Chapter 7: The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival arrived, and the city of Hangzhou was alive with excitement. The sound of drums echoed from the lake as colorful boats raced across the water. Traditionally, this was a time to drink realgar wine, which was believed to ward off evil spirits and poisonous creatures.
Bai Suzhen was aware of the dangers of realgar. "Xiaoqing," she whispered as they prepared for the day. "We must be careful today. The realgar is dangerous for us. We should avoid the wine at all costs."
However, Xu Xian, still troubled by Fahai's words, had prepared a special bottle of wine. He wanted to prove the monk wrong, yet a part of him needed to know the truth. "Suzhen, my love," he said, handing her a small cup. "Let us share a drink to celebrate our first festival together as husband and wife. It is tradition, after all."
Bai Suzhen hesitated. "I am not feeling very well today, Xian. Perhaps I should skip the wine."
Xu Xian's face fell. "But it is just one small cup. Please, for me."
Seeing the disappointment in his eyes, Bai Suzhen couldn't bring herself to refuse. She used her magic to try and neutralize the wine, but she was pregnant and her powers were weakened. As she swallowed the wine, she felt a sudden, sharp pain.
"I... I must rest," she gasped, stumbling toward their bedroom.
Xu Xian followed her, his heart racing. "Suzhen? Are you alright?" He opened the curtains of their bed and let out a blood-curdling scream. There, lying among the silk covers, was a massive white snake. The shock was too much for his heart to bear, and Xu Xian collapsed to the floor, dead.
When the effects of the wine wore off, Bai Suzhen returned to her human form. She saw her husband lying motionless and realized what had happened. "No! Xu Xian!" she cried, her voice filled with agony. "What have I done?" Xiaoqing rushed into the room, horrified by the scene. They had lost everything in a single moment of weakness and doubt.