This story was adopted from "Madame White Snake Jailed Eternally in the Leifeng Pagoda" in Jing Shi Tong Yan by Feng Menglong (1574-1646 AD).

During Southern Song Dynasty two snakes transformed into women after 1,000 years of magic practice. They called themselves Bai Suzhen and Qingqing respectively. One day at the West Lake in Hangzhou they came across Xu Xian, an herbal medicine shopkeeper. Bai recognised him at first sight because he was the one who rescued her 1,000 years ago in his before-life. She was determined to reciprocate him by becoming his wife. Bai asked if Xu could lend her an umbrella and told him to get it back at her house the following day.

Xu visited Bai at her house as promised. She was pleased with his integrity and asked Qingqing to become the matchmaker for their wedding. After wedding Xu and Bai moved to Suzhou where they opened an herbal medicine shop and Bai became a doctor. They led a happy life and soon Bai was pregnant. One day when Xu was on his way home, he met a Taoist priest who claimed that there were evil spirits lingering in his house and gave him three sheets of blessed paper. Bai's magic skills outperformed those of the Taoist priest and turned the paper into ordinary ones. Xu was regretful at his mistrust of his wife but Bai did not blame him. She asked Qingqing to drive the priest away instead. Later a monk Fahai from Jinshan Temple came to visit Xu and asked him to become a disciple of his because Bai and Qingqing were not humans but snakes. Xu refused to believe him and kicked him out. On the Dragon Boat Festival, Xu asked his wife to have some wine according to the tradition. Bai tried to refuse but Xu insisted. She took a sip of it but fell seriously ill afterwards. She rushed to her bed and slowly transformed into a snake. When Xu brought her some medicine he was horrified to see the huge snake on his bed and fell dead. When Bai recovered her human shape she was grief-stricken to see Xu lying dead on the floor. Qingqing reminded her of getting the magic herb of lingzhi to save him. When Bai flew to Kunlun Mountains she was stopped by a group of fairies. Bai risked her life to fight with the fairies and was saved by God of Nanji. He gave Bai the lingzhi and let her go. Finally Bai managed to restore her husband's life. After this Bai knew she could conceal no more. She told her husband what she really was and asked for his mercy. Xu was deeply moved and vowed that he would never separate from her for the rest of his life.

Qing

One day when Xu was collecting herbs outside he was kidnapped by Fahai. Bai and Qingqing rushed to Jinshan Temple to plead for Xu's release. But Fahai refused. Bai and Qingqing had no choice but used their magic to flood Jinshan Temple. Fahai and his disciples tried their best to resist. Suddenly Bai suffered from labour and was about to have her child. She lost control of her magic and the waters overflowed the villages nearby, killing countless people. Qingqing could do nothing to remedy but retreat to a forest with Bai. Meanwhile, God of Nanji released Xu and brought him to the forest. Soon Bai gave birth to a boy and asked Qingqing to bring him back to Hangzhou where Xu's sister lived, so that she could brought him up. Fahai and his disciples arrived, stating that Bai must be jailed in his alms bowl. Xu failed to plead to Fahai but killed himself by accident. After giving birth Bai could not recover her magic powers immediately. She had no choice but being absorbed into Fahai's alms bowl. In afterlife Bai finally met Xu and vowed they would never part again.

Starring: Bai Suzhen - Lin Dai Xu Xian - Zhao Lei Qingqing - Du Juan Fahai - Yang Zhiqing God of Nanji - You Guangzhao Taoist priest - Li Yunzhong