The moon laurel is a central symbol in the novel, representing a potent, neutral life force whose nature is defined by the intentions of those who interact with it. Initially, a beautiful feature of Xingyin’s home, the laurel reveals its true power through its duality. Before the events of the novel, the tree’s regenerative energy has been a source of healing and recovery. The laurel demonstrates its benevolent potential by restoring the lifeforce she sacrificed in Daughter of the Moon Goddess (2022). Xingyin’s quick recuperation is a mystery until she realizes the self-healing tree “healed me too,” helping her become “almost as strong as before” (25). This connection establishes the laurel as a symbol of life and restoration.

By contrast, Wugang’s interactions with the laurel underscore its destructive potential. In his mortal life, the tree represents his punishment for murdering his wife and her lover. The sentence the Celestial Emperor inflicts on Wugang (to cut the laurel down) is intended to be a Sisyphean task due to the tree’s self-healing properties. However, Wugang’s discovery that drops of his blood stop this restorative process prompts the end of his sentence and his subsequent elevation to immortal status. The laurel’s transformation from green to silver-white symbolizes how torment and bitterness can corrupt even the most vital life source.

In Wugang's hands, the laurel’s power illustrates the theme of Vengeance as a Path to Tyranny. He perverts its life-giving properties to create an undead army, twisting its potential for renewal into a mechanism for endless, unnatural existence. This duality demonstrates that power itself is not inherently good or evil; it is the user’s heart that dictates its purpose.