White Lotus—that was the na of this mysterious organization.
Upon hearing this na, Kahn's expression beca strange.
His first reaction was that he might have co to the wrong place.
His second reaction was that Iroh might have co to the wrong place.
The White Lotus, in his holand, had been the largest cult-like organization in ancient tis.
This na often represented uprisings and rebellions, along with many ignorant, frightening, and sinister folk practices.
Because of this, the na White Lotus frequently appeared in various traditional horror stories and gas.
Although the White Lotus before him belonged to another world, his preconceived notions made it hard for him to see any organization with this na as legitimate.
However, according to the waiter—who was also a mber of the White Lotus—the White Lotus was an ancient organization spread across various nations.
They carried out work similar to the Avatar, secretly maintaining peace and balance among the Four Nations.
And now, with the Avatar missing, the White Lotus had taken on the heavy responsibility of opposing the Fire Nation.
They maintained connections with various resistance forces around the world and served as a backbone against the Fire Nation.
The more Kahn listened, the more sothing felt off.
After the other party finished explaining, he finally couldn't help but ask:
"What is Uncle Iroh's relationship with your White Lotus?"
The man smiled and said:
"Elder Iroh is currently one of the main leaders of the White Lotus."
Elder?
Leader?
Kahn fell silent, then struggled to continue asking:
"When did he join?"
"That I don't know."
"It was probably a long ti ago."
"When I joined the organization, Elder Iroh was already a leader."
"Ah… this…"
This exchange left him completely speechless.
Uncle Iroh, what are you doing?
Are you leading a rebellion against yourself?
This is outrageous!
Although Kahn knew that Iroh had always disapproved of the Fire Nation's aggression, he never expected him to go this far.
On one hand, as a Fire Nation general, he had crushed resistance across the Four Nations.
On the other hand, he was an elder of an organization secretly opposing the Fire Nation's expansion.
It was hard to imagine one person holding such completely opposing identities.
However, Kahn suddenly thought of Iroh's appearance.
Although Iroh and Ozai were brothers of similar age, Ozai appeared to be in his pri with a commanding physique.
Iroh, on the other hand, already had gray hair and showed clear signs of aging.
Even though Iroh always appeared optimistic and easygoing in daily life, the endless tornt within his heart was likely sothing only he could understand.
Returning to the main point, regardless of everything else, since the White Lotus opposed the Fire Nation and Iroh was one of its elders, then rescuing Iroh's forr subordinates was a perfect fit.
To his pleasant surprise, the help the White Lotus could provide was even more substantial than he had expected.
With this, his plan beca even more foolproof.
—
On the day of their departure, he and Azula not only changed into custom-made battle robes, but also led a squad of soldiers out of the capital.
These were no ordinary soldiers, but the Royal Guards originally tasked with protecting the palace, now serving as Ozai's personal troops.
Every soldier was a Firebender, truly the elite among elites.
This arrangent carried an obvious elent of surveillance, but it also showed how much importance Ozai placed on this mission.
Additionally, the level of this operation was quite high, and Ozai had granted Azula considerable authority.
Wherever they went, she had the right to temporarily take command of all local military forces.
It was an almost unreasonable level of power.
Unlike Zuko and Iroh, who had departed by ship, their destination lay within the Earth Kingdom.
The capital had no direct sea route there, so they had to travel part of the journey over land first.
Interestingly, their mode of transport was a type of mount known as a Tri-Horned Beast.
Its body was as large as an ox, with three massive horns on its head.
It was not only a ans of transport, but also possessed formidable combat ability, making it a unique mount of the Fire Nation army.
"I always feel a bit awkward."
Although the battle robe was custom-made and fit perfectly, Kahn still felt unaccustod to wearing it.
"Awkward?"
"I think it looks quite good."
Azula walked beside him, seemingly glancing at him casually as she responded indifferently.
Kahn, now twelve and approaching thirteen, was entering his growth spurt.
As he grew taller, his once slightly chubby cheeks had faded, revealing a defined and firm jawline.
His well-trained body was lean and balanced.
His eyes shone brightly, and his deanor was confident and energetic.
The battle robe added a touch of heroism, making anyone who saw him think he looked like a brave and handso young warrior.
After giving Kahn a brief look, Azula casually shifted her gaze away, focusing on the scenery along the road.
She stretched comfortably and said:
"It's been so long since I've been out."
"I was practically suffocating."
Kahn was instantly speechless:
"Hey, you don't think this is a vacation, do you?"
"What's the difference?"
"This mission isn't difficult anyway."
"Instead of worrying about those boring things, I'd rather think about the local food."
"I don't want to eat leftovers after a large group of people."
Azula's picky attitude made Kahn internally exclaim, classic.
Which story did this spoiled noble girl co from?
Wait.
Azula… spoiled noble girl…
That actually fit perfectly.
"That's easy for you to say."
"I wonder who always likes to snatch 'leftovers' from my bowl when we eat at my place."
"Haha, those are called spoils of war!"
The two bickered as usual at the front.
Behind them, the captain of the Royal Guards listened to their conversation, hesitating before finally speaking up:
"Princess Azula, according to protocol, you should not walk side by side…"
"Are you lecturing ?"
Azula suddenly turned to stare at him, her eyes instantly turning ice-cold.
The overwhelming pressure made him struggle to breathe.
"I…"
"I think that instead of worrying about such trivial matters, you should first recall how many tis you have neglected your duties while guarding the palace."
"And whether those instances could be enough to imprison you and your family, exile you from the Fire Nation, or simply have you executed."
Azula's calm and asured tone made the captain feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
Looking into her cold eyes, he knew she was fully capable of carrying out those threats.
He could only lower his head and submit:
"I apologize, I spoke out of turn."
"It's good that you understand."
"Report for your punishnt when we reach our destination."
"Fifty military lashes—hmm, a very rciful number."
"Also, I had better not hear your voice again."
Seeing the captain nod silently, Azula finally showed a satisfied smile.
She turned back to Kahn and asked:
"Where were we?"
"Uh…"
Kahn was stunned by Azula's actions.
Although he had always known she was arrogant, he had never expected her to be this extre.
He quietly asked:
"What exactly did that man do to neglect his duties so many tis?"
"Oh, it's nothing,"
Azula said indifferently.
"The first ti was because he failed to guard properly, allowing to sneak out."
"That counted as neglect."
"Later, he deliberately covered for sneaking out again."
"That was also neglect."
"…"
Kahn silently gave Azula a thumbs-up.
You are truly sothing else.
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