Ri Boku had to get Shin out of the picture before Shi Ba Shou moved. If nothing else, it says he's still just a mortal man of flesh and bone avoiding risk.
Whatever relative smallfry like Shi Ryou and Sou'Ou think and feel about him shouldn't be assumed to be in any what indicative of how 6GG talents think and feel. They're not cut from the same cloth. Shin has been starring down Great Generals like Ren Pa since Sanyou. He has faced men like Hou Ken, Gai Mou, Kei Sha and Gyou'un without blinking, and he's no stranger to slaying giants. I don't think Shi Ba Shou is going to be any different in the long run and his portrayal will reflect that.
As broken as some argue Kyou Kai is, we know Shin can credibly win any fight in this series. Shi Ba Shou is not a man with little to be weary about.