Identity Shift Again

Seeing that all hope of escape had vanished, the only thing Gray Crow could do was curse: "You'll regret this, you bastard... Even if you can subdue these guards, you're no match for the Amarisk Family. In the face of a noble lineage that has stood for hundreds of years, you are nothing but a..."

"Noisy."

Ye Wei'an couldn't be bothered with nonsense.

Trying to use one's background as a shield when death was at the door was a futile endeavor.

He leaned down, staring straight into Gray Crow's eyes, a flicker of purple light flashing within his own.

Mental tentacles forcibly surged into the other man's mind.

"Detect Thoughts!"

Gray Crow felt a cold shiver run through his entire body as his brain was crudely pried open by an invisible hand; the secrets he had fought so hard to hide were as clear as an open book before the mage's psychic feelers.

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

According to Gray Crow's memories, that was his true stronghold in Firefall Town.

The final payment for this mission, the evidence involving Lady Selina, and the money he had earned running gray-market businesses for her in Firefall Town were all kept there.

Gray Crow's complexion shifted instantly from pale to ashen.

"Besides the money, there's someone left behind there, right? One of the private soldiers that woman brought out from the Amarisk Family?"

Ye Wei'an swept a cold glance over the three people on the floor.

He wasn't surprised; that ambitious baroness—Selina Amarisk—had always only trusted the "dowry forces" she brought from her maiden family.

"Cain, gag the three of them, stuff them into bags, and restore the room to its original state." Ye Wei'an stood up.

Then, under Gray Crow's terrified gaze, Ye Wei'an activated [Alter Self] once more.

His figure rapidly shrank and hunched over, his features becoming sinister and cunning—in just a few seconds, he had transformed into another "Gray Crow," even mimicking his standing posture to perfection.

He then stripped off Gray Crow's signature gray cloak and draped it over his own shoulders.

Cain and Renn followed suit, donning the armor of the other two bodyguards.

Unfortunately, they couldn't transform like Ye Wei'an, so they each had to settle for pulling a helmet down over their heads.

"Take the captives; we're going to raid that leather shop. Since it's Lady Selina's 'private stash,' I'll have no moral qualms about taking it."

After being hog-tied, the three captives were stuffed into massive burlap cargo sacks and hoisted onto the shoulders of Renn and Harold.

The group pushed open the door and saw a trembling Tiefling woman cowering in the shadows of the hallway, her red tail curled uneasily beneath the hem of her skirt.

She was the tavern waitress; when they had snuck into the adjacent room to capture Gray Crow's bodyguards earlier, these two had been tangled up together in the nude.

Although she was the enemy's lover, Ye Wei'an had no intention of killing the innocent, merely threatening her to stay put and not leave.

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

On the minimap, this woman had remained huddled obediently in the corner of the hallway without making any move to tip anyone off; clearly, she wasn't the type to invite trouble, which put Ye Wei'an at ease.

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

Although it wasn't his own, his 18 points of Charisma combined with the [Charm Talent] feat meant that even Gray Crow's ugly mug carried a deterrent force as deep as the abyss to this Tiefling woman.

"Remember to keep your mouth shut." Ye Wei'an tossed a Gold Lion coin at her and warned, "Stay in your room until tomorrow morning. Even if the town catches fire, do not come out. Understand?"

The Tiefling woman looked at the gold coin at her feet, then at the terrifying man before her, and nodded hurriedly: "I understand... My Lord, I've been sleeping all night, I didn't see anything, I absolutely won't cause you any trouble..."

"Very good. If anyone asks about me, just tell them we finished our business and left in the middle of the night."

And just like that, Ye Wei'an and his party completed their identity swap, transforming from Grumman's bandit group into Gray Crow's entourage.

In the eyes of the tavern patrons, the scene was perfectly normal:

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

Grumman's group remained in their room to rest.

Gray Crow, meanwhile, left the tavern with his two bodyguards and a bandit laborer, escorting sacks filled with "spoils of war."

The goods from the trade were likely the half-elf "slave girl" following behind the group.

After stepping out of the tavern, the noisy air was replaced by the chill of the deep night.

Ye Wei'an walked all the way to the town's South Street.

Along the way, they encountered a patrol of guards, but the leader let them pass without a hint of trouble the moment he saw "Gray Crow's" face.

Soon, he found the "Old Oak" Leather Shop.

As the local kingpin of Firefall Town, Gray Crow's hideout was naturally extraordinary.

It wasn't just a shop; it occupied nearly a third of the street's depth.

Facing the street was a wide storefront three bays across, its thick stone and wood structure appearing exceptionally sturdy; behind the shop was a massive two-story building that stood out starkly among the generally low-slung houses of the townsfolk.

On the minimap, four bright red dots were located right inside this house.

Three of the red dots were in the storefront area, while the fourth was alone in an inner room at the back; additionally, there were three yellow dots in the same room, likely the house's maids or helpers.

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

"Listen up," Ye Wei'an announced in a low voice, "our operational principles consist of only three words: fast, precise, and ruthless. I will issue commands via Telepathy. Once I give the order to strike, I want you to disarm the targets in the shortest time possible. Lethal force is permitted, but I have only one requirement—absolutely, under no circumstances, are you to alert anyone outside. Understood?"

The group nodded in succession.

"Very well." Ye Wei'an adjusted his gray cloak, letting the shadow of the hood obscure his face, and stepped forward to knock on the oak door.

"Who is it? It's the middle of the night, the Leather Shop isn't taking business!" a gruff voice called out from inside.

"It's me, open the gate," Gray Crow said, his tone impatient and raspy.

A flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from within, and the gate creaked open just enough for a thug to poke his head out, his eyes bleary with sleep.

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

Upon seeing that familiar face outside, the thug's sleepiness vanished instantly; he didn't even bother to announce them, instead bowing and scraping as he pulled the gate wide open.

"Gray... Lord Gray Crow! Please, come in!"

Ye Wei'an let out a cold snort and strode inside with a swagger.

The interior of the shop was vast, with massive display racks on both sides hung with tanned leather boxes and raw hides that emitted a pungent odor.

The other two thugs had been huddled in a circle playing dice—both were [Lv.1 Warriors].

Seeing their big boss return, the two stood up and stepped forward eagerly to greet him.

"Lord Gray Crow, why are you back at this hour?"

"The business is finished; I've come back to collect the remaining balance."

Behind him, Cain and Renn, wearing their helmets, maintained an arrogant and dismissive air.

As a few thugs stepped forward to curry favor, they shoved the burlap sacks containing the captives directly into their arms.

The thugs knew exactly what was in the bags the moment they touched them, and they weren't the least bit surprised—it wasn't as if they hadn't trafficked people before—so they tossed the sacks aside out of habit.

The three of them never imagined that their true boss was the one stuffed inside.

The group passed through the dim storefront, pushed aside a heavy wind-shielding felt curtain, and entered the main hall at the back of the shop.

Gray Crow clearly knew how to enjoy life:

The main hall was decorated far more luxuriously than the shop, with thick bear-skin rugs covering the floor, furniture made of fine mahogany, and decorative halberds mounted on the walls.

Clack, clack, clack!

The heavy sound of boots striking wooden floorboards echoed from upstairs.

The final bodyguard of "Gray Crow"—Todd, a former private soldier of the Amarisk Family—walked down the stairs, wearing a worn surcoat and yawning, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

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

It was no wonder Gray Crow had left him in charge of the house.

"Gray Crow? Why are you back in the middle of the night?" Todd rubbed his eyes, his tone irritable. "Didn't you say those wild dogs under Grumman hadn't finished the job yet?"

Ye Wei'an stepped aside, revealing the half-elf girl bound by ropes behind him.

"Grumman is efficient enough; he did kill that bastard, though it's a pity he didn't manage to retrieve the body. However, they did kidnap that bastard's maid." Ye Wei'an pointed at Ailian. "I've already interrogated her and can confirm the bastard is indeed dead. To avoid any complications, I brought her back overnight to pay the barbarian his final balance, and I'll deliver her to the Madam first thing tomorrow morning."

Seeing Ailian's delicate and alluring face, a knowing, masculine smirk appeared in Todd's eyes: "That bastard had good taste, it's just a pity he couldn't keep her... Fine, since the deal is done, come with me to the secret room to get the money..."