This chapter opens with a soliloquy by zuo, in which he says that he would kill himself if he found out that he was plotting against the zhan dynasty. He then goes on to say that he is a man of the woman, not of the dynasty, and that he loves the woman not the dynasty. This is a reference to the fact that he has married the daughter of the emperor, not the emperor's daughter. He says that if he had known that the emperor was planning to kill him, he would have given up everything he had to be with him. He also says that even if the purple vine had grown a little bit longer, it would still not be strong enough to fight the "high-rank beasts" like the wolves. He tells the others to catch up with him and the others before he does, as they are "commander-rank assassins." He tells them to hurry up and kill him before he is killed, as he is weak and needs to be caught alive. He wants to chop one of his hands off before he dies. He asks if he is okay, and he tells him that they are being "targeted by assassins" and that there are "hundreds" of them. They need to get help while he and he hide. They have surrounded the mountain, and they cannot