The Man They Call Shan

[Edward]

Zhul Lin smiles.  "I need to purchase a shovel.  Unless, of course, you're willing to loan me one."

[Kwokinator]

"You don't look like you're from around here," the man looks at Zhu Lin suspiciously. "Why would you buy farming equipment if you're not from here?  Did you kill one of our villagers and have to bury them or something?"

[Edward]

Zhu Lin leans on his staff and just stares openmouthed at the shopkeeper.

'The fortuneteller didn't mention anything about insane shopkeepers,' he thinks.  'A murderer would just flee, not stop to bury the body.  And he'd steal the shovel not offer to pay for it, it he didn't just kill the shopkeeper outright.'

After a moment, Zhu Lin finds his voice.  "Tell me, do you always accuse your customers of being vicious criminals?  If this is intended as a joke, it's rude and not the least bit funny."

OOC: The ghost can't be from this village.  She told her family of her death before she spoke to Zhu Lin.  If her family was close enough to tend to it themselves, the ghost would have told Zhu Lin he didn't need to bury the body as her family was going to do it.

[Kwokinator]

OOC: No she's not ^_^

IC:  The shopkeeper laughs warmly, nodding his head.

"Good enough answer," he grins. "Even though you didn't really answer my question."

Turning to go into the back of the store, he soon comes back out, twirling a shovel in hand much like one would do with a bo staff, and lobs it towards Zhu Lin.

"Here you go."

[Edward]

"Um, thank you," Zhu Lin says, blinking with surprise and barely catching the shovel.  "How much do I owe you?"

[Kwokinator]

"15 bronze coins is fine," the shop owner replies. "I don't charge that much."

[Edward]

OOC: I thought you previously said a typical price for a shovel was about 10 bronze.

"Um, I am a man of limited means.  Would 5 bronze be enough?"

[Kwokinator]

"Pfft," the owner waves his hand dismissively. "A shovel that costs 5 bronze is nothing, it'll probably break before the season's over.  Everyone around here knows that the equipment I sell are the best there is for miles around."

However, he takes a moment to consider Zhu Lin's offer, and replies, "12 bronze coins, no less."

[Edward]

"Very well, 12 bronze."

OOC: That leaves Zhu Lin with 1 silver, 23 bronze."

"That was an interesting move you made with the shovel, rather like some short staff techniques."

[Kwokinator]

"It's nothing," the owner replies with a nonchalant shrug. "When you're around tools for as long as I do, you learn things."

[Edward]

"It seemed a little more than the average person who sells tools knows," Zhu Lin replies with a smile.  "Well, I suppose I should be going, I have work to do."

Unless the man has anything further, Zhu Lin excuses himself and goes to bury the body.

[Kwokinator]

Zhu Lin spends the next few hours trekking back to the location of the body.  The mid-day sun results in a strong... aroma coming from the corpse, which makes it really easy to find.

He doesn't come across the bandits that he beat earlier when he was on his way into town, so the trip was fairly peaceful.

[Edward]

Zhu Lin picks the nicest spot he can and begins diigging a grave.

[Kwokinator]

The grave digging is uneventful, and soon Zhu Lin finds himself staring at the newly-made unmarked grave.

[Edward]

Zhu Lin grasps the body by the shoulders of the clothing and drags it slowly and carefully into the grave.

OOC: Is there anything special typically with a body when burying it?

Zhu Lin then begins filling in the hole.