On the quiet street, that shout rang out with startling clarity. Everyone turned to look and saw four guards and two mage protectors escorting a Dwarf. He was galloping toward them on a tall warhorse that was clearly an awkward fit for his stature.
Due to the lack of streetlights, the crowd couldn't make out the Dwarf's features until he drew closer.
He had a nearly bald head with a small tuft of hair tied into a ponytail at the crown. This was in stark contrast to his thick, bushy grey handlebar mustache.
Despite wearing civilian soft armor and carrying no visible weapons, the strong Dwarf—standing about 1.5 meters tall—exuded an aura of a giant the moment he leaped off his mount.
The Dwarf seemed genuinely thrilled to see Chen, letting out several hearty laughs. "Haha! Master, I've finally caught up to you!"
Li Li slapped her forehead. "Oh heavens... Mr. Dwarf, you actually chased us all the way here..."
Hicks couldn't help but ask his companions, "Who the hell is this? Having so many people accompany him for a nighttime stroll. Does anyone recognize him?"
Hicks continued, "A noble? Can that Pandaren wanderer actually know a noble?"
Verdan gave Hicks a light nudge. "How many people from Ironforge do you actually know? Keep your voice down; let's watch from the side."
The four of them had arrived late and didn't know about Chen showing the guards the signature from King Bronzebeard.
It wasn't that they didn't find Pandaren rare, but after staring at them all afternoon, they felt that like Gnolls, Kobolds, or even Murlocs, it wasn't that big of a deal.
To avoid being recognized again and attracting another crowd, Chen had pulled the brim of his bamboo hat very low. He was wrapped in a cloak over his coat; from a distance, he just looked like a super-sized, obese human.
However, seeing the Dwarf, he tilted his hat up slightly and nodded in greeting. "My friend, don't tell me you came here specifically to chase me down."
The Dwarf laughed as he approached. "There's a bit of a problem in Stormwind. I'm representing the King and the High Tinker to coordinate with the Regent. I didn't expect the sentries to report that two Pandaren appeared in Goldshire. I knew it was you the moment I heard it, haha! So, I immediately left the Regent behind and flew over on a gryphon."
He pointed to the mount behind him. "As soon as I landed, I swapped for a horse to find you in town. Haha, this time you won't be able to slip away without saying goodbye!"
With that, the Dwarf actually pulled a long, thick wooden staff from the side bag of his mount. He shouted at Chen with excitement, "Come on, Master! I won't give you a chance to run today!"
Chen waved his hands repeatedly. "My friend, you're not planning to start a fight right here, are you?"
The Dwarf looked ready to jump into action. "Master, stop making excuses. Any place is fine; let's just make it a quick duel!"
Chen kept waving his hands. "No, no, that's against the rules."
The Dwarf laughed triumphantly and beckoned to the guards behind him. "Come, bring the flag!"
One of the guards quickly unfurled a long spear in his hand. Everyone then saw that what he held was not a military standard, but a red duel flag emblazoned with two crossed swords!
Wayne and the others finally understood. This Dwarf had traveled a vast distance just to find Chen for a duel!
The guard planted the flag firmly in the ground. The Dwarf brandished his wooden staff and urged, "This isn't a life-and-death struggle, just a sparring match. Master, if you don't accept the challenge now, more onlookers will gather, and we won't be able to fight at all."
Seeing this display, Chen knew that even if he tried to hide, the other party wouldn't let it go. He let out a long sigh. "Alright..."
He unfastened his cloak, took off his bamboo hat, and handed them to Li Li. He signaled for her to stand by the entrance of the net cafe. Then, he formed a fist with his right hand and covered it with his left palm, bowing to the Dwarf.
"Chen Stormstout, Brewmaster."
The Dwarf's expression showed he was beyond thrilled, as if a long-awaited dream was finally coming true. He mimicked Chen's gesture and bowed back.
"Afren Abercrombie, Grand Marshal of the Alliance."
If surprise could be described as a sound, the minds of the Westbrook quartet were currently filled with a deafening roar—like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky and illuminating the entire night!
The four of them stared at the Dwarf, mouths agape. The last few words of the Dwarf's introduction echoed in their ears over and over again.
Grand Marshal Afren Abercrombie!
The only Rank 14 Grand Marshal in the Alliance!
The Battlefield Commander of Ironforge, the Alliance's mobilization commander for Silithus, a veteran of all three Great Wars—he was an absolute power player and core commander of the Kingdom of Khaz Modan's military!
One could even say he was a living legend.
Wayne and Tess noticed the shocked expressions on the four men. Wayne felt the name sounded familiar but couldn't quite remember what he did; he only recalled that back when he played WoW before his crossing, there was a Dwarf NPC with this name you had to find to turn in materials for a quest.
Chen tilted his neck, placed his left hand behind his back, and extended his right palm upward and slightly forward. "I just learned a set of fist techniques; I'm ready to see if they're effective."
The guard shouted, "By your command!" He gripped the flag with his right hand and raised his left hand high. He called out:
"3..."
"2..."
"1..."
He slammed his raised hand down, signaling the official start of the duel!
Roar!
A deafening roar erupted from the Grand Marshal's throat.
Verdan exclaimed, "It's Battle Shout!"
Hicks asked, "Is rolling forward considered a move? That palm strike just now looked like it relied on pure brute force."
Hudson corrected him, "Don't talk nonsense. That palm strike carried a powerful wind! And don't forget who his opponent is!"
Beside them, Wayne muttered to himself, "Tiger Palm..."
"What's going on outside?"
"They're fighting! They're fighting! Call the guards!"
"No, it's a duel!"
"It's that Pandaren! He's dueling a Dwarf!"
People inside the Lion's Pride Inn heard the commotion and poked their heads out. But the two combatants were in the heat of battle, completely undisturbed by the outside world.