"Ugh, this won't do."
During the break, Kou Li was heading over to find Kahn to play when she spotted him slumped in his seat, sighing for no clear reason.
"What's wrong? You look troubled," Kou Li asked.
"Uh, nothing. It's just that some friends and I have been searching for something for a long time but still can't find it. It's giving me a headache."
Kahn made up an excuse—of course he couldn't casually tell her anything related to Azula's plan.
The "Adventure Game" had been going on for days, but they had found absolutely nothing.
Without clues, they were searching the palace like blind men feeling an elephant—slow, inefficient, and frustrating.
If this continued, they probably wouldn't find anything even when they were old.
Forget getting old—at this rate, they were going to go bald from stress.
Kou Li didn't know what Kahn was really up to, but the moment she heard "looking for something," she smiled confidently.
"Looking for something? I'm good at that! Let me help!"
"You're good at it?" Kahn raised an eyebrow at her, skeptical.
You don't even know what we're looking for, and you're already bragging?
"Don't believe me? Watch."
Kou Li didn't seem offended at all. She placed her hand lightly on Kahn's desk and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she said:
"There are five books in your desk, two pens, and a paper bag you forgot to throw away after breakfast. Oh—and there are a few slips of paper stuck in the crack on the right side."
The books, pens, and paper bag were indeed there.
But the slips of paper…?
Kahn moved the books aside, reached into the crack, and sure enough—there were several folded notes hidden inside.
Some gossip, probably left by the previous student who sat there.
He'd never noticed them at all.
Kahn was shocked.
"How did you do that?"
"Did you forget? I'm an Earthbender," Kou Li whispered with a smug smile.
She had been a little reckless when school first started, but she'd learned to be more careful.
Not everyone was as reasonable as Kahn, and she didn't want pointless quarrels every day.
Still, Kahn had been sparring with her almost daily, yet he had never known Earthbenders could do this. The discovery genuinely surprised him.
Kou Li explained:
Earthbenders could sense objects through whatever material their hand was touching. It was one of the basic Earthbending skills—earth sense.
And it wasn't limited to the ground.
As she demonstrated, she could sense things through a tabletop. Or by touching a wall, she could "see" the layout of an entire building. The applications were incredibly broad.
Damn, what kind of divine skill was this?!
Look at Earthbending. Practical, useful, versatile.
Now look at Firebending's basic lesson:
Breathing!
Breathing that everyone already does!
Kahn suddenly felt envious.
But then he remembered something he'd read once—Earthbending had been taught by the Badgermoles. No wonder it had so many sensory tricks.
Firebending coolness restored, he calmed down again.
But seriously… if that was the case, Kou Li was absolutely perfect for the kind of thing they were searching for.
An Earthbender hunting for secret rooms underground was like a master chef being handed the perfect ingredients.
But the real problem was…
This was not a normal adventure. It could be dangerous.
Was it okay to drag Kou Li into this?
"So? Can I help?" Kou Li asked, still waiting. Her confident smile made it clear this wasn't a question—it was a declaration.
Kahn snapped back to reality and smiled.
"Of course you can. Your ability is incredible. But my friend's identity and this matter are a bit… special. So I need to talk to her first."
"A special friend? Sounds interesting," Kou Li replied, even more curious now.
This was the Fire Nation capital—full of nobles, governors, military officers, and wealthy families.
As the governor's daughter, she understood perfectly well that people had secrets.
So she shrugged.
"It's fine. I trust you. If you need anything, come find me."
"Mm."
—
Azula had found nothing again today and was irritated enough to show up at Kahn's house intending to rough him up to release some stress.
But the moment Kahn returned home, he greeted her with news:
"I have a friend who might really help our operation."
He briefly described Kou Li's Earthbending sensory ability.
Azula's eyes immediately brightened.
"I didn't expect you to have such a friend. Not bad, not bad. It seems your judgment isn't completely terrible."
Kahn frowned.
"When was my judgment ever terrible?"
"If it wasn't terrible, would you be friends with Great-Grandfather? Oh, wait—maybe you're just blind."
Kahn stared at her.
Good spirits above. She even managed to drag Zuko into this?
"…But if that's how you see it, aren't we friends too?" he shot back.
"That's why I said your judgment isn't that bad."
Azula's logic was airtight.
Kahn gave up arguing. Seeing Azula in such a good mood, he decided to say what truly mattered:
"Let me be clear first. My friend isn't like us, and she's not very strong. I don't want her getting too deep into this. If you want her help, I need to guarantee her safety."
"Tsk. So many conditions."
Azula narrowed her eyes.
"Can you guarantee she's trustworthy?"
Kahn thought back on everything Kou Li had said and done, then slowly answered:
"I can't guarantee it. So it's best not to tell her too much. But her safety is non-negotiable."
Sorry, Kou Li.
He trusted her personally, but objectively… he barely knew anything about her background.
And his current situation was precarious enough already.
"Good. That's the right mindset."
Azula seemed satisfied. She patted Kahn's shoulder and whispered:
"Our situation requires absolute caution—especially regarding the people we use. Not everyone can be trusted."
Even Mai and Ty Lee, who had grown up with her, were kept in the dark.
Zuko too—he should be grateful she was being "kind" by letting him in on anything at all.
Kahn was an exception. Someone she valued.
But if he ever made a foolish decision, she wouldn't blame him…
She'd simply eliminate the threat.
Even if that threat was his so-called friend.
But now, she smiled sweetly and left him with a promise before walking away.
"No problem. I'll keep my word."
Only once Azula disappeared from sight did Kahn slump and sigh deeply.
"…Did I go astray somewhere?"
...
Author's Note:
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