"Seven thousand."
Another direct jump of a thousand!
In the Box Earth Number Three, Yu Xiaotang's brows immediately knit together.
Again!
This time… was it really just a coincidence? Or… had she actually recognized the value of this hand scroll?
Impossible! Even the system had to scan it to confirm its origin. She was just a Golden Core cultivator—there's no way she could see through that! It had to be deliberate!
A surge of anger rose in Yu Xiaotang, but thinking of the hand scroll's importance, she pressed it down. She was about to raise her bid again when Senior Brother Yu Mingxi raised a hand to stop her.
"Junior Sister Yu, wait. This item does have some history, but it's incomplete and the risks are unknown. Seven thousand superior spirit stones already far exceed its actual value. Continuing to bid might not be worth it."
His tone was gentle, but it carried a hint of disapproval. To him, spending so many spirit stones on a broken hand scroll, with uncertain authenticity and hidden risks, wasn't wise.
Yu Xiaotang shook her head, eyes locked on the jade slip below.
"I understand your concern, Senior Brother Yu, but this item is invaluable to me. I'm determined to get it," she said firmly.
Without another thought, she raised her voice, "Eight thousand!"
Seeing her resolve, Yu Mingxi's eyes flickered with disapproval, but he didn't stop her. He just murmured, "Then, Junior Sister, be careful."
He didn't say more, but inwardly, he rated Yu Xiaotang's impulsiveness a little lower. The Young Sect Master of Hehuan Sect seemed… headstrong.
If someone wants to throw their spirit stones away, he wasn't about to stop them.
[Ding! Yu Mingxi favorability -3.]
The system's prompt echoed in her mind, and a shadow crossed Yu Xiaotang's eyes.
Just because she insisted on bidding for something she considered crucial, her favorability went down?
Yu Mingxi was way too self-righteous!
She'd only maintained a surface-level relationship with him, valuing the influence of the Tianyin Sect and his status as a personally taught disciple. She didn't have much personal fondness for him.
And now he docked favor for this? How infuriating!
Fine! Fine!
Once she repaired this hand scroll and mastered even a part of its techniques, and crafted powerful puppets, he'd finally realize the foresight she had today!
Pushing down her frustration, Yu Xiaotang stopped hesitating and coldly called out, "Eight thousand!"
"Nine thousand." The voice from the Box Heaven Number Three was calm, unshaken.
A low murmur ran through the auction hall. A broken hand scroll had reached nine thousand superior spirit stones!
Yu Xiaotang's face darkened completely. This bidding… clearly, they were determined to win. Could it be she really knew the value of this scroll?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
She drew in a deep breath, a sharp glint in her eyes.
"Ten thousand!" she declared, her voice icy.
The hall fell completely silent, everyone holding their breath to watch the battle between the two boxes.
In the Box Heaven Number Three, Xie Zhaolin's lips curved into a faint, cold smile under her cloak as she listened to Yu Xiaotang's angry bid.
She didn't fully understand why the Young Sect Master of Hehuan Sect was so obsessed with this "trap scroll," but she knew her well enough—once Yu Xiaotang believed something was valuable, she wouldn't hesitate or spare any cost.
Not to mention, ten thousand superior spirit stones were far from reaching her limit. That gave her confidence to keep raising.
She paused deliberately, as if hesitating, and only spoke slowly just before Elder Ge was about to start his second countdown:
"Ten thousand… one hundred."
Just a hundred! The minimum increment!
Instantly, the atmosphere in the hall shifted.
In the Box Earth Number Three, Yu Xiaotang froze for a moment, then fury surged in her chest.
Only a hundred? This was deliberate, a taunt! Maybe it also meant the other party was nearing their financial limit, but they didn't want to give up easily!
"Eleven thousand!" she almost ground her teeth to say it.
Let's see if they dared to follow this time!
The Box Heaven Number Three remained silent again.
This time, the silence lasted longer.
Just as Yu Xiaotang thought the opponent would finally give up—
"Eleven thousand… one hundred." That hoarse voice sounded lazily once more.
Someone in the audience snickered before quickly covering their mouth. This bidding tactic… was brutal!
Yu Xiaotang's chest heaved with anger. She was almost certain—they were targeting her on purpose!
"Fifteen thousand!" she shot to her feet, her voice freezing the air. She'd use the price to crush them!
After this, the Box Heaven Number Three fell silent at last.
"Fifteen thousand superior spirit stones, once! Twice! Three times!" Elder Ge slammed the gavel. "Sold! Congratulations to the distinguished guest in the Di Number Three Box!"
The hand scroll was finally hers. But Yu Xiaotang didn't feel the slightest joy. She slumped into her chair, chest heaving violently—half with anger, half with the sting of spending so much.
Fifteen thousand superior spirit stones!
Far beyond her budget, and she'd clearly been taken for a fool, not to mention Yu Mingxi had docked favor!
Worst of all, she was suffocating with frustration. She was sure the other party didn't know the true value of this scroll and couldn't repair it with the system like she could. Spending so much on a broken, probably incomprehensible hand scroll—what benefit did it bring them?
The only explanation was that they were deliberately targeting her! From the moment she walked in, they'd been messing with her!
Regardless of who they were, this grudge was now established.
Still, the item was quickly delivered. When Yu Xiaotang held the warm, smooth jade slip in her hands, a twisted sense of satisfaction welled up.
It was worth it!
As long as she could unravel its secrets… everything would be worth it!
She glanced at Yu Mingxi, but he just lowered his head to sip tea, expression indifferent, seemingly uninterested in the bidding.
Yu Xiaotang snorted coldly, turning her attention inward. "System, start repairing this hand scroll immediately!"
[Ding! Command confirmed. Initiating deep repair and analysis of target item: 'You Ji Shàngrén's Puppet Crafting Hand Scroll (Incomplete)'.]
[Estimated repair time: approximately twelve hours.]
[During repair, energy will be continuously consumed, and some system functions may be limited.]
[Confirm start?]
"Twelve hours? Almost a full day…" Yu Xiaotang frowned slightly. This was longer than she expected.
The auction was still ongoing, and the Soul Nurturing Wood hadn't appeared yet. Limited system functions might be troublesome. But the lure of repairing this hand scroll was irresistible. She couldn't wait.
"Confirm! Start repair immediately!" she decided without hesitation.
Soul Nurturing Wood was important, but this lost puppet technique could bring much longer-term gains.
[Points deducted successfully. Repair process initiated…]
A barely perceptible wave of energy spread from Yu Xiaotang's body, slowly enveloping the jade slip in her hands.
A faint glow appeared on its surface before fading again.
In the Tian Number Three Box, Xie Zhaolin glanced toward the Box Earth Number Three through the one-way crystal window.
Though she couldn't see clearly, she could imagine Yu Xiaotang intensely studying the jade slip, treating it like a treasure.
"You You," Xie Zhaolin said calmly, "when you recorded those notes back then, did you ever consider what would happen if they got out?"
You You floated lazily, tilting her head before shrugging. "Master, I didn't think that far! I just wrote down whatever ideas popped into my head. Later, even if they were wrong, I didn't bother to change them… I only needed to know, who knew they'd survive till now and get auctioned?"
A hint of guilt crossed her face. "I hope… no one is dumb enough to copy it exactly."
Xie Zhaolin smiled faintly. "Who knows? Maybe… that's exactly the surprise she needed."
===
I just finished migrating my Xianxia Handbook to AO3. If you haven't read the Webnovel version yet, or if you read it before this announcement, I highly suggest checking it out. I've made some changes and added extra information.
If the Webnovel version felt a bit dense or "full" of narration, this AO3 version might be easier to follow since I included bullet points for clarity.
I don't plan on adding any major new content to the handbook since I think it already covers the core and most important aspects of the Xianxia genre. Future updates will probably just focus on cultivation stages and formal titles.