Shen Tang wasn't happy about inexplicably receiving a letter of allegiance. It was like being out shopping and suddenly having someone dump a bankrupt company saddled with debt in her lap. She wouldn't get a single benefit out of it and would still have to pour money into the place.
Shen Tang stared sternly at the county deputy.
The man grew uneasy under her gaze.
The county deputy knew how to read people. He could clearly see the impatience and distaste in Shen Tang's eyes. She plainly wasn't interested in his letter of allegiance, nor in him. He crawled forward on his knees, trembling as tears welled in his eyes. "I beg you, My Lord, take us in!"
He made himself as lowly as possible, like a stray dog driven from its home.
Well, he was hardly any different from one now. The moment he decided to kill the county magistrate and the others, he'd left himself no way out. No—he'd been doomed even earlier, when he offended the local Great Landlord. What happened to his daughter had only delayed his death. If Shen Tang hadn't appeared out of nowhere and wiped out the entire Great Landlord's clan, he wouldn't have had many peaceful days left.
Other than Shen Tang's side, he had nowhere to go.
Seeing that Shen Tang still hadn't agreed, he crawled another step forward.
He pressed his forehead hard against the cold ground, the reek of damp soil filling his nostrils. This time, he hit it so hard that his forehead split, leaving a bloody mark. "From now on, I'll serve you faithfully, My Lord, and do everything in my power!"
Shen Tang: "..."
Well, now he was forcing her hand.
What good could something be if it was being shoved at her like this?
But