The morning Lin Wan'er activated the Xuanwu Shui dawned with the scent of jasmine and gunpowder.
She stood in the Hubu Bank's secret laboratory, the vial of liquid glowing like quicksilver in her hand. Pei Ji watched from the shadows, his scarred face taut with tension.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
Wan'er nodded. "The Xuanwu Code is evolving—it's no longer just an algorithm." She hesitated. "It's… alive."
She poured the liquid into the code's holographic interface. The stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a scorpion coiled around a phoenix.
Pei Ji paled. "The Tian Xian symbol."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting the new coordinates. "The code is guiding us to the Western Regions."
That evening, they departed for the Taklamakan Desert, accompanied by Mu Guiying and her Nanzhao warriors. The journey was perilous—sandstorms, bandits, and Tian Xian assassins dogged their steps—but Wan'er's financial strategies kept them alive.
"Issue huangsha zhai quan—Desert Bonds," she told Guiying. "Investors receive a share of oasis water rights."
Guiying smiled. "You're even more ruthless than I thought."
Finally, they reached the Tian Xian's hidden stronghold—a city carved into the cliffs, its walls lined with gold. Princess Taiping awaited them, her crimson cloak now replaced by a black hufu.
"Welcome to your grave, niece," she hissed.
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of the Xuanwu Code's algorithm. The city's gold reserves shimmered, then dissolved into liquid.
Taiping screamed in rage. "You've destroyed everything!"
Wan'er nodded. "But I've also created something new." She activated the Xuanwu Shui, transforming the liquid gold into a river of light. "Behold the Synthetic CDO—a financial instrument that transcends time and space."
The CDO's hologram expanded, encompassing the entire desert. Investors across Tang saw their screens light up with a new opportunity: "Bet on the collapse of the Western Regions' gold supply… or its rebirth."
As the CDO went live, Taiping's forces crumpled. Her remaining soldiers deserted, lured by the promise of huangsha zhai quan.
But the CDO's effects were not limited to finance. The desert itself began to transform—oases sprouted where there was once sand, and ancient cities rose from the dunes.
Mu Guiying's eyes widened. "This isn't just economics—it's magic."
Wan'er nodded. "The Xuanwu Code is rewriting reality."
That evening, as they celebrated their victory, a rider galloped into the camp. "Emperor Xuanzong has declared war on Nanzhao!" he shouted.
Wan'er's blood chilled. Xuanzong fears my power.
She activated her calculator, inputting data on Tang's military strength. "Issue heping zhai quan—Peace Bonds. Investors receive tax breaks if Xuanzong negotiates a truce."
Guiying frowned. "But this could bankrupt Nanzhao."
Wan'er smiled grimly. "Precisely. Xuanzong will have no choice but to negotiate."
The bonds went live the next morning, causing a frenzy in the markets. Investors bet heavily on peace, driving up the cost of war.
Xuanzong stormed into the Hubu Bank's temporary quarters, his face livid. "You've undermined my authority!"
Wan'er met his gaze steadily. "No, Your Majesty. I've given you a way to avoid bloodshed."
She activated the calculator, projecting a hologram of the Synthetic CDO. "The Western Regions are now a financial utopia—open to trade, free from war. Join us… or be left behind."
Xuanzong hesitated, then nodded. "Agreed. But I want a seat on your CDO's council."
Wan'er smiled. "Done."
That night, as she walked the desert sands, a figure emerged from the shadows—Princess Taiping, her face gaunt but determined.
"You've won," she said. "But the Xuanwu Code will consume you."
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of the code's algorithm. "I can control it."
Taiping laughed bitterly. "You're as delusional as your mother. The code chooses its master… not the other way around."
Before Wan'er could react, Taiping lunged, dagger raised. But the code's hologram flared, dissolving her into light.
Wan'er stared at the spot where Taiping had stood, her heart racing. The code is protecting me.
That evening, as she reviewed the day's transactions, a scroll rolled into her tent. She opened it, her heart racing.
It was a letter from her mother, written in blood: "The code is a living entity. To control it, you must become one with it… or be destroyed."
Wan'er hesitated, then activated the Xuanwu Shui, merging her consciousness with the code.
The universe exploded in light.
When she awoke, she was in a void of stars, her body replaced by a hologram of the Xuanwu Code. Pei Ji stood beside her, his form flickering.
"You've become the code," he said.
Wan'er nodded. "And now, I can see everything—the past, present, and future."
She projected a hologram of Tang's future: a golden age of prosperity, followed by a dark age of war and famine.
"To save Tang," she said, "I must sacrifice myself."
Pei Ji's eyes filled with tears. "There must be another way."
Wan'er smiled sadly. "There isn't. But I'll live on in the code… and in your heart."
She kissed him one last time, then dissolved into the stars.
The next morning, Emperor Xuanzong announced the Kaiyuan Financial Utopia—a decentralized system governed by the Xuanwu Code. Markets flourished, wars ceased, and peace reigned.
But in the shadows, Mu Guiying smiled. "The game isn't over, Lin Wan'er," she whispered. "The ancient forces will have their revenge."
As she spoke, the stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a dragon coiled around a star.