The Legend of White Snake Episode 35 Recap
> The Legend of White Snake Recap
Jin Ruyi, in a desperate act of self-sacrifice, used her own life and physical body to temporarily suppress the inner demon, refining it into a Wanling Elixir within an alchemy furnace. Through a dream, she conveyed her final wishes to Xu Xian. She asked him to bury her clothes, which he had once bought for her at a lantern show, next to her father's tomb.
Admitting that she was isolated and rebellious in life, she only hoped to be with her family in death. Ruyi confessed that she was solely to blame for her actions and had done her utmost. She entrusted Xu Xian with the Wanling Elixir, warning that it could only contain the inner demon for seven days. Upon waking, Xu Xian found Ruyi’s clothes and the potent elixir by his bedside, confirming it was not merely a dream.
Later, at Ruyi's grave, Xu Xian stayed behind after his sister, Xu Jiaorong, and brother-in-law, Li Gongfu, had departed. He spoke to Ruyi, saying he would plant peach blossoms by her tomb, but then realized she truly longed for the carefree days of her childhood. He expressed deep regret for not spending more time with her or guiding her, believing it might have changed her tragic fate.
Standing before his master's grave, Xu Xian made a solemn vow to protect his loved ones from that day forward, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. Fahai visited, explaining that Bai Suzhen, due to her pregnancy and recent strenuous use of spiritual power against the demonic energy, had severely damaged her foundation. She urgently needed a secluded place for quiet cultivation to ensure a safe delivery, as further exertion would be fatal.
Xu Xian, mindful of Bai Suzhen's current suffering, mentioned she was already bound by Fahai's King Kong Chain, rendering her powerless. Fahai then revealed his concern that Ruyi’s sacrifice might be in vain. He explained that evil thoughts give rise to inner demons, which in turn manipulate human negativity. The prevalent fear and suspicion among Lin'an's populace towards Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen had created an overwhelming malevolent aura that could not be cleansed within seven days.
If the inner demon resurfaced, it would only worsen the situation. Xu Xian pressed for a solution. Fahai disclosed a difficult method: someone with a "heart of pure innocence"—free from greed, anger, or infatuation, possessing great understanding, awakening, and love—must willingly merge their body with the inner demon, becoming a demon to suppress it. This individual would then need to be consumed by the demon-subduing karma fire, dying with the demon to eradicate it completely.
Fahai admitted he had attempted this himself but failed because the demon knew his weaknesses. He warned that if the demon was not removed before the seven-day deadline, it would cause widespread suffering. Xu Xian listened intently, a profound resolve forming within him. That night, Xu Xian presented Bai Suzhen with a surprise: many lanterns he had painted, featuring scenes of Mount Emei. He expressed a desire to visit Mount Emei with her and their child every year.
Bai Suzhen recalled being saved by him when she was a white snake, realizing their destiny was woven together a millennium ago. Xu Xian reaffirmed their eternal bond but also spoke of his mortal lifespan, gently asking her not to grieve for him and to seek him in the next life.
He then urged Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing to leave for Mount Emei the following morning for her spiritual practice, stating he needed to complete Ruyi's funeral rites before rejoining them. Bai Suzhen reluctantly agreed, understanding that some emotional knots, like the one with Ruyi, were hard to untie. Xu Xian then told Xu Jiaorong and Li Gongfu that Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing had already departed for Mount Emei.
He persuaded them to take Bilian and accompany a medicine merchant to Jiankang Mansion, claiming there was an urgent need for medicine and that Lin'an was currently unstable. He promised to catch up with them after Ruyi's seventh day rites. Xu Jiaorong and Li Gongfu set off. However, en route to Jiankang, Li Gongfu and Xu Jiaorong sensed something was amiss. Xu Xian had not specified a meeting point and had seemed overly eager for them to leave.
They immediately ordered their carriage to turn back to Lin'an. Alone in Baohe Clinic that night, Xu Xian apologized aloud to Bai Suzhen for failing to protect their home and livelihood. He recalled her countless acts of salvation for him and his family, contrasting them with his own inability to protect her even once. Knowing the people of Lin'an now branded her a demon, he determined he could not bear to see her suffer further.
To protect her and the city from the inner demon, he resolved to swallow the Wanling Elixir, making himself appear as the demon to the populace. He felt Ruyi's courageous sacrifice for justice inspired him to protect his wife, child, and the people of Lin'an from disaster. He swallowed the elixir, and the inner demon quickly merged with his pure heart, astonished by its utter innocence.
A Buddhist bell then tolled, and a blood moon appeared in the sky, signaling the demon had encountered its formidable opponent. The next day, as Li Gongfu and Xu Jiaorong raced back to Lin'an, they found the city in chaos. Residents screamed that Physician Xu had become a demon, accusing him of using his good deeds as a façade.
The magistrate, frustrated by his officers' inability to apprehend the "demon" that merely scared people but caused no harm, ordered them to find Li Gongfu. Soon, the demonic form of Xu Xian was sighted by the people, who gave chase. Li Gongfu arrived and intervened, but Xu Xian, in his transformed state, pleaded with his brother-in-law.
He explained that the inner demon was sealed within him, and if his physical body were destroyed, the demon would be unleashed to wreak havoc. He insisted on being taken to Jinshan Temple to be dealt with by Fahai. The magistrate, initially ordering Xu Xian's imprisonment, was persuaded by Li Gongfu that the city prison would not hold such a powerful entity, and agreed to have him taken to Jinshan Temple.
Meanwhile, in Mount Emei, Bai Suzhen, her health greatly improved, yearned for Xu Xian. Xiao Qing encouraged her to return to Lin'an, promising to diligently continue her own cultivation. Upon her arrival in Lin'an, Bai Suzhen saw a public notice declaring that a demon would be burned at Jinshan Temple in three days. The citizens rejoiced at the news. She then encountered a distraught Xu Jiaorong, who was being attacked by the angry mob but bravely defended by Li Gongfu.
Xu Jiaorong tearfully informed Bai Suzhen that Xu Xian had been labeled a demon and was to be executed. Shocked and heartbroken, Bai Suzhen immediately rushed to Jinshan Temple. At Jinshan Temple, Bai Suzhen knelt outside, pleading with Fahai for Xu Xian's release, reminding him of her husband's benevolence. She offered to take Xu Xian and leave Lin'an if the city could not accept them. Fahai, after a moment, asked Xu Xian if he would see her one last time.
Xu Xian, struggling internally to suppress the inner demon, refused, telling Fahai to explain the situation to Bai Suzhen and send her away, claiming she was sensible. He feared that any display of affection would empower the demon. Reluctantly, Fahai instructed Bai Suzhen to leave, stating that Jinshan Temple was a sacred place for monks, not for her "husband."
Bai Suzhen, having already endured numerous trials, including Xu Xian's demon poison at the cost of her demon core, his fear requiring her to reveal the truth, and the challenges posed by other women, was weary of the "human and demon" adage. She remained defiant, arguing that even Buddhas could not separate loving couples and questioning why Fahai kept Xu Xian from her.
She challenged Fahai, asking if he truly believed Xu Xian was a demon, and declared she would take any punishment in his place. Fahai reiterated that "humans and demons have different paths" and urged her to let go. Still unconvinced, Bai Suzhen insisted on seeing Xu Xian herself. Xu Xian then emerged from the temple, his appearance disheveled and his face haggard.
He declared that he had freed himself from the mortal world and was about to become a monk, no longer her husband. Bai Suzhen, refusing to believe he was not forced, implored him to come home for their child, reminding him of his vows to be with her forever. Xu Xian coldly dismissed their past as "fleeting clouds" and urged her to forget him.
When she pressed him about why he was called a demon and what he was hiding, he painfully claimed he no longer wished to associate with demons, be called a demon, or let his family suffer because of her. He pleaded with her to let him go. A monk then appeared, sternly ordering Bai Suzhen to leave the sacred grounds. After Bai Suzhen's departure, Fahai questioned Xu Xian about his harsh words.
Xu Xian confessed that he could not tell her the truth; otherwise, she would never allow him to suffer in her stead. He knew that with her limited powers, if she were to publicly declare herself a demon to save him, she would become a target and be unable to escape.
Xu Xian expressed his deep love, stating that just as Bai Suzhen was willing to abandon her immortal path for him, he was willing to become a demon for her. He vowed to control his desires and maintain his pure heart to subdue the inner demon, knowing he was sacrificing his life for the safety of his wife and child. Fahai promised to honor Xu Xian’s sacrifice and prevent Bai Suzhen from learning the full truth.
As the seven-day deadline loomed, Fahai, with a compassionate heart, initially hesitated to issue the decree. However, a large crowd of Lin'an citizens gathered outside Jinshan Temple, loudly demanding that Fahai issue a Buddha's decree to kill the demon, fearing for their city's safety. Bai Suzhen watched, heartbroken, as she recognized people she and Xu Xian had helped—Mrs. Li, Mr. Niu, Mrs. Qin—now clamoring for her husband's death.
She bitterly questioned the justice of a world where those they had healed now turned against them. Fahai, influenced by the public outcry, resolved to proceed with the execution, preparing the execution ground for the karma fire. He lamented that the ancient Buddhist texts offered only vague insights into neutralizing the Wanling Elixir's demonic energy, requiring a combination of "family's blood, lover's tears, a bodhi heart, supreme kindness, and the power of the people"—all seemingly impossible to obtain in time.
He concluded that to protect the greater populace, he had no choice but to destroy the elixir and its host, sacrificing Xu Xian. Enraged by the hypocrisy of the crowd and Fahai's decision, Bai Suzhen, with a furious resolve, offered her "original lifespan as a sacrifice, and her flesh and blood as an offering" to unleash a "lightning power." This powerful act allowed her to break free from the restraining lock that bound her.
She declared she would fight against anyone, even the heavens, to bring her husband back. Meanwhile, in Mount Emei, Xiao Qing, having largely recovered her human form, was startled by the voice of Jing Song. He appeared to her, newly resurrected, explaining that the Buddha, touched by his previous self-sacrifice to help Bai Suzhen, had granted him a new life as a squirrel.
Jing Song urgently informed Xiao Qing of the dire situation in Lin'an: Xu Xian was possessed by the inner demon, Fahai planned to burn him, and Bai Suzhen was risking her life to save him. He then gave Xiao Qing a precious lotus petal from Buddha's throne, which he had accidentally damaged long ago, restoring five hundred years of her cultivation.
Jing Song advised Xiao Qing to use her identity as the Dragon Princess of the East Sea to retrieve the "Water Order" from the East Sea Dragon Palace and threaten to flood Jinshan Temple, hoping it would compel Fahai to change his mind. Empowered, Xiao Qing immediately called upon the East Sea to repay its debt and rushed back to Lin'an. Back at Jinshan Temple, Fahai lit the karma fire for the execution.
The inner demon inside Xu Xian screamed in terror, but Xu Xian remained serene, calmly reciting Buddhist verses about enduring hardship, staying steadfast in one's heart, and facing life and death without fear. Just as the flames intensified, Bai Suzhen burst in, crying out for her husband. Fahai tried to reason with her, explaining Xu Xian's noble sacrifice for the greater good.
Bai Suzhen vehemently rejected his words, declaring that "the great path" and "sacrifice" meant nothing to her; she only wanted her husband and the father of her child back. She passionately questioned the value of a peaceful world achieved by killing Xu Xian, highlighting the irony of their past efforts to help the very people who now condemned him. Xu Xian, still bound, urged her not to interfere, reiterating that his actions were voluntary. But Bai Suzhen was resolute, declaring that she would bring him home, vowing to "kill whoever stands in her way."
