Synopsis

The chapter opens by introducing Tear Creek Village, a destitute settlement at the outskirts of Water Peak, populated by outcasts. The Young Leader of the Myung Cult unexpectedly arrives, seemingly interested in the village, but his visit is met with nervous anticipation and thinly veiled subservience. Meanwhile, the village chief is revealed to be exploitative, using the village's poverty to his advantage, including arranging for a young woman to be sent to the Young Leader, possibly for nefarious purposes.