The last attempt to find clues to Yin Shu's disappearance had ended in failure. Azula had sulked over it for a while, but by now she had more or less recovered.
But that did not mean the plan had died in its cradle. It had merely gone underground for the time being, awaiting the next opportunity.
Recently, besides continuing to learn Firebending from Iroh, Kahn had embarked on something new.
"Is it this spot?"
"Yes, a little farther over. Right there."
"Next is here."
At that moment, under Ty Lee's guidance, Kahn was poking himself here and there. It looked rather baffling, leaving anyone watching scratching their head.
But if anyone asked him what he was doing, Kahn would answer with great pride: he was learning pressure-point strikes!
Ty Lee, however, called it Chi-Blocking.
Chi, spiritual energy, spiritual power—whatever one called it, it was a kind of energy that existed within the human body, the source of human life and the fuel Bending Masters consumed when Bending.
Although not everyone could awaken as a Bending Master—Mai and Ty Lee, for instance, were both ordinary people—everyone had chi in their body.
Chi-Blocking, as the name suggested, blocked the flow of chi within the body, preventing Bending Masters from Bending for a short time. It was undoubtedly a formidable ability.
Even more impressive was that Ty Lee had not learned Chi-Blocking from somewhere else. She had invented it herself!
Kahn had been stunned. What kind of once-in-an-age genius was she?!
According to Ty Lee, she had discovered it by chance while playing with other friends. Poking certain specific points on the body could temporarily prevent Bending Masters from Bending, and could even briefly rob someone of their strength.
The first time it happened, her friend had nearly cried from fright. Fortunately, they had returned to normal before long.
Afterward, she had grown curious and begun researching it herself. By now, she had discovered quite a few such points on the human body, and Chi-Blocking had become her unique specialty.
Kahn bowed down in admiration and sincerely asked to become her pupil so he could learn pressure-point strikes and Chi-Blocking.
He could hardly be blamed for being so eager. These were pressure-point strikes, after all-who would not lose their head over them?!
Ty Lee was overwhelmed by the honor.
She had been Azula's playmate since childhood, but in truth, she had always been very afraid of her. Kahn's utterly fearless attitude toward Azula had deeply amazed her, so she had secretly made him an idol she admired.
With her idol asking to become her pupil, she naturally agreed in delighted surprise, without the slightest reluctance.
After becoming her pupil, Kahn immediately made a contribution to the development of Chi-Blocking.
He suggested that Ty Lee rename the "points" as "acupoints," which she supported. Then his imagination ran wild, and he said:
"Besides acupoints that block chi, maybe there are acupoints with other functions too, like ones that make people laugh nonstop, or freeze them so they can't move, and so on."
Ty Lee's eyes immediately lit up.
"Like Sun Wukong freezing the Seven Fairies! Although he did it from a distance."
She, too, was a devoted listener of Kahn's heavily modified version of Journey to the West.
In short, his suggestions greatly broadened Ty Lee's thinking, and she excitedly declared that she would work hard to find these acupoints.
Kahn wholeheartedly supported her. He, too, hoped that one day he could learn the miraculous pressure-point strikes and Chi-Blocking found in actual martial arts novels.
Come to think of it, Kahn had originally assumed that Mai and Ty Lee were merely ordinary playmates forced to play with Azula. But after spending these days with them, he realized he had been mistaken.
Although neither Mai nor Ty Lee had awakened Bending, they each had specialties of their own.
Usually, Ty Lee looked like nothing more than a cute, lively little girl, but her actual fighting ability was astonishing.
Besides her self-created Chi-Blocking, she had also learned flexibility techniques similar to yoga and was extremely agile. Combined with her Chi-Blocking, even Azula would probably go down if they fought at close quarters.
Mai was much the same. She usually seemed quiet, disliked hassle, and did not talk much, but she was quite skilled as well, with an excellent command of concealed weapons. Her throwing-knife skills were particularly outstanding; she never missed.
Sure enough, birds of a feather flocked together. Anyone who could remain beside Azula and Zuko naturally could not be ordinary.
Just like him.
Kahn thought this without the slightest modesty.
But to return to the matter at hand, Kahn had become engrossed in learning Chi-Blocking from Ty Lee. Azula, left cooling her heels to one side, was displeased. She walked over with her arms folded and said irritably:
"Are you two ever going to finish? I didn't come here to be your audience."
Seeing Azula's displeasure, Ty Lee grew a little afraid and said to Kahn:
"How about we stop here for today and go play first?"
Kahn said helplessly to Azula:
"What about Mai and Zuko? Why don't you go find them?"
Azula's expression immediately soured somewhat, and she said disdainfully:
"They need me even less over there."
Kahn and Ty Lee looked curiously toward Zuko and Mai. The two were sitting close together, whispering, talking, and laughing.
Well, damn. Not even pretending anymore, huh?!
At first, the two had been secretive about it. But as Kahn and Iroh gossiped, Zuko had shed his initial shyness and awkwardness. Although he still denied it verbally, his behavior had grown increasingly open, and he had begun spending time with Mai in plain sight.
Gossip was one thing, but seeing this, Kahn still could not help being shocked. How old were they, anyway? Was this really all right?
Iroh had solemnly assured him that it was fine, that he had been much the same back then, before conspiratorially urging Kahn to get a move on too.
I'm only ten. What am I supposed to get a move on with? I haven't even finished developing yet. Ridiculous.
Kahn automatically ignored the latter half of Iroh's remarks and sighed inwardly:
I'm the one who doesn't fit in.
Still, no wonder Azula looked so displeased. In that atmosphere, even Azula had been force-fed her fill of lovey-dovey sweetness.
And that little brat Zuko had said he had no friends, making Kahn think he was having a miserable time. So a damn girlfriend did not count as a friend?!
Absurd.
Kahn silently scorned this fellow who valued romance over friendship, then had no choice but to set aside his Chi-Blocking lessons for now and take Azula off to play.
But he had only just stood up when Azula shouted over to the other two:
"Hey! Mai, Zuzu, Kahn wants you to come over and play with us!"
Kahn froze at once. He looked at Azula in disbelief, then at the faint displeasure on Mai's face, and suddenly wanted to cry but had no tears.
I didn't! I never said that!
"Hahahahaha!"
Azula clutched her stomach with laughter. Veins bulged on Kahn's forehead. Finally unable to stand it any longer, he struck with the speed of thunder before one could cover one's ears, pressing his fingers together and jabbing Azula in the thigh. Her leg instantly went weak, and she fell to the ground with a thud.
Take my Chi-Blocking!
Hiss-
Seeing Azula caught completely off guard by her fall, with a somewhat dazed look on her face, Mai and Ty Lee sucked in a cold breath.
"Hahahahaa!"
Now it was Kahn's turn to clutch his stomach with laughter.
"Kahn, you bastard!"
"You set me up first!"
Azula flew into a towering rage, and Kahn refused to back down. Flames flew between them while everyone else fled like rats with their heads covered, plunging the scene into chaos.
Sure enough, birds of a feather flocked together.
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