Check and replace any Chinese names left behind (will highlight if any found)
I'll now rewrite
The black-clad strong man stood frozen in disbelief. With Brook now dead, there was no scapegoat left.
Without a scapegoat, who would bear the wrath of the mighty Grierson family of the Ironwood Empire?
Worse yet, Shawn had fled. It was clear that he intended to return and report everything that had transpired tonight.
If that happened, the entire Demon City would soon find itself drowning in blood and chaos.
"Damn it!" the black-clad warrior cursed under his breath.
The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. The target, "Grayson," had also fallen, rendering their mission a complete failure.
Forcibly swallowing his fury, the black-clad man was just about to retreat when an overwhelming aura suddenly descended from the skies.
"Who dares to kill my grandson!"
The voice roared through the night like thunder, shaking the very earth itself.
It was none other than the ancestor of the Zhao family—a terrifying figure who had already entered the Saint Realm.
The old man had clearly sensed the fall of his beloved grandson, Brook, and rushed over immediately.
"Oh no!"
The black-clad warrior's heart sank.
Old Man Zhao was infamous for his stubbornness and fierce temper. If they met face to face, there would be no room for negotiation.
Without a second thought, the black-clad man acted.
He slaughtered the remaining survivors in the manor with a single devastating palm strike and grabbed Charles before swiftly retreating into the darkness.
All of this unfolded before your very eyes as you hid in the shadows.
Because of your deliberate disruptions and careful calculations, the once orderly Magic City Manor had descended into utter chaos.
All the forces clashed and scrambled, like a pack of rabid dogs fighting over scraps.
You smiled coldly.
Now that you had "escaped your shell," the mastermind orchestrating this killing game would be forced to shift focus.
No longer could they obsess over targeting you.
Instead, they would have to think about how to survive the wrath of the enraged Grierson family.
This chaotic diversion would buy you precious "time"—time you desperately needed to rapidly strengthen yourself.
Of course, once Shawn returned and revealed the truth, the Grierson family would inevitably realize you weren't dead.
But you didn't mind.
At that point, the Grierson family would have no choice but to cooperate with you, at least superficially, while making use of your apparent "death" to manipulate the situation to their advantage.
You knew that your clandestine cultivation efforts would likely be exposed, but that was a price you were willing to pay.
Right now, you were simply too weak.
You needed to seize every opportunity, every sliver of advantage, and plan meticulously for your future.
You took out Luke's severed arm, contemplating whether to use the Soul Nailing Method to track him down, force him into a corner, and extract the powerful secret art, Nine Steps to Heaven, from his mouth.
After all, after his earlier eruption to kill the Thousand Shadow Assassin, Luke had clearly suffered a serious backlash.
He was very likely in a weakened state now—an ideal time to strike.
But after careful thought, you decided against it.
A beast trapped in a corner is often the most dangerous.
If Luke, even in his weakened state, were to unleash Nine Steps to Heaven again without hesitation, you might not survive the encounter.
It would be far wiser to let others handle the dirty work.
The Zhao family ancestor had already arrived.
A powerful Saint Realm figure like him could easily crush Luke in his current state.
All you needed to do was stay hidden and quietly harvest the fruits of their battle later.
"To survive in this world, you need brains," you mused with a smirk.
"If you lack brains, you'll end up as someone else's pawn."
Feeling smug at having manipulated the so-called "destined protagonist" into being used like a tool, you nevertheless quickly sobered up.
Now was not the time for complacency.
You turned and left before the Zhao family's ancestor could sense your presence.
You had no intention of facing that furious old monster head-on.
Since "Grayson" was now publicly dead, it was impossible for you to continue using that identity.
You needed a new cover—someone low-profile, someone easily overlooked.
You decided to assume the identity of Jude.
Publicly, Jude was merely an orphan raised in a small orphanage, later working a lowly logistics job at Magic City University.
Secretly, however, he was also a hidden warrior placed by the Grierson family.
Before his death, Jude had entrusted you to look after his younger sister.
You had agreed.
Now, using your Shadow Simulation magical power, you flawlessly transformed into Jude's appearance and moved into his modest rental apartment near the university.
It wasn't long before you met Zane , Jude's younger sister.
The moment you laid eyes on her, you were stunned.
Zane was breathtaking.
She was a pure and delicate 18-year-old girl, her beauty no less than that of Anya.
However, her snow-white eyes revealed her tragic flaw—she had been blind since birth.
Still, her innocence and ethereal charm seemed almost otherworldly.
As you marveled silently at her beauty, a soft voice interrupted your thoughts.
"Brother, you're back. I'm hungry," she said quietly.
"I'll cook something," you replied, slipping naturally into the role of her brother.
In truth, you hadn't cooked for yourself in years.
Having lived a life of luxury for so long, your kitchen skills had all but vanished.
Still, you clumsily fumbled around and managed to whip up two simple dishes.
The food was mediocre at best—overly salty—but Zane i ate without a single complaint.
Sitting across from her at the small, worn dining table, you felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in your chest.
After dinner, you washed the dishes by hand and retreated to your room to cultivate.
You activated the Ancient Dragon Elephant Sutra, a powerful body-refining technique.
But almost immediately, you noticed something unusual.
Your cultivation speed had skyrocketed.
The spiritual energy in the surrounding air had grown extraordinarily dense and vibrant.
You frowned and shifted your spiritual senses across the apartment.
The epicenter of this phenomenon was Su Mei's room.
Your mind raced.
Could it be…?
Zane possessed a special physique—a rare and powerful body constitution that naturally attracted and condensed spiritual energy!
Another destined heroine!
You were stunned but quickly understood.
Zane's life circumstances—the tragic background, the innate potential, the blindness—fit perfectly the archetype of a future "destined heroine."
Had you not arrived at this moment to shield her, Zane likely would have descended into despair after Jude's death, becoming easy prey for the first "hero" to save her.
But now, you had intercepted this opportunity early.
A sly smile curved your lips.
What a blessing.
The next morning, you noticed the results of your cultivation.
In just one night, your physical strength had skyrocketed, nearing the peak of the magical power realm.
Your magical abilities—Shadow Simulation and Dragon Elephant Domination Body—had advanced significantly.
You maintained your low-profile cover perfectly.
Every day, you went to Magic City University's logistics department to perform mundane chores and gather valuable intelligence.
Each evening, you returned home to cook for Zane and cultivate through the night.
Day by day, your strength grew.
On the first day, your body cultivation reached the high level of the Magical Power Realm. The Ancient Dragon Elephant Sutra evolved, granting you the strength of a young dragon.
On the second day, by consuming a vast amount of precious resources, you successfully broke through to the peak of the Magical Power Realm.
On the third day, you attempted to break into the Fifth Realm—Mountains and Rivers Realm—but encountered significant resistance.
Recognizing the difficulty, you temporarily shifted your focus to mastering the Thousand Shadows Magic Skill and the Talisman True Book, aiming to strengthen your hidden cards.
On the fourth day, your Thousand Shadows Magic Skill reached its peak Fourth Level.
You gained a powerful new ability—Escape from the Shadow—allowing you to meld into the shadows and traverse unseen, a perfect tool for assassination or escape.
Meanwhile, your understanding of talismans also advanced dramatically.
For the first time, you successfully drew a second-grade talisman—the Lightning Talisman.
You had officially become a Second-Level Talisman Master.
In just four days, your strength had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
You smiled coldly to yourself.
Hidden from all eyes, you were growing stronger each day, preparing silently to overturn the world.
And the best part?
No one suspected a thing.
Not even the so-called "heroes" fated to rise against you.