Ba Sing Se. Capital of the Earth Kingdom. The Earth King's Palace. The Throne Room.
The throne room's decor remained largely unchanged—the same towering columns, the same oppressive atmosphere. Only the person seated at the center of the wall of earth had changed. If Kuei had exuded an aura of steady, unyielding strength—grounding his own and overwhelming strangers—his advisor's presence created a suffocating atmosphere. It felt as though his earthbending would crush everyone except his master.
"I don't doubt your competence, Wan," the advisor said indifferently. "But there are unspoken rules, even I cannot change. It feels as though he has no emotions. Throughout our conversation, his tone didn't waver once." It won't be difficult for you to prove your professionalism to my children's former tutor. And if you win, you'll be granted the title of master," he added, sweetening the deal.
Now it seemed like a test of skill rather than a disregard for the last words of the previous Earth King. Cleverly devised.
I had no choice but to agree to these terms. Winning the contest wouldn't be a challenge; we were in entirely different leagues.
"They managed to create the potion quickly using my recipe," I thought as we walked silently to the duel chamber. Too little emotion, even for such a rational person—that's one. The specific scent of his tea—that's two. I could sense all the necessary herbs and plants for the infusion. Besides, while I was training, the Earth Sages had crowned Long Feng. I hoped they'd attribute Long Feng's actions to his iron will for as long as possible.
The spacious duel chamber was half-filled, indicating this had been planned in advance. At the other end of the room stood a middle-aged man of average appearance, distinguished only by his darker skin tone.
"I don't want to see any harm here," Long Feng's voice echoed through the room. "Only a friendly contest! Bow. Begin!"
It was time to silence the dissenters once and for all, so I had to showcase the true art of firebending.
The opponent started the duel, predictably launching fireballs at me from a distance.
"Excellent!" one of the spectators couldn't contain their admiration as I effortlessly redirected each fireball sent my way with my firebending.
It wasn't easy to drain the opponent's energy from the fire and take control of it, especially within milliseconds as the projectile approached my body.
The attacks rebounded toward him, enhanced with my ordinary fire. I didn't use green fire at all, as there was a risk they��d later blame me for imagined reasons.
It ended with the opponent simply running out of steam. His energy was nearly depleted, while I had barely expended any.
"I hope everyone agrees with granting Wan the title of master," Long Feng declared, not asking but asserting. There were no objections. I think everyone had expected this outcome.
"Wan, servants have already been assigned to you. They'll escort you to your quarters," Long Feng said before leaving. "I hope my children don't disappoint you."
The servants turned out to be two young girls who, at first and second glance, seemed like the sweetest creatures—modest and polite smiles, obedient fulfillment of wishes, accidental displays of a slightly exposed neckline or slender legs…
Their unobtrusive questions and subtle flirtation made them true works of art, real psychologists. Only their overly steady pulse and mismatched emotional reactions gave them away.
"Master Wan, if you need help in the bath, we'll always be in the servants' room. Don't hesitate to call us," Shaya, one of the maids, chirped melodiously.
"Certainly," I assured them with a smile before finally closing the door. "A chi trap, I see," I muttered thoughtfully, scratching my chin.
"At least there's no surveillance here," I thought, slightly annoyed by the constant attention, though I'd have to get used to it quickly. My movements would definitely be monitored…
The next hour, I explored my new quarters with some curiosity, and they were not small. There was a bedroom, a small dining area, a dressing room, and a bathroom with a small pool. If it were a hotel, I'd give it five stars.
"Smells good," I sniffed, already the fifth liquid in a row. I managed to identify some of them immediately, but many were still unfamiliar. Somehow, from my past life, I'd grown accustomed to using just one shampoo that doubled as shower gel and often served as regular soap.
In half an hour, it would be time for my first session with the Earth King's children. I decided to arrive at the training room early, not wanting to get lost in the intricate corridors of the vast palace.
I reached the supposed training area five minutes early. Outside, Toph was already practicing intently, executing complex earthbending moves with near-perfect precision. Any mistakes she noticed were immediately corrected—a true perfectionist. Lin was nowhere to be seen…
"Your previous teacher did a good job training you," I said after twenty minutes of observation, deciding not to interrupt the young earthbender's practice with my arrival.
"Instructor," she greeted me with a slight nod. Her eyes showed a hint of respect, but no more. Her speech was composed, her posture straight, and her gaze devoid of arrogance.
A child, just a child, though many fanfiction authors liked to attribute harsh and rigid tendencies to her.
While there was still time, I decided to offer advice based on what I'd observed. It was clear my words were heard and understood. I think she believed strength didn't require intellect—that was about me—but my theoretical knowledge of firebending greatly enhanced my reputation.
Lin arrived slightly late, barely greeting me with a quick "Hi"—not exactly what you'd expect upon first meeting. I'm no snob, but such small details reveal a person's character. After all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression…
Toph clearly outshone her student, but it was too early to judge. I had plenty of time to understand them thoroughly.
"From today, I'll be your guide into the world of firebending. Your training program has been approved and is not subject to change," I said, fortunate that the cult of strength was strong here. My training methods were considered somewhat harsh but ultimately acceptable, though I'd expected them to remove something from the list.
"To begin, let's assess your physical fitness," I said, surveying the training area assigned to us. Overall, I was satisfied. "Task number one: Run around the pond until complete exhaustion."
Toph started running without hesitation, followed by Lin. Both ran at their own pace, though Lin kept trying to outrun her teacher. By the twentieth lap, both were out of breath, and the real test began—a test of the most important thing… willpower.
"I'm done, I can't go on," Lin said, raising her hand and collapsing on the ground.
"Too quick to give up," I shook my head, observing Toph, who was struggling but still pushing forward with each step. "Now this earns genuine respect."
"Good job, Toph, that's enough," I had to tell her myself, or I think she would've kept going until she passed out.
"Rest for fifteen minutes, then we'll continue," I informed the students.
Over the next few hours, I conducted various tests and assessments. In the end, it became clear that Lin, despite being more physically prepared due to her age and gender, was always behind her younger teacher, who tormented herself with inhuman perseverance.
"Well done, Toph," I praised her. "Lin did well too, but you could've done better."
"And finally, for today—sparring. Show me your skills," I instructed, outlining the boundaries of the improvised arena with my fire.
This time, Lin performed decently, though her efforts paled in comparison to her younger teacher. It was obvious that in some moments, Toph deliberately yielded to her student to let her showcase her skills.
She also stood out with her emerging unique style, more focused on precision and agility, uncommon for earthbenders.
"That's it for today," I clapped, and seeing their attention on me, continued, "Not bad, very not bad, but you still have room to improve."
"Lady La," I greeted first, addressing the mature beauty who had been discreetly watching us for a good twenty minutes and had only now stepped onto the training ground.
Her long, silky hair complemented her high forehead, her neat nose, and her expressive yet sad eyes, as if viewing the world with a sense of detachment. Overall, it seemed as though I were looking at a beautiful, noble bird in a cage, longing for freedom.
"Master Wan," she reciprocated, just as Lin's joyful cry interrupted us:
"Mom!" she ran to her, grabbing her skirt. "You can't imagine how hard it was, but I didn't give up," Lin began boasting.
At the sight of her mother, a fleeting smile appeared on Toph's lips, though it quickly vanished.
"Can Lin and I play?" she asked timidly.
"No, I'm tired. I don't want to play," the student declared immediately.
"Lin doesn't want to play, Toph. Goodbye, Master Wan," she bid a disjointed farewell as Lin began pulling her into the palace.
"If you want, you can watch my training, Toph," I couldn't stay silent, seeing the less confident Toph watching with hidden longing as La and Lin walked away.
"No, thank you, but I have important matters to attend to," she declined sharply, noticing I'd seen her moment of weakness.
"If anything, I'll be here," I said to the young earthbender, who was already walking away quickly.
I devoted due attention to the training but avoided revealing all my skills to those watching me.
For the rest of the day, I explored the palace more thoroughly. I managed to find the kitchen, where many ordinary people worked, and my simple, straightforward behavior made them want to feed me more. I barely managed to leave, swearing I'd return with an empty stomach.
I accidentally discovered some secret passages, ministers' offices, something resembling a sauna, the royal gallery, and the guards' training grounds. Access to the last place was restricted—classified.
Toward the end, I found a particularly interesting garden, often shown in the animated series, where young Lin, Suyin, Bolin, and Toph used to play.
At that moment, the setting sun cast a lonely atmosphere over this somewhat iconic place, into which a small figure harmoniously fit.
Leaning against a tree, holding a book, sat Toph. On closer inspection, I noticed her gaze was fixed on a small pond where a family of turtle-ducks splashed.
An irresistible urge to approach—or perhaps just stand there—and disrupt this atmosphere of loneliness arose, but I managed to restrain myself. I'm not yet the person she can trust; it's not the right time.
"She's really not a brute, and if she is, she's a very unintimidating one," I thought, recalling the episode where adult Toph says her own mother considered her a brute. Yet, children are highly attuned to emotions, looking into the "depth," and even if La never called her that, such an association wouldn't have arisen otherwise.
"Hmm, I think I know how to cheer you up," a good idea came to mind. I couldn't just walk by; after all, my time with Aang, Katara, and Sokka had greatly influenced me…