Min Ziqiong's mother didn't know that Ying Chen had deliberately struck her Jianjing acupoint just now.
This acupoint, if struck with moderate force, could cause temporary paralysis.
In short, making someone numb.
Naturally, they wouldn't feel pain.
"Even a peach wood sword can't deal with you. It seems I have to call for a Celestial Master!"
Ying Chen murmured to himself.
Upon hearing this, Min Ziqiong's mother immediately panicked, "Call for what Celestial Master? I told you I'm not a ghost!"
"Ouch, ouch... I'm in so much pain! Quickly, quickly, someone help me pull out this sword! I'm dying of pain!"
It was only then that Min Ziqiong's mother remembered to feign pain.
But it was too late.
Let alone Ying Chen, even Min Ziqiong's father stood far away, looking at her with a strange expression.
Clearly, Min Ziqiong's father was also filled with doubt and dared not approach her!
This made Min Ziqiong's mother both angry and anxious.
She felt as though she couldn't wash herself clean even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
"Ying Chen, I'm begging you, Auntie. Don't be so quick to make that call."
"Think again, are there any other ways to verify if someone is a ghost in the movies? Try a few more, and you'll surely be able to prove my innocence!"
This time, Min Ziqiong's mother took the initiative to ask Ying Chen to test her, without needing him to speak.
Ying Chen looked troubled, "There are indeed a few more methods in the movies, but..."
Hearing that there were still methods, Min Ziqiong's mother quickly said, "But what? Don't just say 'but'! If you can help Auntie prove her innocence at this time, you'll be doing Auntie a huge favor! No matter what, Auntie won't blame you!"
"Then... shall I try?"
"Try! Try a few more!" Min Ziqiong's mother said decisively.
So, Ying Chen turned and walked back into the villa again.
A moment later, Ying Chen reappeared before Min Ziqiong's mother.
In his hand, however, was a washbasin!
The basin was filled with a dark red liquid, from which a pungent bloody smell kept emanating.
"What is this?" Min Ziqiong's mother couldn't help but take a step back and asked.
Ying Chen replied, "Black dog blood! The movies say ghosts are most afraid of black dog blood. If you splash it on someone, the ghost will immediately reveal its true form! To help Auntie prove her innocence, I killed the little black dog we just bought!"
In reality, there was no black dog in the villa. This basin of blood was concocted by Ying Chen using all sorts of potions and pigments.
He had also deliberately added some smelly ingredients that were difficult to wash off.
He was sure that after this basin of blood, Min Ziqiong's mother would reek for half a month!
"No, Auntie, didn't you just take a step back? Did you step back because you were afraid of this thing?"
Ying Chen asked, as if he had discovered a flaw.
Min Ziqiong's mother didn't dare to admit it and shook her head like a rattle drum, "No! Absolutely not! You must have seen wrong!"
"Alright, stop babbling and hurry up and splash it! I'm human, not a ghost, how could I be afraid of this thing?"
"Then I'm going to splash it!"
At Min Ziqiong's mother's urging, Ying Chen picked up the basin and splashed it all over her.
Instantly, Min Ziqiong's mother turned into a bloody mess.
From head to toe, she was covered in blood, wet and dripping.
Most importantly, she exuded a strong foul odor, making it impossible for anyone to stand within ten feet of her!
"Gag!" Min Ziqiong's mother gagged repeatedly from the stench, her eyes tearing up.
"Auntie, your current state isn't a sign of fear, is it?" Ying Chen asked without giving Min Ziqiong's mother a chance to catch her breath.
Hearing this, Min Ziqiong's mother hastily wiped away her tears and stood up straight.
"No, how could it be? Look at me, I'm perfectly fine!"
"I told you long ago, I'm not a ghost!"
Ying Chen looked at Min Ziqiong's mother with a skeptical gaze, "Auntie, it's not that I don't believe you, but I think it's necessary to try two more methods."
"You wait."
With that, Ying Chen turned and went back into the villa again.
Watching Ying Chen's retreating back, Min Ziqiong's mother was close to tears.
But thinking that even Min Ziqiong's father was doubting her now, her life would be ruined if she couldn't prove her innocence.
She could only hold back her tears and stand still.
Putting on a brave face.
Soon, Ying Chen returned.
This time, he held a vine.
The vine still had leaves on it, clearly just plucked from a tree.
"Auntie, this is a willow branch. It's said that this thing can hit ghosts. If you whip someone possessed by a ghost with it, you can drive the ghost away."
"What?" Min Ziqiong's mother trembled upon hearing this.
This was no different from enduring a whipping!
But before she could refuse, Ying Chen looked at her with the gaze of a police officer interrogating a suspect and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, Auntie, you just flinched?"
"No!" Min Ziqiong's mother flatly denied.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter if you admit it or not. Whether you are human or ghost, it will be known soon!"
Ying Chen waved his hand, then suddenly raised the willow branch in his hand.
*Snap!*
He forcefully whipped Min Ziqiong's mother.
"Ouch!" Min Ziqiong's mother let out a scream, her entire face contorted in agony.
It was evident how hard Ying Chen had hit her!
"You're scared, you're scared! It means I'm hitting correctly!"
"I'll hit, I'll hit, I'll beat away the evil spirit and save Auntie!"
Ying Chen said as he continued to whip her.
Min Ziqiong's mother, like a screaming chicken, wailed repeatedly at the top of her lungs.
Her cries were so tragic, her appearance so pathetic, that even Min Ziqiong's father couldn't bear to watch.
He wanted to stop it, but then he thought that if he stopped it, his wife's innocence wouldn't be proven.
He could only turn his head away and stop watching.
After a long while, Min Ziqiong's mother's clothes were torn, revealing streaks of blood.
Only then did Ying Chen stop.
He carefully examined Min Ziqiong's mother and sighed, "Auntie, I apologize for my incompetence. I truly can't tell if you are human or a ghost!"
"..." Min Ziqiong's mother felt like killing Ying Chen.
You beat me up and then told me you couldn't tell?
What were you doing before?
"There are only two paths left. The first is to invite a Celestial Master, as they are professionals."
Before Ying Chen could finish speaking, Min Ziqiong's mother interrupted him, "Don't invite a Celestial Master! I choose the second path, the second path!"
"As for the second path, it's for you yourselves to find a way to prove your innocence. Uncle, why are you hiding there? Come over and help Auntie think of a solution! I feel like you don't care about Auntie at all!"
Ying Chen waved to Min Ziqiong's father.
With a single sentence, he had unknowingly set a trap for Min Ziqiong's father.
Min Ziqiong's father quickly walked over upon hearing this and said, "How can I not care? I'm more anxious than anyone. But I haven't experienced this before, and I don't know what to do!"
"How about searching online?"
"That might work!" Ying Chen said.
So, the two of them began searching online.
Soon, they found a few methods for exorcising ghosts.
One was spitting. Ghosts feared filth, and spit was the perfect counter to them. The article "Song Dingbo Catches a Ghost" in "Sovereign God's Records" documented how Song Dingbo captured a ghost with his spit.
Second, setting off firecrackers. Firecrackers were originally used to ward off evil spirits, and all sorts of malevolent entities feared them.
Third, beheading a chicken. Especially a rooster. The fresh blood spurted out the moment the chicken's head fell had the strongest yang energy, capable of subduing any ghosts or demons.
"These three are it!" Ying Chen and Min Ziqiong's father finally agreed and decided.
They didn't notice that Min Ziqiong's mother's face had turned pale.