Following the defeat of the Snake Lord, Bangqiu claimed a large share of the treasure from the tomb. Most of it he donated to Gwinch's monastery, effectively purchasing the promise that Kafka would be allowed to accompany him on future adventures. His immediate plan was to hire a sailing ship and return the captives he had rescued to their distant homelands, including one whose home lay beyond the eastern sea. Kafka agreed to meet him in Quitokai.
Rather than join Bangqiu's voyage, Tetsukichi and Beatriss returned overland to the Happy Valley by way of Khanbaliq.
They were accompanied by two of the rescued captives. Hui, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Khanbaliq, was reunited with her family. Before the companions departed, she and Al-Fitar were married in a small ceremony. As a wedding gift, Hui's family presented the young couple with an oddly fashioned golden box whose purpose remained a mystery.
The other traveler was Noi, the daughter of prosperous farmers near Quitokai. Though her family welcomed her home with great joy, Noi surprised them all by announcing that she intended to leave the farm behind and seek a life of adventure..Back in Happy Valley, Tetsukich had a new son. Beatriss’s children were running wild. The people of the Valley had learned that they should not kill the foxes that raided their farms, but it was permissible to hurt them. These foxes’ love of stolen meals seemed to far outstrip any trap, punishment, or other tactic the villagers could devise to deter them.
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