"Never judge a person by appearances, and the sea cannot be measured with a bushel." Another team member, who looked rather refined, heard him and spoke up in rebuttal. "Maybe he's powerful enough to explore this place alone."
Old Chen, the seasoned leader of the group, recalled Lin Li's calm expression just moments ago and the way he had remained completely unruffled when facing them. He spoke up.
"When he interacted with us just now, his eyes were calm. There wasn't a trace of panic in them.
"Ordinary young people rarely have that kind of courage.
"Only someone with considerable strength could have such confidence."
Hearing this, everyone fell silent, clearly agreeing with Old Chen's assessment.
After talking about Lin Li for a while, they shifted their attention and began discussing their plans for tomorrow's exploration.
"Old Chen, that path was blocked by an exotic beast just now. We can't get through, so we'll have to take another route tomorrow." A man with a thick bandage wrapped around his injured neck spoke up. "Which way do you think we should go?"
Old Chen furrowed his brows and looked over the several dark, narrow alleys around them. At last, his gaze settled on a moss-covered entrance to their right.
Green moss blanketed the walls on both sides of the alley, and it looked as though few people ever passed through.
He pointed toward it. "Tomorrow, we'll take that alley. It looks relatively safe. We'll see if we can get through without trouble."
No one objected to Old Chen's decision, and that settled the matter.
Afterward, they fell silent and focused on tending to their injuries.
They also took food and water from their backpacks and ate slowly, replenishing their depleted strength and energy.
"Old Chen, since that young man is probably