This chapter opens with the master of the earth prison, Master Meung, delivering a soliloquy in which he tells us that he has invented a magic potion that will poison the soul of anyone who tries to eat it. The potion is made from a needle that was once used by the ancestors of the gods to eat the souls of those who have been killed by vengeful spirits. The master says that he will use the potion to "turn into an immortal at my mercy" . This is a very clever plan, and the master is sure that it will work. He tells the master that he deserves death for his ignorance. He then tells him that the family will pledge their loyalty to him, and that Jing'er is his maid. He says that