Cheon softly led the boy away. "I told you before, we have no money for any souvenirs." he reminded.

Nearby, Ae-rin stopped by at a florist stand, the entrance was displayed by vibrant flowers that she had never seen before. A kind old lady noticed her deep desire for flowers and offered her a tiny daisy. "Take it, young one. A pretty girl deserves a pretty flower." Ae-rin blushed, letting out a shy "thank you, miss."

Chul-woo was staring so intensely at a sweets vendor. Candied fruits and honeyed bread was glistening under the hot middle of the day sun. Su-yeon was squeezing his arm, she was also tempted by the candies. Heuk Cheon resigned. "Fine. One for each of you, pick ones for the other brats too." he said while reaching for his pockets. "But, try not to devour them too fast."

Their faces glowed, and they both hurriedly scrambled to pick the most appetizing treats.

After indulging the children, Heuk Cheon guided them to the general goods stall. He had memorized a mental list of they items that they needed. Flour, dried goods, seeds for the greenhouse, simple fabrics in case clothes needed to be patched. While he and the stall owner was negotiating, the kids waited on the sidelines. 

Han-ju was being protective and hovered near Ae-rin, while Chul-woo and Su-yeon was swapping bites of candied fruit. On the other end, Jin-mu was keeping a careful eye on the crowds of people, observing for anything that's suspicious. It was a habit that manifested from his rough life before Redwood Estate.

Just then, a flash of movement from across the street caught Jin-mu's attention. A robed figure with his face half hidden by a wide-brimmed hat, he was standing in the dark corner of an alley. Jin-mu thought he saw the figure observing them.

"Psst, Han-ju," he whispered to him while gently nudging. "Look. Over there." he pointed.

Han-ju squinted his eyes. The figure stood still for a moment, then disappeared into the darkness. "Hmm, weird." Han-ju spoke while scratching his head. "Maybe in the end they were just passing by."

"Maybe." Jin-mu answered back, although he did not sound like he was fully convinced.

Heuk Cheon, after he was done purchasing, noticed the look in their faces. "Did something happen?"

"I-It's nothing, mister." Han-ju said in a panic. "Just... uhm thought we saw somebody watching... us."

Heuk Cheon's hawk eyes was analyzing the area with predatory sharpness. "Where?"

Jin-mu while waving at the dark alley. "They were there just a second ago."

Heuk Cheon's jaw tensed, but he tried his best to keep his voice gentle. "Keep your senses at the maximum, okay? If someone is stalking us, they might show themselves soon."

With bags of supplies in their hands, the group moved even deeper in the market to gather herbs that can be used for medicine. The hustle of the town grew even more obvious, workers were moving crates, merchants were yelling about their discounted products, and people were weaving in and out. Ae-rin was clinging on to Su-yeons left hand, they felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people that was looking around like them.

Almost suddenly, a wave of scared noises rang out from somewhere in front. People were scurrying ahead, and the kids were craning their necks to see what was happening.

A tall, bearded man moved into their view, he was wielding a loved sword. He looked like he was kind of drunk or crazy, perhaps both. "Get outta my way!" he screamed, swinging around his blade all randomly. The townspeople dodged back, accidentally knocking stalls over in their hurried escape.

Chul-woo and Su-yeon gulped, both of them stepping back. Ae-rin's eyes went wide with fear. Jin-mu instinctively raised his bandaged arm in a panicked stance.

Heuk Cheon's face stiffened. Perfect. Exactly just what we needed, he thought with a hint of annoyance. 

"Han-ju," he said, "take the others right behind that stall. Promise me, you will stay put."

Han-ju while gulping hard, nodded. He whispered at Chul-woo, Su-yeon, Ae-rin, and Jin-mu to get out of the bearded man's way, they ducked behind a somewhat sturdy wooden stall that was stacked with clay pottery.

The crazed drunken swordsman was blurting out words that couldn't be understood, he was lurching forward. He swung once more, almost slicing a vendor's fruit stall in half. Apples were tumbling around everywhere, it caused the onlookers to scream and further panic.

Heuk Cheon stepped in front of the bearded man, and with a voice as cold as steel, said. "Stop."

The swordsman blinked, his unfocused eyes was having a hard time settling. "Who... who are you? Get lost!"

Heuk Cheon didn't even flinch. Instead, he raised one hand and focused a little bit of his qi to show a slight bit of intimidating aura, it was once known to entire sects as the Demon Lord's suffocating presence. 

The people watching felt an indescribable chill running down their spines, all of them instinctively took an even further step back.

The crazy drunk man's sword arm was shaking. "B-back off." he stuttered with a hint of fear manifesting in his red eyes. But, maybe it was because he was drunk, he still chose to lunge at Heuk Cheon.

Heuk Cheon effortlessly sidestepped his attach with grace. He caught the man's wrist. In a single smooth movement, he twisted the man's wrist, sending his sword straight into the ground. Then he swept the man's legs out from under him. The swordsman hit the cobblestones with his face first, he groaned in immense pain.

A quiet bit of silence fell. The people were staring at the scene, some of them was whispering in amazement or relief. Han-ju and the other kids was peeking from behind the clay pottery stall, their haws were gaping.

"Calm yourself," Heuk Cheon said quietly while tightening his grip on the drunk man's wrist. "Or I will leave you in a much worse shape than this, perhaps you won't even have any shape."

The bearded man let out a loser's sigh, he was starting to get sober under the dense presence of the Demon Lord. A pair of local guards was hurrying over, they shackled him and thanked Heuk Cheon endlessly for subduing the offender and minimizing the disturbance.

"Is everyone all right?" Heuk Cheon asked while observing the people. Most of them nodded or said their thanks. The children came out from their hiding with their eyes shining with either admiration or awe. 

"WOAH, that was amazing!" Chul-woo screamed out while literally bouncing on his feet. "You flipped him like a sack of rice!"'

Han-ju grinned, he was obviously impressed but he tried his best not to show it. "I could have helped you know." he uttered, Jin-mu laughed at him.

Ae-rin's relief was evident in the way that she relaxed her shoulders. "I'm glad no one got hurt." she whispered under his breath.

But as the people walked away, Heuk Cheon noticed a familiar silhouette at the edge of the market, that same robed figure with the wide-brimmed hat that the children described. This time, their stance was tense, and it looked like they were staring straight at him. A bit of suspicion flashed through Heuk Cheon's nerves. They saw that showing of martial skill.

Before he could manage to move, the shady figure disappeared into a narrow side street, vanishing like a ghost. A silent anxiousness settled in his gut. It was clear that Redwood Estate was not the only place that was being watched.

"Come on," he nudged the children, with his voice a hint of carefulness. "We have what we need. Let's go home."

They returned to the carriage in a tense silence. Han-ju and Chul-woo asked a million questions about the fight, but Heuk Cheon's answers were not serious. Ae-rin and Su-yeon walked close with each other, they were still shocked by the sudden violence.

Jin-mu noticed the tightness in Heuk Cheon's jaw. "Master," he asked softly, "is there anything wrong?"

Heuk Cheon took a moment to respond because he was busy packing the supplies they bought onto the carriage. "Just be wary of your surroundings, report every suspicious detail." he finally answered. "We are not alone."

Chul-woo while tilting his head. "Do you mean the drunk guy in the market? Isn't he gone now."

"No," Heuk Cheon replied back, with a tone that made sure that he didn't ask anymore questions. "Everyone, get on the cart. We are going home."