The Reedleaf Elf had gone to such lengths to ask for help that it must have hoped she could do something.
"It doesn't know either." That was what gave San San a headache. The knotleaf tree had never tried to seek help in the first place. Aside from not knowing where to turn, it also seemed resigned to its fate.
After so long cut off from the world, with only these innocent Sprites for company, the knotleaf tree had grown indifferent to life and death, accepting whatever came.
Still, since Ye Chuqi and San San were already there, the knotleaf tree cooperated fully and told them everything it knew. Most of it had come from the Reedleaf Elves, but very little of the information was useful.
Most importantly, the malice had been spreading through Liao Leaf Forest for over a year. The knotleaf tree's space could hold out until next year's festival at most before the malice invaded it completely.
Since they were already here, they had to do something.
"Let's deal with the malice first." As for why those people had targeted Liao Leaf Forest and what exactly they wanted, since the knotleaf tree wasn't saying, she wouldn't ask for now. Whatever it was, it had to be related to the forest's miraculous purifying effect, which wasn't much use to her.
To deal with the malice, the most important thing now was probably to find its source. But malice permeated Liao Leaf Forest, and apart from this particularly unusual clearing, even Ye Chuqi and San San couldn't find any other clues for the moment.
Once again, it was the cleverest Reedleaf Elf that approached Ye Chuqi, anxiously fluttering up and down.
"Huh?" San San flew over and wrapped the little fellow in the tuft of hair on its head.