The retreat from Hango was a silent scream.
With the fall of Den Ri Mi and A Kou, the heart of the Qin center had been ripped out. Ri Boku's grand strategy had succeeded — he had seen through the deception and deduced that Hango, not Gian, was the true target. His counterstroke was ruthless. Shi Ba Shou, chosen not for cunning but for unmatched martial prowess, had been unleashed precisely where his brutal strength could do the most damage.
The Qin center collapsed under the weight of Seika's elite.
And yet — thanks to the desperate sacrifice of Ou Sen's vassals, and the timely arrival of Sou'ou and Shi Ryou — Supreme Commander Ou Sen escaped unharmed.
Ou Sen's armor bore no scratch. His eyes, however, were distant. Even as his officers gathered around him, he spoke only once: "Retreat to Atsuyo. Preserve what remains."
The remnants of the Qin army — scattered, broken, starving — withdrew across the scorched plains. Ren, barely standing after slaying Kan Saro and Ji Aga, was carried on Kai's shoulder as what remained of the Gu Ren Tai regrouped. Their numbers had fallen below 300. The survivors called him a demon. Ren just stared ahead in silence.
At Atsuyo, Ou Sen reassembled what remained of his forces. Barely one-fourth of the original invasion army had survived. Reports trickled in: Yotanwa's forces were withdrawing as well, the Kan Ki army annihilated. Gyou, their prized goal, had become a dream drowned in blood.
Then, the message reached Kanyou.
The court was struck mute.
The campaign to take Hango — the final gate to Zhao's heart — had failed. Ri Boku had prevailed once again. Shi Ba Shou lived. The Qin army had lost nearly every major commander besides Ou Sen.
In the royal palace, Ei Sei received the report in solemn silence.
Shou Hei Kun — strategist of the throne — did not speak. He simply stood, eyes locked on the open scroll, then left the chamber.
He vanished from court for days.
Only later would it be said that in that silence, in a hidden chamber of Kanyou, Shou Hei Kun began to rebuild.
The Zhao campaign had failed.
But the unification of China could not.
News soon followed that shocked the nation again: Ou Sen voluntarily stepped down from his position as one of Qin's Six Great Generals.
The blow was immense. Of the original five, only three remained: Mou Bu, Tou, and Yo Tan Wa.
Qin stood bloodied. Its enemies stirred.
But in the shadows, its will endured.