Yet they knew nothing of it.
A net stretching from heaven to earth had already been laid for them.
At Sea-Watching Cliff in Jade Prefecture, a sliver of light appeared on the horizon.
The sea wind howled.
Atop the cliff.
Li Xinge stood with his hands behind his back, clad in black-and-gold robes.
His gaze rested on the distant horizon.
A faint smile curled his lips.
"My lord, the Four Seas Alliance has made its move."
Zhao Wujiu quietly appeared behind him.
He bowed and reported respectfully.
At those words, Li Xinge's smile deepened.
"They have finally come. I have been waiting for them for a long time."
The sea wind grew fiercer, as though it would swallow everything.
Just then.
The eastern sky seemed to split open all at once.
A red sun leaped boldly into view.
Before long.
The newly risen sun cast boundless golden rays across the sea.
The waves surged, glittering and shimmering.
Beneath the sky's radiant glow, the once-dark fabric of Li Xinge's black-and-gold robes was dyed a magnificent purple and gold.
Even the howling sea wind around him seemed awed by that vast radiance, growing gentle in that instant.
Li Xinge faced that blood-red sun, dazzling yet brimming with life, its blazing orb reflected in his deep eyes.
He spoke slowly, his voice carrying across the clifftop on the wind:
"The east is red, the sun rises. The Li Family shall flourish—the Li Family shall rise to greatness!"
Behind him, Zhao Wujiu dropped to one knee.
His voice was fervent and unwavering.
"My lord shall reign for a thousand autumns, for ten thousand generations! And I, Zhao Wujiu, shall always follow in your footsteps, without regret even if I must die a hundred deaths!"
Shenjing.
The Imperial Study.
Song Wuya approached