Zuko had successfully slipped back into the capital.
Next, he needed to remain quietly in that place until the next season arrived.
At that ti, Kahn would bring him and Azula to help and witness Ursa regain her mories.
After that, the true operation would begin.
Although keeping Zuko confined to one place sounded sowhat dull, reality was quite the opposite.
Kahn was currently under surveillance, and until that surveillance was lifted, he and Zuko could not et.
However, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai could occasionally visit him.
Of course, among the three of them, Mai was likely the one most willing to do so.
"Be careful with everything you do."
"Don't cause any more trouble."
"I don't want to suddenly receive more bad news."
Before leaving, Mai poked Zuko in the chest and sternly reminded him again and again.
The sudden news of Zuko's banishnt had once struck her like lightning from a clear sky, almost becoming a scar in her heart that she could not forget.
"Alright."
"I'll be careful."
Because of that dark history, Zuko could not maintain his composure under Mai's scolding.
He could only smile bitterly and nod repeatedly.
"You all be careful too."
"I know."
Mai and Zuko reluctantly parted.
The three girls left under cover of night, disappearing from everyone's sight.
However, the three of them did not imdiately separate.
After leaving the others behind, Mai imdiately asked Azula,
"Is there sothing wrong with those people?"
"Or do you have a plan?"
Hearing this, Ty Lee asked in confusion,
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't be so sensitive, my dear sister."
"I simply have a few concerns."
Azula did not imdiately answer Mai's question.
Instead, she said,
"I should have told you about the White Lotus, right?"
Mai and Ty Lee both nodded.
The White Lotus was an organization spread throughout the world.
Iroh and Jeong Jeong were both elders of the White Lotus, and this ti, the White Lotus was also their ally in the operation to overthrow Ozai.
"Don't you think this organization is a little too powerful?"
Azula asked aningfully.
Ty Lee asked in confusion,
"Isn't that good?"
"The stronger they are, the better our chances of success."
"Are you worried they might betray us?"
"Betrayal?"
"That is indeed a problem, but not one we need to deal with imdiately…"
"Forget it."
"It's too early to discuss these things."
Azula seed to be considering sothing, but in the end, she only yawned and waved them off.
"Haa…"
"Disperse."
"I still need to go back and catch up on sleep."
Azula turned and left decisively, giving them no chance to react.
Only a bewildered Ty Lee and a thoughtful Mai were left behind.
After the operation to welco Zuko succeeded, Kahn returned to a state of leisure.
Under surveillance, he could do nothing, much less et Zuko.
So he continued his usual routine of cultivating, reading, and occasionally taking East, South, West, and North out for walks through the streets.
His daily life was extrely regular.
However, although he and Zuko could not et, communication had beco much easier under the current circumstances.
It was just that Zuko did not seem particularly eager to chat with him now, especially since Mai often visited.
"He's still that scoundrel who forgets his friends the mont he sees a pretty face."
Kahn shook his head.
In addition, he had seen the sudden conflict between Azula and Zuko in the hidden passage on the night of the operation.
He was quite puzzled by it, so when Azula ca to his house, he asked curiously,
"What happened between you and Zuko in the hidden passage that night?"
However, his question seed to touch one of Azula's taboos.
She imdiately bristled like an angry cat and snapped,
"None of your business!"
As if that alone was not enough to vent her anger, she could not help giving Kahn a hard kick.
While hitting him, she scolded,
"It's all because of you, you bastard!"
"???"
Being beaten and scolded for no reason, then sohow blad for a disaster he did not understand, Kahn felt extrely wronged.
But before he could ask more, Azula offered no explanation.
After hitting him, she turned and left in a huff, slamming the door heavily behind her.
Bang!
"…?"
Kahn and East, South, West, and North all flinched at the sound of the door slamming, then exchanged bewildered looks.
Azula's reaction completely threw him off, and he even began seriously reflecting on whether he had offended her recently.
Co to think of it, their last sparring session had been a little too serious.
He had not given her much face and had pressured her into a rather embarrassing state.
But she had been the one who asked for it, and he had even received several kicks from her afterward.
Hmm.
There was also that ti he took East, South, West, and North shopping and promised to bring her food, only to accidentally forget.
But hadn't he imdiately gone shopping with her again afterward?
He had even taken a few hits from her then too.
And before that…
No, wait.
As he recalled those mories, Kahn suddenly realized sothing was wrong.
Why was he always getting beaten?
Kahn's expression imdiately turned serious.
Thinking carefully, when he had first started interacting with Azula, he would imdiately retaliate whenever she made a move.
But at so point, he had gradually gotten used to her physical outbursts and slowly beca too lazy to resist.
Big problem.
Human adaptability was truly terrifying.
They could even get used to sothing like this.
However, that still was not the core issue.
After thinking for a long ti, he still could not understand why Azula had suddenly gotten angry, or why she was angry at him specifically.
Helpless, Kahn had no choice but to ask the others who had been present at the ti.
Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko.
Then sothing even stranger happened.
Faced with his confusion and questions, the three of them reacted differently, yet their answers were strangely consistent.
Ty Lee beca sowhat flustered when faced with the question.
"Ah, this, that…"
"I'm not really sure either."
"You should ask soone else."
"I suggest asking Azula directly, if she's willing to tell you."
Zuko stamred when faced with the question.
"I don't know how to explain this."
"Or rather, I don't think I should be the one explaining it."
"It would be best if Azula told you herself."
Mai was even more direct, acting as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Asking us is useless."
"Even if we knew the reason, we couldn't tell you."
"You should ask Azula directly."
"…?"
After asking around, Kahn felt as though his mind had been filled with ten thousand question marks.
He was even more confused than before.
No, when did all of you develop a shared secret behind my back?
Can't any of you be normal?
As for the overly consistent suggestion the three had given him, Kahn scoffed at it.
He had already asked Azula directly and gotten beaten for it.
That was exactly why he had co to ask them.
Go back and ask Azula again?
Did he want to get beaten again?
Kahn chose to give up on treatnt entirely.
Forget it.
At least for now, it was best not to provoke Azula.
They could talk about it later.
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