A/N: This chapter is in two parts. It's about Jen LuXian's reunion with Korra and he meets Bolin, Mako and a Sukka grandchild.
Chapter Four – The Forthcoming (1):
The young master's eyes were feasted upon, the first buildings he saw. In the distance, the buildings were forming, as the waters permitted the ship to pass into Yue Bay, which was named after the Northern Water Tribe princess, who sacrificed herself, to restore the moon spirit. As the ship passed, Jen LuXian gazed into the glistening waters, reflecting in the sunlight and several vassal ships passed through the sea, as they were trading ships for businesses within the United Republic. The wind from the tide, lifted the young master's loose hair in the wind, Jen LuXian could never imagine his life without his long hair. In Earth Kingdom culture, his hair was a gift from his parents and it represented filial piety, cutting it off would mean shame and dishonour in his country. It was a shame, he missed the flower crown that fell, and the petals were scattered into the sea. His arms were leaning on the edge of the ship, knowing Jen LuXian was a foreigner, going to a strange city and a strange country, with strange norms he knew nothing about.
He turned to see two of his servants exiting the cabin below, it was intentional for Jei and Shai to look like Jen LuXian. It wasn't unusual for servants of nobility and royalty to play decoy, for the person they were serving, as a way in protecting them from kidnappings or assassination. Jen LuXian knew Shai looked like him the most, out of the girls because her youthful face. The master didn't mind the girls playing decoy for him. Jen LuXian was a man, but was beautiful enough to pass for a woman, unless anyone told him and their hands would be cut off, for being shameless towards a noble man. He placed a hand over his head, knowing the seasickness was subsiding and his stomach was clearer than it was, because Daiya's congee was not, as enjoyable as Shai's congee. Unlike Kumi, Jen LuXian had tact and never wanted to hurt Daiya's feelings about her cooking, because her line of work was spying on people and listening to intrigue, than making congee for people, who wouldn't eat it, because of its overpowering savoury taste, than a balanced one.
Jen LuXian's eyes widened at the buildings coming in. Even Shai gasped at the sight of the vassal ships, coming in and out of the ports. As an Earth Kingdom citizen, he has never seen such buildings, unless they were from Ba Sing Se or Omashu. A sniff in the air was clean, but the sunlight shining on the city made it look a haven, even though such places never existed. The city of Zaofu looked similar to this place, even though it was made of metal and platinum. He heard stories of Republic City through the years, from the sailors in Chiyo Town to the merchants of Omashu, calling it a capital city for the future; businesses in Omashu and the western Earth Kingdom profited, from trading with Republic City and other states in the United Republic.
The earthbending master found it difficult, to reconcile with the fact the only airbending master in nineteen years and the Avatar lived there. Jen LuXian was a traditionalist and was never blinded with the dreams of the opportunity a place like Republic City could offer. Those were dreams of people, who wanted a new start in life or to learn different cultural norms. Jen LuXian raised his eyebrow, at the thought of residents of that city forgetting their cultures and their respective nations. The Earth Kingdom wasn't much kinder to Jen LuXian through the last five years, than any other nation. Why should Republic City be any different, than the sharp whispers he heard from the mouths of Earth Kingdom nobility, naming him defective and abstinent for not conforming to the traditional lifestyle of a nobleman, like his cousin Chou and stop shaming people, when they should be embarrassed in public for their actions.
The ship turned from Yue Bay to sail to the right side, knowing the shipwright was turning towards the quaint island. The man drew a breath from his lips, knowing Kumi was waking up and they were far from the Earth Kingdom, which meant no threats from pirates or anyone from the Daojing family following them. Jen LuXian never considered, how the people in Republic City would react to him, as some have never seen traditional Earth Kingdom robes worn before, unless they know the Qian family. He was no stranger to people looking at him, but it was something he had to wait and see through his eyes. When interacting with people, Jen LuXian had initial close-minded views, before he had a chance to be proven wrong. He blamed his traditional upbringing for it. Jen LuXian was sheltered, as a child, in his family's residence, in the foothills of an old mountain that had been broken, by one of his ancestors with earthbending to create a location for the family home, to be built high above Chiyo Town and the Long Crane River below it.
"I can't believe it. Eight years have passed, since I was expelled from the South Pole and was the Avatar's earthbending shifu. I shouldn't be the coward and run away from my former pupil, even though we will come across each other, without knowing either of us were in the vicinity. A-Jei wants to know what life was like for the Air Acolytes and wants to learn more about their culture. The blood of the old nomads, ran through Bao Yun and still did amongst some families. I consider Master Tenzin likeminded to myself; when it comes to traditional values, but we had different upbringings, but the same expectations and pressures on ourselves."
The view of Air Temple Island was clear to him, it was like a family village with a lighthouse. Jen LuXian had never been there, but he knew someone, who considered it a home away from home. Jen LuXian was interested in the library, knowing how bookish he was; it made people think he was a scholarly beauty with no martial skill, but they were wrong and paid for it. He wasn't the one, to use his bending for frivolous violence, but as a teaching tool or a weapon as a last result. The thought of using his bending for glory tired him, because Jen LuXian wasn't that teenage earthbender, who searched for glory around the Earth Kingdom. As a man in his thirties, Jen LuXian never wanted to waste his energy, on unworthy opponents or use his bending to harm others intentionally. He didn't spend twelve years of his life, cultivating his earthbending to mastery level, to lower himself to bending wrestlers or soldiers, who were not fit to polish his boots.
From behind, Jen LuXian saw Kumi without the dark green paint on her eyelids and her face pale. It was one of the rare times, Jen LuXian had seen the kyoshi warrior without her makeup, as it made her look more the young woman she was and just as plain faced as his serving girls. Kumi didn't have her weapons on her, knowing Air Temple Island had rules about weapons and Kumi put her blades into a bag, she carried on her back and only had her fans with her. The washing of the waves in the pleasant noon at sea, was what the master needed. After many days on the run, from Gaoling and not having to worry about anyone trying to kill him, whilst in the vicinity of United Republic waters, as no one in Republic City save a few people knew who Jen LuXian was.
The kyoshi warrior bowed towards him, despite not wearing her makeup and looked similar to Daiya, but with shorter hair and upturned features. "I apologise for my tardiness, Young Master. I will improve better next time." Kumi was not the type to be late, but it was something that can be forgiven, for all the good the kyoshi woman has done for him. Her eyes looked tired, as she was trying to hide it, as youth can hide a lot of things. Sleeping at sea was rough, on a woman used to sleeping on nicer beds, but the serving girls coped well, and Jen LuXian got over his bout of seasickness that was made worse, from Daiya's unpleasant congee three days ago.
"All is forgiven. We must be on our best behaviour, we are guests of the airbenders." Young Master Jen replied, with a finesse in his words.
"I hope you are ready to see the Avatar again."
"I hope so, warrior maid."
The ship was pulling itself on a white marble runway, where most Air Temple Island ferry ships were anchored. The ship Jen LuXian was on wasn't too big, and it was enough to have a cabin. As the steps of the serving girls were heard clearly, as Jen LuXian saw all three of them in formation, with their hands tucked into the sleeves of their plain green robes. However, Little Kumi was dressed in her usual black bodyguard uniform, with her short hair up done to look proper, even though she liked having her hair short. Kyoshi Island and the mainland Earth Kingdom had different rules, when it came to hair norms. Kumi's short hair made her standout, and no one had mistaken her for a servant, unless they wanted to lose their fingers. Jen LuXian had seen enough severed body parts, to last a lifetime, even though with Kumi as his bodyguard, he will end up seeing more. It was his lot in life; to make the enemies he should not have, or offended the wrong master, to the point of looking over his shoulder for potential assassins.
The man's eye caught the lush greenery that was on the island, with many thriving trees to sustain, the natural environment on the island. It seemed like an idyllic place to live from the city. He was making a brief stop for two nights, because his retinue were tired and needed rest. The master caught the brief smile on Daiya's face, before it turned to her usual look of disapproval, knowing she disliked anything foreign or new as she was Bao Yun born and bred. Jen LuXian made sure to learn and remember the little details, about his servants and knowing who they were was important, as it was vital to have some sort of serenity and peace within his retinue, since Kumi arrived years ago and the girls had to deal with their own grief from Su Yong's death.
Jen LuXian was no stranger to getting in and out of ships, but his eye caught a few people waiting on the marble runway, not knowing who they were by the sight of them. The man was looking forward to seeing how much has changed, since he left the Southern Water Tribe and how his former pupil was done through firebending and airbending. He never spoke about his failure, not carrying out his plans, before the fools of the White Lotus found out about his plotting, it was for the love of teaching. Jen LuXian had a responsibility, to give the Avatar a wider range of teaching and it was not going to happen, in a prison fortified by walls, but in the Earth Kingdom surrounded by earth and immersed in another culture and another way of being.
"I was idealistic, when I was twenty-two and just started teaching the Avatar about the different jings. Back then, I had to toe the line with that short, bearded cretin known as Grand Lotus Master Lao, he didn't like me then and never liked me now. Slowly, I was gaining the young thirteen-year-old Avatar's co-operation, as a teenager was harder to reign in, if a student didn't have the discipline and structure of Bao Yun. It was hard enough teaching a girl, who skirted around proper structure and formations, for what was called Korra-style earthbending. I had to deal with the White Lotus, not being shy about their disapproval of my methods, but their mouths were shut when they saw instant results, faster than what they expected. The prison that was the Southern Water Tribe Compound was a problem. Korra was willing to learn, but the oppressive structure was hindering her ability, to learn and to open her mind. I was willing to be flexible in the way I taught her, but it wasn't good enough and I failed her."
Jen LuXian was fixing the guan headdress on his head, as it was crooked. He expected the headdress, to be straight on the part of his hair that was tied off in a topknot. The rest of his hair was loose, but the part of his hair that was in the topknot were hair loops at both sides of his hair. Jen LuXian had always worn his hair like this, mostly because as a child, he saw his mother Duchess Teng Jiao-Wen's hair done this way. The ship had stopped, but Jen LuXian and his retinue were told not to disembark yet. He was the master, in the art of patience and neutral jing, as it played a role in his life outside of earthbending, which was something Avatar Korra failed to learn, because of her brash temperament, befitting a firebender than an earthbender. Jen LuXian hoped airbending would give the Avatar, the structure and patience he taught her long ago.
The young master and his retinue disembarked from the ship, as the boat looked bigger with the man standing on the runway with his people. Jen LuXian turned to see Daiya, the picture of a perfect maid, but Shai's arms were shaking from a nervous habit and Jei's eyes were wondering above the runway, to see the carefully crafted entrance to Air Temple Island. It was decorated with the swirls of cloud patterns, and spirals of the Air Nomads in gold paint. Jen LuXian saw the group again, standing on the runway near the ship, in a clearer view the group of youths and they looked at him. He assessed there were four of them, by the two males and two females. Kumi stood behind the master with her fans strapped into her waist belt, knowing swords and blades were forbidden on Air Temple Island, willing to follow the rules as other Kyoshi Warriors before her have done through the years.
Jen LuXian could catch the internal whispering among the youths. "Who's that guy that got off the ship? You know him, Korra. What if he's your old boyfriend?" The master heard one of the boys say, in a scattered speech pattern. That kind of pattern he hated, because people like that talked too much, which was one of the reasons, why he declined the marriage offer to Eldest Lady Te, the firstborn daughter of Governor Te of Hujiang.
"Old boyfriend? Some snotty rich bozo coming to meet with Tenzin. The guy has servants and another girl with warpaint on her eyes." The second boy said, in an agitated tone. That boy was the type, not to trust outsiders and viewed them as a threat, to anyone in his circle. Jen LuXian was like that, which was the reason why he never had friends, apart from Su Yong and stayed away from people in general, not being a fan of physical contact and had gotten used to it, when Su Yong became his friend.
One of the girls stood in between the boys with a depreciating manner, which indicated her level of maturity over the boys. "You boys can be so dense sometimes. That man is not an old boyfriend, but an earthbending master. You know, the one who taught Korra how to earthbend. He is way too old for any of us." The girl's voice was familiar, as Jen LuXian remember it. Whenever Jen LuXian had memories of the south pole, a girl and her brother sprang into his mind and they have been a constant problem for him.
"How do you know?"
"Oh…Bolin. I would remember that stiff from the Earth Kingdom. He always picked on me and Nuka, because we would bring seal jerky to the compound and apparently, it wasn't allowed during lessons and even tied Nuka and I together."
"He doesn't seem that way." The boy with the scattered speech pattern, spoke again.
The man turned around to see the youths visibly, with his servants and Kumi following behind him. Young Master Jen instantly recognised the brown-skinned girl, who looked like an ordinary girl from the Southern Water Tribe, with sea blue eyes and her dark rustic brown hair was done in two parts, being in loops, similar to the hairstyle of Master Katara. The girl's nose was similar to Kumi's nose being from Kyoshi descent, but the different was his kyoshi bodyguard had an emerald jewel pierced in her nose. It was clear, this girl was Anika, the daughter of Chief Hakoda, the second of his name and the granddaughter of the late Chief Sokka and living Matron Suki, judging by the mixture of southern tribe and kyoshi features.
Jen LuXian had run ins with the young miss and her brother, when it came to distracting the Avatar, from her training with frivolous activity and forbidden distractions.
The young boys were mismatched from what Jen LuXian saw. One of them was clearly of Earth Kingdom descent with bright green eyes and a stocky build, but the other boy was of Fire Nation descent with amber coloured eyes and was slimmer than the other boy. Jen LuXian couldn't discount the boys being siblings, because of the mixed cultures in Republic City and people inheriting more than one culture, because of the pot of nationalities in the United Republic. The master was not sure, why Lady Anika was associating with two boys, who wore clothes Jen LuXian thought to be strange and inspired by Earth Kingdom garments, but modernised for the city's fashion. He never liked the thought of his culture and traditional clothing, being watered down to fit the aesthetic of a modern city, which was everything Jen LuXian was taught, to dismiss because it killed tradition and culture for future generations in his mind.
Jen LuXian was barefooted, even though Daiya disapproved because of his status. How unsightly for a noble gentleman to walk around with no shoes? The young master ignored Daiya every time, she had a complaint when he did this. It was an earthbender habit, he developed after training with Shifu Toph and learned about earthbending in a way, a traditional setting like Bao Yun would not have allowed. His family's library pavilion was full of old scrolls of bending theory from decades ago and Bao Yun had it's own style of earthbending. Whilst other parts of the Earth Kingdom abandoned the tiger for the badgermole, as the symbol of the Earth Kingdom, the Jen Clan still kept the tiger symbol as their own.
"Master Jen, long time no see." The southern tribe chieftain's daughter, Anika exclaimed, whilst waving her hand in the air.
The Second Young Master of the Jen Clan put a fisted hand, over his other hand's palm and bowed before the teenage girl, as it was customary for her status. "Lady Anika, you are here without your brother. You two seem inseparable. " Jen LuXian asked, curious to why Lady Anika was alone and without the brother, she was stuck to like thick egg paste, that was used in Jen LuXian's homeland to make sure savoury dumplings were golden brown and never spoiled.
"Enjoying Republic City, when it's not under siege."
"I'm glad to see the city is stabilised."
"Anika, are you not going to introduce us." said the boy most liken to an Earth Kingdom citizen. He was the same boy with the scattered speech pattern. Jen LuXian was used to the refined speech of nobility, and was getting used to the way common folk spoke to each other, on his travels through the Earth Kingdom.
"Why? The guy has somewhere to be. We shouldn't delay Tenzin's guest, Bolin." The other teenage boy countered, in a tone that was less hostile and more dull, maybe it was the way the other boy was. He was not the type of use wordplay, but to be blunt and honest. No matter whose feelings got hurt or who was offended. The boy looked old enough to have just past his teenage years and crossed into manhood.
Lady Anika's loud laughter was heard through the runway. "Mako, don't be rude. Bolin must have a lot of questions, him being an earthbending master and traditional Earth Kingdom. You should have some interest in your own Earth Kingdom heritage." The southern tribe girl placed her hand, on the shoulder of the other boy's shoulder. Jen LuXian decoded the dull Fire Nation appearing boy to be Mako, and the enthusiastic Earth Kingdom appearing boy to be Bolin. Such strange choices for friends, for the Avatar and the daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
"Lady Anika has the right idea. The heritage of the Earth Kingdom is vast, diverse and long lasting, even when the Fire Nation invaded." Young Master Jen said, in a hollowed tone.
"Anyways, guys. This is Master Jen, Korra's earthbending master. Hey...where did Korra go." The southern tribe chief's daughter said, with her eyes looking around. As if the Avatar had just been here, and was now trying to play hooky, just like in the first weeks of Jen LuXian teaching the Avatar.
The young master looked to see Shai holding his black boots, even though she was the one usually saddled with the responsibility. The Avatar's male friends and Lady Anika would find it strange, since none of them grew up the way Jen LuXian did in a traditional household. The waves of vibrations moved between his toes, sensed someone else was there and attempting to avoid him. It was like the old days in the south pole, in weeks of the master arriving and beginning the Avatar's earthbending education. The girl Avatar ran away, as a way to be defiant, towards her very beautiful teacher, whom she expected to look like a muscular earthbending wrestler. It was the worst time to be a teacher, to a thirteen-year-old girl flexing her muscles as teenagers do. Avatar Korra had not been bright enough to realise, her master may look the spring flower, but he had his father's tigerdillo spirit and he would not give up on her. No matter, how the young Avatar hated Jen LuXian's old-fashioned methods of discipline, minus getting a clan elder to use a ruler to punish unruly students, who break the rules in Bao Yun.
Jen LuXian turned around to see another girl of southern tribe colouring, but her hair was tied in three ways, much different to Lady Anika's hairstyle emulating her great aunt, Master Katara. Avatar Korra's hairstyle was of Northern Water Tribe tradition, something her father brought from his homeland. Her clothing was more androgynous, than what the other southern tribe girl wore, which was a feminine blue and white dress than the trousers the Avatar wore under the fur tied to her waist. It was obvious, the Avatar was attempting to avoid him, but Daiya and Shai could have told him of her attempt to escape. He always internalised the earthbending principal, of being aware of one's surroundings, because everything can be heard through the waves of earth, whether it was a loud heartbeat or the sound of the feet of cranes and swans that regularly swam up and down the Long Crane River in Bao Yun.
The man folded his arms, and the side of his lips curled. It was like old times, but with the absence that presence, who always watched over him. Jen LuXian knew that man lived on the mainland of Republic City and there was an opportunity to see him again. The master shook his head, at the burdening and intrusive thoughts making their way into his mind. It was seeing the Avatar that provoked the memories, Jen LuXian had involving her in the Southern Water Tribe eight years ago, when he was still her earthbending shifu and life made sense to him. A man who didn't conform to the expectations the nobility had on him, to settle down and marry a woman of noble birth, settle into the life his cousin Jen Chou was in now. It made Chou-brother happy to have a wife, who loved him and his in laws accept him, but for Jen LuXian, an arranged marriage by all standards of noble society would mean mediocre misery for him.
"Still attempting to avoid me, Avatar Korra. I can tell..." Young Master Jen said, in a sterner tone.
The Avatar was rubbing a hand over, where her ponytail was and smiled, to weasel her way out of trouble. "…..Shifu Jen….what brings you to Republic City." To her surprise, Jen LuXian never thought he would meet his old pupil again, even though he still thought about her at home in seclusion. Jen LuXian failed her and he didn't deserve to see her smile. He allowed himself to be found out, by the White Lotus about his plotting, to take her into the Earth Kingdom for training in Omashu.
"Visiting family friends…..it was my cousin's idea to get me out of the mountains." Young Master Jen replied.
"You look different, Master Jen. It's been years, since you last saw me."
"I'm still the same Shifu. I got older and more tired, as the years went on."
"I thought bending masters were supposed to be in good shape." Lady Anika interjected, with her forefinger and thumb holding her chin.
Jen LuXian's eyebrow was raised at that statement. As tired as he was from his journey, Jen LuXian was still in good condition and could bend with the rest of them. "I have you know, I can bend better than the youth of my nation." The young master said sarcastically, not to be too offended by the remark, made by the chief's daughter about his physical being. When it came to bending, it was more than throwing things around. It was discipline, knowledge and years of hard work to become a master.
"Anyways….you know Anika, the chief's daughter." Avatar Korra said, pointing out the other water tribe girl by her side, with her arm around her. "This is Bolin and Mako." She said enthusiastically, introducing the strangely dressed boys to him. Jen LuXian had a cruel thoughts, about the way the boys dressed, even the boys would think, the way the Second Young Master of the Jen Clan dressed was strange, because they have not seen a man dressed in hanfu robes in their lives.
The young man, Bolin looked to have stars in his eyes, as they were widened and his hands were clasped together. "I can't believe it. I'm meeting the Avatar's earthbending master. How can you be a teacher, when you looks so young and I thought bending masters were old?"
Jen LuXian couldn't help, but smile at the boy's compliment about his youth. It was inappropriate in a traditional setting for someone to comment on a young master's appearance. "…..I'm charmed." The lord replied in the dullest tone, to not have an edge of annoyance for lack of manners, but the teenager Bolin didn't know better. He did not want to be too harsh on what the boy lacks, because he was not noble and lived by different cultural norms than he did.
"Sorry about my little bro. He's never met a traditional earthbender other than Beifong." The other boy Mako said, "It's nice to meet you, Master Jen." The young man bowed to him in the Earth Kingdom greeting. It was strange in the face of things, but young Mako and his brother had an Earth Kingdom parent, so it would be customary for them, to know parts of their dual nationality, with the greeting and the proper ways to address seniority older than themselves.
Jen LuXian could almost hear Daiya and Shai, sneering under the guise of polite and dull faces. They were servants of the Jen Clan and knew the rules well, but the Avatar's male friends did not and there was no need for them to have an attitude about it. The young master was orderly, but he would not punish Shai for being young and following Daiya, for she was the oldest servant in their retinue at twenty-three. Jen LuXian understood why Daiya was the way she was; she knew the norms of what was acceptable and what was not. Casually talking to a nobleman was unacceptable and beneath the status of a young master to interact, unless they were asked to interact. It was what Jen LuXian has been doing in the last five years, isolating himself from noble society and taking the opportunity to grieve for Su Yong, and get some semblance of his life back together, by getting to know the servants and household guards that lived and worked in his family's residence.
"Master Jen…..is the kyoshi warrior, your new bodyguard." The Avatar exclaimed, upon seeing Kumi without her makeup, but her folding fans were in sight of her waist and stood in an orderly manner, away from the Avatar and her friends, to avoid frightening them even more than she did.
"Kumi is my bodyguard and has been for the last four years." Master Jen replied.
"Auntie Kya said, kyoshi bodyguards were ruthless killers, but that girl looks like a dainty flower." The chief's daughter Anika said, in a dismissive tone.
Jen LuXian couldn't blame Bolin for having fear on his face, when Lady Anika said what she said. He moved further away from where Kumi was. "Kumi is a sweetheart, but she does her job well, just like the warriors, who serve in the Fire Nation. She may look sweet, because she doesn't have her blades with her, following the custom of Air Temple Island to forbid weapons."
"…..Thank spirits…." Bolin said, breathing a sigh of relief. From the scaremongering of what, he heard about kyoshi bodyguards. The boy had a right to fear the kyoshi bodyguards, because of the ruthless nature of their work and what they had to do, whether it was killing potential enemies or being spymasters for the people they worked for.
"What's your business, Master Jen? Or…...are you here to finally teach me metalbending?" Avatar Korra said, with delight in her voice.
The earthbending master lowered his head, tucked his hands within the sleeves of his spring green robes. "This visit of mine is for leisure, but you never know when I might visit you. You should learn by now to expect the unexpected from me." Jen LuXian said, with a tinge of being unimpressed. He might visit the overly excited Avatar, when he deemed it suitable. For Korra, it was seeing one of her bending masters, other than Master Tenzin in the city, as her other masters were further from her in the world.
"Pardon me, Master Jen. What part of the Earth Kingdom are you from?" Bolin asked.
"Within the northeastern mountains lie Bao Yun, the region above the port town of Chiyo. It's a place known, for the best earthbenders in the north and the Bao Yun Academy, my family's prestiguous school, just from the footpath of my family's residence. My homeland is known as the untaken region. The Fire Nation tried to twice to take it, but could never do because the people of Bao Yun, have known the old mountain ranges, since birth and the earthbenders had the advantage over grounded firebenders."
"It was where Korra should have gone, but the White Lotus found out." Lady Anika interjected.
"So….Master Jen rebelled against the White Lotus." Mako concluded, having no idea what the initial conversation was about, "Why did they let him teach Korra to earthbend, if they didn't like him?"
"I was fortunate to have support from higher places, than the Grand Lotus Master. The people of my homeland are not accustomed to seeing Fire Nation people on our shores. It was a shock for them, when they saw Lord Zuko and his retinue of Fire Nation guards come through Chiyo Town, to personally ask me to teach the new Avatar to earthbend. The Order of the White Lotus, on the other hand thought, I was too young for the honour. There were older and experienced masters than myself, but Lord Zuko and Master Tenzin made them compromise for me to teach her."
"And then you left me….." The Avatar said, in a despondent tone.
"The way I left was shameful. I was meant to be your teacher, until the end of that year. I was glad, I had someone defend me against the White Lotus."
"Will you be teaching anyone, since you are in the city?" The chief's daughter asked.
"…..No…..I have been teaching in my family's academy, since I left the South Pole. The visit is very much leisure, but maybe I will take on a willing student in the future." Master Jen said, in his most coy of tone. Knowing Jen LuXian was the type of shifu, who would take on a new student willing to learn and not waste his time on those, who don't want to learn from him.
"Is it true you killed someone?"
Jen LuXian's eyes widened at the question. He wasn't sure anyone outside the Earth Kingdom knew, his brief history in the fighting rings, but the southern chief's daughter was not as ignorant as he thought. He was glad Avatar Korra has a friend like her, someone from home and can connect with in terms of missing home in the south pole and other things, the boys Mako and Bolin would not understand. It was the same way, when Jen LuXian moved to the Southern Water Tribe to teach the Avatar earthbending. To be away from his homeland, his culture and his sense of being to do a job, most thought he was too young and inexperienced for. Jen LuXian was good enough, to be considered to teach the Avatar and do the job he needed to. The master bared the cold southern climate, for two years, but in the end, being sent away by the White Lotus did him a favour, because he missed his homeland and his family.
If there is something that was clear. Lady Anika's question stirred Jen LuXian to the point of remembering. When his hands were stained of crimson and two dead bodies laid at his feet, wearing the feminine crimson robes of the cult led by the Crimson Matron. It made him sick inside to remember that day. He was raised to be noble and pure, which meant murder was a sin in the Jen Clan. The brief past in the fighting rings didn't get anyone killed, but Lady Anika was alluding to The Strowman and his miraculous death two weeks after Jen LuXian defeated him. The man exhaled a breath out, knowing his posture and presence was supposed to radiate nobility, but the youths were not daunted. As wealthy people existed in Republic City, but it not on the level in the Earth Kingdom, when masters and madams were treated, like little kings and queens. After all Jen LuXian's mother was a duchess of royal blood and furthest away from being called a princess.
"No, Lady Anika...murder will get my robes filthy." Young Master Jen answered, in a stern tone.
The Avatar had a conflicted look on her face, and Jen LuXian couldn't blame her. He failed her, by leaving on the most strenuous of terms. She was too young to understand what his banishment from the Southern Water Tribe, by the White Lotus meant. "Well…..it's nice seeing you back, Shifu Jen. I missed you."
"….I missed you too, Pupil Korra."
"Anyways, while you boys go back home. I will be the one, to escort Master Jen to Central House." Lady Anika said, rolling her eyes at the boys and the Avatar she called friend.
When it came to teaching, the number one rule was never get attached to students. Jen LuXian failed to learn that lesson; he got too attached and invested in the progress of his students, the ones he had in his homeland were characters with personalities of their own. He remained the stern teacher around Korra of the Southern Water Tribe, but he didn't know how to talk to her. Jen LuXian was no longer her shifu, and her current shifu was Master Tenzin and she already mastered earthbending. The serving girls were still behind him, as it was their duty to do so, until Jen LuXian needed them. Kumi was unneeded at this time as well, because there was likely no threats, on an island that housed the last airbenders in the world.
The earthbending master put his first over his other hand, and bowed thoughtfully before the youths before him, and saving one for the Avatar. There was a sense of glee, knowing the Avatar saw her old shifu again, after all these years of being sent away from the south pole. He was glad to know, Korra was content and not badly tormented by his absence. Jen LuXian was out of place, amongst the youths, even though he grew up in a traditional household. The young master was an adult man, with a scattered past and unknown path, due to rejecting the one put in front of him by society back in the Earth Kingdom, rejecting princesses for a career Jen LuXian was happy with. The mainland, backwater city may not be such a bad place to visit, for a journey away from home and to see what was there for a traditionalist and a foreigner like him.
PS: Congee is a rice porridge or gruel eaten in East Asian and Southeast Asian countries and it's eaten with mostly side dishes. It's usually a savoury dish, but Jen LuXian likes it a certain way and Daiya overcooks it sometimes and overpowers the savoury flavours in the congee.
A guan is a traditional Chinese male headdress or headpiece, like the topknot of the Fire Lord's piece. Jen LuXian wears one because of his status as a young master of his clan. Jen LuXian's guan is jade green, as it's the colour of the Jen Clan and signalling him belonging to his family.
- Throughout the story, Jen LuXian is an unreliable narrator. He wants to keep his sense of nobility and honour, but cannot because he murdered two of the Crimson Matron's cult members, and feels guilty about taking life away. He wants to move on from what happened, but cannot because the murders haunt him.
- Anika is the first of the two Sukka (Sokka and Suki) grandchildren I will introduce in the story. She is eighteen years old, the same age as Bolin in this story and is a waterbender apart of the Krew, but Asami will appear later on in the story. Anika is not a traditional lady, but because of her status as the chief's daughter, Jen LuXian calls her a lady in respect to her father's title as chief.