Chapter 363: Graphics Card

At noon, the Tu family mansion was bustling with activity, rare delicacies piled onto the banquet tables as if they cost nothing.

Cups clinked, guests and hosts laughed heartily; a servant standing by the door shouted out congratulatory messages, "Merchant Zheng Qianli presents nine pearls from Hormuz, wishing Elder Madam Tu her years fragrant with youth, her springs and autumns endless, her household brimming with fortune—"

Li Cheng—or rather, Huiyu disguised as Li Cheng—sat in a corner of the birthday banquet, utterly uninterested in feasting; he merely scooped a modest portion of bear's paw, bird's nest, fish fin, and abalone into his bowl.

Especially one dish of pale pink fish sashimi, melting instantly on the tongue, leaving a sweet, savory aftertaste.

Unafraid of parasites, Huiyu devoured two large plates of it, while simultaneously using a hidden listening device beneath the banquet table and Bluetooth earbuds, keeping eyes and ears open, silently gathering information.

"Tonight, the Tu family will likely split. Third branch's Tu Dongcong will probably take over the Luzon maritime trade—must cultivate good relations early."

In the banquet's corner, an elderly sect leader who looked ethereal and transcendent whispered to his disciple.

The Tu family's division was like a large corporation splitting into several subsidiaries. For family members, it meant they could finally take charge. For outsiders, it offered new business opportunities.

Today's Great Ming saw thriving maritime trade and booming commerce; from peddlers and laborers to scholars and martial artists, everyone talked of stocks, futures, and corporate structures—newfangled terms.

Worse still, frontier generals neglected their duties of fighting and suppressing rebellions, instead spending their days reading stock market reports, interpreting market fluctuations, desperate to dive headfirst into the sea of money.

"Where's that Zhang Daochang from Longhu Mountain?"

Wu Ge, a Huashan swordsman seated across the table, grabbed a servant and asked in confusion, "Why haven't I seen him?"

The servant replied, "Master Zhang has been invited to the inner quarters to lecture on scriptures."

An excuse.

Huiyu knew perfectly well that last night, the Tu family had searched the guest room where Zhang Fuluang had stayed; to avoid suspicion, they fabricated this reason.

Meanwhile, the Jin Yi Wei, missing one man, had spun a lie—that Brother Sikong had suffered waterborne illness and returned to the ship to rest—deceiving the Tu family.

All sides harbored hidden agendas; Huiyu was agitated. Li Cheng had told her before leaving to attend the banquet as usual and act according to circumstances.

But the Tu family's rules were strict—even at a birthday banquet, the womenfolk remained locked in the inner quarters. The courtyard walls were high, and around Elder Madam Tu's compound, there was a guard every five steps and a sentry every ten—no chance to sneak over.

'Wait another half hour. If that scale hasn't moved by then, activate Plan B.'

As Huiyu was calculating, all guests rose to their feet—the Elder Madam Tu, seated on a chair, was carried out.

She was wrapped in a yellow Shu silk blanket, her hair white, eyelids drooping; the Tu family had painted red blush on her face to make her appear spirited, yet it could not hide her aged, decaying state.

"Pines and cypresses evergreen, wishing you longevity; sun and moon shining together, celebrating your long life—may Elder Madam Tu enjoy peace year after year!"

Cao Meng of the Fan River Gang raised his voice in blessing.

The Elder Madam Tu on the chair showed no reaction; after a long while, she slowly opened her mouth and coughed violently, spewing thick green phlegm onto the silk blanket, which slid down its edge.

The Tu family quickly helped her away; Cao Meng stood frozen, neither able to sit nor stand, deeply embarrassed.

Perfect opportunity!

Huiyu seized the moment, reached beneath the table, pulled out a button-shaped listening device coated with double-sided tape, and hurled it like a skipping stone.

The device skimmed across the lawn and stuck precisely to the leg of the chair beneath Elder Madam Tu.

"Huh."

Huiyu exhaled softly, turned on her Bluetooth earbuds, and listened to the feed from the listening device.

Tap-tap-tap. Footsteps. The Tu family carried the old matriarch back to the inner courtyard.

"Cough! Cough!"

Hoarse coughing, retching, moaning—the Elder Madam Tu seemed to be enduring immense pain.

"The time to return home has come." A low male voice—Tu Wangmo of the fourth branch.

"Now?" A startled young voice—Tu Qiaoru of the second branch—"Fourth Uncle, weren't you saying next year?"

"My prophetic ability is limited, and prophecies aren't always accurate."

Tu Wangmo whispered, "Go notify the others—hurry!"

The bamboo-and-wood chair leg collapsed under heavy weight, accompanied by terrified screams and labored breathing; the listening device was crushed completely, the Bluetooth earbuds emitting a screech sharper than nails on a chalkboard.

Ignoring the suspicious glances around her, Huiyu slammed the Bluetooth earbuds onto the table with a sharp "pop" and dashed toward the rear courtyard of the Tu mansion.

The next second.

"Roar—"

A piercing howl echoed through the entire mansion; as Huiyu crossed the threshold, the sound wave hit her like a solid wall.

At this moment, disguised as Li Cheng, her liquid metal accounted for only three-fifths of her mass; her body's interior was hollow. The remaining two-fifths served as a separate body to impersonate herself.

Under the shockwave, her hollow body staggered; she quickly drove her other leg into the ground, stabilizing her stance.

"Roar!"

Another roar—the walls collapsed, trees snapped; Huiyu's feet gouged a long furrow across the ground.

"Grab my hand."

A familiar voice sounded just in time; Huiyu turned her head and saw Li Cheng smiling at her, "Hey, how'd you suddenly show up?"

"You forgot—we're getting married today."

Li Cheng wore a suit, a bouquet in his left hand, a ring in his right; in a tone gentler than ever, he said, "You've worked hard, my dear."

My… dear?

Huiyu's expression went hazy; in bewilderment, melodic laughter surrounded her—two doll-like children, with human bodies and liquid-metal hair, tugged her hands, calling her "Mom," and on the wall hung a calendar clearly showing the year 2030.

Oh right—now it was already 2030.

Li Cheng was now a Level 40 top player; she was now the madam of Zhu Xing Zhen Tai, her business growing larger; she counted money all day until her hands cramped, then came home to order a ready-made meal for the whole family. After eating, she dumped the kids on Li Cheng and retreated to her gaming room to play with the latest RTX 5090 graphics card.

Wait!

It's already 2030, and the latest graphics card is still the RTX 5090? Are you just loafing around in that yellow leather jacket?

Huiyu's eyes snapped clear—she realized she'd been trapped in an illusion, whirled her head around—and saw the banquet hall now awash in blood.

All the Tu servants and some banquet guests had their clothes torn open; from their bodies sprouted various marine organs—lamprey suckers, crab claws, octopus eyes.

These people had lost their sanity, swinging their mutated limbs to slaughter those guests who had not mutated, who were mentally dazed and utterly defenseless.

Only at Huiyu's original table did a small group remain conscious, fighting desperately against the monstrous creatures surging toward them.

(End of this chapter)