Guru Pathik — the strongest, and currently the only true Master of Spiritbending in the world — was someone Iroh had once studied under in his youth, making Iroh half a disciple.
According to Iroh, Guru Pathik was humorous, peaceful, open-minded, and completely detached from worldly disputes.
If Kahn wanted to further develop his Spiritbending, this man was the only one truly qualified to teach him.
After the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads, all the Air Temples became forbidden places that common people avoided. Over time, they slowly turned into desolate ruins.
But Guru Pathik, because of his early connection with the Air Nomads—and his desire to remain far from worldly conflict—chose to stay at the Eastern Air Temple, never once returning to society.
Kahn was stunned. If this man had interacted with Air Nomads in his youth, didn't that mean…
He was probably more than a hundred years old by now?!
What longevity!
Iroh continued, amused:
"Of course, that's assuming he's willing to see you. If he doesn't want to reveal himself, you could search your whole life and never find even a trace of him."
A man capable of perceiving every corner of the world without ever leaving his home… capable of sensing all things, communicating with nature, and allowing no secret to escape his "gaze."
A psychic? Like Professor X?
Kahn felt his scalp go numb.
The idea of an invisible old man "seeing through him" from anywhere in the world felt like running around naked with someone constantly watching.
And he had a very big secret:
He was a transmigrator.
He didn't know what would happen if that secret was exposed—but if he could avoid it, he definitely would.
But this was the only person who could teach him Spiritbending.
Kahn's expression twisted with conflict.
Iroh could guess what he was worried about. Chuckling, he said.
"His enlightenment is too high for him to pry into others' privacy without reason. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such a remote place to escape the world."
Kahn nodded, though his uneasiness didn't fade. He didn't like placing his fate in someone else's hands.
With that unsettled feeling, the two ended their long-awaited meeting, agreeing on a time to meet again.
Still, Kahn wasn't in a rush. Besides Spiritbending, he still had to refine his Firebending, learn Lightningbending from Azula, and master the usage of Reverse Lightning and Fire.
He had time.
And if possible… it would be even better if he could invent some kind of mind-sealing technique or mental shielding barrier himself.
Kahn fantasized wildly.
Once the previous mission was over, Kahn returned to the Imperial Capital, where he was suddenly… idle again.
Ozai didn't seem intent on squeezing him dry for work.
Though that was probably because:
Azula had resumed her studies.
Kahn had already graduated from basic education. But Azula, not yet twelve, had gone back to school after only a short break.
And since Kahn was Azula's subordinate—not Ozai's—Ozai couldn't simply snatch him away for random tasks.
"Stealing" his daughter's personal aide would have been incredibly petty.
So Kahn unexpectedly enjoyed a brief period of calm.
Weekend.
After training, Kahn and Azula sat casually on the ground, chatting. Azula looked exhausted and deeply resentful as she complained about her school life.
Originally, when Zuko was still around, their learning speeds were different, so teachers arranged time based on their progress.
Zuko progressed slowly, Azula learned quickly, so:
Azula was often dismissed early while Zuko received extra tutoring.
Which meant Zuko was always painfully busy…
And Azula was always gloriously free.
Poor Zuko.
But now? With Zuko gone?
Azula had become the sole student.
Her nightmare had begun.
No slacking. No shortcuts. No mercy.
Every second of every lesson was used to its fullest.
Worse, after her heroic story spread across the Fire Nation, her teachers taught her even more earnestly.
Azula ranted:
"This is fucking torture!"
Even with her ruthlessness, cunning, and overwhelming talent, nothing could protect her from a group of elderly scholars chanting lectures at her day after day. It made her dizzy.
"I can't believe I actually miss Zuzu! Ugh, spirits help me."
"Those pedantic old fossils are even more annoying than my two maids. Being stared at and nagged all day—sometimes I really want to burn them all to ash!"
Seeing Azula so messy and out of sorts was… rare. Interesting, even.
Naturally, Kahn didn't comfort her.
Instead, he burst out laughing.
"What evil intent could they possibly have? They just want to teach a student well."
Azula spat angrily, "Sycophantic old men! If they really want to 'teach,' I'll send them all to go teach in the countryside for the rest of their lives!"
Harsh words, but her awareness of political sycophants was surprisingly sharp.
As they talked, Kahn suddenly asked.
"So… what's Ozai up to lately?"
...
Author's Note:
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