Gong Cheng covered his face in anguish.
"What can a cripple like me even do now?!"
The man grabbed him by the shoulders and said sternly, "If even you think you're a cripple, then you really will be one! Yun Chi, look at me—listen. There are still so many things you can do. Don't sell yourself short!"
He forced Gong Cheng to meet his eyes.
His forceful voice seemed to carry a hint of bewitching power. It pierced Gong Cheng's eardrums and sank into his mind, until his emotions gradually settled.
Gong Cheng's hands, resting on his knees, slowly clenched. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned blue and white, making a faint cracking sound.
The man said, "How about this—you can help me."
Gong Cheng looked up abruptly, as if he'd heard something terrifying. After a long pause, his lips trembled as he said, "Weng Zhi, you—"
Weng Zhi's hesitation vanished. His expression resolute, he said, "Yes, that's exactly what I mean! Yun Chi, we've known each other for years. You should understand how awkward my position is. The struggle for the throne in the Northern Desert is no less brutal than in the Central Plains states—in fact, it's even worse."
Gong Cheng said awkwardly, "Of course I know..."
It was precisely because he knew that he'd looked after Weng Zhi time and time again.
Weng Zhi pressed his advantage. "I've been sent here as a hostage for all these years. Who knows the hardships I've endured? If Xin Country still existed, I could have stayed on as a hostage in peace. But now Geng Country has won, and I can neither stay here nor return to the Northern Desert..."
Gong Cheng said, "Why wouldn't you be able to return?"
Weng Zhi said, "Which of my brothers is any