In this chapter, we learn that in the year of our Lord Buddha's birth, in the middle of the night, a noisy whisper is heard in the distance. It is the voice of Bai Ling, the son of the murderer, who has come to visit his father. He asks Bai Ling if he would like to be his friend. Bai Ling responds that he would, but that he does not want to be a friend to anyone who is not his own son. When Bai Ling asks Bai to open the door, Bai Ling tells him to stay where he is and draw until he dies.