The hong family patriarch explains that the situ family has begun to attack the younger generation of the family. He says that bupo has been hit by a "great meridian breaking palm" and that all of his channels have been shattered. The patriarch says that he was once the "best of brothers" with bupo and that he risked his life to rescue him from the mountains ten years ago. Now, the patriarch says, the situs are attacking him again. He tells his grandfather to stay at the manor and find a way for bupo to heal his wounds. He also tells him that he must pay the family's debts in blood. The situs now own all of the manors in the country. The father-in-law says that the fortunes of the Sity family are on the up and up, but that the day will come when they will be swallowed up by the hongs. He predicts that he will kill all the younger generations of the thu family.