Changing Identities

With any hope of escape gone, Gray Crow could do nothing but curse. "You'll regret this, you bastard... Even if you can win over these guards, you still won't stand a chance against the Amarisk Family. You're nothing but a... compared to a noble house that's stood for centuries."

"Quiet."

Ye Wei'an couldn't be bothered to waste his breath.

Trying to flaunt his backing when death was staring him in the face was pointless.

He leaned down and looked Gray Crow straight in the eyes. A flash of purple flickered in his own.

Tendrils of consciousness surged forcibly into the other man's mind.

"Detect Thoughts!"

Gray Crow felt a bone-chilling shudder spread through his body. An invisible hand roughly pried open his mind, and the secrets he'd tried so desperately to hide lay as clear as the pages of an open book before the wizard's mental tendrils.

"South Street, Firefall Town... the Old Oak Leather Shop." Ye Wei'an closed his eyes and recited the address.

According to Gray Crow's memories, that was his real base in Firefall Town.

The remaining payment for this job, the evidence concerning Lady Selina, and the money he'd earned running her under-the-table businesses in Firefall Town were all kept there.

Gray Crow's face went from pale to ashen in an instant.

"Besides the money, there's someone stationed there too. He's one of the private soldiers that woman brought with her from the Amarisk Family, isn't he?"

Ye Wei'an glanced coldly at the three men on the ground.

He wasn't surprised. The ambitious Baroness Selina Amarisk had always trusted only the "dowry forces" she'd brought from her family home.

"Cain, gag the three of them, put them in sacks, and set the room back the way it was." Ye Wei'an rose to his feet.

Then, under Gray Crow's horrified gaze, Ye Wei'an cast Alter Self again.

His body rapidly shrank and hunched over, and his features turned shrewd and sinister. In a matter of seconds, he'd become another "Gray Crow," right down to his spot-on posture.

Then he stripped off Gray Crow's signature gray cloak and draped it over himself.

Cain and Renn did the same, putting on the armor of the other two bodyguards.

Unfortunately, they couldn't change their appearances like Ye Wei'an, so each of them had to pull a helmet over his head.

"Bring the prisoners. We're going to raid that leather shop. If it's Lady Selina's 'private stash,' I won't feel bad about taking it."

The three prisoners were bound hand and foot and stuffed into a huge cargo sack. Renn and Harold slung it over their shoulders.

They pushed open the door and found a Tiefling woman cowering and trembling in the hallway's shadows, her red tail nervously curled beneath her skirt.

She was the tavern's barmaid. When they'd sneaked into the next room to capture Gray Crow's bodyguards, the two of them had been tangled together, naked.

Although she was involved with an enemy, Ye Wei'an had no intention of killing an innocent person. He'd only threatened her into staying put.

While capturing Gray Crow, Ye Wei'an hadn't forgotten to check the minimap.

From the minimap's perspective, the woman had obediently stayed huddled in the corner of the hallway without trying to alert anyone. She clearly wasn't the sort to cause trouble, so Ye Wei'an wasn't worried.

Now Ye Wei'an walked up to her, wearing "Gray Crow's" face.

It wasn't his own face, but with 18 points of Charisma and the Charm Talent feat, even Gray Crow's ugly features struck the Tiefling woman with an abyssal sense of dread.

"Remember to keep your mouth shut." Ye Wei'an casually tossed her a Gold Lion Coin as a warning. "Stay in your room until tomorrow morning. Don't come out even if the town catches fire. Understood?"

The Tiefling woman looked at the coin on the ground, then at the terrifying man in front of her, and hurriedly agreed. "Understood... sir. I'll be asleep all night. I didn't see a thing, and I absolutely won't cause you any trouble..."

"Good. If anyone asks about me, tell them we finished our business and left town during the night."

And so, Ye Wei'an's group completed their change of identities, going from Grumman's band of brigands to Gray Crow's party.

In the eyes of the tavern patrons, nothing about the scene seemed out of the ordinary.

The arrogant "Lord Gray Crow" had finished his deal with Grumman the Butcher.

Grumman and his men were staying behind to rest in a guest room.

Gray Crow had left the tavern with his two bodyguards and a laborer from the brigands, carrying a sack full of "spoils."

The goods in the deal were probably the Half-elf "slave" following behind the group.

Once they left the tavern, the lively air gave way to the chill of the late night.

Ye Wei'an headed for the south end of town.

Along the way, they ran into a patrol of night guards. The one in charge let them pass as soon as he saw "Gray Crow's" face, without giving them any trouble.

Before long, he found the Old Oak Leather Shop.

As a local power in Firefall Town, Gray Crow's hideout was no ordinary place.

It wasn't just a shop; it took up nearly a third of the block's depth.

Facing the street was a storefront three bays wide, with thick stone-and-timber walls that looked exceptionally sturdy. Behind it stood a huge two-story building, an abrupt contrast to the town's generally low houses.

On the minimap, four bright red dots were inside the building.

Three of them were in the storefront, while the fourth was alone in a room at the back. There were also three yellow dots in the same room, likely the house's maids and servants.

"We're here." Ye Wei'an stopped and looked at the others.

"Listen up," Ye Wei'an said in a low voice. "The whole plan boils down to three words: fast, precise, ruthless. I'll give you orders through Telepathy. Once I tell you to move, I want you to disarm them as quickly as possible. Lethal force is allowed, but I have one rule: under no circumstances are you to alert anyone outside. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good." Ye Wei'an adjusted his gray cloak so his face was hidden in the hood's shadow, then stepped forward and knocked on the oak door.

"Who is it? It's the middle of the night! The leather shop's closed!" a gruff voice called from inside.

"It's me. Open up," Gray Crow's hoarse, gloomy voice replied impatiently.

A hurried series of footsteps came from within. The door creaked open a crack, and a bleary-eyed thug poked his head out.

Ye Wei'an could see his stats: [Lv.1 Militiaman].

As soon as the thug saw the familiar face outside, all traces of sleep vanished. He didn't even bother to announce their arrival, instead bowing and scraping as he opened the door wide.

"G-Gray Crow! Please, come in!"

Ye Wei'an snorted and strode inside with an air of authority.

The storefront was enormous. Massive display racks lined both sides, filled with hides that reeked of the pungent smell of tanning.

The other two thugs had been gathered around a game of dice. They were both [Lv.1 Fighters].

When they saw their boss return, they rose and hurried over to greet him.

"Lord Gray Crow, what brings you back at this hour?"

"The job's done. I'm here to collect the rest of the payment."

Behind him, Cain and Renn wore their helmets and carried themselves like they couldn't care less about anyone.

A few thugs came forward, eager to ingratiate themselves, but the two simply handed them the sack containing the prisoners.

The thugs felt the people inside the sack and knew at once what it held, but weren't surprised. It wasn't as if they'd never captured people before. They casually piled the sack to one side.

None of them had the slightest idea that their real boss was inside it.

The group passed through the dim storefront and lifted a heavy windbreak curtain, entering the main hall at the back.

Gray Crow clearly knew how to enjoy himself.

The main hall was far more luxurious than the storefront. Thick bear rugs covered the floor, the furniture was made of fine redwood, and several decorative halberds hung on the walls.

Thud, thud, thud!

Heavy footsteps sounded from upstairs as boots crossed the wooden floor.

"Gray Crow's" last bodyguard, Todd, a former private soldier of the Amarisk Family, came downstairs in a worn dressing gown, yawning and rubbing his bleary eyes.

He was a [Lv.3 Fighter], stronger than the other two bodyguards.

No wonder Gray Crow had left him in charge of the place.

"Gray Crow? Why'd you come back in the middle of the night?" Todd rubbed his eyes, sounding irritated. "Weren't Grumman and his mongrels still supposed to be sorting things out?"

Ye Wei'an turned to one side, revealing the Half-elf girl bound with ropes behind him.

"Grumman did a decent job. He really did kill that bastard, but he didn't manage to take the body. They did bring back that bastard's maid, though." Ye Wei'an pointed at Ailian. "I've questioned her already, and I can confirm the bastard's dead. To avoid any more complications, I brought her back tonight. I'm also taking the rest of the payment to that Barbarian. I'll bring her to the lady first thing tomorrow morning."

At the sight of Ailian's beautiful face, Todd wore the knowing smile of a man who understood. "That bastard had decent taste, but he couldn't hold on to her... Fine. Since the deal's done, come with me to the vault and get the money..."