Chapter 7: The Dragon Boat Festival
Bab 7: Festival Perahu Naga
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.
Festival Perahu Naga tiba, dan orang-orang merayakannya dengan lomba perahu naga dan minum anggur Realgar untuk mengusir roh jahat. Xu Xian, yang masih curiga dengan kata-kata Fahai, memutuskan untuk menguji istrinya.
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."
Dia menyiapkan anggur Realgar dan mengajak Bai Suzhen minum. "Istriku, hari ini adalah hari baik, mari minum sedikit anggur untuk keberuntungan."
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 tahu betul bahwa anggur Realgar bisa membuat siluman menampakkan wujud aslinya, tetapi dia tidak ingin mengecewakan suaminya, dan berpikir bahwa dengan kultivasi seribu tahunnya, dia bisa menahan efek anggur itu.
Bai Suzhen hesitated. "I am not feeling very well today, Xian. Perhaps I should skip the wine."
"Baiklah, suamiku. Aku akan minum bersamamu," katanya dan meminum anggur itu.
Xu Xian's face fell. "But it is just one small cup. Please, for me."
Tetapi begitu anggur mengalir ke tenggorokannya, efeknya mulai terasa. Bai Suzhen merasa tubuhnya panas. Dia mencoba tetap tenang dan meminta izin untuk beristirahat di kamar.
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.
Xu Xian melihat istrinya bertingkah aneh dan mengikutinya ke kamar. Pemandangan di depan matanya membuatnya sangat ketakutan hingga dia pingsan. Di atas tempat tidur bukan istrinya yang cantik, melainkan seekor ular putih raksasa yang sedang melingkar.
"I... I must rest," she gasped, stumbling toward their bedroom.
Bai Suzhen, yang tidak sengaja menampakkan wujud aslinya, sangat panik saat melihat suaminya jatuh. Dia segera berubah kembali menjadi manusia dan memeriksa, tetapi menemukan bahwa Xu Xian telah meninggal karena ketakutan.
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.
"Suamiku! Tidak! Aku tidak bermaksud begitu!" Bai Suzhen menangis tersedu-sedu. Dia tahu dia harus melakukan segala cara untuk menyelamatkan nyawa suaminya, bahkan jika harus menerobos surga untuk mencuri rumput ajaib.
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.