Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Pour Me Another One
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Morning had dawned.
The sky over the Imperial Palace was a blinding blue. A pleasantly cool autumn breeze blew, while the sunlight poured down warmly, creating perfect lighting for an afternoon nap.
The world was abuzz with the heat of festival. Today was the day of the Imperial Palace Martial Tournament, where the empire's greatest masters vied for supremacy. Renowned experts flocked to the arena like clouds to show off their martial prowess, and spectators gathered to witness the dazzling duels.
But just one step removed from the clamor at the world's center.
Near the Cold Palace stood an old but charming pavilion, where a completely different world unfolded.
"Ah, that's the spot. My left calf feels a bit tight."
Cheonwi sprawled out on the pavilion floor like a starfish and grumbled. At his legs sat a demure woman who began kneading his calf with delicate hands.
"Here?"
"Mm, yeah. Right there. Perfect pressure."
The speaker, with her soft, gentle voice, was none other than Empress Yeonhwa.
Was it thanks to last night's fierce 'tiger taming'? The icy venom in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a languid satisfaction and a subtle submissiveness. Anyone witnessing the empress of the realm massaging a mere vice chief eunuch's legs would faint on the spot, but this was their private kingdom now.
"Ah~"
As Cheonwi opened his mouth, Sohee, kneeling beside him, carefully peeled a grape and popped it in.
"Sweet?"
Sohee asked, her eyes sparkling like a puppy's. Cheonwi nodded as he chewed.
"Sweet, so sweet. This is paradise."
He lay with his arm as a pillow, gazing at the clouds drifting far away. The juice bursting in his mouth and the cool pressure on his legs—this was the true taste of power, the pinnacle of life.
"Cheonwi, are you sure you won't go?"
Yeonhwa asked cautiously, pressing firmly into his inner thigh.
"Go where?"
"The arena. I heard the grand prize is a manual left by the legendary Sword Saint... They say your skills aren't half bad."
Cheonwi chuckled.
"A manual? You mean that scrap of paper scribbled with crooked handwriting? I wouldn't take it if they gave it to me."
"Isn't it something every martial artist in the world would risk their life for?"
"Why bother sweating for something worse than my toilet paper? Better to nap here instead."
Yeonhwa let out a soft laugh at his firm reply.
"True, with your otherworldly abilities, a mere manual wouldn't catch your eye."
"A bit harder, Your Majesty. Yeah, like that."
Cheonwi closed his eyes again, trying to savor the peaceful afternoon. If only for the cheers echoing from the distant arena.
"Waaaaah—!!"
"Uooooh! Kill it!!"
The cheers carried on the wind, tickling his eardrums. Even from afar, the roar of thousands, tens of thousands, crashed like waves.
Cheonwi furrowed his brow slightly.
"Man, they're so loud. You'd think war broke out."
"Must be the finals heating up. The excitement is intense."
Yeonhwa glanced worriedly toward the arena, but Cheonwi brushed it off and opened his mouth to Sohee again.
"Ah~"
Sohee was lifting a plump grape to his mouth when—
Kwaaaang—!!
A earth-shaking boom erupted from the arena. No mere shout—this was the shockwave of masters' internal energies clashing, ripping the air and rumbling the ground all the way to the Cold Palace.
Woooong.
The pavilion floor vibrated faintly, and the liquor in the glasses on the table rippled.
And then the most tragic accident occurred.
"Ah."
Startled by the tremor, Sohee's hand slipped, and the juicy grape destined for Cheonwi's mouth plopped to the floor instead.
Roll roll.
The grape rolled across the dusty pavilion floor. Cheonwi, Sohee, and Yeonhwa's eyes followed the pitiful sight in unison.
"......"
Silence.
Cheonwi slowly sat up. He alternated glances between the fallen grape and the distant arena.
"Damn... the grape fell."
"S-Sorry! I'll get another!"
Sohee jumped in panic to fetch a new one, but her mistake wasn't the source of his irritation.
"No, Sohee. It's not your fault. Get another. Actually, why are those guys so damn noisy?"
Cheonwi ruffled his hair irritably.
"I just want some peace, but no manners. Don't they know noise pollution in public is a serious crime? Worse than upstairs neighbors."
"C-Calm down. It's just masters clashing fiercely."
Yeonhwa soothed him by massaging his shoulders, but the shattered peace wasn't easily mended.
Then—
"Kraaaah!!"
"Hya! Heaven and Earth Sundered!!"
Kwang! Koo-goo-goo-goong!
This explosion was twice as massive. The finals had begun. The tremendous shockwave swept over the Cold Palace's crumbling walls and into the pavilion.
Whiiiish—!
A fierce gust rattled the table, and the laundry flapped wildly.
"Kyaa!"
"Ugh!"
Sohee and Yeonhwa clutched their ears and huddled. In the arena sky, a brilliant sword qi shot up, slicing the clouds in half.
The crowd's cheers peaked.
"Ooh! Amazing! The roof's gonna collapse!!"
"Is that human martial arts? The pillars look like they're coming loose!!"
Their exclamations carried clearly on the wind to Cheonwi's ears.
Roof collapsing? Pillars loosening?
His lip curled smirkily.
"Want me to make it collapse? Okay. Wish granted."
Cheonwi shot to his feet.
"Cheonwi? W-What are you doing?"
Yeonhwa looked up at him anxiously. Cheonwi turned toward the arena without a word.
He narrowed his eyes at the massive tiled roof, about 500 meters away. To the naked eye, just a grand building, but to him...
Structural dynamics, materials science, fluid mechanics—data raced through his mind.
'That stupidly oversized roof. Load distribution design is a mess. Impressive it's held up this long.'
He raised his hand and pressed thumb to middle finger.
'Where the tiles interlock with the rafters. Yes, that's the stress concentration point.'
Every structure has a weakness. Even massive walls can crumble from a single crack. Especially outdated architecture like that.
No need to demolish the whole thing. Too barbaric.
Just pop the 'lid' to let the noise vent.
"Noise echoes because it's trapped. Time to ventilate."
"Huh? Ventilate?"
Yeonhwa and Sohee looked baffled.
Cheonwi smirked and focused energy in his fingers. Not natural qi, but a high-pressure compressed air pulse.
Snap—.
A crisp snap pierced the pavilion's silence.
In that instant, a transparent air bullet launched from his fingertip.
Invisible, it broke the sound barrier, crossing hundreds of meters in a blink.
Shuuuuwook—!
Like a sniper's bullet, it struck the roof's critical joint—the stress point—dead on.
No boom.
Instead, a bizarre phenomenon unfolded.
Kkiiigiik...
The arena's massive roof lifted as if hoisted by hand.
Hundreds of tons of tiles and wood soared skyward intact, no explosion, no shattering.
Riding a perfectly calculated high-altitude wind, it floated away like a giant stingray kite toward the forest beyond the palace.
Whoooosh—.
With the roof gone, open blue sky exposed the arena. Dazzling sunlight flooded the shaded interior.
"......"
For a moment, all sound vanished from the world.
Cheering spectators,
Sword-wielding masters,
Even the emperor in his seat.
All gaped dumbstruck at the missing roof and pierced sky above.
Too surreal—their brains froze.
"Uh...?"
A dazed groan scattered on the wind.
Meanwhile, back at the Cold Palace pavilion.
With the roof gone, the resonant roar vanished like a lie. Sound dispersed into the sky, no more vibrations reaching here.
"Phew, now I can breathe."
Cheonwi plopped back down at the table, satisfied.
"Sohee, what're you doing? Got the grapes? Pour me another round. Now the booze tastes right."
"......"
"......"
But the two women before him were frozen like statues.
Yeonhwa's jaw hung slack, Sohee oblivious to dropping her grape bunch. Their eyes darted between the roofless arena and Cheonwi's finger.
Whatever just happened defied human comprehension.
"Ch-Cheonwi... just now... that was... you...?"
Yeonhwa stammered, trembling.
"Why so shocked? Must've been a strong gust. Climate change is wild these days."
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"A-A gust? A wind that peels off just the roof?"
"Natural disasters are unpredictable. Should've considered aerodynamics when building. Tsk tsk, ignorance hurts the body."
Cheonwi clicked his tongue and held out his empty glass.
"Come on, forget it and drink. Don't ruin the vibe."
Inwardly, he cheered.
'Perfect harmony of stress concentration and fluid dynamics.'
No point explaining to the uninitiated. Just enjoy the peace.
But this little 'peacekeeping' act's ripples were anything but small.
At the same time, the arena.
The stunned silence shattered into pandemonium.
"Th-The roof! The roof flew away!!"
"What calamity is this? The heavens are angry!"
"Impossible! How does something that heavy fly off like paper?!"
Spectators panicked and milled about, masters dropped swords and collapsed. No human martial art explained this—divine intervention or a legendary archmage.
The emperor's face was ashen in his seat.
His trembling hand pointed at the open sky.
"Wh-What... what is this?! The palace arena's roof gone! Ominous! A sign the empire falls!"
A eunuch rushed to support him.
"Y-Your Majesty! Compose yourself!"
"Compose? Find the cause! Who did this? Or is it heaven's will?!"
The emperor bellowed in fear and fury. Then, a figure flashed in his mind.
The one who wielded bizarre powers and casually defied norms.
He shot up and shouted.
"Eunuch Bureau! Summon Cheonwi now! We must investigate!"
"Vice Chief Cheonwi, sire?"
"Yes! He must know something! No one else can explain this freak event! Fetch him! Now!"
The emperor's desperate cry echoed through the roofless arena.