The chapter opens with a soliloquy in which the protagonist explains that he became a bloodservant because he wanted to gain the trust and intelligence of the Poins. He also wants to spy on xiaosen, because Poins is the one who trusts him the most right now. The protagonist says that he can't betray Poins like this, because he hasn't yet learned the truth about his family's past. He asks Poins why he's feeding his blood to a man who's from a noble clan. Poins says that xin is a good match for Poins because he'll have the information Poins needs, and Poins wants to maintain the balance of their species. He says that if a person takes in blood from a blood clan that's purer than their own, then it's important that the species's balance be maintained, and that the person should be respected by his or her own family. After all, Poins's family has ignored xin because of his "mixed human blood" , so Poins asks why he came back so late. He tells the protagonist that he has been studying late, because his studies have lagged behind recently. He wants to know if he can visit xin the next day, since xin has already come to him, and if Poins can meet with him. He promises to do so.