Chapter 25

As soon as I set foot on the land of the mainland, I immediately made a low start and made it to the mansion in a record eight hours. It was an interesting experience, and it didn't take much effort.

As soon as I arrived and was about to enter, I was stopped by the guards.

«Who are you?» the guard asked sullenly.

«Are you serious?» I asked him in astonishment, «My name is Yoko.»

«Uh-huh, sure. I've seen him in person and you don't look like him, so get out while you're still in one piece», he said, getting into a fighting stance. Have I changed that much for them, or have they already forgotten what I look like?

«Call Lao Beifong», I crossed my arms.

«So that the master can waste his time on some hustlers?»

And then I realized that it was pointless to argue with them, so I waved my hand at them and moved a short distance away, using subterranean swimming, collapsing underground, deep enough that I couldn't be detected from above, and then twisting like a drill, moving forward.

Using seismic vision, I found Lao and surfaced practically next to him. His reaction was instantaneous and I was immediately enveloped in the thickness of the earth. I let it happen on purpose. Let him calm down, I can break free at any time. My chin is enough for the impulse. He wasn't alone in the office, but with another guy.

«Hello everyone», I said with a smile, «The guards wouldn't let me in, so I had to knock through the floor.»

«Yoko?» Lao asked in surprise.

«Well, who else would it be?» I send a pulse with my head and now my hands are a little bit free. One more pulse and the whole floor falls into place, not a speck of dust on me «So what happened? I came as soon as I got your message.»

«Toph is missing», Lao answers sullenly.

«And Toph is...»

«This is my daughter», the man replied.

«And you are this...»

«He is my son, Lao», Lao replied.

«Do I have to get every word out of you?» the two asked more seriously, «When did she disappear? Where was she last seen? Why did she disappear? Do you need help or a loose shirt to cry into?» my speech cheered them up a bit and a more constructive conversation began.

«About a week ago, Toph ran away. We don't know why she did it or where she would have gone. Besides, she's been blind since birth.»

«Where did you put the kidnapping option?» I asked casually.

«If she had been kidnapped, we would have been given conditions a long time ago, but that didn't happen», Toph's father said, and admittedly there was some truth in his words, «As soon as she went missing, Poppy threw a tantrum and told us to find you», he said reluctantly.

«And how old is she?» I wondered.

«Just turned five», Lao said sadly.

«Just to clarify one point, okay?» I nodded in agreement, «A blind five-year-old girl escaped from a huge mansion at night, with the mansion full of servants and guards. And you claim it wasn't a kidnapping and she just ran away from home. Am I missing something?»

«No», they both mumbled in embarrassment when I asked the question that way.

«Okay», maybe they have reason to think so, but better to test the kidnapping theory «Are all the servants in the mansion now?» they nodded at me «And the guards?» they nodded at me again «Gather them all in the courtyard.»

«For what?»

«To test my kidnapping theory first.»

Since no one had any other ideas, it didn't take long for the whole family to gather in the courtyard. My idea was simple and nothing new. With seismic vision, I can tell at close range if a person is lying or not. All I have to do is ask the right questions.

Taking off my shoes to get a better feel, and instructing everyone else to do the same, I got down to business. I asked everyone the same questions, separately for each of the servants or guards. Did anyone know where Toph was? Was anyone plotting against the Beifong family? Questions like that.

I checked everyone, even Lao, Leo and Poppy. The latter resented me the most, but knowing me, she accepted it and passed the test.

Since all the subordinates were there and there was nothing suspicious, there was only one conclusion, the blind girl really escaped from home, because to pull off such a clean kidnapping without help from inside is almost impossible. And who can tell me how she did it?

«Get me some of the tougher kids that Toph knows. I'll look for her outside the manor», I turned to Lao.

«We already looked and found nothing.»

«Yeah, I can see that the next kilometer is trampled so you can't see anything. Maybe I'll find traces of her further away», I said irritably, «When was the last time it rained?»

«A few days before she disappeared», Poppy replied while everyone was still digesting the question itself.

«That's good. So who's coming with me?» five burly men approached me, «Right. We're going to circle around the estate now, about a kilometer away. Can you take me there?» they nodded, «Then let's not delay. Let's go.»

Although it had been some time since I had been here, I remembered some of the details of this world. For example, the Avatar will be of the Airmen and will be bald, and there will be two with him, either water mages or water people.

I also remember that the master of the Fire Nation will be defeated or killed or something, I can't remember. I also remember that there was a blind girl in their group who was an earth mage.

It was from her reception that I copied the water steps and later recreated her earth analogy as well. There are a few other minor details, like the same Kyoshi Island or the damn secret library of spirits, but that's out of the way for now.

And here I was thinking, what are the chances that I'm looking for this particular girl and that fate has brought us together like this? It's probably just a coincidence.