The Emperor Old Man stared at the endgame on the chessboard before him.
He had held the pose of lifting his teacup, ready to take a sip, for over ten seconds. Finally, he came to his senses, blew away the tea leaves, and took a slow, deliberate sip. He pinched a chess piece between his fingers and—*click!*—set it down.
In a single move, the Emperor Old Man had overturned a board that had seemed hopelessly lost. He took another sip of tea and slowly screwed the lid back onto his cup.
Chapter 1183