After prying open the gate, Lu Ban saw two people standing inside the house, a man and a woman. They wore plain cloth clothes and had dull expressions. From the moment Lu Ban entered, both of them watched him warily.
"Hello. Could you tell me how to get to Drywater Town?"
Lu Ban gave the room a quick once-over. Although it was the largest house in the village, it was still cramped and narrow. Apart from a wooden bed, a table, two chairs, a kitchen counter, and a cabinet, there was nothing of note.
"Just follow the road straight ahead toward Drywater Town."
The man answered grimly. He seemed both frightened and angry as he pointed toward the road.
"You don't seem very happy to see us. Is it because we're going to Drywater Town?"
Lu Ban pressed him further. At the same time, he approached the kitchen counter and examined what was on it.
Dried fish, flour, rice, and so on.
"Drywater Town is... unlucky."
The man hesitated before speaking. He saw Lu Ban pick up a salted fish hanging in front of the kitchen counter.
"I'm a little hungry. Could I eat some of your dried salted fish? I see you have quite a lot hanging here. This kind of dried fish can't be stored for too long. If you don't eat it now, it might spoil and give you stomach trouble later. How about this? Since I've come all the way here, it means we're fated to meet. Why don't I take some of the dried fish off your hands? That'll count as doing you a good deed."
As he spoke, Lu Ban took down three dried salted fish and casually stuffed them into his bag.
"..."
The man glanced at the crowbar in Lu Ban's hand,