Seeing the black mist suddenly emerging from his pocket, Jing Li and Gu Tingshen were both stunned. Jing Li then reached out and took out the black jade pendant.
As soon as he held it in his hand, Jing Li felt the jade pendant vibrate again, and a strange man’s voice came from within. “Jing-laoshi, what a clever move.”
The man’s voice was slightly hoarse, and it sounded somewhat sinister as it came from the jade pendant. “I wonder what Jing-laoshi meant by deliberately wiping away Zhang Weixi’s bloodstain? Is this a refusal to join the Dark Forest and an intention to go against my master?”
Clearly, the stranger named Wang San was furious that the trail he had left on Zhang Weixi’s body had been removed by Jing Li, and his tone was utterly unrestrained.
Gu Tingshen’s expression darkened upon hearing this, and he was about to react.
Jing Li hurriedly gestured for him to remain silent, then said, “He’s just an innocent ordinary person. There’s no need to implicate him.”
“What, are you going to tell me this was merely out of pity for an ordinary person?”
“It’s not quite a matter of pity.” Jing Li was well aware of the Dark Forest’s contemptuous attitude toward ordinary people, so he didn’t dwell on that. Instead, he nonchalantly said, “But if the Dark Forest lacks even this basic tolerance, I’m terrified to imagine what treatment I might receive if I really joined you.”
Demons are known for their selfishness, and those from the Dark Forest are particularly notorious for their lack of principles.
If Jing Li had said something else, it might have aroused Wang San’s suspicion and conjecture. But by posing a rhetorical question about his own future prospects and safety, he left Wang San speechless.
Moreover, Jing Li’s words were crafted skillfully, implying both a concern for his own well-being after joining the Dark Forest and a suggestion that he had deliberately wiped away Zhang Weixi’s bloodstain to gauge their reaction.
The more ambiguous his words, the more cautious his opponent became, unwilling to speak rashly.
Furthermore, Wang San knew he was in the wrong, especially since he was well aware of his master’s ulterior motives for recruiting Jing Li. If this minor incident caused Jing Li to become wary, his master would undoubtedly punish him severely.
After a moment of silence, Wang San attempted to regain his composure and say something to defuse the tense atmosphere.
But Jing Li clearly had no intention of giving him that chance. Sensing his hesitation, Jing Li instantly grasped the situation. He narrowed his eyes, and his voice grew chilly. “And besides, it seems Zhang-laoshi has been even more excessive?”
“Oh, perhaps I shouldn’t even call you Zhang-laoshi anymore, since you’re impersonating someone else’s identity.”
“You claim to sincerely invite me, yet you’re unwilling to reveal your true face. Is this what the Dark Forest calls ‘sincerity’?”
“…”
Wang San suddenly choked up, unable to say anything.
But Jing Li clearly had no intention of letting him off the hook.
“Also, you were the one who attacked Gu Tingshen last night, weren’t you?” Jing Li’s voice suddenly grew icy cold. “You recklessly came out to attack him without any regard for my situation.”
Gu Tingshen turned his head to look at Jing Li, who winked at him. His tone was completely different from when he spoke to Gu Tingshen, obviously putting on an act for the demon on the other end.
Gu Tingshen could barely suppress a smile. If not for the demon still present on the jade pendant, he would have pulled his boyfriend into an embrace and kissed him thoroughly.
Let’s see if he dares use that appraising tone to refer to his boyfriend again!
Jing Li, however, seemed oblivious to his boyfriend’s thoughts, focused solely on intimidating Wang San.
“I spent so much time and effort getting close to Gu Tingshen. If you interrupted and ruined all my efforts,” Jing Li paused, his tone growing even icier, “then it wouldn’t matter if it was you or your master’s Dark Forest – I would charge in and kill you all!”
Gu Tingshen’s heart trembled with adoration at his boyfriend’s domineering words. He took Jing Li’s hand and kissed it, expressing his delight.
Jing Li couldn’t help but smile and glance at him, pink bubbles instantly filling the air around them.
If Wang San could see them, he would probably cough up blood from sheer rage.
Unfortunately, the black jade lacked visual capabilities unless Jing Li deliberately crushed it for remote viewing. But at the moment, Wang San had no mind to imagine their situation, his heart tightening at Jing Li’s threat.
Having faced Jing Li before, he knew there was no exaggeration in his words. With his own strength, he was no match for Jing Li. Even if all the demons under his master combined their powers, the result would likely be mutually destructive, at the cost of depleting his master’s demonic power.
But his master wouldn’t have sent him to recruit Jing Li if they weren’t wary of Jing Li’s strength.
“Jing-laoshi, you might be overreacting.”
After weighing his options, Wang San chose the more favorable path, lowering his stance with an apologetic smile. “I was just tempted by Gu Tingshen’s spiritual energy and couldn’t resist.”
“You saw my condition last time. I’ve been too exhausted recently, without enough spiritual power to sustain myself. It’s like a starving person seeing a delicious meal.”
To reassure Jing Li, Wang San did not hesitate to expose his own weakness. “But rest assured, the Dark Forest’s invitation to you is absolutely sincere. Look, you’ve delayed for so long without replying, and we haven’t pressed you, have we?”
Isn’t it because you were too preoccupied with your own troubles?
Jing Li raised an eyebrow slightly but did not expose Wang San’s lie.
Unaware of Jing Li’s thoughts, Wang San continued earnestly, “And I promise you, I will never make such a mistake again. No, there won’t be a next time at all!”
“Not just Gu Tingshen, but also Jing Yu and any ordinary person associated with you – we will never disturb them.”
This statement did touch Jing Li’s heart.
Although he knew such words from these creatures were as smelly as a fart and utterly untrustworthy, they would not dare offend him, given his firm stance.
Jing Li finally gave a reluctant snort in response, considering the matter settled for now. However, Wang San’s purpose in contacting Jing Li was not yet achieved.
Seeing Jing Li’s attitude soften, he quickly stated his objective, though his tone was much more conciliatory. “Since Jing-laoshi is satisfied with our concession, may I ask how you have considered joining the Dark Forest?”
“Please don’t worry, I’m not trying to rush you. But this matter has dragged on for so long, you must give me an answer, right?”
“A few days ago, my master inquired again. My master is not a patient person. Please understand the situation of us subordinates. If I don’t have a definite answer, how can I report back satisfactorily?”
Though his words were polite, the mention of his master was clearly a veiled threat.
This time, however, Jing Li did not hesitate. After exchanging a glance with Gu Tingshen, he promptly said, “I have already considered it.”
“Didn’t you say before that your master would send someone else to discuss the cooperation details with me? If your master sincerely wishes to cooperate, fine. Your people can come directly to me. We can exchange our respective plans and see which one is more feasible. But if your family’s plan is not as good as mine, your people must follow my orders, and I will take on all risks. After success, two-thirds of the reward must be given to me.”
“Of course, if your master doesn’t trust me, your people can relay my messages to him in real-time.”
“If your master agrees, I can accept the cooperation now and immediately make arrangements for your people to join me smoothly.”
Jing Li never mentioned joining the Dark Forest from start to finish, but the cooperation terms he proposed were indeed tempting. Wang San could not make the decision himself and could only hesitate, saying he needed to report back to his master first.
Jing Li did not press him, only instructing him to respond quickly before cutting off the jade pendant’s aura, effectively reversing the situation.
After dismissing Wang San, Gu Tingshen finally spoke.
“How do you plan to arrange for their people to join you?” Gu Tingshen looked at Jing Li. “Will you bring them into the studio under the guise of signing new talent, or directly form a new team to film a production?”
“My boyfriend is indeed the smartest!” Jing Li grinned at him, then took his hand and kissed it loudly. Seeing Gu Tingshen unfazed, still looking at him intently, he sighed and admitted, “I did plan to form a new production crew, but not just for them. And I won’t be foolish enough to introduce those creatures to regular people, risking their lives.”
“And I won’t let them disrupt my normal life either.”
Jing Li took Gu Tingshen’s hand, intertwining their fingers as his tone turned serious. “Since I entered this industry to pursue my dream, I will persevere.”
“I’ve worked so hard step-by-step to get where I am now, at such a crucial stage. Of course, I must continue filming more and better works to support myself.”
“What’s more, I have a whole studio behind me to support, so out of duty and etiquette, I can’t slack off. I must keep moving forward.”
“Didn’t I take on Director Yan’s movie role before? After filming, I felt it was really good, so I plan to form my own film crew to try it out.”
“As for those creatures from the Dark Forest, sooner or later I must root them out completely.”
Gu Tingshen didn’t speak, and after a moment of confirming the resolve in Jing Li’s eyes, he sighed. “I can agree to your venture, but for safety, I must be able to participate in this new team this time.”
“Coincidentally, the Gu Group has a film studio in the capital. We can film the movie there.”
“Don’t think about rejecting me. After the previous two times, I have already figured it out. Although I don’t know if I am really the important person you mentioned, those things won’t hurt me.”
Jing Li: “…”
He couldn’t refute that.
Moreover, if the situation did become tense, having Gu Tingshen by his side would be helpful, at least protecting him at the forefront.
With this in mind, Jing Li didn’t refuse and nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Gu Tingshen finally smiled and leaned over to kiss Jing Li’s cheek.
After a pause, he suddenly said, “Actually, I have an even better way that can ensure everyone’s safety while uncovering the Dark Forest’s secrets.”
Jing Li froze for a moment before looking up at him. “What way?”
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