Pei Zhao transmigrated into the Investiture of the Gods, becoming a frontier commander who surrendered to Xiqi.
He brought the whole city over to the Zhou, on one condition: no massacring the city, no forced conscription, and no driving civilians onto the walls to serve as arrow shields.
At first, Xiqi agreed to everything.
But after the front line suffered a defeat, the new supervisory officer demanded that he hand over thirty thousand able-bodied men at once. He also ordered him to burn the villages outside the city so the pursuing Shang army would have no food.
When Pei Zhao refused, the officer seized his wife and children, forcing him to stamp the conscription order.
By the time Pei Zhao rushed to save them, he learned that the court had already decided to abandon the isolated city.
His mission wasn't to hold it. He was to defend it to the death for three days. If he died in battle, he would be posthumously honored as a loyal marquis. If he evacuated the people, he would be branded a traitor.
Looking at the eulogy they'd prepared in advance, Pei Zhao finally laughed.
"I'm still alive, and you've already decided how I'm going to die."
The "Ten Thousand Homes Ablaze System" awakened then.
For every household that willingly stayed to defend the city alongside him, its defenses grew stronger. If he sent civilians to their deaths, the rewards would be withdrawn at once.
He slew the supervisory officer's guards who had seized his family, rescued his wife and children, then opened the city gates.
Outside stood a group of Jie Sect Disciples fleeing persecution.
Pei Zhao invited them inside to recover, but first laid down an agreement: they must not bully the people or use living humans to refine treasures. Anyone who broke the rules would be expelled.
From then on, this little city, which everyone had deemed certain to fall, became Xiqi's most stubborn thorn in the side.
When the enemy broke his formations, he rebuilt the walls. When the enemy invited immortals, he welcomed them as guests.
It was only when Jiang Ziya arrived at the front that he discovered the soldiers atop the walls were the very people Xiqi had already written into their eulogies.
