The Legend of White Snake Episode 18 Recap
> The Legend of White Snake Recap
Wang Daoling brought Ruyi back to his cave, attempting to win her affection by displaying his collection of treasures. He presented luminous jade cups, ancient tribute, and a piece of jade from the harem, offering them all to her if she would stay. Ruyi, however, was unimpressed, stating that she was not a shallow woman to be swayed by mere jewelry. Recognizing he was a demon with powerful abilities, she demanded he help her deal with Bai Suzhen.
Wang Daoling reluctantly revealed that Bai Suzhen was a millennial snake demon, aided by Xiao Qing, and that he was no match for them. This revelation startled Ruyi, who immediately became concerned for Xu Xian's safety. Angered by Wang Daoling's refusal to help, Ruyi then challenged his abilities, demanding he transform into Xu Xian.
Wang Daoling hesitated, explaining that his true form was a toad, and that his current human appearance was the most handsome he could manage without harming his cultivation. Yielding to her insistence, he transformed into Xu Xian but quickly reverted, citing a recent injury. Furious at his failure, Ruyi called him useless and ordered him out of her sight. Just then, Fahai appeared nearby, and Wang Daoling quickly concealed his demonic aura with magic to avoid the powerful monk's detection.
He informed Ruyi that Fahai was capable of subduing demons, a fact even Bai Suzhen would be wary of. This gave Ruyi an idea, and she instructed Wang Daoling to pretend to abduct her so she could solicit a powerful artifact from Fahai. They staged their act in the bamboo forest, with Ruyi crying for help as Wang Daoling feigned an attack. Fahai, not noticing any irregularities with his demon-sensing staff, intervened to "rescue" Ruyi.
After her supposed escape, Ruyi thanked Fahai and, feigning fear, asked him for a protective artifact. Unable to refuse, Fahai gave her a string of prayer beads, explaining that they contained a talisman from Jinshan Temple. He clarified that while the talisman could not destroy demons, it could prevent them from using their magic if worn by a person, or restrain their abilities if placed on a demon.
Ruyi, with a dangerous plan forming in her mind, gratefully accepted the beads and returned to Lin'an. Meanwhile, Fahai continued to be plagued by his inner demon, which criticized his past leniency towards the white and green snakes, claiming it allowed them to grow stronger and bewitch people. Fahai's will wavered amidst his regret and frustration. His master then appeared, reminding him that all ambitions arise from delusions and that his inner demon was a product of his own bigotry.
The master urged him to remember that the line between good and evil is thin, and that "the mortal live in their delusions; the wise live in the world." Fahai struggled to comprehend this wisdom, still convinced that the snakes were using good deeds for nefarious purposes and fearing he would become an accomplice if he did not act. As his master faded away, Fahai was left alone and confused.
Back at the Xu household, the family was bustling, preparing zongzi for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival. Xu Jiaorong meticulously taught Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing how to wrap the sticky rice dumplings. She specifically pointed out a "jiuzizong," explaining its auspicious meaning for bearing children, and urged Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen to consider having their own.
Xu Jiaorong mentioned the efficacy of the Guanyin Temple for praying for children and invited Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian to join her the following day. Xu Xian readily agreed. When Xu Jiaorong suggested Xiao Qing visit the nearby Matchmaker Temple to pray for a good marriage, Xiao Qing, asserting her desire for independence, quickly feigned a stomachache and fled.
The next day, as Xu Xian, Bai Suzhen, and Xu Jiaorong made their way to the temple, they were unknowingly being targeted. Prime Minister Liang had arranged for an assassin, Qin San, to ambush them on the road. However, their lives were saved by a chance encounter with the wife of Prince Mu. The princess, who had heard of Xu Xian's good deeds in Lin'an, was also on her way to the temple and invited them to travel with her.
Under the princess's protection, the assassins dared not make a move. At the Guanyin Temple, as the princess and Xu Jiaorong prayed for children, Bai Suzhen had visions of their prayers being answered—the princess would have a child within a year, and Xu Jiaorong a daughter within two. When Bai Suzhen prayed for a child of her own, however, she could see nothing of her own future.
Despite her earlier refusal, Xiao Qing found herself at the Matchmaker Temple with Zhang Yutang, who had enthusiastically dragged her along after hearing about it. They were intrigued by an ancient tree in the temple courtyard adorned with numerous red strings. A passerby explained that these were marriage lines: if two people each pulled an end of the same string, they were destined to be together.
Xiao Qing and Zhang Yutang, after some playful banter where Xiao Qing listed all the types of men she disliked, tried their luck. To their astonishment, they both ended up holding the same red string. Xiao Qing, horrified, immediately threw the string away, muttering that the temple was clearly not effective. The Dragon Boat Festival was fast approaching, a time of intense heat that was particularly perilous for snake demons.
Ruyi and Wang Daoling returned to Lin'an, intent on exploiting Bai Suzhen's vulnerability. They orchestrated a plan, sending a patient suffering from a severe heat-induced illness to Baohe Clinic. When the patient arrived, critically ill, Bai Suzhen, unable to bear his suffering, used her magic to draw the toxins into her own body. This act, combined with the loss of her demon core and the summer heat, severely weakened her.
Concerned for Xiao Qing, whose cultivation was still shallow and who had previously nearly revealed her true form from realgar powder, Bai Suzhen advised her to retreat to the mountains for safety, telling Xu Xian that Xiao Qing had gone to visit her uncle in Sichuan. Despite her own precarious condition, Bai Suzhen refused to leave Xu Xian, feeling a premonition of danger. Believing Bai Suzhen's powers were at their lowest, Ruyi executed the next part of her plan.
She feigned unconsciousness outside the Xu family's door. Xu Jiaorong, seeing her, immediately helped her inside. Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen, learning of Ruyi's condition, rushed to her side. When Ruyi "woke up," she tearfully recounted a fabricated tale, claiming that Wang Daoling was a cruel monster who had threatened to sell her to a brothel after destroying her clinic. Xu Xian, moved by her story, readily believed her, dismissing Bai Suzhen's cautious analysis and attempts to warn him.
Feeling responsible for Ruyi's plight, he decided to let her stay in their home. Ruyi then underwent a dramatic transformation, acting as though she was a completely changed person. She addressed Bai Suzhen as her "sister" and repeatedly expressed deep remorse for her past misdeeds. Over time, Bai Suzhen, despite her initial reservations, began to believe in Ruyi's sincerity. Building on this newfound trust, Ruyi presented Bai Suzhen with the string of prayer beads she had obtained from Fahai.
She claimed she had earnestly prayed for them at a Buddhist temple, offering them as a gift for Bai Suzhen's health. Bai Suzhen, feeling awkward but compelled by Ruyi's apparent sincerity and Xu Xian's urging, accepted the beads.
