This chapter opens with a flashback to the events of the previous chapter, in which we learn that the monk's senior brother, Cai Ming-liang, had lied to the monk about his health. The monk, however, is undeterred by the lie, and he praises his friend huan-xi for saving the day. He then goes on to say that he has not finished reading his scriptures, but that helping others is a better use of his time than doing nothing at all. As the monk and his companions continue to search for the green jade dragon, they come upon a carriage that has left a mark on the ground in the direction of the dragon's lair