399: Chapter 400 Daddy, is there a reward?

Ye Changge led Ye Xiao to stand before her, and looking at the woman who had cried until she was a tear-stained mess, a wave of pity welled up in his heart.

At this moment, Ye Changge gently took Bai Zhi's hands.

"You've worked hard, Bai Zhi."

Hearing this, she could no longer hold back.

"It's not hard work, Master, wuu wuu."

Bai Zhi threw herself into Ye Changge's arms, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, buried her face against his chest, and finally burst into loud sobs.

Ye Changge gently held her shoulders, his other hand stroking her back tenderly, letting her tears soak the robes on his chest.

He did not rush to speak, but just held her quietly, letting her release all the grievances and bitterness she had suppressed for many years.

The noisy crowd around them fell silent at this moment.

After a good while, Bai Zhi's sobbing gradually subsided. She remained buried in Ye Changge's arms, her shoulders still trembling slightly, but she was no longer wailing.

Only then did Ye Changge gently cup her face and use his thumb to wipe away the tear stains on her cheeks, saying softly:

"Stop crying. From today on, you will no longer be a ninth-grade concubine; you can be promoted."

"Besides, once Xiao'er achieves success in his cultivation in the future, you will be the mother of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so naturally, you will rise in status through your son. Today, you are promoted to a secondary wife first, and when Xiao'er reaches Foundation Establishment, you will be promoted again."

"Thank you... thank you, Master..."

Ye Changge gently patted her shoulder and said softly:

Having soothed Bai Zhi's emotions, Ye Changge turned to look at the crowd and announced in a clear voice: "Everyone, the Spirit Testing Ceremony continues!"

Ye Pingan steadied himself, picked up the register again, and called out loudly: "The next one—"

Before he could finish, a crisp and melodious voice came from behind the crowd.

"Coming, coming! It's Little Yao's turn!"

A small figure was seen hopping and skipping out from behind the crowd. She appeared to be about five or six years old, wearing a goose-yellow dress, the hem of which looked like a blooming flower as she ran.

Her hair was tied into two round buns with pink ribbons, making her round, fair little face look even more adorable.

This was Ye Changge and Lu Shiqing's second child, Ye Qingyao.

Ye Qingyao trotted all the way to the Spirit Testing Platform, looked up at Ye Pingan on the platform, blinked her large, dark, liquid eyes, and called out in a milky voice:

"Brother! Little Yao is going to test her spirit! You have to be gentle."

Ye Pingan was left speechless by her calling him "Brother" in that way, and he helplessly bent down, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible: "Call me Big Brother, not Brother."

"Brother!"

"...Fine, Brother it is then."

Ye Pingan gave up on correcting her, crouched down, took out a specially made small jade knife from his sleeve, and said softly:

"Be a good girl, Little Yao, reach out your hand. Brother will help you take a drop of blood; it won't hurt."

"I don't believe you! Brother, you must be trying to trick Little Yao!" Ye Qingyao pouted, turned around, and was about to run off the platform, "Little Yao won't test anymore!"

Seeing this, Lu Shiqing below the platform was both anxious and amused, and quickly spoke up: "Yao'er, stop acting up!"

Hearing her mother's voice, Ye Qingyao immediately stopped and looked back at Lu Shiqing with a pitiful expression:

"Mother... Brother is going to use a knife to poke Little Yao..."

Lu Shiqing was both annoyed and amused and was about to step forward to coax her daughter up, but Ye Changge moved first.

He strode onto the Spirit Testing Platform, came before Ye Qingyao, bent down, and looked at his daughter with a smile:

"Little Yao, Daddy is here, what are you still afraid of?"

Ye Qingyao looked up at her father's handsome and gentle face, blinked her large eyes twice, and still pouted:

"Then will Daddy protect Little Yao?"

"Of course I will."

Ye Changge reached out, gently held his daughter's little hand, and said, "How about this, Daddy will stay with you and hold your hand, okay? The knife will only touch you for a second, just like a mosquito bite; it won't hurt."

Ye Qingyao hesitated for a moment, looked at her father's warm, large hands, and finally nodded reluctantly:

"Then... then okay. But Daddy must keep his word! You can't secretly use force!"

"When has Daddy ever lied to Little Yao?"

Ye Qingyao thought about it, and it seemed that he really hadn't.

So she finally brought her hand out from behind her back and placed it obediently in Ye Changge's palm.

Ye Changge gave Ye Pingan a look. Ye Pingan understood, stepped forward cautiously, and used the jade knife to gently prick Ye Qingyao's fingertip, taking a drop of blood.

Ye Qingyao let out a "hiss" and knitted her little brows, but she didn't cry; she just looked up at Ye Changge: "Daddy, it didn't hurt!"

"See, Daddy didn't lie to you, did he?"

"Mm! Daddy is the best!"

Ye Qingyao beamed with joy immediately, turned her head, and pressed her little hand, which was oozing a bead of blood, onto the Spirit Testing Platform, "So what do I do next?"

"Just keep your hand on it like that and wait for a moment."

Ye Qingyao obediently did as she was told. The Spirit Testing Platform was silent for a breath.

Then, a dazzling light suddenly burst forth from the base of the pillar!

That light was even brighter than the crimson spirit light of Ye Xiao just now; its color was as warm and moist as jade, yet it carried a lively and agile aura, like a stream melting in early spring, clear and vibrant.

The beam of light climbed upwards, moving extremely fast—one section, two sections, three sections, four sections, five sections, six sections! A full six sections!

Another Fourth Grade Spirit Root!

The entire scene fell into dead silence once again. Immediately after, the crowd erupted like a pot boiling over!

"Another, another Fourth Grade Spirit Root?!"

"What kind of luck has the Ye family had?! In one Spirit Testing Ceremony, two Fourth Grade Spirit Roots appeared?!"

"Heaven blesses the Ye family! Truly, Heaven blesses the Ye family!"

Ye Pingan rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, confirming he hadn't seen wrong, and only then did he stammer: "Ye, Ye Qingyao, Fourth Grade Spirit Root—"

He turned his head sharply to look at Ye Changge, his face full of disbelief: "Dad! Is this Spirit Testing Platform really broken?! How could another Fourth Grade appear?!"

Ye Changge gave him a swat on the back of his head, annoyed: "Can't you wish your sister well?"

Ye Pingan covered his head and laughed sheepishly: "It's not that... Dad, I'm just too shocked... Two Fourth Grade Spirit Roots! Our Ye family used to find even a Seventh Grade Spirit Root rare, and now two Fourth Grade ones have appeared in one day..."

Ye Changge ignored his son's muttering and bent down to pick up Ye Qingyao.

The little girl was still confused and didn't know what had happened; she only saw many people below the platform with their mouths wide open looking at her, as if they were looking at some strange creature.

"Daddy," Ye Qingyao wrapped her arms around Ye Changge's neck and blinked her big eyes, "Is the 'Fourth Grade Spirit Root' that Brother mentioned very powerful?"

"Very powerful." Ye Changge smiled and pinched her little nose, "Even more powerful than Daddy was when he was little."

"Then—then is there a reward?" Ye Qingyao immediately perked up, her two bright, watery eyes looking at Ye Changge, "Little Yao wants a reward!"