I'm...BACK!
Hello, everyone! Long time no see. After a long hiatus, I am finally back to playing Shenmue! Here's the crazy whirlwind of events that happened today!
I started the day by looking for information on that darn black car, and I finally made some progress and got a lead!
I talked to Nozomi about the car, which I had heard the previous day that she had had a run-in with, and she pointed me to Tom, whom had previously said that he knew nothing about it...until I unlocked new dialogue by talking to Nozomi...
Gripes aside, Tom remembered having a run-in with Lan-Di and his men, and told me I should try talking to someone at the Travel Agency. Going there, I was recommended to ask the owner of a nearby Chinese restaurant, which I did.
The owner of the Aijiichi Chinese Restaurant, after a little coaxing, gave me some interesting info about a relationship between Chinese immigrants who found careers as Barbers, Tailors, or Cooks, known as the Three Blades. He also gave me the names of a few business owners in the area who could possibly tell me more.
It was around this time, though, that I got involved in...an incident.
Rounding a corner, I bumped shoulders with a ruffian who decided that he and his friend were going to beat an apology out of me. I had better things to do, but the guy wouldn't have it, and threw a hook at my face, which I dodged, sending him tumbling forward to the ground. Suddenly, his friend came at me, and, being just a little too slow to react, plugged me in the face with a couple jabs. His next attack wasn't as lucky. I caught his kick and gave him a good punch to the stomach, ending his assault. I then quickly finished off the first guy. After making it clear who was boss, I went on my way.
The cook I was told about wasn't at work yet, so I talked with the tailor instead, and he told me that I should talk to the barber. So, I made my way towards his shop, when I decided on a whim to take a small detour. On my way, I passed a small antique shop, which I decided to stop at out of curiosity. It was a good decision, for I discovered that they had several old martial arts scrolls for sale! I happily bought one and read it excitedly. On the scroll was the instructions for a new technique for me to learn! Feeling quite satisfied, I made my way to the barber shop. The owner, Liu-san, told me that his father might be able to answer my questions. I will definitely have to make a visit to him tomorrow.
I headed home for the evening. I spoke briefly with Fuku-san, who remembered an interesting detail about Lan-Di and his men. They all had tattoos resembling a family crest.
One last thing. While goofing around at the dojo, I looked behind some scrolls on the wall and found something very strange. Behind one was a strange panel with an indentation, and behind the other, one with a slot. Both looked like something was supposed to be put in them.
This rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper.