General Jianyun nodded. “Wugang is proud, though he conceals it. He would loathe such a visible reminder of his humiliation.” His tone grew heavy. “I recalled his face as he slashed his hand: blank with despair, devoid of hope—like he did not care whether he lived or died. Blood spurted out, splattering the laurel’s bark, sinking into the soil around its roots. In the next moment, he swung his axe into the tree. Again and again, without pause, as though his labors had granted him an inhuman strength. Until, at last, the laurel came crashing down, the sound so loud the mortals must have heard it.”

I frowned. “But the laurel still stands; it was not destroyed.”

“His Celestial Majesty’s command was that Wugang had to chop down the laurel, not to destroy it—if such a thing can be done at all. It only took a few moments for the laurel to regenerate, new shoots sprouting from its withered stump, springing up until the tree was full-grown once more. Except its leaves were no longer green but silver-white, its bark so pale, like it was encrusted in frost. As though in its throes of death, the laurel had shed spring for winter.”

My mind spun. This must be why Wugang had such an avid interest in the moon, a personal one—studying its aura, discovering my presence. Why he had not troubled himself with me until he learned my identity. “The laurel’s power must be immense to regenerate so quickly, to restore my lifeforce too.”

General Jianyun’s expression was somber. “We thought it could only heal itself. We did not realize it could heal another.”

“What does the emperor want with it?” I asked.

The corners of the general’s mouth dipped. “I have lost His Majesty’s trust. He no longer confides in me.”

Something else picked at me. “Wugang’s blood was on the laurel the night I caught him. While there were grooves in the bark, the tree was otherwise unharmed. I can’t imagine how he could have brought it down before.”

The general’s lips pursed. “Since that day, the energy in the tree has changed. While the laurel’s power has strengthened, its bond with Wugang might have weakened. Maybe he can no longer harm it as before.”

“Only enough to harvest its seeds.” An unwelcome thought. “Why would His Celestial Majesty send Wugang? The emperor could have seized our home if he wished.”