A Meeting

"Avatar…" Long Feng mumbled under his breath as he looked at Aang holding his glider whilst looking at the Dai Li with a wary look.

"Welcome! We have been expecting your arrival, Avatar."

With a calm smile on his face, Long Feng invited the group into the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace.

"You have?"

Aang tilted his head, confused and amazed at how the Earth Kingdom was already awaiting his arrival.

"Follow me this way," gestured Long Feng as he turned around and began to walk away.

The group looked at each other and began to follow behind Long Feng.

Whilst walking, Genji's eyes and senses were scanning the people and the entire Palace.

Aside from Long Feng, some important figures, and the Dai Li, every single servant within the Palace showed signs of being under hypnotism. The eyes of every person seemed dull as they moved around and acted like nothing was happening.

'I hate this…' thought Genji as he narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Hypnotism… an act that Genji completely detests.

He always abhorred the idea of being hypnotized into doing things without having any recollection of it. The idea of doing humiliating acts or just being forced into signing away his life caused Genji to feel anger rise from the deepest parts of his body.

Now, seeing it in person and on other people, Genji began to feel a bit of pity for these people.

It wasn't that he was against the idea of controlling people, but the act of hypnotizing someone into changing the way they are thinking and act is something Genji looks down upon with complete disgust.

If he wished to do something like that, he would just manipulate them, drag them into illusions, or just get their loyalty.

The method he likes the most is manipulating, having someone do something of their own volition. Yet when they find out to their horror that they made many choices because he had guided them there without them realizing it, is something Genji loves to do.

It was something Genji liked to do, something he has done and is still doing.

Azula becoming much more 'sane' and healthy.

Zuko becoming good-natured ahead of time and acknowledging Genji's play in that.

The entirety of the Northern Water Tribe which he became the Hidden Ruler of.

Even with Pakku, who mysteriously disappeared…

Focusing back onto what was before him, Genji removed his eyes from a servant who was just walking by. Instead, his eyes turned to Long Feng as his spirit sense focused on the Dai Li hiding in the shadows and those openly following them.

'Where will he take us?' Genji thought to himself.

As if to answer Genji's questions, Long Feng eventually stood in the middle of a hallway that had multiple doors.

"Please take a rest in the bedrooms, I will report your arrival to the Earth King. In order to prepare the king to meet the Avatar, the meeting will take place tomorrow," said Long Feng, gesturing them to three doors.

"Great! We'll be able to tell the Earth King about the Fire Nation's weakness so we can attack them!" exclaimed Aang in joy as he rushed into one of the rooms followed by Jin.

Katara thanked Long Feng and entered the next empty room while dragging Toph with her.

In the end, only Genji and Long Feng were left in the hall, aside from two Dai Li standing not too far away from them.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to the King," said Long Feng as he glanced at Genji and smiled cunningly before walking away.

Pat!

"Huh?"

Turning his head to his shoulder, Long Feng turned to look at Genji with a weird look on his face.

"Please, don't go yet sir. I would like to talk with you for a bit longer," said Genji, flashing the most gentle smile he could muster.

"Ah…" Long Feng gazed at Genji for a second before removing Genji's hand from his shoulder calmly. "I would love to, but I'm afraid that I can't spare the time to talk."

Turning his eyes to the side, Long Feng thought to himself, 'Talking with a fool, how ridiculous…'

"I'm sure someone as respectable as yourself can at least spare some time to drink a cup of tea and talk a little," Genji mentioned, narrowing his eyes as he awaited Long Feng's response.

Long Feng was just about to reject Genji once more before suddenly feeling his throat becoming dry.

"Ahem… I suppose some small talk over a cup of tea is fine," said Long Feng, deciding it wouldn't matter whether he listened to Genji or not. 'As annoying as it is, I'd rather listen to him now than have him constantly bother me later for a talk.'

"Great!" Genji smiled.

"Right…"

Long Feng gazed at Genji for a hot second before turning around.

"Follow me to my chamber, I have some fine tea there," said Long Feng as he began to walk forward.

Without saying anything, Genji began to follow behind Long Feng with a smirk on his face.

…

Walking through the hallways as they headed to Long Feng's bedroom, Genji had been keeping his senses spread out this entire time.

He didn't dare let down his guard within the entire Earth Kingdom where the Dai Li were all hiding within the shadows.

Eventually, his eyes caught on to a pair of Dai Li agents that were walking past him and Long Feng.

'Those pair of Dai Li agents…'

Genji's eyes followed them before focusing back forward.

'This is the 16th time I've seen them,' thought Genji as he inwardly shook his head.

The pair of Dai Li agents must have been using their Earthbending to continue staying close to Long Feng. Instead of openly following behind them or through the shadows like many other Dai Lo, these were instead making rounds as if they were keeping the area free of intruders.

However, they were all instead part of the group of the hidden Dai Li and the two that were openly following behind them like guards.

Should Genji try attacking Long Feng, they will have more manpower ready to stop Genji and restrain him.

"We have arrived," said Long Feng, breaking the silence before the creaking sound of a door being opened followed.

Entering the room, Genji was surprised to see such a luxurious room.

The room was large and it had an observation deck.

Everything within the room was expensive and unique, so expensive and unique that not even the Earth King could enjoy this type of 'luxury'.

'At this point, Long Feng really is the True Ruler of the Earth Kingdom…'

"Try not to break anything," said Long Feng after noticing Genji's gaze on various items within the room.

"Worry not! I'm not trying to die," Genji said, filled with contempt towards Long Feng who is content living in the Earth Kingdom, holed up when the Fire Lord could attack at any moment once more.

Just like when Iroh had attacked years ago, an attack that would have been successful if his son hadn't perished and left to grieve the loss of his son.

Besides that, in the show, the Earth Kingdom was almost penetrated by a large drill created by the Fire Nation if it wasn't for Aang.

Not just that, but it was successfully infiltrated and captured by Azula by taking control of the very Dai Li that Long Feng had such great trust in.

'As far as I'm concerned, Long Feng is nothing but a coward,' thought Genji as he walked around Long Feng's room with great interest in the various items around the room.

Whilst Genji was walking around, Long Feng was preparing the tea personally, like he had always done. He was a wary man who would make his own tea to drink in case of poisoning. When it comes to eating, he always has one of the Dai Li taste test the food as well.

Besides, he likes the tea he brews himself the best.

The tea began to heat up and Long Feng turned to glance at Genji who was grabbing a small elephant sculpture made from jade.

"Please refrain yourself from touching my prized items."

Smiling, Genji nodded and put the elephant down before turning around and finally sitting down on a chair.

Glad that Genji finally sat down, Long Feng turned back his attention to the tea. Grabbing two cups, Long Feng filled them up with tea and brought them over to the table.

"Hm?"

Raising his eyes, Long Feng found Genji messing around with the items on the table.

"…"

Frowning, Long Feng didn't say anything anymore as he sat down and sighed. Just when he placed down the cups and sat down, Genji stopped messing with the items on the table, much to Long Feng's joy.

'Finally! I never knew this man was so childish. If I knew, I wouldn't have agreed to listen to him!'

With furrowed eyebrows and feeling annoyed, Long Feng picked up his tea cup and drank from it.

"What was it that you wished to talk about, young man," asked Long Feng as he set down the cup on the table.

"I wished to ask whether the Earth Kingdom is prepared for the Fire Nations attack that will be coming," said Genji with a small smile as he drank up his tea.

"Attack? You must be joking," said Long Feng as his face turned into one of ridicule. "Ba Sing Se is the Earth Kingdom's most safely guarded place. It's protected by the largest and widest wall in the entire world.

The Fire Nation invading is nothing but a mere dream of theirs that will never happen."

Listening to Long Feng's overflowing confidence and assurance on the great walls of Ba Sing Se.

"I admire your confidence sir! I'm sure that even when the world is completely taken over by the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom will still be standing by then," Genji said with a wide smile on his face.

"Ah?"

Long Feng raised his eyebrows in surprise to Genji's words before drinking his tea as he began to think about the Fire Nation.

"I heard a rumor that the Fire Nation is on it's way over with a large metal contraption that has a drill as the head," explained Genji with a smile, happily drinking away at his tea. "It's said that they tunneled through a mountain in just a week to test how the metallic machine will fare against Ba Sing Se."

"Preposterous! There's no way even the Fire Nation could come up with such a thing," said Long Feng as he stood up with furrowed eyebrows. "The walls of Ba Sing Se will remain standing for as long as I live! Even after my death, I will not let such a thing happen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest!"

With such a way of speaking, Long Feng sent Genji out, personally pushing his out of his room.

Genji raised his eyebrows and the corner of his lips curled up, "Hold on~ we still have lots to talk about."

Removing Long Feng's hands from his body, Genji patted Long Feng, hoping to calm him down.

"I apologize, but I really wish to rest right now. Head back to your room and have a good rest yourself," said Long Feng as he frowned at Genji's words.

"Weren't you going to talk to the Earth King?" Genji asked with a smirk on his face.

"It is something I will have to delegate to another for now," said Long Feng before closing the door in Genji's face.

"My… how rude," muttered Genji as a smirk appeared on his face. "Let's hope you can rest well then."

Walking away, Genji headed back to his room whilst Long Feng heaved in relief as Genji finally left.

"Ha~! That damn buffoon! How is someone like that by the Avatar's side?!"