It had been three months since the mountain fell.
The loss of General Ouki had shaken Qin to its core. His death was not just the end of a battle — it was the end of an era. But time, indifferent to grief, marched forward. The scars of Bayou were not yet healed, but new battle drums had begun to echo through the kingdom.
Along the western border, a skirmish force moved swiftly through craggy terrain. At its head rode a young man with calm eyes, dark hair fluttering behind him in the wind. His cloak was stained by dust and smoke — not from this fight, but many before.
Ren raised his hand, and the Gu Ren Tai halted behind him. No longer a 100-man unit, his men now numbered five hundred. The steady discipline in their ranks spoke of experience hard-earned.
Kai approached, sword sheathed, helmet tucked under his arm. "Another border raid repelled. That makes five in two weeks."
Ren gave a faint nod. "It's too quiet for how many times they've probed us. Feels like someone's testing our walls, not trying to break them."
Kai grinned. "If they're testing, they picked the wrong gate."
Ren didn't smile. His gaze drifted east, where the heart of Qin lay — and where new commands would soon arrive.
The summons came a week later.
In Kanyou, General Mougou stood before the king's court with a confident gleam in his eye and a massive campaign map unfurled behind him. His booming voice echoed across the hall.
"Sanyou — a vital fortress held by Wei. If we take it, the path to eastern expansion lies open!"
The court buzzed with tension and hope. The scars of Bayou made some hesitate, but Mougou's reputation as a siege specialist gave the plan weight.
Assignments were issued swiftly.
The campaign would be led in a three-pronged advance:
General Kanki on the left wing.
General Mougou at the center.
General Ousen commanding the right.
Ren read the dispatch scroll in silence.
"Kai," he said, handing it over, "we're being stationed with the right wing under General Ousen."
Kai raised a brow. "Ousen… That's the quiet one, right? The one who stares like he's already seen the end of the war?"
Ren nodded. "He's known for moving without explaining himself. We'll have to be ready to adapt."
Preparations moved swiftly. The capital became a thunderous storm of troop movements, supply wagons, and tactical briefings. Ren crossed paths with Shin only once during that time — a short exchange at a barracks post.
"You're moving out too?" Shin asked.
"Right wing," Ren replied.
Shin looked him over and smirked. "Don't die out there."
"You too."
No words needed to be said about Ouki. They had both been there. They both carried pieces of him now — not in weapons, but in will.
When the campaign finally began, the Qin army moved like a tide toward Wei.
The fortress of Sanyou stood tall in the distance, its walls black against the gray sky. Behind those walls waited unknown enemies — and another step forward in the war for unification.
For Shin. For Ren.
For the future of Qin.