10 articles of faith

  "Did you receive it?"

  "Yes." Although a little uneasy in her heart, she was very determined to send it. Besides, she couldn't take it off anyway.

  Yu Xia sighed and her gaze became even stranger: "Then... what did you send back?"

  Qiu Qiu shook her head honestly. There was nothing suitable on her as a return gift, just some ordinary trinkets, and she couldn't very well give the pine nuts and chestnuts she had collected, dried and shelled to Dier, could she?

  Yu Xia Zhen Ren had Autumn stay behind alone, took out a box and handed it to her: "Open it and take a look."

  Qiu Qiu glanced at her master and lifted the lid of the box.

  Inside the box was a tattered old book. It was thin, with only three or four pages apart from the cover page. The paper had turned yellow after who knows how long, and the ink on it had faded by more than half.

  It's definitely not an ordinary book!

  If it were an ordinary book, how could it have been preserved for so long? It would have disintegrated into dust by now. Besides, if it were just a common book, there's no need to store it in such a box and treasure it carefully.

  "You give this to the child as a return gift."

  "Master, this must be very valuable, right?"

  Yu Xia smiled: "It's nothing precious, what are you thinking?"

  Qiu Qiu whispered: "Isn't it a fragment of some precious secret recipe?"

  "Not really." Yu Xiang Zhen Ren also joked: "If there's really such a thing, I wouldn't be willing to give it to you few little spendthrifts. It should be kept as a treasured heirloom."

  Although Yu Xia said so, Qiuqiu would never believe that this book was an ordinary old book with no meaning.

  Yu Xia knew that although Xiao was a bit greedy and confused, those were just trivial matters in daily life. When it came to important things, she couldn't be fooled.

  Yu Xia Zhenren took in three apprentices. The eldest apprentice, Jing Xin, is not to be mentioned, having followed her for the longest time and being the most steady and reliable. Any task handed over to her can be absolutely trusted. However, she's too steady, often taking on everything herself, making it hard for Yu Xia Zhenren to feel a sense of accomplishment as her master.

  Er Jingyi is too strong-willed, and her heart is not broad enough. Yu Xia Zhenren often worries about her when divining. This temperament of hers is prone to deviating from the right path.

  But Qiū Qiū is different, very genuine and lovely, saying whatever comes to mind, yet also understanding and not arrogant.

  It's no wonder that Yu Xia Zhen Ren would have to be more careful with such a young apprentice.

  She's still so young, and after going up the mountain, she couldn't even see her hometown relatives again, it's really hard for her.

  "This thing, to be honest, isn't anything precious, but it does have a bit of history. It's also related to Fang Zhenren. If you take this, it can be considered as returning something to its rightful owner. To be frank, this thing has been taking up space at my place and is really annoying. Just take it away."

  Now that this thing can be traced back to its original owner, Qiuqiu's heart is much more at ease. Although Yu Xia didn't carefully explain the origin of this thing, Qiuqiu began to fantasize whether there was another complicated and melodramatic backstory behind it.

  And the expression on Shi Er's face when he saw this book also confirmed Yu Xia's words.

  "Master told me to give this to you, as a return gift for the Ruyi Ring. We can't just accept such an expensive thing from you for nothing." Qiū Qiū looked at Shí ér's expression and asked tentatively: "Do you know the origin of this book?"

  He raised his head to look at her, and under the gaze of those dark eyes, Qiuqiu could only swallow back the words that had been on the tip of her tongue.

  It would be strange if you could get a clear answer from her mouth.

  It seems like the kid knows this book.

  The child's fingers slowly swept across the worn pages of the book, with a faint glimmer of light rippling from the tips.

  Qiu Qiu guessed that there must be some protective measures on this book, and indeed she was right.

  "I once saw the other half of this book." The sound of Shi Er's voice was very light, and at first it seemed to come from a very distant place.

  "Really? Why tear a perfectly good book in half?"

  He simply said: "The tear was accidental, but later it became a token of our agreement to reunite the two halves. In the end, we were unable to do so."

  Qiu Qiu thought that this simple sentence contained countless dramatic elements. Who was it that tore it open? In Qiu Qiu's mind, a picture quickly took shape: two people, possibly two men, possibly two women, or possibly one man and one woman... or maybe even several people at the same time... never mind, what's important is that there were two hands grasping the book, each person holding onto one side, and with a loud rip, the book was tragically torn in half.

  Why was it used as a token later? What kind of agreement did the people who each held one half make? Was it to meet again after many years? Was it an engagement? Or what other kind of agreement?

  Suddenly, Qiuqiu felt that these light and airy pages had become heavy. The weight of years and past events was too much to bear, so much so that it was hard to put into words.

  "Well, take this then... it's also for the seniors to resolve a regret."

  His hand gently grasped hers, his movements light yet firm, as if completing a solemn and unprofane ritual.

  Qiu Qiu felt uneasy with her serious attitude, his hand was held by her, and he stood there stiffly.

  Alright, the reunion of this broken book is a big deal after all. The promise that our seniors couldn't fulfill has been made up for... But can you let go now? You've been holding my hand for half a day already.

  But then, can this still be considered a gift from her? If it's said that the object has returned to its original owner, then it can't be counted as a gift from her, right? In the end, she still owes this person a favor.

  Qiu Qiu became worried again, saying that she still had to find something as a return gift, and this thing couldn't be too ordinary.

  The weather was getting warmer day by day, but she didn't know if it was just her imagination. Qiuqiu felt that Shier was being more affectionate than the previous year, not necessarily talking more or showing more physical affection. It was a feeling - an atmosphere. When the two of them were together, even though the distance between them remained the same as before and they still didn't have much to say, Qiuqiu felt that the air flowing between them was different from before. Especially when Shier looked at her, there was something more in his calm eyes - a softness, a warmth. Sometimes Qiuqiu would just stare back at him, lost in thought, feeling both at peace and fulfilled.

  Ke Qiu had always been thinking about sending something back to her hometown.

  She can't just let her master and senior sisters pay for her, she has to think of a way herself.

  What to give her? Autumn first ruled out snacks, then thought of pets - there were many spiritual beasts and birds on the mountain, but compared to Fang's true person's spiritual crane, they were not worth mentioning.

  Autumn is carefully polished and can only be done by oneself, the value is not matched, at least there is still a heart and sincerity.

  What should I do then?

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  Took my son to the aquarium today... I think this kind of place is really suitable for filming horror movies, those things are really too scary.