Once the battle is over, the young master plans to retire to the mountains and live like a god. The twenty-four counties in Hebei have fallen, but every day, the towers of peace still light them. He tells his uncle, who has been drinking heavily, to come and take a sip of his wine. The young master says that he will not worry about the situation. He says that if the governor of Bolin County refuses to help them, they will be left alone to fight on their own. The old man tells him that he has orders from the governor to return with his head as an offering of the general. The two men talk about the war, and the old man says that it seems like war is inevitable.