Because Kahn had spent the day dealing with Iroh and Zuko, he hadn't gathered any useful intel himself.
What he didn't expect, however, was that everyone else had made significant discoveries.
Katara spoke first, her expression grave.
"Toph and I found out there isn't just one Judy in Yonggu City."
Although the Judy with them was harmless—since the girls weren't snooping today—Toph and Katara had planned a girls-only relaxation day: beauty treatments, sightseeing, and good food.
But while strolling in the Upper City, they accidentally encountered another palace attendant… also named Judy.
And it got even weirder.
This new Judy, although looking completely different, had the exact same smile, posture, tone, personality, and even the exact same movements as the Judy who had welcomed them earlier.
Toph crossed her arms, "My family trains top-tier servants. Even the Beifongs could never train someone to mimic another person that perfectly. That kind of uniformity only happens with large-scale brainwashing."
Her words made everyone's skin crawl.
Next was Sokka's report.
He had been wandering the Lower City today. While passing through an alley, he ran into a young girl being robbed.
After he drove off the thieves with heroic flair, the girl's family invited him home for dinner in gratitude.
The girl was a native of the city, but her parents had escaped to Yonggu City from outside. They knew more about what went on behind the scenes.
Sokka leaned forward, voice low, "They told me that talking about the war is forbidden in Yonggu City. Anyone who does gets arrested by the Royal Guards."
He added. "And once those people come back… they're different. Like someone sucked their memories out. They completely forget the war ever happened."
Aang shivered, "That's brainwashing!"
Kahn's eyebrow twitched at the phrase Royal Guards. The name alone felt shady.
He rubbed his chin.
"So the Royal Guards are the ones doing the brainwashing. And the ones blocking us from meeting the Earth King probably come from the same group. But… what exactly is this Royal Guards?"
"It's said they're the King's personal guards," Sokka explained.
Katara frowned, "Then… does that mean the Earth King really doesn't want to meet us?"
"I don't think so," Kahn replied. "If he truly didn't want to see us, he wouldn't need to hide. And he definitely wouldn't bother giving us such luxurious hospitality."
He continued, "Besides, the general at the outer gate welcomed us openly. What we're seeing now looks more like someone trying to prevent us from meeting the King, while also avoiding making enough noise to alert him."
The more he thought about it, the more it lined up with how Azula manipulated the Dai Li in his original world.
"Maybe the Royal Guards aren't under the King's control anymore," Kahn said. "Maybe someone else has seized command. A mastermind."
Katara and Sokka exchanged looks.
Aang swallowed.
It made far too much sense.
Someone was brainwashing citizens, hiding the war, feeding the Earth King false information, and keeping Team Avatar away from him. Which meant—
"The Earth King is being used like a puppet," Kahn said. "And the one pulling the strings wants to keep us far away."
Toph groaned and flopped onto the ground dramatically.
"Then why don't we just blow up the palace? That'll get us in!"
Aang raised a finger, "There's an easier way."
He pulled a flyer from his robe.
"It says the Earth King is holding a banquet soon—for his pet bear. If he's attending, we can try sneaking in."
Sokka's eyes sparkled, "Oh, now that's a plan."
Katara frowned, "But what about the mastermind? They'll definitely interfere."
"Not 'might.' Will," Kahn said. "There are still a few days until the banquet. We need to identify the mastermind and their weakness before then. Ideally, expose them right in front of the King."
"We can't keep letting someone spy on us from the shadows."
Everyone nodded.
Toph cracked her knuckles.
"Well, their brainwashing facility definitely counts as a weakness. I'll try finding it."
Katara nodded, "Toph and I will go together."
Sokka puffed his chest.
"Then Aang and I will investigate the mastermind's identity!"
Seeing everyone energized, Kahn felt both relieved… and slightly competitive.
Damn it. I can't be the only one empty-handed.
His motivation reignited.
The Next Day
Kahn returned to visit Iroh.
Iroh was surprised the "next time they met" came so quickly. But today, Zuko wasn't in any condition to talk.
Kahn blinked when he found Zuko lying in bed with a fever.
"What's wrong with him?"
Iroh replaced the cold towel on Zuko's forehead, his voice gentle.
"Your words yesterday forced him to face truths he had been running from. His mind and heart are in conflict. That inner struggle is taking a toll."
Despite the difficulty, Iroh seemed relieved.
"This isn't easy for him… but this is the first step toward becoming who he's meant to be. Thank you for waking him up."
"It's nothing," Kahn said. "As long as he wakes up, that's all that matters."
After confirming Zuko was fine, Kahn met Iroh's gaze.
"Uncle Iroh, I want to ask how much you know about the Royal Guards and the one secretly controlling them. The White Lotus should also have branches in Yonggu City, right?"
Iroh's eyes widened, "You even know of the White Lotus?"
This time, he grew serious.
"Before I answer anything… I think we should be honest with each other. You know us very well. But we know nothing about you. That imbalance isn't right."
Kahn smiled, "No problem. I planned to tell you anyway."