i maybe onto something here?
ryo wasn't wasted as a child possibly because:
1, on the surface, ryo is far from a threat, lan-di is as driven as a military Commanding officer, and won't stray from the objectives, or be distracted.
2, more likely, a twisted form of honour.
there's a code of conduct in some cases, this i believe to be one of them.
if lan-di lives by a similar (yet skewed) code, then he's honour bound to to wait for ryo to approach him in combat, implying ryo is therefore ready to be exterminated according to the honour code of lan-di.
maybe he wants an equal?
a worthy opponent?
just stabbing here guys, but if i was lan-di, i'd have destroyed all evidence and resistance, left NOTHING to chance, so?!?!?!?
(could be wrong here, it's the conclusion i've reached given what i've seen in the first tow chapters of the shenmue saga.
)