The Legend of the White Serpent

Xu Xian meets Bai-niang and her companion Xiao-qing during a rainstorm on a river ferry. He lends his parasol to shield them from the rain, sparking curiosity and a subtle bond. This chance meeting plants the seeds for a difficult romance that unfolds across their intertwined fates.

The next day Xu Xian visits the Bai manor to return the parasol. Bai-niang gifts him a red scarf and 500 pieces of silver, unaware that Xiao-qing has stolen the money for her mistress. When authorities uncover the theft, Xu Xian's family and local officials confront the manor, and Bai-niang vanishes in a cloud of smoke.

Xu Xian is sent to Suzhou to work under Wang Ming, an innkeeper and moneylender. Bai-niang and Xiao-qing appear as guests, and Xu Xian reconnects with his mistress, beginning a romantic relationship. The new city becomes the arena for their growing bond.

Wang Ming tries to exploit Bai-niang for profit, testing her powers and Xu Xian's loyalty. Xiao-qing intervenes to protect her mistress, positioning herself as a guardian amid mounting threats. The relationship deepens even as danger looms over their circle.

A Taoist monk from Mount Ji arrives, believing Xu Xian is bewitched and offering protective talismans. Bai-niang counters the monk's influence and later reverses the talismans' power when he tries to enforce them. The arc marks Bai-niang's growing mastery of magic and the couple's precarious standing.

Bai-niang instructs Xiao-qing to poison local waters so Xu Xian's family can sell medicine to cure the sickness, prioritizing Xu Xian's happiness over morality. When the monk tries to enforce his talismans, Bai-niang reverses their power, paralyzing him. This confrontation hardens the line between protector and user of magic.

The Xian family sells medicine to repay Wang Ming, and Bai-niang demonstrates her power by trapping the monk atop a temple steeple. The display reveals both awe and fear surrounding her abilities. Xu Xian's faith in her deepens even as danger grows.

Wang Ming invites Xu Xian and the women to his manor for a celebration, intending to poison Bai-niang with Realgar wine. Xu Xian and Bai-niang attend as guests, unaware of the treachery, while Xiao-qing stays vigilant. The air thick with mistrust, the celebration becomes a test of loyalty and fate.

Xiao-qing accidentally spills Realgar wine on herself and transforms into a green snake; Bai-niang is forced to drink the wine and falls gravely ill, revealing her true form as a white snake. Xu Xian dies from fright when the truth is revealed. The night reshapes their lives and sets in motion Bai-niang's desperate bid to save him.

Bai-niang petitions Heaven for a magical herb to revive Xu Xian. The Bodhisattva intervenes, and Bai-niang relinquishes her power to save him. Xu Xian is brought back to life, but the act leaves him emotionally fractured and wary of magic.

Xu Xian awakens and learns that the monk claimed credit for his revival; Xiao-qing tries to reveal the truth. Xu Xian curses Bai-niang for the betrayal, and the lovers decide to go to the Gold Mountain temple to resolve their fate.

At the Gold Mountain temple by the lake, Bai-niang and Xiao-qing demonstrate their power by summoning a flood, compelling the monk to acknowledge Bai-niang's abilities. Bai-niang halts the spell to save Xu Xian, angering Xiao-qing who abandons her mistress at the lake's edge. The feud between mistress and attendant escalates amid the chaos.

On the journey home, Xu Xian experiences visions of Bai-niang and the white snake. He is confronted by the high monk, who challenges his loyalty, but Xu Xian ultimately accepts her true nature. Choosing love over fear, he follows Bai-niang into Heaven.

Xu Xian and Bai-niang die together and ascend to Heaven, their love transcending mortal boundaries. Their union endures beyond life as they are united in eternity.