Night falls on the battlefield where the earth is soaked with blood and the Kan Ki Army reigns victorious. Whispers begin to spread — Kan Ki is preparing for another massacre.
In the dark before dawn, Ren and the Gu Ren Tai operate under strict silence. Kai, his second-in-command, looks tense.
Kai: "You're sure about this? If Kan Ki finds out—"
Ren (quietly): "Then he'll try to kill me. But if we kill 60,000 men... I'll never be anything more than a better version of him."
They intercept the columns of prisoners under the pretense of "relocation." Ren has already bribed or replaced several guards. The 60,000 Zhao soldiers are quietly split: 30,000 to Retsubi, 30,000 to Gyou.
They are chained but fed, and placed under watch with orders to rebuild and fortify the cities, not fight. Some protest, others bow — and a few weep.
Ren sends a coded letter to King Sei through an elite messenger hawk — bypassing standard military channels.
Ren's Letter to Sei:
"I have spared the lives of sixty thousand Zhao soldiers. They are now bound in chains and tasked with rebuilding the bastions that Qin will need to hold. If unity is our goal, then let this be the first stone. If this is unacceptable, I will accept the punishment alone."
Back in Kanyou, Sei reads the message in silence. After a long pause, he places the scroll aside and murmurs:
Sei: "You did what even I hesitated to ask."
He instructs a quiet confirmation to be sent back: "Hold the prisoners. Begin the reconstruction."
At Kan Ki's camp, the soldiers prepare for the "grand execution." But when they open the holding zones…
They are empty.
Ma Ron panics. Kan Ki simply grins.
Kan Ki (to himself): "You took them right from under my nose, huh… Ren."
Later, Kan Ki appears before Ren in the woods — alone.
Kan Ki: "You stole my spectacle. Got blood on your hands or not, it doesn't matter. They'll betray you, you know that, right?"
Ren (calm): "If they do, I'll cut them down. But they won't. Because I gave them something you never did — purpose."
Kan Ki laughs — not mocking, but entertained. For now, he lets Ren live.
Weeks later, new fortifications begin rising in Retsubi and Gyou. Using the Zhao prisoners as laborers, overseen by Gu Ren Tai officers, they:
Rebuild inner and outer walls
Dig reinforced trenches
Stockpile food and tools
Construct a new supply depot between Retsubi and Gyou, later known as "Ren's Bastion"
The structure becomes a key Qin stronghold, supplying the future warfront and protecting the invasion route.
Ren stands on the walls of Retsubi, watching former enemies haul stone, grumbling under their breath but working. Behind him, Kai joins him.
Kai: "This will hold."
Ren: "It better. I bet 60,000 lives on it."
And from the shadows, a hawk arrives. A reply from the king.Only one line:
"Well done."