To truly preserve peace, the notion of abstaining from less than stellar deeds is not merely naive, it is downright folly. This holds especially true in a city that was once the proud capital of a realm now ravaged by war, where dynasties have risen and crumbled, and where opportunists have ceaselessly schemed to elevate their own fleeting grandeur. Though the city kept its shadowy servants, successors of those who once disastrously flooded the submerged dungeon below lake Laogai, it does not mean fresh chains cannot be forged anew.
The cellars lie suffocatingly dark and claustrophobic, air thick with a miasma of human sweat and despair. A single cough reverberates like a distant thunderclap, traveling from one end of the vast cell to the other, amplifying the palpable tension that coils tightly around the restless, beleaguered men.
To endure such conditions is a torment unfit for any mortal soul. Yet, unlike ordinary folk, these so-called faithful acolytes possess a resilience that borders on the extraordinary. Indeed, their spirits have only grown more resolute, tempered by the herculean trials that beset those who choose to worship truth rather than bow to false idols.
Though it is tragic that their pure-blooded brethren were slaughtered during secret congregations, those valiant martyrs died defending the Master's sacred name, sacrificing their mortal coils to the glory of the Eternal Balance. They illuminated the path, teaching how to offer oneself wholly to the Master's divine cause, even at the cost of life itself.
Within every faithful heart, the Master listens and answers the plaintive cries of his devoted children. If not even a sparrow can fall unnoticed to the earth, how then could he be oblivious to his followers, who are shackled and confined by the servants of an oppressive city? For now, the worldly powers may underestimate the fullness of his reverence, chaining his flock with cold iron. But soon, all knees across the lands shall bend before the overwhelming presence of their Master, and enemies will wail in bitter regret for their sinful transgressions.
Silently, the acolytes murmured prayers in the suffocating cells, invoking the Master's name with desperate hope for a miracle. Words falter when trying to capture his unyielding love, for he comprehends their suffering and surely treads the path to deliverance. Persecution for faith is no surprise, as it only validates the one true Master and the Eternal Balance as a beacon amidst the darkness. Every follower has spent a lifetime preparing to face those who oppose the Master's will. If temporary captivity is the toll exacted for standing firm against evil, then it is a mere trifle, a fleeting pain.
For these captured souls, who began with little to lose, there is no greater validation of sacrifice than suffering for the veneration of truth. Every pang endured now is but a shadow compared to the Heavenly Kingdom they are destined to inherit.
"I don't think I can breathe," gasped a young acolyte, clutching his chest.
Faith alone unfortunately does not replenish the scarce breath in this stifling, underground tomb. The air itself is a precious commodity, quickly depleted and heavily laden with the residue of countless exhalations.
Naturally, such complaints were met with derision, especially by those who equated frailty with faltering faith.
"Quiet!" barked a grizzled man. "If this is the extent of your endurance, how can you claim to fight for the Master?" He jabbed a trembling finger toward the corner where an elderly man sat serenely, seemingly untouched by their grim surroundings. "Look to Yao Bo there. Now that is the steadfast spirit befitting a servant of the glorious Master!"
Yao Bo the elder is a walking testament to unwavering devotion. His gaunt frame draped in threadbare robes revealed ribcages as stark as the resolve within his heart. Even before captivity, many drew inspiration from his example, emulating his fasting and prayers to feel closer to the Master's deliverance.
The young acolyte edged closer, weaving through the huddled forms to seek the solace of wisdom in this crucible of despair. Who would not crave comfort in such perilous times?
"Are you well?" Yao Bo's voice was soft and fragile. Yet it is infused with a boundless courage born of the Master's power. "Let me shift a bit and make room."
"No, no need," the youth replied, his concern for the elder outweighing his own discomfort. He chose to bear the suffocating air if it meant easing Yao Bo's burden.
Thus began the exchange of wisdom. The frail elder spoke of faith as the lodestar amid chaos, affirming that to remain attuned to the Master's light is the highest virtue. To abandon hope in darkness, he warned, is to stray from the righteous path towards the Heavenly Kingdom.
"I sense you are new among these faithful," Yao Bo said kindly. "But it is in the furnace of hardship that true strength is forged. I believe in you, and so does the Master. I foresee great deeds wrought through your hands."
The young man nodded, unsure how to reply. Soon, Yao Bo urged him to gather others of his generation. Though persecution by the city's cultural guardians weighed heavily upon them all, it was especially harrowing for the youth, who were newly inducted into the Master's ever-growing fold.
Slowly, the younger prisoners clustered around the elder. Many listened in silence, their faces shadowed with a mix of fear and hope.
After commanding the rapt attention of his brethren, Yao Bo exhaled deeply and began. "My brothers, I am aware of the trials we endure. Bound by iron fetters and crushed beneath the indifferent heel of the city's administration." He lifted his chained wrists for all to behold, the cold metal is a stark testament to their plight. "Yet I implore you to remember. From the very moment you pledged allegiance to the Master and bore the sacred burden of the Eternal Balance, you vowed to defend the righteous cause at every cost. If this trifling torment is sufficient to shake your resolve, then what hope remains when the enemy descends upon us with unrelenting fury?" He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle, daring them to question their own fortitude. His intent was clear. The old acolyte wants to rekindle their faith, to forge their spirit anew in the crucible of hardship. "The Master is a benevolent father. As his children, we are destined to inherit this world according to his flawless design. What then is there to fear? The Master is omnipotent and omniscient. By his divine will, all walls shall crumble and every iron chain shall shatter. We, his loyal servants, need harbor no dread, for our merciful guide will utterly vanquish all who oppose us. The gravest sin you could commit now is to doubt him, to believe that he cannot dissolve the shackles that bind us. So I ask you once more, why should any of you tremble when your faith rests in an all-powerful Master? With unwavering conviction in him, all things become possible."
Yao Bo surveyed the crowd, seizing the heavy silence that followed. "Do you know the greatest gift an acolyte can possess, beyond even the spreading of the Eternal Balance? It is faith. In moments such as these, faith is our lifeline. It is in the Master's grace that our true power resides, for without him, we are but rudderless beasts, vulnerable and lost. Thus, we must aspire to be as the flock guarded by the supreme shepherd. I beseech you, brothers of the Eternal Balance, cast aside your doubts and embrace faith in the Master! In faith, we are invincible!"
A roar of fervent approval erupted from the older acolytes, their voices rising to hymns extolling the Master's glory.
Yet the swelling morale was abruptly stilled as a lone Dai Li officer entered the chamber. Without even speaking, the slim figure in brocade made the detainees fell silent. Behind the cold steel bars, not one dared to lift a voice in song.
Countless valiant acolytes had already fallen defending the Master's light. No matter the depth of their devotion, even they would concede that a single Dai Li could fell hundreds of faithful souls. The only comfort left to the imprisoned was the knowledge that their fallen brethren had sacrificed themselves in the name of the Eternal Balance, a guarantee that the Master have already reserved a place for them in the Heavenly Kingdom.
Though grievously wounded, the survivors clung to life. Even with their numbers whittled to a mere handful, the cramped cells remained overflowing, squeezing the faithful to the brink. It was the mere presence of one solitary figure capable of cutting down their finest warriors that shattered their spirit. The loss of many gifted and blessed Earthbenders just the previous night remained a fresh wound in their hearts.
"Elder, I fear your words falter," the young acolyte murmured, sensing the creeping erosion of their people's resolve.
"Patience," Yao Bo replied with calm assurance. "In time, the brethren will rekindle their faith in the Master's glory. Remember, this suffering is but a fleeting shadow. The Dai Li may howl arrogantly now, but inevitably, they will bow before the Master, seeking pardon for their persecution of his devoted servants. There is nothing to fear. These vile cultural guardians who dare strip us of our right to venerate the Master are no more than a rabid pack of wolves. Calling them dogs would be generous. We, the Acolytes of San Bao, are the cherished flock under the supreme shepherd's protection. What sets us apart from the worldly goats is our steadfast belief in truth, which is the Master and the Eternal Balance. He sees our suffering and is weaving a plan to deliver his faithful from the clutches of the Dai Li. Nothing escapes his all-seeing gaze."
"I hope so," the young acolyte responded, his voice tinged with doubt. The carnage of last night lingered vividly in his mind. The sacrilegious betrayal by a cultural guardian disguised as the Master's messenger, infiltrating their secret assembly. The overseer had orchestrated this gathering with painstaking care, ensuring no whispers reached the city's omnipresent enforcers.
Summoning his courage, the adolescent acolyte sought solace from Yao Bo. As a young acolyte, he is naturally beset by uncertainties about their sacred path and the promise of the Heavenly Kingdom.
One of the Master's tenets was clear. Followers must not rely solely on their own understanding but place unwavering trust in the Master's timeless wisdom, which transcends mortal bounds. Though certain spiritually attuned individuals were ordained to convey his salvation, none were present in this darkest hour.
"Elder," the young man asked earnestly. "How can you be so certain the Master knows our suffering? How can I be sure that his coming kingdom is truly inevitable?"
The question was sincere, born out of a young seeker's quest for truth. It was natural for the elder members of the Master's pure flock to offer their own witness to the fledgling aspirants.
"You are still too young to grasp the fullness of it all. The Master's power knows no bounds. Were he to will it, all who oppose him would crumble before his might with effortless grace." Yao Bo's gaze was serene yet unyielding, as if the very mention of the Master's name summoned a divine presence that can humble the arrogant Dai Li. "He is the healer of the sick, the nurturer of the destitute. His sacred teachings seek to cleanse this corrupted world and usher in an eternal peace."
The young acolyte simply nodded, eyes wide but reflective. Yao Bo pressed on, weaving a tapestry of reverence around the Master's boundless greatness, the profound truth of the Eternal Balance and the noble nature of the Three Virtues. He spared no word in extolling how salvation for the world could only be found beneath the Master's guidance, a benevolent shepherd who cherishes every one of his children as precious beyond measure.
"I once wandered in the wilderness of false doctrines," Yao Bo confessed, his voice thick with sorrow, punctuated by the weary sigh of a man who has endured too much. "Time has been unkind. The wars beyond these walls tore my family apart. Servants of foul people butchered them, sparing not even my own children. Once I was a man of means, with livestock and servants aplenty. But all was stolen in the blink of an afternoon. My kin were lost to the blade, and I alone survived. When I arrived in Ba Sing Se, I was bereft of everything. Nothing remained save for the mercy of the Master's emissaries. They fed me, gave me shelter, and most precious of all, a new family, who were sent forth by the Master himself. It was then that a truth burned into my soul."
"W-what truth?" the young acolyte asked, a flicker of eager curiosity lighting his face. Though his faith was not yet as forged in fire, he hungered to drink from the well of experience his elder offered.
Yao Bo clasped his frail hands tightly, closing his eyes to the world and draw a slow, deliberate breath. A moment of silence hung like a sacred veil before he spoke again.
"I saw clearly at last. Only the Master and the Eternal Balance hold the path to salvation." He declared with unshakable certainty. "Before I surrendered my spirit to the Master, the Supreme Shepherd and True Father, I was like many others, a fool. I believed in the deceitful teachings that wound the Master's heart. If I fail the test of faith the Master sets before me, how can I hope to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom that awaits?"
By the sacred precepts of the Eternal Balance, every acolyte is schooled in how to regard the world beyond their faith. All false doctrines, be they the worship of spirits or the deification of mortals, are all abominable in the eyes of the Master. As the leaders often proclaim at local congregations, those who seek enlightenment and blessing outside the Master's light are but deluded souls, disgracing themselves and inviting ruin and destruction. Only the Master, the embodiment of power and righteousness, merits all the devotion. To worship anything else is to beckon a fate worse than death.
"In my old village once stood a temple, a solemn edifice devoted to the veneration of that Yang Chen," Yao Bo admitted, voice tinged with painful regret. "Like all villagers, we prayed before her statue, begging for safety and bountiful harvests. I did not understand then how deeply misguided we were. To worship a false deity is not merely folly, but an intrinsic evil. Our prayers were hollow when our village fell. In an instant, I lost everything except for this fragile life, spared by the Master's grace alone. At that moment, I faced the truth. Venerating Avatars is futile. Yang Chen did not heed my prayers. When despair weighed heaviest, where was she? Where was the so-called Avatar when they are needed the most?"
A profound silence settled over the chamber, thicker and heavier than before. Some among the listeners stirred, struck by the gravity of Yao Bo's testimony and forced to contemplate the fragility of the Avatar. Even those who are not followers of the Master would entertain the idea that a bender who can harness four elements are merely a hollow deity crafted to soothe mortal fears and hopes for tomorrow. This world overflows with faiths that exalt spirits or mortals elevated to mythic stature. Yang Chen, beloved even in distant corners of the Earth Kingdom, commands temples and statues built in her honor. Many past dynasties even openly endorsed Air Nomad philosophies, permitting monks to found sanctuaries atop lofty peaks, drawing pilgrims who seek enlightenment in serene isolation.
Yet the devoted Acolytes of San Bao, steadfast bearers of the Three Noble Virtues and propagators of the Eternal Balance, know full well that it is an abomination to worship anything but the Master himself.
The world wallows in wickedness, idolizing false beings who are not him. Thus, all who seek enlightenment and blessing apart from the Eternal Balance must be purged. The sacred teachings of the Eternal Balance and the Three Nobles Virtues offer sanctuary to the poor and destitute. By unwavering loyalty to the Master, the countless non-bending acolytes are promised the rarest of blessing. Through steadfast service, they shall one day cultivate genuine bending, pure and unblemished. Yet many find contentment simply in serving the one true entity worthy of exaltation, far above the multitude of false gods who arrogantly claim their hollow dominion! For selfish ambition and desires have no refuge within the Master's divine flock. No higher purpose eclipses the solemn mission to spread his word, so that all might bow reverently before his boundless benevolence.
But with every great crusade to enlighten those mired in idolatry and corruption, opposition is inevitable. Every acolyte is taught that allegiance to the Master's creed invites persecution by the worldly and blind, those who cast the faithful into chains for embracing truth. The adherents of spurious faiths and the worshippers of idols openly scorn the Master's servants, yet their resistance is but the folly of ignorance. After all, there exists no greater joy than the humble prostration before the most perfect of beings.
The Master is merciful, compassionate, and infinitely kind. He surpasses in power over the ever-absent Avatar, who is nowhere to be found when calamity strikes. In the face of such majesty, who would seek solace in a mere mortal who bends the four elements? By the Master's will alone, wondrous signs shall manifest for those who hold true faith.
In the sacred name of the Master.
They shall cast out the evil spirits that torment mortal flesh!
They shall speak in tongues unlearned by man!
They shall grasp serpents and remain unharmed!
They shall drink venom and suffer no ill effect!
They shall lay hands upon the afflicted, and healing shall flow forth!
Though the world may rise as one against the Master and the Eternal Balance, armed with unshakable conviction, the Acolytes of San Bao shall triumph in all things. The day is inevitable when the Master's name will echo through every corner of the world. Soon, all shall bow in joy before his unparalleled greatness.
Yao Bo spoke, his voice heavy with weariness yet tinged with profound reverence. "Only the Master's path is the true path. It is why my heart found joy solely in his service. When I first arrived in Ba Sing Se, it was at my most broken, my most vulnerable, that the Master's devoted servants sought me out. In that moment of despair, a sudden clarity struck me, all my suffering was a divine chastisement for worshipping false idols. The Master, through my anguish, was imparting a vital lesson. As the last scion of my line, the Master perceived my struggle and guided me toward repentance. I embraced the Eternal Balance with open arms. From then on, my submission was rewarded with a new family, a sanctuary of grace. The latter half of my life, blessed far beyond the first, bore seven sons and three daughters, children far surpassing those of my past. Though my daughters outshone their predecessors in beauty, it is not their outward grace that distinguishes them, but their unwavering loyalty to the Master's flock. They are living blessings, tangible proof of the Master's mercy and his readiness to forgive even a fool like me."
His eyes gleamed with fervent admiration, voice quivering as tears traced the contours of his face, each drop a testament to the Master's sublime greatness. Fixing his gaze on the young man struggling to remain attentive, he continued. "Do you see? All things are possible when one believes in the Eternal Balance. We are unforgivable and non-bending souls. Marred by impurity, we can never hope to repay the boundless debt of the Master's grace. The entire world must be prepared to receive his truth and vision. From the opulent walls of Ba Sing Se to the desolate reaches of the Southern Water Tribe, all must bear witness to the glory of the Eternal Balance. The Master's way is the sole way. Therefore, we must stand as radiant exemplars to the four bending nations, so that the worldly may glimpse the joy of surrendering their lives to the Master's light."
Yao Bo's fervent testimony stirred a fragile ember of hope within the hearts of the imprisoned faithful. Each soul longed for the day when they would be lifted into the Master's Heavenly Kingdom. Amongst the younger acolytes, their parents and congregation leaders had warned them, the world would scorn them for embracing truth, imprison them for practicing purity, and bind their arms with iron chains for their devotion to the Eternal Balance. The cold reality of those chains lay before them now is a stark symbol of their persecution. Yet that day, this day, had come at last. As those undeserving of the Master's boundless love, it is their sacred duty to uphold his name and fight unyieldingly for the Eternal Balance!
"This is a spiritual war," Yao Bo declared, his voice cutting through the eager throng like a sharpened blade, reminding them why the world despises them so profoundly. "This world festers with false doctrines that exalt malevolent spirits and ensnare arrogant mortals in delusion. The simpletons of the Earth Kingdom are blind enough to venerate mere mortals, offering reverence to ancestors and elevating military generals to godhood, though none hold a candle to the Master's unmatched strength. For all their skill in crafting grand cities and monuments, they remain senile in spirit, believing their civilization's glory surpasses the very footprints of the Master! No matter the grandeur of their constructions, every settlement built by the unenlightened is worth less than a humble straw hut fashioned with the Master's divine design. The Fire Nation too wallows in folly, erecting statues of hollow idols in their towns and cities. Those prideful Firebenders are fools, bowing to spirits far weaker than the Master himself. Eventually, the dying and senile Firelord Zuko shall regret his transgression of hindering the Master's teachings, be humbled and stripped of his regal accessory that amounts to nothing before the almighty Master."
Yao Bo did not stop here, after mocking Earth Kingdom's ancestor worship and the Fire Nation's own worship of their leaders, he unleashed a scathing tirade against the other two, mercilessly dismantling their spiritual customs. "The Water Tribes squander their faith on shamans and crude animism. Pathetic, uncultured savages who fancy their bond with nature more sacred than their sacred duty as servants to the Master! Only fools believe that animals can hold any significance before a Master's follower. But the greatest transgressors are the Air Nomads. While the world conspires to silence us, these monks seek to strangle the Master's doctrine itself! Those hairless charlatans who erect temples to false Avatars, spreading their poison throughout the Earth Kingdom, polluting sacred grounds with worship for that wretched woman, Yang Chen! Yet, this is but a prelude to their true heresy."
Yao Bo's voice faltered, a storm brewing behind bloodshot eyes that bulged with fury, crimson veins throbbing beneath weathered skin. The acolytes leaned in, breath caught, awaiting the venom he would unleash on the Air Nomads.
"The gravest offense of all," he spat. "Is their brazen defiance of the Master and the Eternal Balance, still ongoing to this very day!" The elder's shriek echoed, laced with venomous fanaticism. Despite his frail and toothless frame, his mind burned with ruthless conviction. "Those heathens! They lounge in their despicable temples, chanting meaningless incantations while slandering the Eternal Balance itself! As we labor to illuminate the world with our Master's glory, that foolish Tenzin dares brand our sacred cause as corruption! He would deny us the gift of bending, yet it is the Airbenders themselves who have rebelled by attaining bending without the Master's blessing! Hypocrisy beyond measure! Let this be a solemn reminder to all who have forgotten. Only the Master bestows true strength. To cultivate spirituality and unwavering loyalty to the Master is the sole path to bending! Such divine transgression by these worshippers of evil spirits shall not go unpunished!"
The crowd's reaction was instantaneous and volcanic. Nearly every man in the chamber erupted with incandescent fury. As powerless non-benders in a world ruled by elemental prowess, they bore the taint of cursed blood and the burden of inherited sin, a yoke heavy from birth. Yet now, these so-called new Airbenders had inexplicably seized the gift of Airbending without toil or sanction from the almighty Master. Such a transgression was an affront beyond measure. The very existence of these unbidden Airbenders ignited a blaze of wrath within any devout acolyte. To circumvent the Master's sacred path and wield bending without his divine permission was an unforgivable sacrilege. These insurgents proclaimed to the world their rejection of the Master and the Eternal Balance, brazenly defying the righteous mission to shepherd all souls into the Master's fold.
"Those bald-headed heretics will never escape justice!" thundered a middle-aged man from the heart of the throng. Rising to his feet, he fanned the flames of fury, urging his fellow acolytes to voice their indignation. "This world is rife with blasphemies that mock the Master's decree! Once freed, we shall raze their temples to rubble and shatter the idols that enslave the masses! We will spill the blood of those wicked monks here and now. We are the Master's chosen instruments! Let us liberate Ba Sing Se and enfold its people in the Master's merciful embrace!"
"Desecrate the temples! Slay those monks!" Another acolyte bellowed, his voice cutting like a blade.
A chorus of fervent shouts surged forth, each pledge fiercer than the last.
"Slaughter those who dwell in falsehood! We shall gather every Air Nomad scripture and relic and burn them to flame and ash!"
"Until not a single stone remains, we will raze the four Air Temples and destroy all the statues of false gods!"
"The heads of Master Tenzin's corrupt spawn shall roll! So too the false Airbenders scattered across the world!"
The young acolyte remained silent, eyes fixed, voice submerged beneath the rising tide of sanctified rage. Such is the unyielding zeal of the Acolytes of San Bao, a fervent people dedicated to exalting the Master and disseminating his doctrines to every corner of the world and to every soul. For the Master was the embodiment of all that is just and true. His will are beyond question.
The frail figure of Yao Bo stepped forward, undeterred, his words a clarion call to conviction. "Once the Master and his celestial host deliver us from the futile clutches of the Dai Li, we shall cement our faith by obliterating all monuments of dark spirits, dedicating our triumph to him alone! Xuan Zang and his fellow monks in Ba Sing Se shall suffer for spreading the Air Nomad teachings that defy our cause. We will purge all that remains of these blasphemous monks who dare oppose the Master's glory. The ultimate battle between the Master and the great Evil Spirit is already decided. Victory belongs to us. The minions of that Evil Spirit are but cannon fodder before us, the Master's loyal servants. Through our allegiance, we are shielded by divine grace! Our belief in the Master's deliverance will forge reality itself! Glory to the Master! Glory to the Eternal Balance!"
The other acolytes mirrored Yao Bo's fervor without hesitation. Their voices rose in thunderous unison, proclaiming unwavering devotion to the true Master and dismissing their suffering as naught but a malevolent stratagem conjured by the insidious Evil Spirit, designed solely to shake their faith. The world, they had been taught, is a deceptive veil. Behind it lay the eternal conflict. The Master's relentless battle against the primordial Evil Spirit, the very source of all corruption.
"All hail the Master! All hail the Master! All hail the Master!"
Their ceaseless chants of veneration echoed through the dim chamber, reverberating off the cold stone walls until one of the prison doors creaked open, ever so slightly.
"Look!" a young acolyte cried, pointing with wide, hopeful eyes. "The Master has heard our plight! He reaches out to shatter the chains that bind us! Praise be to the Master!"
All eyes riveted on the narrow gap at the end of the hallway. Only two doors stood sentinel in this forsaken hall, and now the one believed to be the entrance was ajar, just as the Master had opened their hearts to his divine truth.
"Do you see, children?" Yao Bo smiled gently, his voice suffused with solemn conviction. "The Evil Spirit's deception and bondage can endure only so long—"
"It's meal time," interrupted a voice, casual and tinged with mockery, belonging to a young man who seemed to savor extinguishing their fervor. "It's a tragedy to have an imaginary friend, but it's a greater tragedy to cling to an imaginary enemy."
Perhaps the Dai Li agent felt slightly offended. Since here in Ba Sing Se, their presence was not even regarded as the highest threat by these cultists.
No self-respecting enforcer of a state could accept that!
The faithful believers' hope crumbled instantly, replaced by wary resignation. One among them stammered, disbelief etched across his face.
"It's the Da—"
"Everyone knows that, you imbecile," the Dai Li spat, cutting off the acolyte with a derisive sneer. "I just passed through the hallway moments ago." He thrust the meal rations through the steel bars, indifferent to their plight. Though Ba Sing Se's prison fare was modest, the bowls of rice and slivers of meat offered here were palatable compared to the meager scraps found in many war-torn cellars. Yet, for these devoted acolytes, even such generous sustenance could not satiate their fierce hunger for the Master's sacred teachings.
The young acolyte reached tentatively for the bowl, only to be swiftly rebuked by his faithful acolytes, who reminded the youth that any plate bearing more than a single ingredient is deemed impure in the Master's sacred eyes. More often than not, they subsisted on plain bread, its austere simplicity lauded as far more virtuous than the lavish excesses worshipped by the decadent idolaters of this wretched world.
"We cannot partake of this," Yao Bo declared firmly to the Dai Li. The doctrines of the Eternal Balance forbade the consumption of certain foods and condemned the preparation of meals that strayed from the Master's decrees. The dish before them is an affront to their moral sensibilities.
Outrageously, the rice and meat were mingled together in the same bowl!
"Eating food like this is a grievous transgression," Yao Bo warned, voice steady yet edged with fervor. "The Master has taught us that—"
"I know full well," the Dai Li interrupted coldly. "But by all means, I am personally curious to see how long you can stay alive with your superstitions." He lifted a bowl and put it into the crammed cell. Instead of tempting those who are weak-willed, most of the acolytes recoiled as though confronted by a plague. None dared touch the tainted food, fearful that even contact would sully their souls and bar their passage to the Master's Heavenly Kingdom. Some scrambled and pushed, desperate to avoid the cursed vessel even while trampling their brethren in their haste.
"This never ceases to amuse me," the Dai Li sneered, watching the fervent zealots shun a simple bowl of rice and meat as though it were venom. Though they refused sustenance, the food would not go to waste. The city's dogs would eagerly feast upon the bounty left behind. At least those canines are lawful, more pleasant than many people on this world unfortunately.
It was a pity these Acolytes of San Bao could not be harnessed for the city's welfare. Their faith, so rigid and exclusionary, rendered them useless in the eyes of the Dai Li. At best they are nuisances. At worst, dangerous threats. A creed so fiercely antagonistic to all others posed a direct affront to the delicate social harmony painstakingly forged within these walls. Like a festering rot, they must be excised.
"Do not be deceived by the enemy, my child," Yao Bo counseled softly, sensing the young acolyte's resolve waver beneath the gnawing pangs of hunger. "The enemy's lies are cunning and alluring, but remember, only the Master holds the ultimate truth. The world will whisper many falsehoods, but none so pernicious as the belief that you can survive without the Master. Whatever you lack, know that only the Master can truly sustain you."
The acolyte's gaze lingered on the elder's frail frame. Jiao Tu's body betrayed his years, his abdomen gaunt from devout neglect of earthly needs in his zealous worship.
"M-my parents said similar things," the youth murmured uncertainly. "They said all the blessings in my life came from the Master's grace, that by remaining faithful to the Eternal Balance and preserving purity, I will one day become a true bender. One who achieves bending not in this lifetime, but the next. They said mountains could be moved by faith as minuscule as a single grain of rice."
The sound of the young man's parents stirred a gentle joy across the elderly man's wrinkle-worn visage, a quiet testament to their unwavering devotion in nurturing their son's spirit under the Master's guidance.
"Your parents have taught you well," Yao Bo declared, a broad smile illuminating his face. "Such exemplary dedication! They have raised a child ready to serve the Master with unwavering heart and mind. Once we break free from this prison of shadows, I shall eagerly seek out those who prepared you for this sacred mission."
The young acolyte's expression flickered with hesitation. He only hinted that his parents had already sacrificed their lives in honor of the Master's glory. After all, no devout acolyte who trusted in the Master's miracles would squander faith on trivial remedies such as doctors. Even death itself is just an offering of mortal vessels proving the acolyte's steadfast belief in the promise of the coming Heavenly Kingdom.
"All things unfold by the Master's will," Yao Bo intoned solemnly. "The fish that swim, the birds that soar, not a single one thrives without the Master's sanction." He paused, allowing the young man to absorb the weight of the Master's omnipotence and the radiant glory of the Eternal Balance soon to redeem this fallen world. "You must cling to this truth and not let the demonic forces deceive you. The Master desires only our ultimate good. He is our true Father, and no father would ever inflict harm upon his children. You are young, this simple truth should not elude you."
Yao Bo's voice deepened as he unfolded further wisdom, explaining how the losses they perceive are but deliberate steps within the Master's grand design to usher the world into eternal bliss. "We are but humble members of his flock. The Master is all-knowing and omnipotent. What may seem a mere inconvenience to us is merely a fragment of his perfect plan, one far beyond our mortal comprehension. As his loyal servants, it is not our place to question his will. Like a flock obedient to its shepherd, we must embrace the teachings without succumbing to needless doubt. To overthink in misguided ways is to displease the Master. Your parents are faithful servant rewarded accordingly, prepared to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom. Do you see? Even the trials that appear terrible through mortal eyes are threads woven into the Master's flawless tapestry, designed to bring us ultimate benefit."
The young acolyte nodded, though reluctance lingered in his eyes. Confined within the cramped darkness, locked away in who knew what forsaken place, the courage to endure demanded more than mere mortal resolve. If most acolytes accepted that all suffering would be repaid by the Master's grace, why should a young man like him jeopardize his passage to the Heavenly Kingdom with the cumbersome burden of doubt?
"But I..." Xi Nao found himself unable to voice dissent. All things are possible with faith, even if it is as minuscule as a single grain of rice, is it not? Was his suffering truly woven into the Master's grand design, a pattern that would only reveal its purpose in the end? If his parents were indeed reborn into the tender embrace of a Heavenly Kingdom, could he still find them? And what faces would they wear now?
Irritated by such invasive questions, he forced the thoughts aside and turned his attention to the gnawing emptiness within. Yao Bo might subsist on the conviction of the Master, but a youth like himself required sustenance more tangible than belief alone.
"I shall ask for a bowl of plain rice," the young acolyte offered cautiously, mindful of the Master's teachings yet aware that such a modest request would unlikely provoke wrath from his cellmates.
But as he approached the iron bars, the Dai Li on the other side abruptly withdrew all bowls containing rice mixed with meat. Years of honing their mastery over the mind had rendered even these crudely concealed impulses painfully predictable to these shadowy guardians of the city.
…
Mayumi could not recall how she had come to this place. Upon arrival, she was met with a hall dimly illuminated by a sparse scattering of flickering lamps. Every Dai Li she glimpsed stood rigid as statues, lifeless sentinels that prompted the Kyoshi Warrior to wonder if these men had resigned themselves to existence as nothing more than mere tools for the city.
In truth, beholding this abominable creation cast her own upbringing in a harsh new light, one that was somewhat hidden from her.
Eventually, the two Dai Li led her to the entrance of a particular interrogation chamber. Within, a single prisoner was bound in steel shackles, chained to a towering wooden cross. Despite repeated lashes, the scars and bruises seemed to sap little of the disheveled man's spirit.
"Fret not over this seditionist," one of the Dai Li remarked, noting the conflict etched on her face. "He is the ringleader of all zealots within the city. In light of your personal grievances with these transgressors, the Inquisitor has been granted permission by the higher echelon to persuade this instigator to reveal the whereabouts of the remaining unsanctioned congregations scattered throughout the Lower Ring."
Mayumi said nothing, her mind more preoccupied with the dark-haired woman whose relentless fervor unsettled her deeply.
Unwilling to appear threatening or draw undue attention, Mayumi attempted civility. "And you truly believe that torture will bend these renegades who assert their deity above the rest? Including mine?"
Both sides sensed the Kyoshi Warrior's reluctance to openly acknowledge that it was her Avatar who had once established these men in their silken robes and crested helmets, a truth steeped in shame, yet beyond dispute.
"No," the Dai Li replied. "They are stubborn beyond reason, even for us."
For once, Mayumi nodded in agreement, a weary sigh escaping her lips at the cult's sheer tenacity. "I can relate."
The whipping within the chamber continued relentlessly, despite the Dai Li officer's evident fatigue. Yet no matter the inflicted agony, the Apostle refused to utter a single word. His endurance is far beyond what ordinary prisoners could muster in Dai Li custody.
"You mentioned your Inquisitor wishes to meet," Mayumi said to the Dai Li who had guided her here. "Where is he?"
At the far end of the decrepit hall, the Inquisitor emerged. Clad in a freshly tailored silken cape and a sheathed sabre resting at his waist, he strode forward alone. Mayumi watched warily, noting how the tortured cries crescendoed with every solid step of the Dai Li's boot striking the cold stone floor.
Had her blade been at her side, she would have reached for it not merely out of spite, but with a flicker of fear curling beneath her resolve.
"Inquisitor," a Dai Li announced. "The informant has arrived as requested."
"Good. Both of you, wait outside until summoned." The man bearing the theatrical mask commanded. For secrecy's sake, Mayumi was earlier ordered to don her battered armor and face paint, a precaution she welcomed, knowing well the dangers of recognition without her disguise.
"I presume you seek to comprehend the reason for your summons," the Dai Li intoned to Mayumi, voice still as cold as the last she met him. "Your association with a certain seditionist has piqued our interest. As you may have observed that these insidious zealots, mindless though they may appear, have spread their roots far and wide. While my colleagues and I primarily operate within the confines of this city, gaining insight into their doctrines, rituals, and idols is paramount to our efforts."
"My presence will offer little assistance," Mayumi replied in a guarded voice, which did make the Dai Li inclined his head with a subtle acknowledgment, yet he swiftly countered her dismissal.
After all, the cultural guardians were no strangers to quelling sedition, even when it crept in from beyond the walls. Why should a fringe, albeit fast-spreading spiritual movement be treated any differently? The Acolytes of San Bao had grown audacious enough to carve out their own enclaves and petty domains across a fractured continent. What then is there not to study or to fear?
"It would be unjust for you to serve as an informant without recompense," the Dai Li continued. "Not only shall your sibling's safety be assured, but perhaps we can also assist you in unraveling the mysteries surrounding the newcomer named Huo."
Motivations, after all, are tools to be wielded. For a Kyoshi Warrior fiercely protective of her kin against meddlesome zealots bearing no past ties, even Mayumi could not definitively discern why the four renegades sought to deliver the daughters of Akahana to this enigmatic Master. Beneath the tangled jargon and mostly gibberish to any sane mind, Huo's band was wholly driven by unwavering devotion to this figure.
And now this Dai Li, this blemish upon Kyoshi's proud legacy, offered to illuminate the depths of the vexing cult known as the Acolytes of San Bao. Mayumi despised herself for feeling tempted to indulge in such a perilous endeavor, to further probe Huo's seemingly futile mission.
"Very well," she said reluctantly, steeling herself against the inhuman mask of his painted visage. It soon began with a small tour. In a sense, it was an informal welcome, an unspoken demonstration of how the Dai Li conducted themselves on their own ground. Naturally, as an institution conceived to serve as the city's ever-watchful eyes and ears, they lacked no methods to further saturate the perception their counterparts held of them, even though both may be very precise.
As they proceeded, Mayumi noticed faint stains of blood smeared upon the cold stone walls. This Dai Li, referred to as the Inquisitor by the others, led her to sightsee some female acolytes who seem to have been frozen in place, repeating the same phrase at the behest of a Dai Li who seems to be 'educating' the women who contemplated sedition against the city.
It was brief, and they soon circled back to the interrogation chamber. Though the Dai Li are masters of subtlety and mental manipulation, they are not above entertaining harsher means should their guests prove more stubborn than necessary.
"Inquisitor," two Dai Li interrogators and a scribe ceased their work and bowed in unison at the arrival of their superior. The sight unsettled Mayumi. Their identical helmets pointed sharply at her, creating a sense of chilling uniformity.
"How fares the questioning?" the caped Inquisitor asked.
A flicker of hesitation passed over the interrogators before they confessed their inability to extract any information from the prisoner known as the Apostle. Oddly, the man had not howled or screamed under the lash, as though the savage beatings left him untouched, impervious to pain or perhaps resigned to it.
Such a conundrum. For most prisoners, whether captured bandits or spies from rival states, they would crumble under the faintest pressure. Yet these zealots endured the lash, a trifling torment compared to the other rituals they willingly subjected themselves to, all in the fervent hope of securing their Master's blessings and passage into some glorious and heavenly realm.
"If you are truly convinced that your sacrifice, your pain and suffering, will one day open a gateway to a realm of eternal bliss, would you willingly forfeit?" The Inquisitor refrained from outright condemning the trio for their shortcomings, yet he urged them to adopt a more comprehensive approach. His gaze settled on the Apostle, the very man responsible for sowing the seeds that had proliferated into countless hidden congregations throughout the Lower Ring. According to the Inquisitor, he informed the nearby Kyoshi Warrior that each of these cultists aspired to one day surrender the city to their Master's dominion, as if some immutable prophecy ordained their success.
Against such insidious sedition, the cultural guardians would brook no leniency.
"When an outsider enters your home, you respond either with hospitality or suspicion," the Dai Li intoned to his Kyoshi Warrior informant. "I suspect that, like us, you zealously protect Kyoshi Island."
"Not quite the same," Mayumi challenged, unwilling to equate her sisters with these people. "While we regard outsiders warily, only those who prove their goodwill are treated as guests."
"Perhaps you ought to reconsider your standards, Kyoshi Warrior," the Dai Li replied dryly. "My colleagues and I do not enjoy the luxury of guarding a small, inconsequential isle. Maintaining harmony in a sprawling settlement like Ba Sing Se demands more than mere devotion to our founder and her legacy. Spend enough time watching parents betraying their own offspring are by no means pleasant experiences, a reminder that those who bothered with cordiality are not always harmless to the masses. To mistake restraint for weakness would be a folly."
Without hesitation, he seized a knife from a nearby table and drove it into the Apostle's left palm. This time, the hardened man finally cried out in pain, not even his unwavering devotion to the Master and the Eternal Balance could shield him from such agony.
Mayumi watched silently, already aware that part of the reason for her summons was to witness this grim demonstration. Whatever the two Dai Li had told her on their way here, the secret police sought to glean every fragment of knowledge about the Acolytes of San Bao. Relentlessly, they interrogated the captured zealots, demanding the locations of their clandestine gatherings and intimate details of the figure they so fervently venerated.
Before them stood the serpent's head himself, the purported architect who had singlehandedly begun to weave their Master's subversive doctrines into the minds of any susceptible denizens within the Lower Ring, those willing to stray from the city's tolerated religions. After years spent hunting these seditionists, it had become abundantly clear that the acolytes in Ba Sing Se harbored a singular, unyielding ambition.
To bring the entire city beneath their Master's unrelenting banner.
It is precisely such treasonous conviction that set the Acolytes of San Bao apart from others, a fanatical certainty in their own invincibility and moral rectitude. Naturally, the city's guardians would gladly remind the world why those who engage is such bold treason ought to count every literal breath granted to them as a mercy.
Though wounded and shackled, the Apostle forced out a bitter chuckle. "Pain is but fleeting. The Master's Heavenly Kingdom awaits all souls who renounce idols and Avatars, surrendering wholly to his sacred teachings."
Without pause for interrogation, the Inquisitor drove another dagger into the Apostle's other palm, eliciting a hollow scream that echoed through the chamber.
"Your fortitude is admirable," he intoned coldly. "Yet I would take greater pleasure in your confession. For your sake, disclose the whereabouts of your remaining brethren, and the location of the Golden Book."
Mayumi's eyes flickered toward the Dai Li scribe meticulously recording the exchange, her mind struggling to keep pace with the terse, tortured words.
Despite his agony, the Apostle persisted in his defiance, each phrase clipped and resolute. "The Master is merciful and all-forgiving. Repent, foolish Dai Li, or when the walls crumble and his celestial host descends upon this wretched city, every last one of you will—"
A sudden splash interrupted him as the Inquisitor doused the defiant elder with a basin of icy water. Mayumi's unease deepened, reminded grimly that the Dai Li possessed a vast arsenal of cruelties, and the tray of small knives is but the mildest of their instruments. Even something as seemingly innocuous as droplets of water could unravel the strongest will.
The Inquisitor pressed on, his voice dripping with scorn as he derided the Apostle. This was surely not the first time the Dai Li had contended with seditionists dabbling in forbidden spiritual doctrines.
"Superstition is no match for a state primed for crisis," the Dai Li stated. "If your Master were truly omnipotent and all-knowing, why then did he permit one of his anointed to fall into our custody? Given the fervent reverence your followers lavish upon you, I would expect you to have something to say about the city severing the head of the serpent."
Yet still, the Apostle did not fully yield to despair. The Dai Li, many of whom had spent years unraveling the intricacies of the human mind, recognized that beneath his stoic facade lay a fragile thread of reassurance, perhaps linked to the missing Golden Book.
"Nothing I have achieved in this wretched life occurs without the Master's blessing," the Apostle replied steadily. "All things move under his decree."
Finding such vagueness unsatisfactory, the Inquisitor narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps your disciples might prove more forthcoming than you, old man."
With a wave of his hand, two more acolytes were dragged into the chamber. Their faces were twisted in agony, yet their bodies bore no visible wounds. The Dai Li's cruel methods knows no bound, capable of shattering wills rather than flesh. Even Mayumi found the spectacle deeply unsettling, as the torment these captives endured transcended any mere physical punishment she had witnessed.
Gasping and struggling for breath, the two acolytes were doused with icy water, a brutal prelude to their enforced submission. They were forced to kneel, wrists and necks ensnared together within a wooden cangue.
The Inquisitor's gauntleted hand settled gently on the shoulder of one trembling prisoner. The touch, though soft, carried the cold hardness of stone, suffusing the moment with a terror more potent than any blade.
"D-don't touch me!" the acolyte stammered, recoiling in palpable fear.
Mayumi's gaze lingered, a mixture of curiosity and dread swirling within her as she pondered the sinister arts at play. At last, the Inquisitor withdrew his hand, promising restraint in exchange for truth.
"Reveal the locations of the remaining underground gatherings," the Dai Li Inquisitor commanded with icy precision. "And the whereabouts of the old man's Golden Book."
As the Inquisitor interrogated the cornered acolytes, Mayumi edged cautiously toward the scribe officer, seeking clarity on the enigmatic Golden Book. Unfortunately, some of the Dai Li's intelligence on the Acolytes of San Bao remained frustratingly fragmentary. Yet, gleaned from relentless past interrogations, they understood the artifact to be a sacred tome intimately linked to the Apostle himself, a repository of the earliest, purportedly authored writings of their venerated figure.
If the Golden Book were to fall into Dai Li hands, it would yield invaluable insight into the psyche and doctrine of the acolytes, enabling a more comprehensive study of their behaviors. As preposterous as such speculation seemed to the seasoned Kyoshi Warrior, the scribe officer revealed another, far graver significance.
According to testimonies from captured acolytes, the Golden Book served not only as scripture but as a potent symbol of authority, bearing the literal words of the Master. It is a sacred relic entrusted solely to an Apostle, who is said to never be separated from it under normal circumstances. Yet, its conspicuous absence incited mounting frustration among the Dai Li, suspecting the Apostle had enacted contingency measures designed to mitigate losses in the event of capture.
Forced to improvise, the Inquisitor wished to force the two acolytes to speak. Their attire was threadbare and modest, though the disrepair seemed less the Dai Li's handiwork and more a reflection of the Master's teachings. The frugal, ascetic lifestyle of the cult's followers is an outward testament to their zealous devotion, a discipline meant to harden their resolve.
Regardless of such trivial appearances, the Inquisitor declared these two might prove more forthcoming than the Apostle himself. Marked by previous offenses deemed threats to the city's fragile order, parchments detailed reports from other Dai Li agents were swiftly handed to him. He scanned them briskly before setting the documents aside.
It is evident these captives were complicit in disseminating the Apostle's message, that a divine emissary was dispatched and help locate and unite smaller congregations, rallying representatives to their cause. Interrogating merely two prisoners, however, is insufficient to unveil the full network of hidden cells. The cult's decentralized nature in the Lower Ring ensured many gatherings remained concealed from the Dai Li's grasp.
Still, the slow and methodical persuasion of other detainees would in time unravel the locations of these clandestine meetings. More urgently, the proximity of these two acolytes to the Apostle promised another revelation, a crucial piece of intelligence the Dai Li demanded with unwavering certainty.
"A surprise, though hardly an unwelcome one," the Inquisitor mused. "It seems we harbor a kinslayer among us." He gestured pointedly at one of the two, causing the acolyte to recoil ever so slightly at the weight of such a damning accusation.
To compound their misery, the distant, anguished cries of their fellow acolytes echoed through the chamber, torments inflicted upon those who dared resist cooperation. The price of their faith is harsh indeed. Soon, the Inquisitor summoned the same two Dai Li operatives who had escorted Mayumi here, explaining with a cold professionalism that while the Western Depot's custodians were known to be less ruthless than their Eastern counterparts, they are by no means strangers to effective methods of persuasion.
For instance, slender shards of bamboo, deceptively innocuous, could be fashioned into insidious instruments capable of compressing and fracturing fingers with a sickening crack until willpower shattered alongside bones. But unlike the common rats infesting the Lower Ring, these cultists proved far more tenacious, bound by devotion to a cause greater than their own lives. In such cases, interrogators were compelled to wield not only implements of pain but the sharpest weapon of all, words.
Remarkably, one prisoner displayed not a hint of fear toward the Dai Li's cruelty. Instead, his gaze burned with fierce indignation at the sight of their cherished Apostle subjected to the vile ministrations of this oppressive city's servants, persecutors of those who embraced the Master's sacred truth. Were it not for the cold iron shackles clamped around his neck, he might have lunged at the Inquisitor with the ferocity of a rabid beast.
"Perhaps you two would be so kind as to introduce yourselves to our esteemed guest," the Inquisitor suggested, voice laced with calculated condescension. Yet the stubborn silence of the acolytes, their glances flickering repeatedly toward their beloved Apostle, betrayed their unyielding resolve to remain mute. The Dai Li is prepared for such obstinacy.
Perhaps it was motivated by the need to demonstrate to the Kyoshi Warrior present. With a deliberate air, the Inquisitor delegated the continuation of the interrogation to two other Dai Li agents of the Western Depot.
The less severe of the pair, a man named Zhu Di, initiated the discourse. The Dai Li is well aware of the prisoners' transgressions but sought further clarity, given their close association with the Apostle himself.
"Do you understand why you are here?" Zhu Di began, his tone formal yet measured. Despite the sinister scar that marred his visage, he endeavored to offer a semblance of civility, granting these zealots a dignity they scarcely deserved.
As the venerable Earth Sage once proclaimed. Without respect, what then differentiates man from beast?
Yet still, no answer came, which only deepened Mayumi's mounting confusion. For the fanatically devoted, an eternity of condemnation is far more dreadful than the mere act of betraying their Master. Thus, few among them would willingly forfeit their passage to the Heavenly Kingdom, even if it meant becoming martyrs for their sacred cause.
"These are the Bo brothers," Zhu Di suddenly interjected, deciding to shed light on the origins of the two before the Kyoshi Warrior. "The elder, Bo Kang, and his younger sibling, Bo Cai. Both are wanted for a litany of petty crimes, but more grievously, they have consorted with heterodoxal beliefs that threatens the city's harmony. The younger brother even butchered his own wife."
Simply hearing the last part forced the Kyoshi Warrior to widen her pair of blue eyes. She noted a subtle flinch from the younger brother. The notion that this frail, timid figure was capable of such brutal violence, especially against his spouse, is a startling escalation.
She pressed for the motive behind such savagery. Zhu Di simply attributed it to a volatile mixture of delusion and self-preservation, both heavily influenced by the perpetrator's fervent desire to please their so-called Master.
"Leniency might still be considered," said Zhu Di. "We are actively searching for the Golden Book, an artifact frequently mentioned by previously captured prisoners."
"The living, breathing words of their Master," Zhu Di's partner joked dryly, likely paraphrasing the indignant words uttered by many previously captured acolytes.
Before the Apostle could say anything to galvanize the Bo brothers, the inquisitor silenced him, sealing his mouth and forbidding any interference. Observing this, the older brother once again defied the Dai Li, railing against their slanderous and sacrilegious treatment of a Master's chosen.
"The lowly like you may resist, but with the Master's aid, this city will become his throne! Nothing you do can shatter our conviction! The truth will prevail!"
"Why does your truth demand the slaughter of those different from you?" Zhu Di countered. "From what we've learned, many of you adhere to the tenet that those who mix blood must be put to the sword. Isn't a quiet, carefree life enough for you?"
Growing visibly impatient, Mayumi boldly challenged the Inquisitor, demanding to know the purpose behind this charade. Before a reply could be uttered, the older acolyte, Bo Kang, suddenly spat. It was a deliberate act aimed directly at her.
The Inquisitor effortlessly blocked the foul projectile with a massive sleeve and resumed the interrogation as though nothing had occurred. Now recovered from the unpleasant shock, Mayumi noticed that none of the Dai Li present even flinched. The scribe, with detached professionalism, recorded the act of spitting as merely part of the dialogue.
"The woman shall not speak without the Apostle's permission!" the elder Bo brother thundered, turning his rage toward the Dai Li officers in the room. "Do not presume to know who I am or what I have endured!" His voice, thick with indignation, echoed so fiercely that even the enforcers outside could hear. "I am a man devoted to purity, a staunch follower of his great teachings! What do foolish men like you understand of the glorious Eternal Balance? You are but ants before one of our pure benders!"
"I presume you were absent last night, considering you two were apprehended a week prior," the Inquisitor intoned, his voice edged with quiet reproach. "Yet the so-called pure benders you described failed to mount the formidable resistance we had anticipated. Perhaps you have overestimated their worth."
In dealings with these zealots, it is now widely accepted that they place immense value on what they deem as purity. While non-benders are cast aside as inferior and mostly branded inherently sinful, the majority of these fervent devotees willingly serve their superiors with zealous fervor. According to archival records chronicling their conduct, adherence to their austere dogma extends to trivial minutiae such as dietary restrictions. Yet more profound among their devotions is the matter of marriage. They abhor unions between those of differing quirks, viewing such alliances as abominations to be purged by bloodshed.
The threshold for violation is as petty as a non-bender wed to a bender, an offense these acolytes regard with deadly seriousness. One might wonder why so many willingly embrace such beliefs, even to the extent of bargaining away lives.
Their ultimate aspiration is salvation, the coveted right to bask for eternity in their Master's prophesied Heavenly Kingdom, a realm untouched by sickness or sorrow, a terrestrial paradise on this fallen world.
Even the Dai Li, steeped in harsh realities and cynical of humanity's failings, found these acolytes profoundly perplexing.
"Fear me, foolish aggressor, for you stand powerless before a servant of an Apostle!" Bo Kang bellowed, his voice ringing with unyielding conviction. "You shall extract not a single word from me!" Even in dire peril, their fanaticism fortified their spirits. "Heh, you are no more than an impure insect who mixes blood, consorting with the unclean!"
"You seem to make an exception for your younger brother," Zhu Di remarked dryly. "If the records hold true, his late wife hailed from the Northern Water Tribe. I assume that violating your Master's tenets is no small offense among your brethren."
Mayumi's gaze flicked to the Inquisitor, who momentarily paused the interrogation.
"I wonder how the other imprisoned believers took the news of those who betrayed their sacred tenets," the Inquisitor mused darkly. "Bo Kang, shall we inform the others that your brother consorted with a Water Tribe woman? I would dearly enjoy witnessing their judgment in a cramped cell."
Rather than resorting to execution, which would only create martyrs for these acolytes, a crueler spectacle of fratricidal torment promised far greater satisfaction.
"How dare you slander a faithful servant of the Master!" Bo Kang snapped defensively, stepping protectively before his younger sibling.
The younger brother, Bo Cai, lacked such boldness. Zhu Di regarded him with weary eyes, aware that the Apostle's chained presence nearby bred hesitation.
"You two are close to the Apostle, his trusted servants and retainers. Can you not tell us, where is that Golden Book?" Zhu Di said to the two.
On the far side of the dim chamber, Zhu Di's accomplice meticulously prepared an array of sinister contraptions designed to compel the revelation of the artefact's elusive whereabouts. Yet, this looming threat is but a flicker compared to the dread of eternally forfeiting entry into their Master's resplendent Heavenly Kingdom.
"As long as our lips remain sealed, they wield no power over us!" Bo Kang declared fiercely to his younger brother, invoking a litany of sacred virtues they sworn to uphold. "The Great Eternal Balance is a cause worthy of death itself. Not a single word must escape that could serve the Ba Sing Se dogs. They may ravage our flesh, but they shall never enslave our souls! For the Master!"
"Ye-ah!" Bo Cai stammered, forcing courage.
For a fleeting moment, the younger brother's fear abated, as if the Master's divine presence fortified the very fabric of their spirits.
"For the Eternal Balance! For the Master! For purity!" They chanted in fervent unison.
This surge of zeal elicited no small measure of eye-rolling among some observers. The acolytes seemed to forget the peril that clung to the room's oppressive air. The scribe officer, noting their misguided optimism, merely recorded the scene with detached bemusement.
To swiftly recalibrate their resolve, the Inquisitor graciously doused the brothers with yet another bucket of icy water. Mayumi silently marveled at how the Dai Li managed to procure so many water buckets on such short notice.
Zhu Di resumed his merciless interrogation, all the while maintaining the mannerism of a surprisingly reasonable Dai Li. "Reveal the location of the Apostle's Golden Book, or we shall inform your cellmates of your relationship with a Water Tribe woman. Even if her blood does not stain your hands, I doubt your fellow believers will pardon your concealment of this fact."
The Bo brothers recoiled in mortification. Especially the younger, whose dread of being denied passage to some celestial realm outweighed even the guilt of slaying his own wife. All of it, rooted in fanatic delusion.
"Do not heed the lawman's words!" Bo Kang hissed, his voice laced with scorn. "He seeks to seduce you with lies and temptations!"
"Are you willing to wager your very life and salvation?" Zhu Di pressed Bo Cai, whose hesitation is painfully evident. "Surely your ultimate desire is to dwell within your Master's coming kingdom. Would you not wish to live long enough to behold it?"
Forgiveness and mercy are virtues often preached by the Master, offering redemption even to the fallen with boundless grace. With this as bait, why would Bo Cai refuse the chance to prolong his life just to enter the Heavenly Kingdom cleansed of sin? Though he cherished his brethren, they are no source of true salvation and thus unfit arbiters of his difficult circumstances.
Just as Zhu Di's partner unveiled a dreaded instrument of torment, the infamous zanzhi finger crusher, Bo Cai's resolve finally crumbled. Yet, even in confession, his words betrayed no great secrets. Rather, he professed his unwavering belief that the Master would absolve his minor transgression and still welcome him into the Heavenly Kingdom.
Bo Kang, the elder brother, scorned such weakness.
"The Apostle only told us the Golden Book was sent elsewhere!" Bo Cai murmured timidly. "To the Upper Ring, with a new successor appointed by him should we be captured when receiving the Master's messenger."
The Apostle, mouth sealed and eyes ablaze with silent fury, fixed a penetrating glare upon his faltering servant. Meanwhile, Bo Kang remained stricken, shocked by his brother's capitulation yet resolved to maintain silence in the face of this grievous failure that surely would displease the Master.
"Where exactly?" The Inquisitor stepped forward again, his voice sharp and demanding the precise location. The news of a newly chosen Apostle is profoundly unsettling even to these cynical men, knowing that a fresh ember of sedition is threatening to unravel over a decade's worth of a relentless game in cat and mouse between the Dai Li and these fervent zealots. The infamous Golden Book and its influential bearer held the potential to reignite the ranks of acolytes venerating the Master, especially given the text's labyrinth of teachings and scriptures, crafted to ensnare and convert unwary citizens whose spiritual needs are not satisfied by mere shrines and temples.
Bo Cai answered with genuine earnestness, confessing his ignorance of where the Apostle had dispatched his chosen successor along with the Golden Book. The sole clue was that they had been sent somewhere the Dai Li would least anticipate, the Upper Ring, where interest in such fringe cults is scant. The aristocracy, already bloated with wealth and privilege, found little reason to indulge in promises of otherworldly gifts.
Despite his mounting frustration, the Inquisitor found cause to commend the chained Apostle, even unbinding the old man's gag.
"You came up with a worthy contingency," the Inquisitor remarked coldly. "But a mere inconvenience. Rest assured, the Dai Li of the Eastern Depot would show far less mercy to your asinine followers."
The Apostle chuckled audaciously, brazenly proclaiming this slight against the Dai Li as irrefutable proof of his Master's unparalleled foresight, dedicating this minor victory to his cherished deity.
Thus concluded the interrogation. As the scribe completed his draft, the Inquisitor escorted the two Western Depot Dai Li and their distant guest from the chamber. Once out of earshot of the Bo brothers, Zhu Di presented a personal and self-serving proposal to the Inquisitor, a key representative of the Dai Li's highest echelon.
"Inquisitor," Zhu Di began respectfully. "I humbly request the privilege of executing Bo Cai myself. The city's law demands his swift sentencing, to appease the victim's family and maintain harmony in the Lower Ring. Our city can also maintain its good ties with the Northern Water Tribe."
Mayumi listened in stunned silence. But unlike on Kyoshi Island, she kept her thoughts to herself. Even if the Dai Li promised amnesty to those who betrayed their own for survival, why would these guardians of culture honor such a pledge?
It was a bitter reminder that they remained a dark stain on Kyoshi's legacy. Still, Mayumi harbored no sympathy for Bo Cai, a man who had slaughtered his wife in the name of delusional purity. A faint twinge of satisfaction stirred within her, though she would never admit it.
"Bo Cai has served his purpose," the Inquisitor said as the four moved down the corridor of indistinguishable stone walls. "Though I confess to prefer witnessing his so-called spiritual brethren enact what borders on fratricide. Yet, I understand your motives, Zhu Di. After all, I recall your own entanglement with a certain Waterbender, a transgression that drew the ire of the director himself, courting disgrace."
Zhu Di lowered his head in shame, conceding the veiled accusation that personal grievance may have overshadowed duty. Fortunately for him, the Inquisitor granted his request to be Bo Cai's executioner, as such minor matters did not contravene the law. Unlike that grandstanding state in the western part of the continent, most Earth Kingdom statutes bluntly favor common sense when discussing the fate of common butchers who slayed their own spouse. Those who took the lives of the innocent must forfeit their own. The same harsh justice is held in Ba Sing Se, albeit far more precise with the additional presence of the Dai Li.
"Leave the elder brother alive," the Inquisitor ordered. "He still has uses."
Zhu Di and his cruel accomplice were soon dismissed, leaving Mayumi alone to accompany the Inquisitor as they marched toward an unknown destination.
"I trust you found the earlier demonstration enlightening," he said to Mayumi. "Though our methods differ from yours, both possess merit. Meticulous and unburdened by trivialities such as honor, we wield simple desires and wants as potent levers. My colleagues at the Western Depot dutifully study the heterodoxal belief that seeks to uproot the Earth Kingdom's cultural heritage, learning that by dangling the promise of some vague but eternal idyll, even the most devout can be rendered obedient."
"Devout enough to kill their own wife?" Mayumi asked, directing the question at how these acolytes think. Hearing the slaughter of one's spouse is a first, even for her.
"Over the most arbitrary of pretexts," the Dai Li intoned with cold finality. "Like any persistent weed, the proper gardener knows to uproot them swiftly and without remorse. Our methods, subtle and exacting, address complexities far beyond the grasp of the city's ordinary garrison. It is a far less ignoble duty than merely standing guard over those born into gilded privilege."
The ubiquitous presence of Dai Li sentries, posted with eerie vigilance at nearly every threshold they passed, was enough to render Mayumi taciturn. Silence felt safer than words, but behind every thought, the safety of her sister comes first.
"I don't suppose you wish to know more about the White Scholar," Mayumi ventured cautiously. The Dai Li agent hesitated before replying, emphasizing that her tenure in the scholar's household is too recent to yield substantial intelligence.
"We do not expect you to be a valuable informant just yet," the Inquisitor remarked. "The White Scholar's ascent remains in its infancy. However, if you wish to appear indispensable out of fear that your sister's safety hinges upon your usefulness, I will not dissuade you."
A flicker of indignation flared within the Kyoshi Warrior, but she quelled it with practiced restraint. She did manage to divulge trivialities. Shan's peculiar habit of referring to himself as 'yours truly' and his curious preference for white garments over the customary greens of the Earth Kingdom.
Such trivialities were hardly revelations to the Dai Li, as the White Scholar is a renowned figure despite his youth. Yet Mayumi's mention of Shan's dietary preferences seemed to pique the Inquisitor's interest, despite the impassive mask he wore. Learned men of Ba Sing Se had a penchant for invoking historical precedent to illuminate present concerns.
"Countless Earth Kings of old were as powerful as they were indulgent," the Inquisitor mused. "Yet even the most reckless among them took care to conceal their favored dishes, each single plate a carefully guarded secret among countless ingredients. They ate cautiously, ever mindful of poison."
A chill coiled around Mayumi's chest. The thought was terrifyingly vivid. If the Dai Li ever wished the White Scholar dead, the notion of poisoned fish is surely discarded today. What a grievous disservice she had unwittingly done to a benefactor.
They continued onward without pause, passing cells of various sizes that housed an assortment of prisoners. Mayumi stole furtive glances, careful not to turn her head fully. She would be lying to herself if she denied feeling a pang of sorrow for the more vulnerable and timid souls within. Yet, having left her island refuge to traverse the continent, she knew all too well that survival demanded she never trust mere appearances.
Among the captives is a young boy, barely a teenager. Mayumi dared not meet his gaze yet recognized in him an age not unlike that of her own sister, a heartbreaking reminder that birth and fate had scattered them all across irreconcilable paths, a cruel constant she could neither deny nor undo.
"To incentivize your cooperation, I have arranged a special meeting with a person of particular interest," the Inquisitor intoned, guiding her through a heavily fortified chamber whose entrance was guarded by a dozen indistinguishable Dai Li agents, standing motionless in an unsettling silence. "I believe your presence will prove invaluable in gauging this prisoner's mindset, hopefully yielding benefits for both of us."
Passing through a thick steel door, Mayumi felt a subtle rise in the ambient heat. Her hand instinctively darted toward her blade, only to recoil in frustration at its absence.
"Weapons are unnecessary," the Inquisitor remarked. "You will be meeting an old acquaintance."
With a subtle gesture, two Dai Li stepped forward to open another set of steel doors. Before Mayumi could even take a step forward, a sudden movement forced her to retreat.