Wang Yue frowned. "But what does this have to do with your sister wanting the power of hatred?"
Kong Qing gave a bitter smile. "My sister thought the reason she couldn't change things as they were was that she simply wasn't strong enough. She even went beyond the Border once to increase her power.
"She did find a way to grow stronger out there: using the love and hatred bound up in the Bitter Love Tree to absorb vast amounts of hatred and increase her power."
Wang Yue nodded. That was more or less what he had guessed. He smiled and said, "The dark energy has badly corroded your body. Would you like me to remove it?"
As a monster who had lived for hundreds of years, Kong Qing certainly didn't believe in free lunches. She asked very seriously, "What would I have to give in return?"
Wang Yue glanced at Tu Shan Ya Ya, then said solemnly, "I have a white vine that's been growing on Mount Tu Shan for decades. Its roots have probably spread all over the mountain by now, and maybe even beyond it.
"I thought that, given how strong it had become, the white vine would have taken human form long ago. But it still hasn't, so I suspect my white vine may have been assimilated by the Bitter Love Giant Tree. It may have started absorbing emotional power, too."
Kong Qing looked uncertain. "You mean that E'hui Beasts have probably covered the white vine, so it may have started absorbing the power of hatred as well?"
Wang Yue nodded. "That's right. The white vine is good at absorbing the energy around it. It's probably absorbed some of the Bitter Love Giant Tree's power, too—not just that of the E'hui Beasts.
"The Bitter Love Tree