This chapter's epigraph comes from a quote from a famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. In the poem, Edgar explains the concept of godhood, which is the power of one's being to create the ultimate state of being. In other words, godhood is the ability to create something transcendent, transcendent in itself. In this case, the transcendent state is that of the luo brothers, who are the embodiment of emotionless, godless godhood. The luo siblings, Edgar says, are "monsters" because of their lack of emotion. He wonders how the master of the poem could have learned to understand so many different ways of being, and how he managed to do so in such a short period of time. Edgar feels sorry for his brother, who has been unable to protect him from the evil Luo brothers. He feels that he has failed in his duty to protect his brother. He asks his brother if he is okay if he can die with him, and then asks him what he is planning to do with his children.