In this chapter, we learn that the bridegroom is a disciple of the "Sword-Mansion," and that he is planning to marry a beautiful young woman named Miss Xue. The young bride is a member of the Seven Imperial Families, which means that she is eligible to marry into one of the imperial families. This means that the young bride will have to leave the city of Qingming and travel to the "sword-mansion" in order to marry the young woman. The bride's father, Mr. Zhengzhou, tells the young man that he has arranged a group of people to prevent him from leaving the city until he returns. Mr.Zhengzhou is furious at the idea that the bride has used her life to exchange her family for the life of the man she is marrying. He says that she has exchanged her life for that of his family, and that she cannot save any more lives. He threatens to kill the two rats who have been guarding the secret passage of the bride and her father, but Miss Zhengzhou refuses to listen to him, saying that she will not be killed until she gets back to the city. He tells her that he will get her out of the city, but that he cannot afford to kill her if she has guts. He warns her that there will be war between the two kingdoms if she does not leave, but she refuses to believe him. The two men meet for the first time in fifty years.