---D-Day+144, Khabien 19th, Wednesday Morning---

---Jinshibo, Harem Suite---

*kaklang* *kaklang* 

A high pitched bell sound carries throughout the ship.

*bmm* *bmm* *bmm*

As does the noise from distant cannon fire.

'Huh?  Ugh.  Again?'

*yawn*

'What the fuck dude.  Can't you give a guy a break?'

*stre-*

A stretching attempt reveals that my limbs are pinned.  With Frankie and Red on arms.  Feathery Oda-Mar and Sim-Fer have legs.  Blue's got pillow duty.  While Mr Willy Wanker is being tended to by Jin.

Sigh.

The distinguished and esteemed North Jade Dragon Palace sect member Jingi Baiyu may be the very model of a modern major general-er, uh, core elder.  Hundreds of years old and a 7th mortal realm cultivator.  But this bitch’s developed a serious oral fixation.  Even declared, in private, that my yang qi is the nectar of heaven.

Hmm…  Does this mean her manhateritus is cured?

Elder Baiyu’s actually been trading with other haremites for their "slots."  Even just for the pole position during the post reverse gangbang nap.  Though I sixty-nine a squirt or two out of her first.  Not giving her all that nectar for free.

Slots?  Yep, the infamous "schedule" is back.  Breakthrough orgy was a wakeup call for me to tone it down.  Otherwise I’ll end up spending all day every day fucking.  And as wonderful as that may sound?

I’m not here for that.

Freely admit.  I like being a husband.  I like being a father.  Both can be incredibly frustrating.  And incredibly rewarding.  Trapped on another world?  Might have missed it more than I realized.  Which, in hindsight, probably influenced things.

Though a harem two dozen strong with a dozen kids on the way?  Possibly sort of maybe kind of qualifies as, uh, “overcompensating.”

A sleepy voice on my right.  "Master…  We should rise."  Dusky dark-elf fingers play with my new black beard while huge g-cups squish against me.  "The admiral did praise you."

Sleepier voice plus a cute stretch on my left.  “Mm…  Should I tell them you are resting, Jon?  Would you like me to take care of this?”  Comes from the fiery haired pregnant woman with d-cups, as she nibbles on my nipple.

Hmm…

“No, better go.”  I answer.  “You guys can stay.”

*clap* *clap*

Red claps, alerting the waiting maids.  Dozens of whom quickly flood the suite through hidden side doors.  And begin coaxing the harem out of bed, plus a couple of groggy grinning servant girls.

‘Okay.  Guess everyone is getting up.’

First wife has put me on a strict diet of just eight girls a night.  Two of them being maids.  Of course that doesn't count the "random," wink wink nudge nudge, encounters during the day.

Now this means I go through the harem every four days, with some overlap.  So I'm not laying the same six each time.  They can also trade slots or even sell them.  As long as Red approves.

Besides Jin, Ymi and Blue are the biggest traders.  The viscountess to stay teamed with Isa and mage-wife to join knight-wife.  Last night, Elder Baiyu traded with Maty and Blue swapped with Lili.

*bmm* *bmbmm*

‘Wow, they are really cutting loose.’

Yep, the yanese use gunpowder.  Have for centuries.

And xianxia china has the same issues as fantasy rome.  Namely, monsters.  Many of the "demons" you want to use boomsticks for?  Are tough enough to tank it.

So you need bigger guns.  With bigger bullets.  Slower rate of fire.  Etc, etc…

The yanese solution they reached centuries ago was to make pretty much all their firearms crew served weapons.  Even their "musket" is a two man weapon.  One to carry and fire.  The other to aim and load.

Big ass muskets and tower shields.  Much more unwieldy than Aquecian muskets.  But about guaranteed one shot kills against many demonkin.

Yanese also still use crossbows and longbows.  They really do love a long-

*poke* *poke*

'Oh, it's my turn.'

Servants are, politely, dragging the harem out of bed.  Finally getting to me in the center.  No relaxed cleansing, rubbing, and dressing session this morning though.  Nope, just a quick hot cloth scrub.  Followed by the bare minimum of styling.  Then armoring up.

As Oprah would say.  "You get a hauberk.  You get a hauberk.  Everybody gets a hauberk!"

However, these are made up of little plates instead of chain mail.  Think it's called lamellar.  Covering upper arms, torso, and thighs.  Feels pretty light.  Granted with the entire harem cultivating?  Our baseline on what is and isn’t “heavy,” may be a little skewed.

Most of us wear the basic blue daoist robes of “potential” disciples.  Including me.  I told the maids to stop using the fancy duds.  Over that is worn the lamellar.  Blackened metal on dark brown leather.  And when combined with the vambraces, greaves, plus plumed helmets?

My ladies look pretty intimidating.

Next up is the pointy stuff.  Maids enter with armfulls of weaponry.  Swords, daggers, spears, bows, and crossbows are handed out.  Curiously, quivers are worn on the hip instead of back.

*bmm* *bmm* *bmm*

The gunfire still sounds distant and the Jinshibo hasn’t started firing yet.  Meaning this is probably another skirmish.  Meant to wear us down more than do any real damage.  Almost every morning for the last week has been like this.

Red comes over, squeezes my hand and gives a nod.  Letting me know everyone is ready.

“Alright, you all know the drill.”  I address my harem.  Shadows across the room begin moving like they have a will of their own.  “Stay close, stay safe.”

A chorus of nods and agreements ripple through the room.  Both from the living and the not.  I give Shu'er, the senior servant, a deep kiss that leaves her legs shaking.

Then signal the maids to open the double doors and lead the double column of girls out of the suite, quick time.  Jogging down the wooden hallways.

It's not far so we soon step out into the pre-dawn light.  Panning across I see contingents of crew, guards, and disciples, spread along the Jinshibo’s starboard side in the chilly misty air.  All armored to one degree or another.

Though few are as protected as well as mine.

May have made it slightly abundantly clear to mister admiral about what would happen to him if anything happened to my women.  The next day, Shufen was measuring the girls and trying on armor of different sizes.

*bmm* *bmm*

The sun hasn't topped the horizon yet.  So the flashes of cannon fire are lighting up the distance.  Thanks to [Super Senses] I get a good view of the action.

Thousands of feet away, three pirate ships trade barrages with three escorts.  The escorts look like the ships that first brought us to the Jinshibo.  Large hundred fifty-ish foot five masted warships.

The three white and blue hulled yanese vessels with ribbed pale sails are moving in formation.  Maneuvering to keep the pirates from approaching the big ships.

Smaller craft coordinate to cut off any gaps.

Our chinese “junk” style ships contrast sharply with the enemy vessels.  Which are only about half the size of our escorts.  They look more like european ships.  What you see in pirate movies.

Gaudy colors embellish their hulls and sails.  Sleek fast looking craft that show off their agility as they continue trying to breakthrough the fleet's perimeter.

One is two masted.  The others, three masted.  Unlike the orderly scene aboard our escorts.  [Super Senses] shows complete chaos rules the enemy decks.

The pirate ships are teeming with all manner of races.  Goblins, orcs, beastkin, dwarves, elves, and even humans.  Plus demons of course.  Mostly red or blue skinned, but other colors too.  Hairy and hairless.  Some with tails.  Others with horns.  Even wings.  Or some combination.

Shake my head.

“Everytime, it still blows my mind.”

Jin looks at me as the twins finish stringing her longbow and hand it over.

“Junfei?”

Point in the buccaneers direction.

“Elves side by side with orcs?  Dwarves teamed up with goblins?  And all dressed like the cast of a pirates of the caribbean movie on an acid trip.”

*bubububoom*

Flashes from cannon firing ripple down the side of the three masted corsair to my left as it cuts through the waves.  The one with full bright red sails and an ogre-demon helmsman.  Obscuring the raider behind smoke again.

*splash* *splash* *crack*

The shots bracket a five masted "Fuchuan."  Most of the balls hit nothing but water.  But one finds its mark and leaves a ragged foot wide hole in the yanese warship.

*baboom*

The junk style yanese ship replies with its own barrage.  Unfortunately, none of its shots find their target this time.

My japanese dark-elf whistles.

“Amazing they can hit anything from that far away.”

I agree with Hitomi.  Instead of in the movies, these hundred foot-ish length ships are a couple thousand feet apart.  Hitting anything while bobbing, tossing and turning at sea?  Pretty damn impressive.

And both sides have been scoring hits.  The center two masted pirate, black sails, orc pilot, is even smoking from its aftcastle.  Part of its crew of nerdowells trying to put out the fire.

A calm focused voice to my right.

"Yes, very impressive…"

[Wrath Wind of Fate]

*twang*

Elder Baiyu finally releases the string of the longbow she's been struggling to hold, pulled way back, for almost a minute.  While unleashing the qi built up for the technique.  Through a composite bow as tall as herself.  A white three foot long arrow vanishes into the distance.

[Super Senses] tracks the projectile rocketing across the ocean like a cruise missile.  On the black sailed buccaneer, a mana user desperately channels qi to spray water over the spreading flames.

*choksh*

An ivory arrow seems to almost appear out of nowhere, burying deep into his chest.  Hitting with so much force that the elf is blasted off his feet and launched over the side.  Down into the waters below.  Panicking his crewmates and scattering them.  As they look for cover from another sniping.

…

Holy shit!  That guy was nearly a mile away.  What.  The.  Fuck?

…

The Dao of Oral cultivator squints, then gives a satisfied nod before turning to me.  Sweating and shaking a bit, she used a hell of a lot of qi there, then continuing to speak.

"Thousands of years ago, the first emperor declared war on the demon clans."  She glances at fox girl.  "While many demons preyed on the people?  Just as many lived in peace."  Getting uncomfortable.  "Some even served the first emperor."

"Metia…"  Red curses.

Well, there's no stab like a backstab.

"Most following emperors continued this policy, junfei.  Driving the demon clans out of Luyan, or into hiding."

Give Jin the side-eye.

"So where did these guys come from?"

She sighs.

"Those who fled northeast beyond the wall, conquered and enslaved the kingdoms and tribes there."  Clicks her tongue.  "They became a pestilence.  Raiding the frontiers and coasts.  Attacking the wall."

Disciple Xin adds her two cents.

"Every few centuries one of the demon lords subjugates the clans and becomes the Yaowang.  Then invades Luyan."  Shudders a little.  "Many sects and states allied to fight their last assault, but the cost was still terrible."

*KRAKOW*

The middle corsair explodes with a deafening blast.  Sending debris sky high.  If I remember right, that means the fire or a lucky shot reached the ship's powder magazine.

A proud but tired Jin speaks again as pieces of the ship, and pieces of its crew, rain down.

“Yangxu is under siege.  Surrounded by enemies.  We cannot retreat for there is nowhere to retreat too.  So we stand.  So we fight.”  Determination fills her aura.  “For our friends.  For our families.”  A short glance and even shorter blush.  “And for our loves.  We will unite Luyan and end the demon clans’ threat.”

Their comrades' death signals the battle's end and both remaining pirates steer north.  Raising as much sail as they can.  Running away from the Yangxu fleet.

*kakaklang*

The “all clear” rings out from the ship’s bell and the decks begin to clear.  Except for the working sailors, and my harem.

*crush* *krink*

It doesn’t take a theoretical degree in physics to figure out what my boss lady wants.  As soon as my arms open, an exhausted Jin tosses the bow at the sword twins and throws herself at me.  Our lamellar scrapes together, protesting but completely overruled as we hold each other.

One of the twins shyly averts her eyes and whispers.

“Zhangfu, [Wrath Wind of Fate] is a high realm [Divine Wind Arrow] technique.  Core Elder Baiyu Jingi has exhausted her qi.”  Fidget fingers.  “C-could you p-perhaps help her recover?”  Many of my women’s ears perk up.  “I-in the b-bath?”

Hehe.

“Fine.”  Smiles blossom across my intimidatingly armored harem.  “But we’ll have to keep it short or we’ll be late for breakfast again.”  My stern tone, once again, completely ignored as the girls start sprinting back towards the suite.

I turn to follow but find a certain centuries old cutey still gripping me tightly.  Hiding her face under a plumed helmet.  The shadows though reveal a pouting expression.

Aw…  Somebody wants a reward.

“Hup.”

With practiced ease I swing Jin up into a princess carry and begin walking back towards the suite.  Following the sounds of excited giggling and hastily discarded arms and armor.

That plumed helmet still keeps me from directly seeing the core elder’s face.  But when I look through the shadows?  I can see her visage.

There is no more pouting.

Only sweetly smiling.

Sigh...

What am I going to do with these troublesome women?