It's the day before the play's opening, and Siang is excited to be welcomed by his friends. Siang explains that he's going to be playing the role of the holy dame, moya, in the play, and he wants Siang to be his "battle suit" , which means he'll be fighting with him on the stage. He's nervous about the whole thing, but Siang reassures him that it's all just a rehearsal and that they'll get the most out of it. The story of the play is about a thief named the "phantom thief lizard" who's been haunting nobles' houses for a long time. She's killed by Siang's sister, who happens to be the most virtuous dame in all of jining . The lizard is also a symbol of evil, Siang says, because stealing isn't a good deed, but stealing is also good for the poor.