The airship's deck vibrated with restrained power, qi formations humming like a distant storm as Elder Feng Lianhua led us aboard.
Her presence was a wall of ice, but the disciples scattered across the platform—young cultivators in pristine sect robes, their faces etched with arrogance—didn't share her composure.
Whispers erupted the moment we stepped on, a ripple of confusion turning into outright protest.
A burly disciple with a scarred cheek was the first to speak up, bowing shallowly to Feng but glaring at me like I'd spat in his soup. "Elder, this is madness! These intruders—one's a withered old fool claiming to be the dead emperor, and the others look like common rabble. Our ship is sacred sect property. Why sully it with them?"
Another joined in, a wiry woman with twin swords at her hips, her voice sharp as her blades. "Agreed! We've got protocols. If word gets back to the inner elders, we'll all face punishment. Let us handle them—throw them off now!"
More voices piled on, a chorus of dissent from the group. "They're not even proper cultivators!" one shouted. "Look at that maid—reeks of lowborn qi!" The protests built like a wave, disciples clustering closer, their auras flaring subtly in challenge.
But it was the close disciple—a tall, sharp-featured man named Jian Wei, Feng's apparent favorite, with a jade token marking him as inner circle—who stepped forward boldly.
His eyes narrowed at me with personal venom, like I'd stolen something from him.
I didn't know the guy, but the system pinged a vague rivalry—maybe he'd lost family in my old regime's wars.
"Elder, please reconsider," he said, voice laced with urgency. "This man disrupted your duel, humiliated you with some vile trick. Allowing him aboard insults the sect. At least let us interrogate them first—extract any useful information before... disposal."
Feng's pale eyes swept over them, cold as glacial wind. For a moment, she said nothing. Then her aura exploded outward—a crushing wave of Mid-Nascent Soul pressure that slammed into the disciples like an avalanche.
The air thickened, forcing knees to buckle and heads to bow.
Jian Wei dropped to one knee, gasping, while the others trembled, faces pale with forced submission.
Even I felt the edge of it, my vitality overflow straining to keep me steady.
"Enough," she declared, her voice echoing with finality. "They board under my command. Defy me, and you'll learn the true meaning of sect discipline." The aura retracted like a whip cracking back, leaving the deck silent. Heads stayed down, but the glares shot my way were venomous—eyes burning with resentment, fists clenched behind bowed backs.
Jian Wei's stare was the sharpest, promising trouble later.
Hell, like I cared what these side characters thought. They were ants in the grand scheme, plot fodder for the protagonist's rise. I smirked inwardly, striding forward with Mei Ling and Lin Yue close behind.
Mei's hand brushed mine, a subtle spark of our bond steadying her, while Lin's sharp eyes scanned the deck like she was ready for a fight.
We were a unit now, and these sect dogs' hate just fueled my drive.
[System Alert: Group Hostility Detected]
[Psychological Edge Gained - Harem Points +15]
As we entered the ship's core, the interior unfolded like a living artifact—creative engineering blending cultivation and mechanics.
Corridors of polished spirit jade pulsed with embedded formations, walls shifting like liquid metal to form new paths as the ship moved.
Floating orbs of compressed qi lit the way, changing colors to match the passengers' moods—mine glowed a steady gold, while the disciples' flickered red with suppressed anger.
Chambers branched off: meditation pods with swirling vortexes of pure energy, strategy halls where holographic maps hovered, updating in real-time with scrying arrays.
The whole vessel thrummed as it ascended, a subtle sway like a boat on gentle waves, but powered by massive spirit stone cores that made the air hum with latent power.
Through narrow viewports, clouds whipped by, the ground shrinking to a patchwork of forests and ruins below.
The movement only amplified the disciples' resentment. As we walked, they "accidentally" bumped shoulders, whispering barbs like "Elder's pet strays" or "Watch, they'll drag us all down."
Jian Wei led the subtle sabotage, positioning his group to block hallways, forcing us to squeeze past while they sneered.
One even "tripped," spilling a vial of minor qi-disrupting powder near my feet—harmless, but a clear fuck-you.
Their hierarchy shone through: Jian Wei at the top, barking quiet orders, the others falling in like loyal hounds, their resentment a palpable fog thicker than the ship's engines.
When we reached the quarters—a series of compact cabins with auto-sealing doors and basic cultivation arrays—they escalated.
Jian Wei blocked the main hall, flanked by his gang of six, arms crossed like gatekeepers.
"Apologies, 'Emperor,'" he said, voice dripping sarcasm, "but rooms are reserved for sect members. We've got no space for... guests like you. You'll share this one." He nodded to a cramped utility closet at the end—barely a cell with a single mat, no formations, stale air reeking of disuse. "One room for the three of you. Make do, or sleep on the deck."
His cronies chuckled, puffing up to show their ranks—embroidered badges marking them as inner disciples, superior to the outer grunts.
The burly one from earlier added, "Yeah, and keep your 'women' quiet. We don't need distractions."
It was a blatant power play, their angry glares screaming resentment at my "special treatment."
But I didn't hate it. I even forgot about keeping my voice down as a woman. Soon enough, I will make sure they hear their elder's voice deeply resonating throughout their sect's pavilion.
But until that day comes and I become one of these side characters, daddy elder, I will just handle them in my own way for now.
I just laughed, low and mocking, hands in my pockets like I owned the damn ship. "Aw, cute. The lapdogs are barking because Mommy Feng picked a new favorite. What's wrong, boys—afraid I'll steal your treats? Or is it that you can't handle a real man showing you up?" I leaned toward Jian Wei, voice dropping. "Bet it stings, huh? Begging for scraps while I walk in and get the VIP pass. Keep glaring—makes you look constipated."
Their faces twisted—Jian Wei's especially, fists trembling—but they didn't swing.
Too scared of Feng's wrath.
The system loved it:
[System Alert: Rivalry Intensified]
[Harem Points +25 for Verbal Dominance]
Creative twist: As they postured, I subtly activated a new skill from the inheritance—Qi Disruption Whisper, a low-cost pheromone variant masked as a sigh.
It wasn't full aphrodisiac; just enough to scramble their focus, making their auras flicker erratically.
Jian Wei clutched his head suddenly, wincing like a migraine hit, while his gang stumbled, confusion replacing anger. "What the—my qi!" one yelped.
I glanced at the guy for a moment, recalling how he seemed to be angry at me while snitching so casually with my woman.
'Now that it's the perfect time, how about...' Then a thought crossed my mind: how about I ensure that he doesn't have any indecent thoughts about my soon-to-be wife?
Thinking that I would give him the same dialogue I would say to any woman, I said, "It will hurt the first time, then you will become numb... Jian."
But unlike how a hip thrust would come after this dialogue, for him came a kick directly to... his balls.
Yes, I delivered a powerful kick directly to his balls, making sure he viewed her as an elder and nothing more.
"Aaaargggggghhhhh—!"
Every other disciple lunged toward him to help. His face was reddened, and his eyes were widened.
It bought us time—I shoved past, herding Mei and Lin into the cramped room without resistance before activated my pleasure palace, as we three enetered it.