The Destiny of White Snake Episode 20 Recap, Plot

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> The Destiny of White Snake Recap

Bai Yaoyao, anxious due to the lack of news from Qi Xiao, was contemplating how to see Xu Xuan. Xiao Qing initially suggested storming the county jail to rescue him, but Bai Yaoyao insisted on acting quietly, as jailbreak would only worsen Xu Xuan's situation. With Xiao Qing's help in subduing the jail guards, Bai Yaoyao managed to enter the prison to see Xu Xuan.

Inside, Xu Xuan urged Bai Yaoyao to obey mortal laws and consider the consequences of her actions. He told her that everyone eventually dies, and his death would just be a little earlier. Bai Yaoyao, incredulous, questioned his trust, asking how she could love him if she couldn't understand him. Xu Xuan then revealed his true motive: he was covering for Leng Ning, explaining that he intended to repay his master's kindness with his life.

He asked Bai Yaoyao if she could wait until the next life for his repayment to her. Bai Yaoyao vehemently refused, declaring, "I want you in this life." She argued that his master would not approve of such a repayment and emphasized the value of his life. Xu Xuan admitted he had avoided seeing her because he wasn't as strong as she imagined, and seeing her would make him cling to this life, unwilling to throw it away.

Bai Yaoyao reminded him of their thousand-year wait for this life, asking if sacrificing himself for Leng Ning wasn't too cruel to her. She even reflected on their first meeting at the Broken Bridge, wondering if a different choice then would have spared them this sadness, yet affirmed she had no regrets and would still choose to keep him. Bai Yaoyao asserted they still had a chance to change things and offered to plead for his innocence in court.

Xu Xuan, however, reiterated his decision to cover for Leng Ning, asking if she truly didn't understand. Bai Yaoyao insisted Leng Ning must pay for her own crime. Xu Xuan, knowing Bai Yaoyao no longer possessed her full magical powers, warned her to leave before the guards returned. But Bai Yaoyao, accusing him of selfishly refusing to live for her, vowed to stay by his side.

A fire broke out in the prison, and amidst the chaos, Xu Xuan inexplicably fell unconscious. Doctors summoned by the officials were baffled, unable to find a cause for his coma. Under the law, Xu Xuan's execution had to be postponed until he awoke. This turn of events was part of Qi Xiao's plan. He had procured a rare White Moon Flower, whose petals, when consumed by a mortal, induce a coma lasting up to three days and three nights.

This flower, with its unique scent, was typically used for celestial wines. Qi Xiao explained that he had unexpectedly found it on Mount Li, where he had failed to find his master, and had seized the chaotic moment to administer a petal to Xu Xuan, buying them crucial time to uncover the real murderer. Qi Xiao noted that he had tasked Xiao Qing with monitoring Leng Ning's movements, hoping to lure Hong Xin into the open.

Bai Yaoyao deduced that Leng Ning and Hong Xin were likely allied, as Hong Xin had previously impersonated Leng Ning to set a trap. She also expressed concern for Hong Xin, fearing that the carp demon, deeply in love with the prince, might not want to live without him, and that her adoration was being exploited for evil. Meanwhile, at the Apothecary House, disciples were divided over Xu Xuan's situation.

Duan Liu, representing the Duan Yang School, loudly accused Bai Yaoyao of conspiring with demons to bewitch Xu Xuan. He proposed that the Duan Yang School take matters into their own hands to eliminate Bai Yaoyao, dismissing the need for Xu Xuan's authority. Another disciple, Qing Feng, accused Duan Liu of betraying the Apothecary House.

Duan Liu retorted that those who didn't care for the Apothecary House's welfare should be the ones to leave, even suggesting replacing Xu Xuan if he continued to act as Bai Yaoyao's scapegoat. Leng Ning arrived, calming the uproar, and agreed that removing Bai Yaoyao was the only way to ensure Xu Xuan's safety.

When a disciple mentioned Xu Xuan's belief in Bai Yaoyao, Leng Ning challenged their own beliefs, but then conceded that if Bai Yaoyao failed to prove her innocence, "then there's no reason to let her live." Leng Ning then approached Constable Li Gongfu, requesting to secretly examine Prince Zhao Yu's body at Zhao's Palace. She feigned concern for Xu Xuan, claiming to seek clues to clear his name. Li Gongfu, unsuspecting, granted her access and stood guard outside.

Inside the palace, Leng Ning tore down the talismans surrounding the mourning hall, allowing Hong Xin to enter for a final goodbye to Zhao Yu. From a hidden vantage point, Bai Yaoyao and Qi Xiao observed Leng Ning's actions, confirming Hong Xin's presence inside. Suddenly, Leng Ning burst out of the palace, screaming for help. She dramatically accused Hong Xin of being the murderer, claiming the carp demon had attacked her during the examination and stolen Zhao Yu's body.

Li Gongfu, seeing the situation change and the blood on Leng Ning, immediately rallied his men to pursue the "audacious demon" into the mountains, with Leng Ning insisting on joining the hunt, citing her medical knowledge. Unbeknownst to them, Leng Ning had poisoned Zhao Yu's body, intending to kill Hong Xin upon contact. Hong Xin, realizing Leng Ning's betrayal and her own foolishness, was poisoned. Despite this, her profound love for Zhao Yu led her to refuse to abandon him.

She fled with his body, vowing never to leave him again, choosing to die with him in the wilderness. Bai Yaoyao and Qi Xiao arrived at the scene, too late to prevent the framing. As the guards closed in, Bai Yaoyao confronted Leng Ning, asserting that Leng Ning had no right to judge innocence. Hong Xin, weak and poisoned, tried to speak, "Leng Ning. . . She's the one. . ."

but Leng Ning quickly interrupted, warning Li Gongfu that the demon would try to frame someone. Leng Ning then cunningly spun a tale, claiming Hong Xin had previously impersonated her (an event Bai Yaoyao had witnessed), killed the prince, and then tried to frame Xu Xuan, who, unaware of the truth, had taken the blame. This fabricated story convinced Li Gongfu and his men, who promptly declared Hong Xin the murderer.

Bai Yaoyao vehemently protested, asking how they could condemn Hong Xin based solely on Leng Ning's words. Li Gongfu dismissed her concerns, stating he was simply doing his job and emphasizing that Hong Xin was "a demon." Hong Xin, her spirit broken, declared that human hearts were the most poisonous and that she would never again trust such "two-faced people" who couldn't discern right from wrong. As Li Gongfu ordered her arrest, Qi Xiao stepped forward to protect her.

At that moment, Duan Liu of the Duan Yang School appeared, shooting a poisoned arrow at Bai Yaoyao, but Qi Xiao swiftly intercepted it, recognizing it as a Duan Yang School weapon. Hong Xin, knowing her fate was sealed and her poison spreading, warned Bai Yaoyao not to approach, acknowledging that no one would believe a demon's word.

With a final wish to be with Zhao Yu, she self-immolated, hoping for a human life in the next world to be his wife. Bai Yaoyao cried out in despair as Hong Xin perished. Following Hong Xin's death, Li Gongfu instructed his men to report the incident as a demon's crime, ensuring a swift closure to the case. Xu Xuan was quickly declared innocent.

Bai Yaoyao questioned why Hong Xin's testimony was ignored, and Qi Xiao explained that no one would believe a demon, and with the case closed, the truth no longer mattered. Bai Yaoyao lamented the unfairness, wondering why demons were considered lesser beings and why Hong Xin had to die for another's crime, reflecting on the common saying that "humans and demons walk different paths," and that such love was against heavenly laws.

She voiced her fear that her own relationship with Xu Xuan might suffer a similar tragic fate. Xiao Qing tried to comfort her, telling her not to listen to Qi Xiao and reassuring her that she and Xu Xuan were destined to be together. Despite the public relief at Xu Xuan's acquittal, Bai Yaoyao confronted Leng Ning, accusing her of having blood on her hands and lacking remorse.

Leng Ning, unrepentant, declared that as long as Xu Xuan was safe, killing someone didn't matter, and brazenly claimed she had only targeted Hong Xin as a scapegoat after Xu Xuan unexpectedly took the blame for the initial murder, which she had intended to pin on Bai Yaoyao. Leng Ning further provoked Bai Yaoyao by challenging her to reveal her demon identity to Xu Xuan.

Upon waking in the medical center, Xu Xuan realized Qi Xiao had drugged him to buy time. Bai Yaoyao informed him that the prince's murderer was dead, and he had been cleared. Mistakenly believing Leng Ning was dead, Xu Xuan expressed annoyance at Bai Yaoyao and Qi Xiao's intervention, feeling he had been wrong to cover for Leng Ning and that their actions had ruined his plan. He mused on the difficulty of being human and discerning right from wrong.

Bai Yaoyao agreed, admitting she, too, struggled with such complexities. Still under the impression Leng Ning was dead, Xu Xuan questioned why they had involved her. Bai Yaoyao then revealed the devastating truth: Leng Ning was alive, and the person who died was Hong Xin, who Leng Ning had set up and who had incinerated herself for love. Xu Xuan's silence at the mention of "Hong Xin, that carp demon" deeply troubled Bai Yaoyao.

She challenged him, asking if his silence was because Hong Xin was a demon, and if demons were "so worthless" in his heart. Disheartened, Bai Yaoyao confessed that if discerning right from wrong was impossible in this world, she didn't know how to be mortal, and her hopes of growing old with him might just be wishful thinking. In a recollection of ancient times, a conversation between celestial beings highlighted the eternal prejudice against demons.

During the Four Seas War a thousand years ago, the Green Emperor, along with Zi Xuan and Ling Chu, led the celestial forces to victory against the Dragon Tribe. The Demon Clan had significantly aided their efforts, and the Heavenly Emperor had promised to bestow the Demon Emperor with the title of High Deity.

However, after the war, the Heavenly Emperor reneged on his promise, avoiding the Demon Emperor and secretly ordering the White Emperor to capture him and destroy his primordial spirit. Despite these efforts, the Demon Emperor escaped. During a conversation between the White Emperor and the Green Emperor, overheard by Bai Yaoyao, it was revealed that celestials viewed demons as inferior, readily exploiting or destroying them.

The White Emperor instructed Zi Xuan to find the escaped Demon Emperor, Zhan Huang, and the Water Dragon, warning of impending chaos if they remained at large. Bai Yaoyao, recalling Zi Xuan's past life where he never judged her identity, feared how the mortal Xu Xuan would react if he discovered she was a snake demon. She worried he might avoid or fear her, especially after witnessing his biased reaction to Hong Xin's tragic fate. She questioned if humans and demons were truly destined to walk separate paths, unable to ever be together.

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