The Legend of White Snake Episode 1 Recap
> The Legend of White Snake Recap
Under Mount Qingcheng, Bai Suzhen, a white snake, cultivated for a thousand years in a cave, eventually transforming into a human. She became known as Bai Suzhen, a woman of refined beauty and graceful demeanor. Throughout her millennium of cultivation, Bai Suzhen devoted herself to goodness, never resorting to harmful magic or harming the innocent.
Remembering the life-saving grace of Guanyin, who had granted her wisdom during a great drought in Middle Sichuan by sprinkling the dew with a poplar branch, Bai Suzhen decided to renounce the secular world and become a Buddhist. Full of earnestness, Bai Suzhen went to Guanyin's temple to express her wish. Guanyin, with a benevolent gaze, gently questioned how Bai Suzhen could abandon a world she had never truly experienced.
Guanyin explained that all sentient beings must first assume human form to fully experience the seven emotions and six desires, and only by overcoming temptations, learning to let go, and developing compassion can one truly leave the mundane world and attain enlightenment. With this insight, Guanyin departed, leaving Bai Suzhen resolved to embark on a journey into the human world to gain life experience and refine her spiritual path.
Meanwhile, deep in a bamboo forest, a bald monk named Fahai sat in meditation within a spiritual barrier. During his meditation, he was disturbed by a demonic entity that took on the guise of the Buddha, attempting to mislead him. Fahai's master, observing this, reminded him that he was too fixated on appearances and could not truly discern between a demon and a Buddha.
His master taught him that a monk harboring killing intent could fall into delusion and become a demon, while a demon with a kind heart could, conversely, attain enlightenment. Recently, his master had observed an ominous celestial phenomenon, "Mars flickering with the glow of the fire," appearing in the south, signifying the imminent arrival of a thousand-year-old demon in Lin'an City.
To aid Fahai in his mission, his master bestowed upon him two sacred artifacts: the Zijin Bowl, capable of capturing demons, and the Exorcism Cane, which could sense malevolent auras and track demons, serving as a warning. However, his master cautioned Fahai that he must not act unless the cane moved, emphasizing the principle of not killing those who could be saved, and to remain still when the cane is still. Fahai, however, struggled to fully comprehend these teachings.
Lin'an City had become a place of unease. Whispers of demons and dark magic harming children circulated, spreading fear among the populace. The disappearances were particularly tragic, targeting only children from single-child families or the beloved offspring of widows. To further provoke, the killer would display the bloody clothes of the victims at their homes. Xu Xian, courtesy name Hanwen, a refined and compassionate physician, well-versed in medicine, sought to help the community.
His brother-in-law, Li Gongfu, a chief constable, was tasked with investigating these unsettling events. Li Gongfu cautioned his wife, Xu Jiaorong, to refrain from looking after neighbors' children during such dangerous times, sharing details of the gruesome methods of the killer, who displayed bloody clothes as a taunt. While Xu Jiaorong expressed fear of the demon, Xu Xian reassured her, stating that his brother-in-law's righteous energy would prevail.
Xu Xian set up a street stall, offering medical consultations to raise money for Mrs Yu, a neighbor whose husband had a broken leg and whose son Changsheng was left vulnerable due to her serious illness. Passersby lauded Xu Xian as Hua Tuo's incarnation, a claim he neither denied nor affirmed. Bai Suzhen, new to the human world, was drawn to the commotion. She observed Xu Xian and initially believed him to be the revered physician Hua Tuo.
However, her hopes were dashed when Jin Ruyi, a young woman who secretly held a close relationship with Xu Xian and addressed him as 'Brother Hanwen', disguised herself as an arrogant quack. She challenged Xu Xian, arguing about medical texts, as a deliberate stunt to highlight his brilliance and enhance his reputation as Hua Tuo's incarnation.
Bai Suzhen, having seen Hua Tuo in her past, quickly realized Xu Xian was not him and was disappointed by what she perceived as an act. Later, Bai Suzhen overheard Jin Ruyi confirming the trick. This revelation led Bai Suzhen to mistakenly believe Xu Xian was a fraud conspiring to deceive people, greatly diminishing his image in her eyes. Determined to correct Xu Xian's perceived deceit, Bai Suzhen remembered Guanyin's instruction not to use magic to disrupt mortal order.
She first attempted to report Xu Xian to the authorities, presenting a formal complaint about his impersonation. However, the officials dismissed her, as Xu Xian was the chief constable Li Gongfu's brother-in-law. Undeterred, Bai Suzhen decided to confront Xu Xian directly. She disguised herself as a young man and went to Jishi Clinic, where Xu Xian worked. There, she lectured him on honesty, citing Mencius's teachings, and accused him of pretending to be Hua Tuo to defraud people.
She even suggested he return his ill-gotten earnings to correct his mistakes. During their heated exchange, Xu Xian accidentally knocked off her fake mustache, revealing her true identity. Seeing her youth, Xu Xian decided to let her go, but Bai Suzhen, enraged by his dismissive attitude, secretly used her magic to play a few pranks on him before leaving, vowing that their encounter was far from over.
As Bai Suzhen left the clinic, she sensed a strong, bloody demonic aura, suspecting it belonged to a malevolent demon that preyed on humans to enhance its cultivation. While pursuing the source of this energy, she accidentally collided with Xu Xian. Mistaking her haste for guilt, Xu Xian accused her of suspicious behavior and held onto her, demanding an explanation.
To escape his grasp and continue her pursuit, Bai Suzhen briefly used a subtle enchantment to confuse Xu Xian, making him release her in embarrassment. Soon after, Bai Suzhen encountered a young boy, Changsheng, clutching a "companion spiritual pearl" that he believed was a protective amulet from birth. He was attempting to pawn it for money to treat his sick mother. The pawnbroker, deeming the pearl worthless, threw it out.
Just as Changsheng retrieved it, the demonic aura surged, threatening to devour him. Bai Suzhen intervened, repelling the evil energy and saving Changsheng. Learning of his family's plight and his belief that the pearl was his 'birth pearl', Bai Suzhen used her magic to string it so he could wear it. Changsheng, believing her to be a "Fairy Sister" who used immortal arts, excitedly led her to his home.
She discreetly dropped him off at Li Gongfu's house before continuing her pursuit of the demon, but unexpectedly encountered Fahai, whose Exorcism Cane was already vibrating, indicating a nearby demonic presence. Bai Suzhen quickly hid, observing from a distance as Fahai confronted a centipede demon who showed no fear of the monk. Later, Bai Suzhen visited Changsheng's home to examine Mrs Yu, quickly discerning that her illness was caused by snake demon poison.
Just then, Xu Xian arrived with more medicine. Upon seeing Bai Suzhen, whom he still regarded as a suspicious fraud, he accused her of tricking the child and invading their home. Bai Suzhen countered, questioning Xu Xian's medical abilities since he couldn't cure Mrs Yu. Their argument escalated into a challenge: whoever successfully cured Mrs Yu's illness would be the victor, and the loser would obey the winner's command. Bai Suzhen then asked Changsheng about his mother's recent whereabouts.
Changsheng recalled that on the winter solstice, the day his mother fell ill, she had gone to the Nuwa Temple in Shilipo to pray for a protective amulet for him. Armed with this crucial information, Bai Suzhen ventured to the Nuwa Temple. She discovered it was overrun by various snake and rat demons, led by Xiao Qing, a green snake demon who had cultivated for one hundred years.
Xiao Qing was immediately captivated by Bai Suzhen's beauty, openly flirting and causing his nose to bleed in his excitement. Bai Suzhen sternly demanded the antidote for Mrs Yu, but Xiao Qing responded with further provocative remarks and even revealed his true green snake form, attempting to intimidate her. To Xiao Qing's surprise, Bai Suzhen, a white python, also revealed her majestic original form, and the two giant serpents, one green and one white, prepared for a confrontation in mid-air.
