Compared to the tension of their first mission, this second one was undoubtedly much easier.
Since their thod had already proven effective, there was no need for any adjustnts—they simply repeated the sa process as before.
However, one thing was worth noting.
This ti, their target was not affiliated with the Order of the White Lotus, nor was he a core figure under Iroh like Li Dun, or even a high-ranking officer.
If Li Dun had been a large catch, then this man could only be considered insignificant prey.
Even when Kahn asked Iroh about him, Iroh's recollection was vague, and he expressed mild surprise, never expecting that this person would openly rebel in his na.
He even showed a trace of emotion over it.
But was that really the case?
Watching Iroh's reaction, Kahn began to doubt the sincerity of this so-called defection.
At that mont, Azula offered a different perspective.
"I don't believe Iroh has the kind of presence that makes people lose their minds and follow him blindly," she said coolly.
"In my opinion, this target is probably just a fool who thinks he's clever."
What she ant was clear.
This man likely wasn't driven by loyalty, but by opportunism.
Back when he chose a side, he simply made the wrong decision—and one mistake led to another, forcing him into his current situation.
Setting aside her phrasing, her reasoning was sound.
As for the truth, it would require further investigation.
And that truth would determine how they dealt with him.
In fact, beyond assisting Iroh's forr subordinates, Kahn and Azula had another goal in mind.
They intended to build their own network of influence.
Just like with Li Dun, whose gratitude had been clearly conveyed through Iroh in the Spirit World.
That outco had been exactly what they wanted.
But if this man was truly as Azula described, then he held no value to them at all.
In that case, there would be no need to bring him into their fold.
With that in mind, they arrived at their destination, still carrying a degree of suspicion.
And General Yudan, who had originally led the capture operation, quickly cleared up their doubts.
Devon, the leader of this group of rebels, had long held a grudge against Iroh from his days in the army.
Yudan described him as a hypocrite, a petty villain with laughable acting skills, and a fool who couldn't read the situation.
The disgust in his voice was unmistakable.
When Ozai rose to power, Yudan had not imdiately taken a side.
He observed quietly for a ti, and only after confirming Ozai's position was secure did he pledge his allegiance.
Because of that, his status had neither risen nor fallen—he had remained stable over the years.
Devon, on the other hand, had fared far worse.
When the initial news spread, he believed Iroh would surely erge victorious, and loudly declared his support, rallying others to his side.
But when the situation turned, he imdiately switched allegiance to Ozai.
That decision spared his life—but stripped him of nearly all authority.
He was reduced to serving under Yudan.
The two had carried grudges for years.
Now that he held power, Yudan naturally made Devon's life miserable at every turn.
Devon endured it all in silence, not daring to protest.
In the end, their long-standing rivalry concluded with Yudan's triumph and Devon's fall.
At least, that was how it seed.
But for reasons unknown, Devon suddenly snapped.
He used flattery and deception to win over a group of naïve soldiers.
Then, catching Yudan off guard, he launched a sudden rebellion and fled without hesitation, leading to the current situation.
After recounting all of this, Yudan ground his teeth and spat bitterly,
"If I'd known it would co to this, I would've killed that bastard back then!"
Azula and Kahn exchanged a brief glance.
They had no interest in these petty rivalries, nor in Yudan's exaggerated grievances.
Judging solely from Devon's actions, he wasn't worth investing much effort into.
Still, the process had to be followed.
Not for Devon's sake, but for those who might co after him—those who might actually be worth their attention.
This ti, however, there was no need to go out of their way to persuade or test him.
At the sa ti, sothing didn't quite add up.
Soone like Devon shouldn't have had the nerve to make such a bold move.
Combined with Yudan's claim that he had suddenly lost his mind, the two of them suspected he might be hiding sothing significant.
"Whatever pushed him to defect must be serious," Azula said after a brief analysis.
"Either he's trying to escape so disaster of his own making… or he's found a better place to run to."
She turned to Kahn, a faint spark of interest in her eyes.
"When you locate him, check if there's anyone else nearby."
"We might run into so… familiar faces this ti."
"Understood."
Among the groups they knew, aside from enemy forces, only one organization would shelter defectors from the Fire Nation.
The White Lotus.
As a secret society spread across the world, its structure was loose.
Not every piece of information could travel quickly between its branches.
At least in this case, neither Iroh nor the capital's branch had received any news.
But even if Devon had truly made contact with them, Kahn had no intention of holding back.
He would never allow the mission to fail.
More importantly, if soone like Devon managed to escape—or worse, join the White Lotus—it would be like planting a bomb within their own ranks.
A risk they could not afford.
The next steps were straightforward.
Under Azula's supervision, Kahn used his out-of-body technique to search for Devon's location.
Even seasoned commanders like Li Dun had been unable to evade this thod.
Soone like Devon stood no chance.
Before long, Kahn located him.
He was still wearing his Fire Nation uniform, making him easy to identify.
After finding him, Kahn did not imdiately return.
Instead, he searched the surrounding area for any signs of reinforcents.
There was nothing.
Had Azula been wrong?
Or had the reinforcents simply not arrived yet?
Either way, there was no reason to hesitate.
They moved imdiately, leading their forces to capture Devon and his group first.
Everything else could be dealt with afterward.
Compared to Li Dun's troops, Devon's n were far weaker.
The mont Azula and Kahn arrived with their forces, Devon and his soldiers didn't even have ti to react.
They were swiftly overwheld, subdued, and bound.
The entire engagent lasted less than three minutes.
Only after being tied up did Devon fully realize what had happened.
He struggled violently, shouting in panic,
"Who are you?!"
"Ah!"
Azula kicked him hard in the stomach, instantly silencing him as he curled up in pain.
She slowly withdrew her foot, a faint smile playing on her lips as she looked down at him.
"You don't need to know who we are."
"You just need to understand one thing."
"Your good days are over."
I woke up from a nap with a cold—feels awful.
Or maybe I was already getting sick this morning, and it just hit harder in the afternoon?
My head's a bit foggy, but I just finished this chapter.
I'll see if I can manage another one later.
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