High atop the mist-shrouded peaks of Mount Emei, a white snake of extraordinary grace spent a thousand years in deep meditation. This was Bai Suzhen, a being of ancient power who had cultivated her spirit and refined her essence until she achieved the ability to transcend her serpentine form. Unlike many spirits who sought power for dominance, Bai Suzhen’s heart was filled with a yearning for the human experience—for the warmth of the sun on skin, the complexity of mortal emotions, and the pursuit of a destiny beyond the cold shadows of the mountain crevices. She was accompanied by Xiaoqing, a younger green snake spirit who had become her sworn sister through five hundred years of shared discipline. Together, they decided to descend into the mortal realm, transforming themselves into two beautiful young women and journeying to the legendary city of Hangzhou, a place said to be a paradise on earth.
It was a spring day of soft rains and drifting willow catkins when they arrived at the West Lake. The scenery was a painting come to life, with emerald waters reflecting the arched bridges and the distant pagodas. While crossing the Broken Bridge, a sudden downpour caught them by surprise. It was then that a young man named Xu Xian, a humble assistant at a local apothecary, noticed the two ladies in distress. Being a man of gentle character and innate kindness, he approached them and offered his paper umbrella. In that brief exchange of glances and the shared shelter of the umbrella, a seed of affection was planted. Xu Xian was struck by Bai Suzhen’s ethereal beauty and her refined manners, while she sensed in him a purity of soul that was rare among men. They met again to return the umbrella, and soon, their mutual admiration blossomed into a profound love. With Xiaoqing’s clever assistance, the two were married, and they established a life of harmony and purpose.
Bai Suzhen used her deep knowledge of nature and her subtle magic to help Xu Xian open his own pharmacy, known as the Baohe Tang. They became beloved figures in the community, as Bai Suzhen’s 'miraculous' remedies cured the most stubborn of ailments, and they often provided medicine to the poor without charge. Their happiness seemed complete, yet a shadow loomed over their household in the form of the monk Fahai. Fahai, a powerful Buddhist master from the Jinshan Temple, possessed a rigid and uncompromising view of the universe. To him, the boundary between spirits and humans was sacred and must never be crossed. He perceived Bai Suzhen’s true nature and considered her presence in the mortal world a dangerous perversion of the natural order. Fahai began to stalk the couple, waiting for the opportune moment to expose Bai Suzhen and sever her ties to Xu Xian.
That moment arrived during the Dragon Boat Festival, a day when the air is thick with the scent of realgar wine, a traditional brew believed to ward off evil spirits. Fahai approached Xu Xian in secret, warning him that his wife was not what she seemed and urging him to make her drink the realgar wine to reveal her true form. Though Xu Xian loved his wife dearly, the monk’s words sowed a grain of doubt in his heart. During their celebration, he playfully insisted that Bai Suzhen share a cup of the wine with him. Bai Suzhen, aware of the wine's potency against spirits but unwilling to refuse her husband, relied on her vast magical cultivation to suppress the reaction. However, as the wine took hold, her powers wavered. Retreating to her bedchamber, she transformed back into a giant white serpent. When Xu Xian entered the room and saw the massive, coiled beast where his wife should be, the shock was too much for his mortal heart to bear. He fell to the floor, dead from fright.