Chapter 147
Gentry’s words, at first blush, seemed innocuous, but there was a whiff of a humble brag beneath his resigned tone.
He claimed that his spirits were above mundane concerns like the fortune of all things, implying that he was too exalted for such trivial matters.
Kane and Candace, veterans of showbiz, quickly read between the lines of his statement.
Mervin and Winnie exchanged a knowing glance. Winnie chose not to expose Gentry in front of the audience, saying, “Among the spirits, the fox is the most temperamental. It’s true they aren’t easily called upon for trivialities.”
Gentry was pleased with Winnie’s tactful response, his ego swelling a bit as he said,
“That’s right. That’s why I handle what I can on my own. In our last encounter, I noticed the problem with the house, but I decided it would be better to let you youngsters take the lead…”
In the midst of speaking. Gentry effectively elevated his status.
Granted, he was the eldest among the guests. But what he might not have realized was that in the Mystical Sects, prowess mattered more than age.
Mervin frowned at his words.
Gentry, too, worried he might have come across as too full of himself. Lately, he’d been scrolling through online comments, and many were focused on Mervin and Winnie’s abilities to see through deceptions, overshadowing his efforts to channel his patron spirit, which hadn’t made much of a splash.
Gentry was not satisfied with this outcome.
So at the start of the new episode, he made a point to emphasize his mystical expertise and
stature.
Winnie didn’t rise to the bait, but Mervin couldn’t stand to watch this charade any longer, bluntly asking. “Since that’s the case, maybe we can all share insights in the future. What’s your ID in Ghostly?”
Mervin’s question threw everyone except Winnie off, including the live audience.
“What was Ghostly?”
“A quick search turned up nothing. Could it be an exclusive forum for elites of the Mystical Sects like a hidden hacker board that’s not publicly accessible?”
“But Gentry seemed clueless about it.”
“Winnie, on the other hand, seemed to recognize it.
“Could it be that Gentry, a renowned mystical livestreamer, hadn’t even made it into the
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Chapter 147
Mystical Sects inner community?”
The commentary was ablaze with speculation and questions about Ghostly. Some were excited about the potential revelation of secrets, while others defended Gentry’s standalone approach to the mystical arts.
Gentry felt like he was sweating bullets.
How was he to know that in the midst of casual conversation, Mervin would lay a trap?
He had never heard of Ghostly, but Winnie’s nonchalant response suggested it was common knowledge. Had he been living under a rock?
Knowing how easily this could turn into an embarrassing debacle, like not knowing a common piece of knowledge, Gentry worried his earlier expression had given him away. To backtrack now would lack credibility and potentially dig him deeper into a hole.
After a moment of hesitation, Gentry chose the path of honesty. “What’s Ghostly? I must admit I’ve been so devoted to my Fox Spirit that I haven’t kept up with various mystical circles.”
Gentry’s earnest appearance, coupled with his candid admission, won over most of the audience.
Mervin had brought up Ghostly on purpose to call out a fraud. He knew he had a blunt disposition, but he couldn’t stand imposters.
It was because of charlatans like Gentry that the reputation of the Mystical Sects remained in question.
“It’s not a mystical organization. If you haven’t heard of it, let’s leave it at that,” Mervin said, dismissively changing the subject. But his reaction had a clear undercurrent of, “Can’t believe you don’t know about it, but I’ll save you the embarrassment.”
Off–camera, Bagot was having a headache, sensing another guest was about to damage their reputation. Eager to shift the focus, he called out, “What about our new guest? I heard she’s arrived. Let’s bring her out and stop this conversation.”
With Bagot’s prompt, the host Ned tactfully cut off the chat and turned the attention to the new guest.
“I hear our new guest is on her way. Does anyone know much about her?”
He cued Candace, “Candace, I hear you’ve worked with our new guest on a project. Care to share?”
The new guest’s identity had been teased by the production on social media, and Candace certainly knew who it was.
Internally rolling her eyes but keeping up a sweet and enthusiastic facade, she said, “I think everyone’s familiar with Mae. No need for me to spill the beans.”
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