Assassination Under the Palms

1,182 words

The servant was no weakling, but Xiao Chen struck with the speed of thunder, granting him no chance to recover. From the skirmish moments before, he judged the forces behind this group were not to be trifled with.

Without hesitation, Xiao Chen flew toward the third man five hundred meters away. He crept close, then struck with cold, merciless precision. This time, it went smoothly—one blow, one death.

The azure sea surged, waves crashing in endless succession. The coconut grove seemed as though nothing had ever happened.

Xiao Chen retraced his steps to the vicinity of the bamboo hut. Still no sign of Zhao Lin'er. He had no idea where she was now.

The dark, crafty brown-haired man had already entered the bamboo hut. The male and female servants stood guard at the door, while three more lay hidden in the forest, watching over the perimeter.

Xiao Chen did not strike immediately. He waited patiently for an opening.

Soon enough, the perfect chance arrived. The male and female servants were ordered to investigate the seaside. Xiao Chen followed unhurriedly, only quickening his pace when they were far from the bamboo hut.

Once they entered the beachside coconut grove, Xiao Chen struck. Two sharp bamboo spears shot like bolts of green lightning toward the servants' backs.

But both were clearly skilled warriors. They heard the sound of the projectiles cutting air and dodged nimbly to either side. The spears plunged into the sand with a dull thud.

The true killing stroke came after. Though the spears had missed, Xiao Chen surged forward, unleashing a chain of lethal attacks. His palm, gleaming with divine light, chopped horizontally at the man's chest and abdomen, while his right foot swept toward the woman's ribs.

Both servants reacted swiftly, raising their arms to block. Xiao Chen's palm and foot met their fists and palms with a crackling impact. The woman, staggering as if struck by lightning, was forced back. But the man's arm was caught in Xiao Chen's grip.

A sharp crack echoed as bones snapped. Xiao Chen shattered the man's arms in one motion, then drove his fist into the man's chest, caving it inward. Without pausing, he spun and kicked toward the woman.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, over in a flash.

The woman was skilled and quick-witted. She dodged the sweeping kick and retreated rapidly. At the same time, a scroll appeared in her hand. She unfurled it like a painting and hurled it forward.

Xiao Chen's heart leaped. He remembered these artifacts all too well. Earlier, Prince Feng had opened a similar scroll, unleashing an overwhelming wave of energy that had forced him to leap off a hundred-meter cliff. Facing a comparable killing instrument, he instinctively recoiled.

But the energy surging from this scroll was far weaker than the last. Xiao Chen judged he could withstand it. Even so, he had no intention of trying. Leaving a trail of afterimages, he swiftly dodged.

The scroll detonated. In a flare of brilliant light, a three-meter-long horned serpent lunged at Xiao Chen's chest and abdomen like a razor-sharp spear. Surrounding the serpent, countless ice spears flew in unison, all aimed at him.

Xiao Chen was mildly surprised. He could sense that the horned serpent was a construct of pure energy, carrying a formidable force, while the ice spears were solid objects—no illusion. It struck him as strange: a single scroll could unleash so many killing implements.

His body flickered, faint light tracing his movements. He left an afterimage in place and swiftly evaded.

The horned serpent and ice spears all struck empty air, slamming into the ground. The two-meter-long ice spears pierced deep into the sand, and the energy serpent blasted a crater over two meters deep.

"Help!" the woman servant screamed, but the crashing waves on the shore drowned her voice.

There was nothing more to say. Xiao Chen closed in. The woman turned to flee, but a bamboo spear pinned her to the beach. Blood stained the sand.

It was brutal. But the harsh reality was simple: kill the enemy, or be killed. He would do whatever it took to survive, even if it meant becoming a demon.

Without a moment's pause, Xiao Chen dashed back toward the bamboo hut.

The brown-haired man was still inside. Three hidden guards lurked nearby, protecting him closely.

Xiao Chen moved stealthily. He planned to eliminate the three hidden guards one by one, then deal with the brown-haired youth last.

Silently, he approached one man from behind. But at that instant, the hidden guard seemed to sense something. He spat out a rapid string of alien syllables, and a blade of flame materialized in his right hand, slashing backward.

The scene was uncanny. The blade was entirely formed of leaping, searing flames, yet they could not burn the hand that held it.

Clearly, these three hidden guards were far stronger than the ordinary servants—that was why they served as sentinels. The man clashed with Xiao Chen twice using his flame blade and did not immediately fall.

Xiao Chen grimaced and retreated swiftly. He could kill the man, but not in a single decisive blow. He had no time to spare. The other two guards were already rushing toward him, and the brown-haired man inside the bamboo hut shoved the door open and stepped out.

Xiao Chen did not want a prolonged fight. He could not afford another injury.

"Hmph. You must be that Xiao Chen, aren't you? I hadn't bothered to hunt you down, and yet you come to me. Truly, there is a road to Heaven, but you refuse to walk it; there is no gate to Hell, yet you barge right in. If this mountain wilderness weren't so dense that I needed enough men to find you, I'd have killed you long ago!" The brown-haired man's laugh was cold and sinister. He was utterly composed, as if Xiao Chen were already in his grasp.

Xiao Chen said nothing. He had no interest in who this man was. His ambush had failed; he retreated without hesitation.

The three hidden guards, all around thirty years old and clearly skilled, gave chase.

Boom!

Sudden waves of powerful energy erupted in the forest. Eight scrolls unfurled from eight giant trees, surrounding the bamboo hut on all sides. They did not detonate immediately, but they blocked Xiao Chen's escape route.

"I never expected a counterattack, but did you think my dwelling would be so easy to breach? Hah!" The brown-haired man's eyes were dark and venomous, his expression ice-cold.

The eight scrolls hung like dark gateways to other worlds, wreathed in thick black mist that made them impossible to see through.

Xiao Chen did not rashly attempt to break out. He knew all too well the danger of unknown scrolls. He kicked a dry branch on the ground, sending it flying toward one of the scrolls.

The brown-haired man seemed able to control the scrolls. He chanted strange syllables and traced peculiar patterns in the air with his hands. The unfurled scroll dodged the branch and swept toward Xiao Chen.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Cold Assassin's Prelude: Xiao Chen Strikes at the Encampment

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Magical scrolls (卷轴) are a recurring artifact in the World of Immortality, serving as portable spell repositories. They can be inscribed with images and incantations that, when activated, unleash elemental attacks—energy beasts, ice spears, flame blades, or sealing formations. In this chapter, the female servant’s scroll creates a hybrid attack: a living energy serpent plus a volley of solid ice spears. This fusion of Eastern talisman and Western grimoire concepts reflects the novel’s blending of martial cultivation with arcane magic. The brown-haired man’s eight-scroll formation echoes the Daoist eight-trigram array, but his control via chanting and hand signs suggests a unique sorcerous tradition. The bamboo spear, a simple weapon, contrasts with these high-tier artifacts, highlighting Xiao Chen’s resourcefulness and the world’s layered power systems.

Chapter Overview

This chapter marks a decisive shift in Xiao Chen’s survival strategy from passive evasion to proactive elimination. Armed with cold precision and a pragmatic ruthlessness that has become his hallmark, he stalks the encampment of the brown-haired newcomer—an ally of Zhao Lin’er—and systematically eliminates the enemy’s outer guard. The serene beauty of the island’s coconut grove and azure sea forms a stark, almost surreal backdrop to the brutal ambushes. Xiao Chen’s internal monologue is sparse; his actions speak volumes. Yet the chapter also introduces a new layer of threat: the brown-haired man’s mastery of magical scrolls, which can conjure serpentine energy constructs and volleys of ice spears. The final trap of eight scrolls encircling the bamboo hut signals that Xiao Chen has walked into a deliberate snare, raising the stakes for his next move.

Key Plot Points

Xiao Chen begins by scouting the enemy encampment near a bamboo hut. He locates the brown-haired man (Guluo) and his servants—a male and female attendant, plus three hidden guardians. After waiting for an opportunity, he follows the two attendants as they depart to patrol the beach. In a swift ambush, he hurls bamboo spears at them, then engages in close combat. He breaks the male servant’s arms and crushes his chest, then pursues the female. She unleashes a scroll, releasing a three-meter-long energy serpent accompanied by a barrage of ice spears. Xiao Chen dodges but is forced to retreat momentarily. He kills her with a bamboo spear, staining the sand red. Returning to the bamboo hut, he attempts to eliminate the three hidden guardians. He nearly succeeds on the first, but the man senses him and conjures a flame blade, forcing a brief clash. The noise alerts the others and the brown-haired man emerges. Xiao Chen decides to retreat, but eight scrolls unfurl from surrounding trees, forming a trapping formation. The brown-haired man reveals his confidence, stating he had planned to hunt Xiao Chen anyway. Xiao Chen is now cornered, facing an unknown magical array.

Reading Guide

With Xiao Chen trapped inside a circle of eight magical scrolls, the next chapter promises a desperate confrontation. The brown-haired man – whose name and origins remain unknown – exudes confidence and commands formidable artifacts. Xiao Chen must find a way to break the formation without sustaining further injury, especially since he is still recovering from earlier battles. The chapter also raises questions: How deep is this man’s alliance with Zhao Lin’er? What other scrolls does he possess? And will Xiao Chen’s unique acupoint cultivation give him an unexpected advantage? Readers should watch for tactical ingenuity from the protagonist, as direct force against unknown magic may prove foolhardy. The serene island setting continues to contrast with the violence, reminding us that beauty and danger coexist in this realm.