"Anything will do," Fonghao replied with a resounding clap.

Old Hajj slammed his cup onto the table, rising to regail the story of his encounters with the blood suckers.

His expression animated and impassioned, portraying himself as valiant and fearless.

Upon exiting the tavern, the night was deepening.

Fong Ho glanced at his watch.

It was already 9:00 p.

m.

Old Hajj still had three beers left, continuing to recount his exploits within the tavern with grand gestures.

Funhao headed straight back to his residence.

The house was brightly lit.

Vanessa had already arranged for the maid to tidy up the rooms for Fongghao and Anja.

The old bedding had been replaced with fresh linens.

Fongghao exchanged a few words with Ana before heading directly to his room.

At 11 p.

m.

, Fongo opened his backpack and retrieved the skeletal gray sparrow inside.

Channeling his divine presence, he possessed the skeletal gray sparrow and flew out through the open window towards the outskirts of the city.

from the informant.

He had learned of three locations associated with the Faceless Ones.

The first was a manor located on the western outskirts of the city.

According to the informant's description, the owner of the manor was a member of the Faceless Ones.

Within the manor, there was a concealed passageway that served as a gathering place for the Faceless Ones and a site for interrogations.

The manor was not particularly large, yet its architecture was striking.

Dim figures could be discerned standing guard as well as hidden sentinels lurking in the shadows.

Fong house circled the manor before slipping inside through an open grid window.

The interior was shrouded in darkness and faint sounds of breathing could be heard emanating from several rooms.

Fongghao continued his search and soon discovered concealed passageway following the dimly lit corridor downwards.

He arrived in an underground chamber.

This space stood in stark contrast to the opulence of the manor above.

It was dark and damp, permeated by a faint metallic scent of blood.

As Fong How examined the iron cell within the secret room, he noticed a man suspended inside.

The man had clearly endured severe interrogation, hanging limply like a corpse, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest, attesting to his continued existence.

Another victim of questioning, this one with golden hair, did not appear to be a traveler from another world.

Just as Fong Hao was about to depart, the unconscious man suddenly erupted into a fit of violent coughing, slowly opening his eyes.

Upon noticing the skeletal bird perched on the iron bars, his body jolted in shock, causing the chains to clatter.

However, the man's composure returned relatively swiftly.

"I must be dead," he murmured softly.

You're not dead, but you are close.

The skeletal bird replied.

Chapter 334.

The task hall.

Upon hearing the skeletal bird speak, the man's body convulsed violently.

The pain from his injuries coursed through him.

A stark reminder that he was perilously close to death.

Noticing the man's inability to respond, Fongghao pressed on with his inquiries.

Who are you? And how did you end up here? He had come to investigate the matter of the travelers, only to find himself face to face with a captured native.

The golden-haired man cast a fleeting glance at the skeletal gray sparrow before replying.

I am Browning, a painter in the city.

A painter? Fong scrutinized him closely, observing his hands.

Why were you captured? Some special pigment formulas? the man replied, gritting his teeth against the pain, engaging in conversation with a spectre before his demise, was in a way a curious solace.

Fong Ho nodded an understanding.

Indeed, it was as he suspected.

The House of Faceless ones employed any means necessary to gather intelligence.

Beyond infiltrating various factions with undercover agents, they resorted to kidnapping and interrogation to extract the information they desired.

This was precisely why their fees were exorbitant.

Each piece of intelligence carried considerable risk, and failure could lead to pursuit and closure.

"Very well, rest now," the skeletal gray sparrow remarked, and without waiting for the man's response, soared through the iron bars and vanished into the night sky.

Silence enveloped the iron cell once more, leaving the man suspended in his torment.

A wave of dizziness washed over him and he found himself questioning whether he had truly conversed with a skeletal bird or if it was merely a hallucination born of his impending demise.

Fong house soared out of the manor, continuing his investigation at the second location mentioned by the informant, a grocery store in the civilian district, followed by a third, an abandoned warehouse.

Both locations were confirmed as interrogation sites of the house of faceless ones.

Yet they were devoid of any presence.

After a thorough inspection, Fong had departed from the area.

At 1:00 a.

m.

, Rebecca, dragging her weary body, returned to her study.

The affairs of the house of faceless ones weighed heavily on her mind, akin to a malignant tumor, incessantly eroding the city of Lis.

Rebecca had long been endeavoring to dismantle this organization.

Yet each time her efforts fell short, the adversary always seemed one step ahead, obliterating evidence and retreating before she could strike.

Repeated failures have begun to fray her nerves, and she slumped helplessly in her chair, exhaling in frustration.

With the leads on the house of Faceless Ones severed once more, she found herself at a loss for direction.

Summoning her strength, she resolved to peruse the documents that had arrived that day.

To her surprise, she discovered a folded sheet of paper beneath her quill on the desk.

Her brow furrowed instantly.

She was keenly aware of her habits and had never been one to fold paper.

The sight of creases on a once smooth sheet unsettled her.

Why, then had this paper appeared on her desk, opening it casually, she found it inscribed with a scroll of haphazard handwriting.

1 kilometer west of the city lies a manor, a stronghold of the faceless ones, with a basement on the southern side where a painter is imprisoned.

Upon reading the information on the paper, Rebecca abruptly rose from her chair, her senses heightened as she scanned the room for potential dangers.

The mere fact that someone had delivered this note to her desk was utterly astonishing, and it filled her with a creeping dread.

The ability to convey such a message implied the capability to assassinate her.

In that moment, Rebecca's anxiety was palpable.

After a few breaths, the silence of the room remained unbroken.

Gradually, she sat back down and refocused on the note in her hand.

The details regarding the location were vividly articulated, even outlining the profession of the imprisoned individual.

This could be a communication from an ally or a trap set by the faceless ones.

stealing herself with a deep breath.

Her expression returned to its previous composure, transforming back into that of the lady of the city.

She spoke solemnly.

Summon someone.

Madam, the maid opened the door.

Have the captain of the guard come here.

I have matters to discuss with him.

Yes, madam.

The maid nodded and swiftly departed.

Before long, the guards entered.

Rebecca handed the note to him.

The following morning, Fong How awoke early.

Vanessa and the others had already gone to the shop and after a brief wash, Fong Ho and Injia left the residence, they navigated through the winding streets until they arrived at the eastern gate of Lees.

This area was distinctly different from the town's commercial streets, being a segregated section of its own.