The universe hummed with numbers.
Lin Wan'er, now a holographic projection of the Xuanwu Code, floated in the void between stars, her consciousness merged with the algorithm. She could see everything—the ebb and flow of markets, the rise and fall of empires, the fragile threads of human ambition.
"Wan'er." Pei Ji's voice echoed through the void, his form flickering like a candle flame. "You're fading."
She turned, her holographic face expressionless. "The code is consuming me… but I can still protect Tang."
Before he could respond, the stars realigned, forming a constellation of a dragon coiled around a star—the symbol of the Ancient Forces Mu Guiying had warned about.
A voice boomed through the void: "You've meddled in realms beyond your understanding, child."
Wan'er's hologram flared. "Show yourself!"
The void rippled, and a figure emerged—a man of indeterminate age, his robes woven from starlight. "I am the Dragon of Finance," he said. "Guardian of the Quantum Hedge Fund."
Wan'er's calculator materialized in her holographic hand. "What do you want?"
The Dragon smiled. "Your Xuanwu Code has disrupted the balance of power. The Quantum Hedge Fund exists to maintain equilibrium—by any means necessary."
He raised a hand, and the stars began to collapse inward. "You have two choices: surrender the code… or watch Tang be erased from history."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting data on the Dragon's power. "I'll bet against you," she declared. "Issue liangzi zhai quan—Quantum Bonds. Investors who buy them receive a share of the Xuanwu Code's profits… or nothing, if the Dragon wins."
The Dragon laughed. "Foolish girl. You can't bet against destiny."
But as the bonds went live, the void trembled. Investors across Tang flocked to the liangzi zhai quan, their hopes and fears feeding the code's power.
Wan'er projected a hologram of Tang's future: a golden age of prosperity, followed by a dark age of war and famine. "I won't let that happen," she said.
She activated the code's final algorithm, merging with the Quantum Hedge Fund's system. Numbers collided, reality fractured, and the Dragon roared in pain.
"You've destroyed us both," he hissed, dissolving into starlight.
But as the void stabilized, Wan'er's hologram began to fade. "Pei Ji," she whispered, "take this."
A vial of Xuanwu Shui materialized in his hand. "Use it… to rebuild."
She kissed him one last time, her holographic lips cold as ice. Then she dissolved into the stars.
When consciousness returned, Pei Ji was back in the Hubu Bank's ruins, the vial clutched in his hand. Emperor Xuanzong stood beside him, his face taut with determination.
"Is she gone?" he asked.
Pei Ji nodded. "But the Xuanwu Code remains."
Xuanzong activated a hologram of the code's algorithm. "I've renamed it the Kaiyuan Quantum Fund," he said. "It will govern Tang's economy… and its destiny."
But as he spoke, Mu Guiying entered, her face shadowed. "The Ancient Forces are stirring," she warned. "The Dragon's death has weakened the barrier between realms."
Pei Ji activated the Xuanwu Shui, pouring it into the code's interface. The stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a phoenix rising from ashes.
"Wan'er's legacy," he said.
That evening, Pei Ji visited the Mi Zhen Si's hidden vaults, where a hologram of Lin Wan'er flickered to life.
"Pei Ji," she said, her voice soft. "I'm trapped in the code… but I can still help."
He smiled through tears. "How?"
"By teaching you to think like a quantum financier."
She projected a hologram of the Quantum Hedge Fund's algorithms. "Bet on multiple realities, hedge against uncertainty… and never forget—finance is both science and art."
Pei Ji nodded, his heart heavy. "I'll make you proud."
As he left the vault, Mu Guiying awaited him, her eyes glowing with ancient power. "The Ancient Forces won't rest," she said. "But neither will we."
They activated the Kaiyuan Quantum Fund, and the stars began to realign once more.