It was deep into the night, close to dawn, the hour when people slept most soundly.
Azula was no exception.
At that mont, a mysterious figure quietly slipped into Azula's bedroom, slowly approaching her as she slept on the bed.
In sleep, Azula's usual topknot had co undone, and her normally sharp expression had softened into sothing calm and gentle.
The contrast with her usual self made the intruder pause for a mont.
The bloodline of this family truly was excellent.
Whether it was Ursa, Zuko, or even that old bastard Ozai, all of them were strikingly good-looking, and Azula was naturally no exception.
It was just that Azula's usual attire leaned more severe and martial, and her words and actions often made people overlook her appearance, rembering only the fear she inspired.
Leaving others aside, even he had to admit that Azula, in this mont, was enough to make soone marvel.
But just then, the sleeping Azula suddenly sprang up and delivered a full-force kick straight toward the intruder's chest.
The intruder nearly failed to react in ti, but still managed to raise an arm and block the attack.
However, the kick landed precisely on his wound, and the sudden pain made him grunt as he retreated two or three steps to disperse the force.
Seeing that Azula was about to press the attack without hesitation, he quickly spoke.
"It's !"
"…Kahn?"
Although Kahn had deliberately lowered his voice, Azula recognized him instantly, becoming much more alert.
In the dim room, the figure before her gradually beca clear.
The mont she saw him properly, Azula's expression changed at once.
"What happened?"
She had never seen Kahn in such a miserable state.
Kahn was still shirtless, wearing only shorts.
More importantly, several obvious wounds were visible across his exposed body, still bleeding, along with many smaller cuts.
Beyond that, Kahn was covered in dirt from head to toe, his hair disheveled, looking utterly wretched.
"I was ambushed."
"Ozai sent people to kill ."
Only now did Kahn finally let out a breath of relief.
He quickly explained the situation to Azula, then pleaded,
"Do you have any dicine for external wounds here?"
"Wait."
Although Azula was shocked and puzzled by the news that Ozai had moved against Kahn, and although she badly wanted to know the whole story, treating his injuries was clearly more important right now.
Azula left the room and soon returned with two bottles of dicine, handing them to Kahn before personally pouring him water.
"One bottle is for internal use."
"The other is for external application."
"Thanks."
"Also, this dicine…"
"I know."
"I'll replace it afterward."
"Do you take for a fool?"
Azula said impatiently,
"Hurry up and apply the dicine."
"Oh."
For so reason, Kahn suddenly felt as though he were being scolded by his mother.
He could only obediently agree, take the internal dicine, and begin applying ointnt to his wounds.
In reality, although he looked extrely miserable, he only had three deeper wounds.
They were on his left arm, his right waist, and his back.
All three had been caused by the initial arrow barrage.
This was because Kahn had woken in ti and quickly hidden beneath the bed.
If his movents had been even a little slower, he truly would have been shot full of arrows.
Even now, a lingering fear remained in his heart.
This sudden attack had undoubtedly been the closest he had ever co to death.
Surviving ant he had genuinely been lucky.
As for the other small cuts, they had all been left while escaping through the forest outside the city, scratched by branches and plants.
They were not serious, and rely proved how dangerous it was to run through the wilderness without proper clothes.
Only the three wounds left by the arrows needed real treatnt.
The wounds on his left arm and right waist were manageable.
But for the wound on his back, he could only ask Azula for help.
After simply cleaning the injuries, Kahn applied dicine while recounting the entire attack.
After using his self-created firebending technique, Phoenix, to fly over the city wall and escape the capital, he had imdiately dispelled the technique.
First, because the phoenix form was far too conspicuous for fleeing at night.
Second, because his chi was not enough to sustain the technique for long.
After dispelling the phoenix form, he imdiately plunged into the forest and continued escaping.
However, he did not keep fleeing outward.
Instead, he circled around through the forest and finally returned secretly to the edge of the city.
Then he entered the palace through the secret passage Zuko had used to enter the capital and found Azula.
To outsiders, he had painstakingly escaped the city under everyone's watch.
No one would imagine that he had now returned to the city, much less appeared inside the palace.
This place was undoubtedly the most dangerous place for Kahn, yet also the safest.
Furthermore, Ozai's sudden attack made him worry that their plan had been exposed.
And if their plan had truly been exposed, then aside from him, Azula, who lived in the palace, would certainly be the first to be attacked.
That was also why he had co to see her.
Now, it seed the situation Kahn feared had not happened, which left him both relieved and confused.
"Why did Ozai suddenly want to kill ?"
Ever since he escaped, Kahn had been thinking about this question.
But now, he only felt even more confused.
Beside him, as Kahn told his story, Azula's expression changed several tis, making her thoughts impossible to read.
Especially when she gently touched his wound while applying the dicine, her face darkened for reasons even she might not have understood.
She carefully examined Kahn's back.
Only after confirming that he had not suffered any serious injury did her expression finally soften slightly.
Hearing Kahn's question, she quickly composed herself.
After thinking for a mont, she found the answer.
"This ti, it may truly just be your bad luck."
"Hmm?"
"How so?"
Azula shrugged.
"He has already started to suspect you."
"That's all."
"Suspect ?"
"Why?"
Kahn was utterly confused.
"I haven't done anything recently."
"It has nothing to do with what you did."
"The most important thing is your identity."
Azula said,
"You are Iroh's disciple."
"And Iroh has now defected."
"That alone is enough for him to suspect you."
The more Azula spoke, the more certain she beca of her own judgnt.
Kahn could not understand it because he did not know Ozai well enough.
But for her, this was not difficult to comprehend.
"Even though your performance during this period has been flawless, if it were , I would also choose to eliminate you directly rather than keep a hidden danger at my side."
"This…"
After hearing Azula's answer, Kahn was left speechless for a mont.
In the end, he could only accept it helplessly.
He was still too naive after all.
He simply could not outplay these schers.
Finally, he could only bitterly utter a harsh threat.
"Since I survived this ti, it's his turn next."
Although Ozai had suddenly gone mad and tried to kill him, fortunately, his plan had failed.
Kahn had successfully escaped, and their own plan had not been seriously affected.
As long as Azula remained unexposed, they could still deliver a fatal blow to Ozai at the crucial mont.
And from another angle, Ozai's failed assassination had allowed Kahn to naturally move from the open into the shadows.
He had gained greater freedom, making future actions much more convenient.
This was undoubtedly beneficial to their plan.
Thinking of this, the gloom in Kahn's heart finally faded considerably.
Of course, it also ant that before the plan began, he would have to temporarily withdraw, just like Zuko, and quietly go into hiding.
After so thought, he abandoned the option of hiding with Zuko in the White Lotus' secret stronghold.
Instead, he decided to go to the Eastern Air Temple and continue his cultivation with Guru Pathik.
With a major battle imminent, Kahn still wanted to improve his strength as much as possible.
Azula agreed with this, stating that dealing with Ozai was now the most important matter.
If their plan failed, then all future ambitions would be aningless.
"I'm truly looking forward to that day more and more…"
"My dear Father."
Azula's smile carried a faint chill.
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