The Legend of White Snake Episode 20 Recap
> The Legend of White Snake Recap
Suzhen, having disguised herself as a fairy, smoothly mingled with other celestial maidens. A gatekeeper paused her, remarking on the chaotic immortal energy emanating from her. Other fairies, including Yu Luan, a Gardenia from the Hundred Grass Garden, and Xi Ying, a Garden Balsam, quickly intervened, explaining that Suzhen, a Hedyotis, had recently ascended from a mortal mountain and her aura was not yet fully purified. Satisfied, the gatekeeper allowed them to pass.
Inside, Suzhen learned that the Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole had already presented the resurrection plant, also known as "Duan Chen" or "Forgetfulness," as a birthday gift to the Queen Mother at the Celestial Banquet. Meanwhile, back in the mortal realm, Xiao Qing and Fahai continued to protect Xu Xian. The flame of the altar lamp, symbolizing Xu Xian's life, flickered weakly.
Fahai noted that Xu Xian's body was a magnet for malevolent spirits, whose numbers seemed to increase daily. Xiao Qing worried aloud that if Bai Suzhen did not return soon, Xu Xian might not survive. At the Celestial Banquet, Erlang God Yang Jian and his Howling Celestial Dog detected Suzhen’s true demon aura. Erlang God immediately accused her of impersonating a fairy to steal gifts.
The Jade Emperor, enraged by such a transgression in the Heavenly Palace, demanded her swift punishment. However, the Queen Mother intervened, suggesting that a demon risking her life to break into such a heavily guarded place must have a compelling reason. She decided to question Suzhen before passing judgment. Suzhen, falling to her knees, revealed herself as Bai Suzhen from Mount Emei, admitting her desperate act was to obtain the fairy grass to save her dying husband.
She offered to bear all consequences. Erlang God still insisted on her immediate execution to serve as a warning. Yet, other immortals pleaded for leniency, pointing out that it was the Queen Mother's joyous birthday and Suzhen did not appear inherently evil. The Queen Mother acknowledged Suzhen’s deep love for her husband but emphasized that the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death was a fundamental law of the universe, not to be broken for any single individual.
Nevertheless, recognizing Suzhen's lack of malevolent intent, she commuted the death sentence and ordered her imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison. Still defiant, Suzhen pleaded again for the fairy grass to save Xu Xian, stating she would not wish to live alone without him. The Queen Mother urged her to release her attachment and cultivate in the Heavenly Prison.
But in a desperate attempt, Suzhen tried to snatch the fairy grass, further provoking the Queen Mother, who then ordered her immediate beheading on the execution ground. As the executioner’s blade was about to fall, Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared. Guanyin explained that Bai Suzhen, being devout, had saved countless lives, and despite her violation of heavenly rules, her merits outweighed her transgressions, making her undeserving of death.
Guanyin further revealed that Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian shared a profound karmic bond from a past life, and Xu Xian’s lifespan was not yet complete. She requested the fairy grass, arguing it would save two lives and extend the celebratory joy of the Queen Mother’s birthday to both the demon and mortal realms.
Swayed by Guanyin's intervention and the predetermined destiny, the Queen Mother finally granted Suzhen the fairy grass, cautioning her against reckless actions in the future and instructing her to return and atone for her sins once she achieved true enlightenment. Suzhen expressed her profound gratitude. Suzhen returned to the mortal realm through the golden lotus, only to find Jing Song in a severely weakened state, his form gradually becoming translucent.
He confessed that he had used forbidden magic to transport her to Heaven and maintained a protective barrier for her return, completely depleting his life’s cultivation. He could no longer sustain his human form. Suzhen was heartbroken, refusing to accept his fate. Jing Song, however, found peace in his sacrifice, paralleling it to Suzhen’s own willingness to defy destiny for Xu Xian.
He accepted his end, finding contentment in her tearful sorrow, and vanished into the vast expanse of the world, leaving Suzhen to mourn his loss. Back at the Xu family household, the altar lamp's flame dimmed further each passing day. Ruyi continued her relentless campaign of slander against Suzhen, constantly urging Jiaorong to bury Xu Xian. Jiaorong, consumed by grief and easily swayed, lost her ability to reason.
After several days of deferring the funeral, Jiaorong felt it was unnatural to delay further and ordered men to carry Xu Xian’s body for burial. Xiao Qing fiercely tried to stop them. At that precise, desperate moment, a weakened Suzhen arrived with the fairy grass. Li Gongfu quickly intervened, dispersing the crowd and allowing Suzhen a moment of peace. Inside, Suzhen, now frail, urged Xiao Qing and Fahai to help her refine the fairy grass.
Xiao Qing was perplexed, sensing a deeper secret. Fahai explained that the Kunlun fairy plant, also known as "Duan Chen" or "Forgetfulness," could resurrect mortals, but at the cost of wiping away all their past memories and severing all emotional attachments. If Xu Xian consumed it, Bai Suzhen would become a source of torment for him; any thought of her would inflict unbearable pain.
Xiao Qing was aghast, questioning the value of saving him if he would forget his love for Suzhen. Suzhen, however, stood firm. She declared that his memory of her was inconsequential; all that mattered was his survival. She would be content simply knowing he existed, sensing his footsteps, and seeing his gaze reflected in the moonlight. Deeply moved by her unwavering devotion, Fahai agreed to assist in refining the elixir.
After Xu Xian consumed the Forgetfulness elixir, Suzhen, having already lost her demon core and further drained her vital energy during the refining process, had to retreat into seclusion for three days with Xiao Qing as her protector to maintain her human form. Simultaneously, Xu Xian and Suzhen awoke from dreams where they saw each other, albeit with a sense of parting.
In Xu Xian’s dream, the woman who swore to share a lifetime with him vanished from festive nights and rainy bridges, while Suzhen’s dream depicted only Xu Xian’s melancholic farewell, signaling the end of their destined romance. Xu Xian awoke to the relief and joy of his family but was bewildered by his surroundings.
When his sister Jiaorong and brother-in-law Li Gongfu mentioned Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian was gripped by a sudden, splitting headache, as if her name was a curse. He didn't recognize her name, nor did he recall ever being married. He only remembered Ruyi. Ruyi, witnessing this, felt her opportunity had finally arrived. Later that night, Suzhen, seeking solitude, stepped out under the moonlit sky and encountered Xu Xian.
He gazed at her, a beautiful stranger, and told her that others said she was his wife, Bai Suzhen. Fearing that any further interaction would cause him pain, Suzhen abruptly ended the conversation, telling him to forget their past and asserting they had no connection. She then hurried away. Ruyi, who secretly observed this interaction, was consumed by jealousy and hatred. She sought out Daoling, requesting a colorless, odorless poison—Mesmerize Powder—that would make Xu Xian ill without causing permanent harm.
Her insidious plan was to make Xu Xian fall sick again, then publicly "cure" him herself, thereby earning the Xu family’s gratitude and establishing herself as their irreplaceable savior. Despite her extensive knowledge of herbs, Suzhen was unable to fully decipher Ruyi’s cunning heart. She did, however, detect the scent of Mesmerize Powder in the chicken soup Ruyi was attempting to feed Xu Xian. Ruyi, feigning distress, burst into tears and complained to Jiaorong about Suzhen's accusations.
She highlighted her tireless, day-and-night care for Xu Xian. Jiaorong, already emotionally vulnerable and witnessing Xu Xian’s negative reactions to Suzhen’s name and presence, became increasingly distrustful of Suzhen. She asked Suzhen to leave and allow Ruyi to continue nursing Xu Xian. Suzhen, though deeply hurt, found herself helpless and had no choice but to comply.
