The buildings along the river were clearly quite old, and hardly anyone noticed Lu Bai climbing out of the water.
That was good news.
Lu Bai gave his pant leg a light twist, and a large amount of river water poured out.
But...
Forget it.
He gave up on drying his clothes first and, looking like a vagrant, turned into an alley.
The crisscrossing streets and alleys were dotted with quite a few quiet shops.
Passing a Clothing Store that specialized in custom-made clothes, Lu Bai immediately ducked inside.
The shopkeeper was lying on a bench reading a newspaper. Hearing some strange dripping sounds, he was just about to look up.
But Lu Bai moved much faster than the shopkeeper could raise his head.
He lunged behind the shopkeeper in a few long strides and chopped the back of his head with the edge of his hand.
The unlucky shopkeeper didn't even manage a muffled groan before collapsing face-first onto the floor and passing out.
"Flat head, too."
Lu Bai silently grumbled, then turned to pick out some clothes that fit.
Lu Bai held the shopkeeper's head and shook him awake.
When the man opened his eyes groggily, Lu Bai greeted him with his usual genial smile.
"Hello."
"!"
The shopkeeper recoiled in fright, nearly banging the back of his head against the floor again. Fortunately, Lu Bai caught him in time.
"You—don't—sir, I'm just a small-business owner."
"Easy, easy. Don't be nervous."
Lu Bai patted the shopkeeper's head and said softly, "I just want to ask you a few questions."
The shopkeeper swallowed twice, trembling, and didn't dare say a word.
Seeing his reaction, Lu Bai sighed inwardly and changed the subject.
"Never mind. If I want to ask around for information, where should I go?"
"Uh, Chikan