Night swallowed the Lin Family estate.
The moon hung like a blade in the sky—thin, cold, merciless.
Lin Xuan stood in the courtyard, his expression calm, his heartbeat slow.
The system's warning echoed again.
[Hostile presence confirmed.]
Distance: 32 meters
Threat Level: Low (Mortal Realm assassin with minor Qi training)
The cloaked figure on the rooftop did not move, but Lin Xuan could feel the sharp killing intent pressing against his skin like needles.
He remembered this night.
In his previous life, this assassin had crippled him.
Cracked his ribs.
Destroyed his right meridian.
Left him bleeding in the courtyard until morning.
Lin Feng told the family he had "fallen and injured himself."
And the family believed it.
Not this time.
This time, he would spill blood.
The Assassin Moves
The cloaked figure leapt silently, gliding across the rooftops like a shadow.
A dagger gleamed in his hand.
His steps made no sound.
His killing intent spread like mist.
His eyes glowed faintly with Qi.
A trained killer.
The assassin landed behind Lin Xuan, dagger thrust forward toward the boy's heart.
A fatal strike.
Fast. Clean. Efficient.
Something no ordinary twelve-year-old could avoid.
But Lin Xuan tilted his head slightly.
His eyes, when they met the assassin's, were calm. Too calm.
The killer hesitated for half a heartbeat.
This… child?
Lin Xuan whispered coldly—so soft the wind almost swallowed the words:
"Too slow."
DING!
[Danger Sense Activated — 10% Efficiency]
[Memory Synchronization: Combat Reflexes (Child Stage) Overridden by Past-Life Reflexes]
Lin Xuan's body, though small and weak, moved with the precision of someone who had fought thousands of battles.
He stepped sideways.
The dagger pierced empty air.
The assassin froze.
"…Impossible."
Lin Xuan raised his wooden training sword—not even a real weapon.
But his grip was perfect.
His stance was stable.
His eyes were sharp like a seasoned swordsman.
Clash in the Moonlight
The assassin attacked again, quicker this time—three rapid thrusts aimed at vital points.
Chest. Neck. Temple.
Each one a killing blow.
Lin Xuan's foot slid across the ground.
His body swayed with unnatural smoothness.
His wooden blade tapped the dagger aside just enough to divert its path.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
To an observer, it would look like simple movements.
To the assassin, it was terrifying.
"What… what technique is this?!"
Lin Xuan didn't answer.
He only stepped forward.
His wooden sword cut through the moonlight like a shadow.
First Exchange
BAM!
The wooden blade struck the assassin's wrist.
A clean, precise hit.
The man's hand trembled. The dagger fell to the ground with a metallic clink.
Before he could recover, Lin Xuan struck again.
CRACK!
This time, the blow landed on the assassin's knee, shattering it cleanly.
"ARRGH—!"
The killer collapsed, unable to support his weight.
Lin Xuan stood over him, silent, unmoving, his wooden sword resting lightly on the man's shoulder.
He narrowed his eyes.
In my last life, you crippled me.
He raised the sword.
This time, it's your turn to kneel.
The Assassin Panics
The killer crawled backward in fear, voice trembling.
"W–wait! Kid, l-listen—"
Lin Xuan stepped forward, pressing the wooden blade against the man's throat.
"You were sent by Lin Feng."
The assassin's pupils shrank.
"H–How did you—?!"
Lin Xuan's voice dropped to a whisper colder than winter night:
"I remember everything."
DING!
[Quest: Path of the Silent Sword — Progress Updated]
Critical Moment Detected
Comprehension Threshold Approaching]
The air around Lin Xuan thickened.
His breath slowed.
His awareness sharpened.
There was no anger in his heart—only focus, clarity, and a blade-like calmness.
That emotion flowed into his Dao.
Sword Dao Resonance
The night wind halted.
Even the stars seemed to hold their breath.
A faint pressure rippled outward from Lin Xuan—weak, barely noticeable, yet terrifying for one reason:
Sword Intent.
A fragment.
A spark.
A whisper.
But sword intent nonetheless.
The assassin's face turned white.
"A… A swordsman…?!"
Lin Xuan's eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the moonlight like cold steel.
"No."
He took another step forward.
His sword intent sharpened.
"I am your executioner."
DING!
[Sword Intent Fragment Detected]
[Progress: 10/10]
[Basic Sword Intent Unlocked]
[Reward: Passive Skill — Silent Edge]
A rush of power flooded through him.
His wooden sword hummed.
The world slowed around him.
He could hear the assassin's heartbeat.
Feel the trembling of his muscles.
See the path of every breath he took.
Basic Sword Intent.
In his previous life, he had only awakened it at sixteen.
Now, at twelve…
He had taken his first step toward becoming a monster.
The Kill
Lin Xuan raised the wooden sword.
Because of Silent Edge, no sword intent leaked.
No killing intent.
No sound.
No warning.
One moment, his arm was lowered.
The next—
SWISH.
The wooden blade moved.
The assassin's eyes widened.
He didn't feel pain.
He didn't even understand what had happened.
He only saw a thin red line appear across his throat.
"…oh."
Blood sprayed into the moonlight.
The assassin fell, lifeless.
Lin Xuan didn't blink as the body hit the ground.
No guilt.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
This was not the killing of a child.
This was a cultivator's first step into the path of slaughter.
System Notifications
[First Kill Achieved]
Reward: +50 System Points
Bonus Reward: +1 Raw Talent]
[Silent Edge (Passive) Activated]
• Sword Intent automatically hides until the moment of attack
• Increases lethal efficiency
• Perfect for assassination
Lin Xuan felt the talent increase settle into his bones, making his meridians slightly wider, slightly stronger.
His lips curved faintly.
This is only the beginning.
Cleaning the Scene
Lin Xuan crouched beside the corpse.
In his previous life, he had panicked, screamed, alerted the entire estate.
This time?
He dragged the body to the shadow of the courtyard wall with practiced ease.
He searched the assassin's clothes, finding:
A small vial of poison
A black token marked with the symbol "Fang"
A short sword
A letter with incomplete instructions
And then—
He burned the body.
He mixed the ashes with soil.
He sprinkled them around the garden.
All without emotion.
All without leaving a trace.
He had learned many things in his previous life.
Killing cleanly was one of them.
Dawn Approaches
Lin Xuan washed his hands in the courtyard well.
The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, casting a soft gold glow.
His reflection shimmered in the water.
A twelve-year-old boy stared back.
Expressionless.
Eyes deep and ancient.
A child's body.
A demon's soul.
He whispered to the water:
"One brother down."
His gaze turned toward Lin Feng's courtyard.
"Three more to go."