The golden setting sun lit the golden sea, and the golden coast ran from south to north, gathering golden rivers. The Kakizaki Clan was in the lower reaches of the rivers, where the golden light of twenty-four Gold Talismans tugged at the restless hearts of the young lord and his elders. And even more shining Gold Talismans had been piled into heavy little heaps, pressing steadily against the bottom of the Great Snow Wolf's hold as it sailed north along the Ezo coast.
At this moment, Takeda Nobuhiro, deep in meditation, knew nothing of it, nor could he see this golden dream. Even if his son, Kakizaki Mitsuhiro, had grown in cultivation and seen through the temptation of several dozen catties of gold... when hundreds upon thousands of catties of gold came pouring down from the upper reaches of the river! This terrifying lure of Treasure Light was something even he might not be able to meet with discipline, stillness, and wisdom—so how could his son Mitsuhiro, only in his thirties, cultivate enough restraint to resist it?...
Of course, Zuwaro likewise knew nothing of it at this moment. Because of the gold he had let slip, the Kingdom had already been draped by the Wajin of Ezo Land in a brand-new "Gold Clan" vest, one far beyond anything he had expected. And if this "Gold Clan" vest spread abroad, it would not only shake the Shogunate, it would also touch the "sleeping giant" across the sea, touch the nerves of the empire growing more closed by the day, and touch the nerves of the Great Ming court!
Toward the tangled mass of overseas barbarians, the Great Ming court had always kept its eyes tightly shut, unwilling to so much as give them a proper look. They would not lightly communicate