Identity Transformation

Seeing that all hope of escape had vanished, all Gray Raven could do was curse: "You'll regret this, you bastard... Even if you can subdue these guards, you can't defeat the Amareske family. In a noble lineage that has stood for hundreds of years, you're nothing but..."

"Noisy."

Ye Wei'an was too lazy to waste words.

Trying to use a backdrop when you're about to die is pointless.

He leaned down, staring directly into the gray crow, a glint of purple light flashing in his eyes.

The consciousness tendrils forcibly flooded into the other person's mind.

"Detect thoughts!"

Gray Raven felt a chill run through his body, as if an invisible hand had roughly flipped open his brain. The secrets he had desperately tried to hide were as clear as open pages in front of the mage's mental tentacles.

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

According to the crow's memory, that was the crow's true stronghold in Firefall.

The final payment for this mission, the evidence involving Lady Serena, and the money he earned from the shady business he ran for Lady Serena in Firefall were all placed there.

Gray Crow's face instantly turned from pale to ashen.

"Besides the money, there's another person left there, a private soldier that woman brought from the Amaresk family, right?"

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

He wasn't surprised, as the ambitious Baroness Serena Amareske had always only trusted the "dowry power" she brought from her family.

"Kane, gag those three, put them in bags, and put the room back to normal." Ye Weian stood up.

Then, under the terrified gaze of the gray crow, Ye Wei'an activated the [Transformation Technique] again.

His body shrank rapidly, becoming hunched over, and his features turned sinister and cunning—in just a few seconds, he transformed into yet another "Grey Crow," even mimicking its stance perfectly.

Then he took off Gray Raven's iconic gray cloak and draped it over himself.

Kane and Ryan followed suit, donning the armor of the other two bodyguards.

Unfortunately, they couldn't transform like Ye Weian; they could only each put on a helmet.

"Take the prisoners and we'll raid that leather shop. Since it's Lady Serena's 'private stash,' we won't feel guilty taking it."

The three prisoners were bound hand and foot and stuffed into a huge cargo sack, which was then carried on the shoulders of Ryan and Harold.

As the group pushed open the door, they saw a trembling Tiflin woman cowering in the shadows of the corridor, her red tail tucked uneasily under the hem of her skirt.

This is the tavern's waitress. Just now, when they sneaked into the next room to capture Gray Raven's bodyguard, the two of them were entangled together naked.

Although she was the enemy's lover, Ye Wei'an did not intend to kill innocent people indiscriminately; he simply threatened her to stay there and not leave.

While capturing the gray crows, Ye Wei'an didn't forget to check the mini-map.

From the perspective of the minimap, the woman remained quietly huddled in the corner of the corridor, making no move to tip off anyone. Clearly, she wasn't someone who liked to cause trouble, which put Ye Wei'an at ease.

Now Ye Wei'an, with the face of "Grey Raven," walked up to her.

Although it wasn't her own face, the 18 points of Charisma combined with the [Charm] feat made even the ugly face of the Grey Raven feel an abyssal intimidation to the Typhoon woman.

"Remember to keep your mouth shut." Ye Wei'an casually tossed a gold lion coin and reminded him, "Go back to your room and stay there until tomorrow morning. Don't come out even if the town is on fire. Understand?"

The Tifferin woman looked at the gold coins at her feet, then at the terrifying man before her, and hurriedly replied, "Understood... sir, I've been sleeping all night, I didn't see anything, and I definitely won't cause you any trouble..."

"Very good. If anyone asks you about me, just tell them we finished our business and left overnight."

And so, Ye Weian and his group completed their identity transformation, changing from Grumman's bandit gang to the Gray Ravens.

To the patrons in the lobby, this scene was perfectly normal:

The arrogant Lord Grey Raven has completed his deal with Butcher Grumman.

Grumman and his party stayed in their guest rooms to rest.

Gray Raven, accompanied by his two bodyguards and a bandit laborer, left the tavern carrying sacks full of "spoils of war".

The goods being traded were probably the half-elf "slave girls" following behind the group.

Stepping out of the tavern, the noisy atmosphere was replaced by the chill of the late night.

Ye Wei'an walked towards the south street of the town.

During their journey, they encountered a group of night patrol guards. The leader let them pass after seeing "Grey Raven's" face, without giving them any trouble.

Soon, he found the "Old Oak" leather shop.

As the local tyrant of Firefall, the Gray Raven's lodgings are naturally extraordinary.

This is not just a shop; it occupies almost a third of the street's depth.

Facing the street is a large storefront with three bays, its heavy stone and wood structure appearing exceptionally sturdy; behind the storefront is a huge two-story building, which stands out conspicuously among the generally low-rise houses of the townspeople.

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

Three of the red dots are located in the storefront, the fourth red dot is alone in the back room, and there are three yellow dots in the same room, presumably the maids and helpers of the house.

"We've arrived." Ye Wei'an stopped and looked at the group.

"Listen carefully," Ye Wei'an announced in a low voice, "The operational principle has only three words: fast, accurate, and ruthless. I will issue the order telepathically. After I give the order to act, I want you to disarm the enemy in the shortest possible time. Lethal force is permitted, but I have only one requirement—absolutely, absolutely no one outside must be alerted, understand?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Very good." Ye Wei'an straightened his gray cloak, hiding his face in the shadow of the hood, and stepped forward to knock on the oak door.

"Who is it? It's the middle of the night, leather shops don't take business!" a rude voice came from inside.

"It's me, open the door," Gray Raven said impatiently in a gloomy, hoarse voice.

A series of hurried footsteps came from inside, and the door creaked open a crack, revealing a thug peeking out sleepily.

Ye Wei'an can see his information: [Lv.1 Militia].

Upon seeing the familiar face outside the door, the thug was wide awake. He didn't even bother to announce his arrival and bowed and scraped as he opened the door.

"Lord Gray Raven! Please come in!"

Ye Wei'an snorted coldly and swaggered inside.

The store has a huge interior space, with massive display shelves on both sides filled with raw hides that emit a pungent odor.

The other two thugs were playing dice in a circle—both were Lv.1 warriors.

Upon seeing the boss return, the two men stood up and eagerly went forward to greet him.

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

"The matter is settled. Come back to collect the remaining balance."

Behind him, Kane and Ryan, wearing helmets, looked completely disregarding everyone else.

Several thugs stepped forward to curry favor, and the prisoners were stuffed directly into their hands.

The thugs knew immediately by touching the sack that it contained a person, which was not surprising—they had arrested people before—so they routinely piled the sack aside.

The three had no idea that their real boss was inside.

The group walked through the dark store, lifted a thick windproof blanket, and arrived at the main hall at the back of the store.

The gray crow clearly knows how to enjoy life:

The main hall was decorated much more luxuriously than the storefront, with thick bearskin carpets on the floor, fine mahogany furniture, and several decorative halberds hanging on the walls.

Da da da!

The heavy sound of boots stomping on the wooden floor came from upstairs.

The last bodyguard of the "Grey Raven"—Todd, a former private soldier of the Amareske family—came downstairs, yawning and sleepy, wearing a worn-out smock.

This is a [Lv.3 Warrior], stronger than the other two bodyguards.

No wonder the Grey Crow left him to guard the house.

"Grey Raven? What are you doing back in the middle of the night?" Todd rubbed his eyes, his tone irritated. "Didn't they say Grumman and his gang of wild dogs hadn't finished their business yet?"

Ye Wei'an turned to the side, revealing the half-elf girl bound by ropes behind him.

"Grumman was efficient enough; he did kill that bastard, but unfortunately, he didn't have time to take the body. However, they brought back that bastard's maid." Yevian pointed to Eileen. "I've already interrogated her, and I can confirm that the bastard is indeed dead. To avoid any unforeseen complications, I brought her back tonight and also gave the remaining payment to that barbarian. I'll bring her to the madam first thing tomorrow morning."

Seeing Eileen's beautiful face, Todd's eyes revealed a knowing smile: "That bastard had good taste, too bad he couldn't hold onto it... Alright, now that the deal is done, come with me to the secret room to get the money..."