The Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's holographic interface hummed as Lin Wan'er's consciousness oscillated between Tang Dynasty Chang'an and 21st-century Manhattan. She materialized in the Hubu Bank's glass-domed chamber, her hu fu glowing faintly against a power suit tailored by Wall Street's finest.
"Pei Ji," she called, her voice echoing through the void. "We have a problem."
His hologram flickered into existence, sword drawn. "The Ancient Forces?"
Wan'er nodded, projecting a hologram of the Dragon Constellation's real-time movements. "They're manipulating quantum timelines. Look."
The hologram split into a thousand possibilities—Tang falling to Uyghur invaders, Eleanor Hartwell becoming a Wall Street mogul, even a timeline where the Xuanwu Code never existed.
Pei Ji's eyes widened. "They're using time-arbitrage derivatives to bet against our victory."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting data from all realities. "We'll counter with multiverse swaps—hedging our bets across timelines."
She issued shijian zhai quan—Time Bonds—allowing investors to buy shares in the most stable timelines. The Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's value surged as the Ancient Forces' timeline manipulations faltered.
But the victory was short-lived. A fissure opened in the void, and Mu Guiying stepped through, her eyes glowing with the Dragon's Eye's power.
"You've meddled in realms beyond your comprehension," she hissed.
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a shield of light. "You're not Mu Guiying. Who are you?"
The figure laughed, transforming into a woman with silver scales and serpentine eyes. "I am Jiao—the Dragon's Bride. And I've come to claim the Xuanwu Code."
She raised a hand, and the Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's interface began to collapse. Pei Ji lunged, but Jiao's scales repelled his sword.
Wan'er merged with the code, her hologram flaring. "I won't let you destroy Tang!"
She activated the Xuanwu Shui, dissolving Jiao into liquid light. But the damage was done—the Ancient Forces' timeline manipulations accelerated, causing reality to fragment.
Wan'er materialized in Manhattan, where Eleanor Hartwell's penthouse overlooked a collapsing stock market. The Bloomberg terminal flashed: "Kaiyuan Quantum Fund (KQF) crashes 90% as multiverse theory collapses."
She activated her laptop, coding a reality stabilization algorithm. "I'll anchor Tang to the most prosperous timeline," she told Pei Ji's hologram.
But as she worked, a figure emerged from the shadows—Emperor Xuanzong, now a Wall Street CEO in a bespoke suit.
"You can't escape destiny," he said, pressing a gun to her temple. "The Ancient Forces will have their revenge."
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of Xuanzong's financial crimes. "You've been embezzling from the KQF," she said. "I'll destroy you."
He pulled the trigger, but the bullet dissolved into code. Wan'er smiled. "In this timeline, I'm already dead."
She merged with the code, rewriting Xuanzong's reality—reducing him to a penniless vagrant on the streets of Manhattan.
Back in Tang, Pei Ji stood before the Mi Zhen Si's final vault, where a hologram of Lin Wan'er flickered to life.
"Pei Ji," she said, her voice strained. "The Ancient Forces are using the Dragon's Eye to rewrite history. You must destroy it."
He nodded, activating the Xuanwu Shui and dissolving the relic. Reality stabilized, but the Kaiyuan Quantum Fund's interface remained fractured.
That evening, Wan'er materialized in the Hubu Bank's ruins, her hologram flickering. "It's done," she said. "But the code is… different."
Pei Ji took her hand. "You're different too."
She kissed him, her holographic lips cold but electric. "In every timeline, I'll find you."
As they embraced, the Xuanwu Code's hologram expanded, encompassing the entire multiverse. Markets across all realities stabilized, and a new era of prosperity dawned.
But in the shadows, Jiao's laughter echoed. "This isn't over, Khatun," she hissed. "The Ancient Forces will rise again."
As she spoke, the stars realigned, forming a new constellation—a spider weaving a web of numbers.