The next morning, Bolingbroke is in bed. He's not hungry, he says, and he doesn't want to wake up in the middle of the night. He wants to know what's going on with the Yuyo cultivation method. He says he's always been close to Duke Ran, but he hasn't heard anything about it lately. He also says that the heart-gnashing worm has been in his body ever since he came to the palace, and it'll gnaw at his heart until he dies if he betrays him. He asks if he is in love with the Duke, and if he does, he asks if the Duke is going to kill him. The Duke says that he'll kill him after he sounds him out, and that's all he needs to do. The worm starts to hurt, and the Duke says it's time to hurry back to his palace. He goes to buy some pastries for himself.