Just then, the sound of an old man's cough came from the crowd.
The white-bearded old man walked out unsteadily, leaning on a wooden staff. The wrinkles on his face were clustered together, and his cloudy eyes were filled with exhaustion and pleading.
"You two... please, calm down." His voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows.
"In times like these, it's hard enough for us to survive. We mustn't fight amongst ourselves, we mustn't..."
He turned to Chen Scarface, his tone softening slightly.
"Leader Chen, Brother Li just saved our lives. That's a real debt we owe him.
He's young and hot-headed, and his words were a bit rash. You're a bigger man than that, so please don't take it to heart."
Chen Scarface's expression eased slightly. Just as he was about to speak, the old man turned to Ian.
"Brother Li, Leader Chen has been leading this group for years. He's familiar with the paths in this Wilderness. If we want to get to Blue Cave Mountain, we still need him to lead the way..."
