98: Chapter 98 is broken, something seems to be wrong.

In this simulation, for the sake of the greater good and finding the Immortal Cave, she had treated Wei Feisen as a complete tool. Having spent too much time together, her simulated self had developed a habitual way of thinking, causing her perception of danger to decline.

Perhaps her simulated self hadn't fully realized it yet, but from the outside looking in, she could see the strange imbalance in their relationship.

Not only did she feel that her simulated self was acting like a heartless woman who abandoned her lover, but Wei Feisen looked exactly like a naive young man whose feelings had been betrayed, ready to turn dark at any moment.

"Why do I feel like this is about to blow up?" Lin Shuangwan muttered to herself.

Once a madman discovers he has been deceived, the backlash is often devastating.

She pondered for a moment, and her furrowed brows slowly relaxed: "But fortunately, I already know the exact location of the Immortal Cave—the main Peak on the eastern side of Daliang Mountain. Even if this simulation really blows up, it won't be a total loss. Of course, it would be best if I could hold on long enough to go inside and take a look, and get my hands on the Legacy and intelligence within the Immortal Cave."

Unfortunately, she couldn't interfere with the progress of the simulator now; she could only act as an observer, watching how her simulated self would break the deadlock.

Lin Shuangwan shook her head and refocused her gaze on the System light screen.

[You returned to the imperial palace in Linyuan City.]

[The continuous heavy rain still left you covered in mud. The hem of your black Dragon robe clung heavily to your legs. You had just stepped into the rear palace and hadn't yet had time to order the palace maids to prepare water to clean the stains off your body when your personal female official hurried up to meet you.]

["Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived and is waiting for you in the warm pavilion."]

[You were stunned for a moment: "The Empress Dowager? Why is Mother here?"]

[You walked quickly toward the warm pavilion and pushed open the door. The underfloor heating was burning very brightly, dispelling the chill you had brought with you. Mother Lin was sitting on a large carved rosewood chair, draped in a fox fur coat, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand, but her expression was not very pleasant.]

[Seeing you in this state, Mother Lin's brows immediately knotted together.]

["Look at yourself!" Mother Lin slammed the teacup onto the table with a loud "bang." "Covered in mud, you don't look like a girl at all! And you have even less of the decorum befitting the current Emperor!"]

[You sighed helplessly, waved away the palace maids on either side, and walked forward: "Mother, there was some trouble at Daliang Mountain, so I went to keep an eye on it myself. How did you have time to leave the palace and come to Linyuan City today?"]

["If I don't come now, the Great Li empire will be torn apart by your antics!" Mother Lin glared at you, wishing she could make you better. "Calculate how old you are this year! You're almost thirty! For girls in ordinary families, at this age, their children would already be running around everywhere. What about you? You don't even have anyone to care for you!"]

[Hearing this familiar opening, your head immediately ached.]

["Mother, I am the Emperor now." You tried to reason with her. "Get married? Who would I marry? In this world, who would dare to marry me?"]

[Mother Lin's eyes widened: "Isn't that the same thing? If you won't marry, then take a husband! Just recruit one into the palace!"]

[The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her finger almost poking your forehead: "Do you know that the Minister of Rites had his house demolished by Wei Feisen and his men a while ago! Even the plaque on the front gate was chopped into firewood!"]

[You nodded, your tone indifferent: "I know. Who told him to submit a memorial insisting on introducing some talented young men from the Jiangnan noble families to fill the harem? Demolishing his house was letting him off lightly."]

["And you're still protecting him!" Mother Lin slapped the table in anger. "I was the one who told the Minister of Rites to introduce them to you! I've seen the portraits of those talented young men; each one is handsome and refined, proficient in all the arts! And look at you, indulging that living Yama to smash people's doors!"]

[You rubbed your temples and didn't respond.]

[Seeing your stubborn attitude, Mother Lin's eyes suddenly turned red. She took out a handkerchief and began to wipe away tears: "Wanwan, Mother knows you have the ability to have conquered such a vast empire, but a woman must eventually have someone to rely on. You don't understand the benefits of having a man, but can't you see the disadvantages of not getting married?"]

[She complained while crying: "Now the country is so big, and officials in the court submit memorials every day saying the foundation of the country is unstable and that you need to leave an heir quickly to secure the empire. Your father died early, and your brother died outside the frontier without even leaving a whole body behind. Our Old Lin family is left with only you as the sole seedling."]

["If you don't find a man and have children, who will the Great Li empire go to after you're gone? You're going to end your father's lineage! After I die and go to the underworld, how will I have the face to see your father, how will I see your brother..."]

[Mother Lin's crying echoed in the warm pavilion, with ups and downs, extremely penetrating.]

[Your ears were almost calloused. You had heard this kind of talk at least eighty or a hundred times over the past few years, but every time you faced Mother Lin's tears, your Peak Great Grandmaster cultivation seemed completely useless.]

["Mother, please stop crying." You could only walk over helplessly, crouch down, hold Mother Lin's hand, and clumsily comfort her. "I know, I have a plan. I will handle the affairs of the empire well, and I will definitely not let the Lin family line end."]

[You spent a great deal of effort, making promises and swearing oaths, and only after much persuasion did you manage to fool Mother Lin and send someone to escort her back to her sleeping quarters to rest.]

[After sending Mother Lin away, you let out a long, turbid breath, feeling exhausted.]

["Prepare water, I want to bathe." You ordered toward the outside of the palace hall.]

[Half an hour later, in the bath pool deep within the imperial palace.]

[This place used flowing water from a spiritual spring outside the city. A thick layer of rose petals floated on the surface, and the rising steam enveloped the entire bath pool, which was built of jade, in a hazy white mist.]

[You waved away all the palace maids who wanted to come forward to serve you. Due to habits from your past life, you always felt it was strange to have people standing by watching you scrub your back while bathing, so over these years, you had always maintained the habit of bathing by yourself.]

[You slowly untied your complex Dragon robe, removed your inner garments, and casually tossed the mud-stained clothes onto the jade steps.]

[You walked down the steps barefoot and slowly sank into the water.]

[The warm pool water wrapped around your weary body, the surface just covering your collarbone. You leaned against the warm jade pool wall, closed your eyes, and let out a long sigh of relief.]

[In your mind, Mother Lin's words just now resurfaced: "You are going to end your father's lineage..."]

[You couldn't help but open your eyes and look down beneath the water.]

[In the clear spring water, your beautiful body was faintly visible. Constant Cultivation of the "Green Vessel Hundred Forging Record" had made your skin firm and elastic, without a trace of excess fat; your perfect curves exuded a breathtaking charm under the rippling water.]

[You reached out and touched your smooth lower abdomen, suddenly feeling a headache, and a flush appeared on your face involuntarily.]

[Get married? Do you really have to get married?]