Chapter 19: The Pagoda Collapses
Capítulo 19: O Pagode Desaba
The collapse of the Leifeng Pagoda was a sign to Xu Xian, who was still living in the distant monastery. He felt a sudden, profound change in the air and knew that his wife had been freed. He immediately set out for Hangzhou, his old legs finding a new strength.
Xu Mengjiao ajoelhou-se e implorou aos céus em frente ao Pagode Leifeng, enquanto Xiaoqing usava sua magia para atacar a torre. A piedade filial do filho e a determinação da irmã fizeram com que os céus não pudessem ignorar.
When he arrived at the shores of the West Lake, he saw the ruins of the tower and the crowd gathered around the three figures. He pushed through the people, his eyes searching for the one face he had never forgotten.
De repente, o céu escureceu e um raio atingiu o topo do pagode violentamente. A terra tremeu. Dizem que o Deus Dragão do Lago Oeste sugou a água do lago até secar, exatamente como a maldição que Fahai havia proferido.
"Suzhen?" he called out, his voice weak but full of hope.
"Booooom!" Um barulho alto ecoou, e o Pagode Leifeng começou a rachar e desmoronar em uma pilha de escombros.
Bai Suzhen turned and saw her husband. He was older now, his hair gray and his face lined with age, but to her, he was still the kind young man who had lent her an umbrella in the rain.
Em meio à poeira, a figura de uma bela mulher em vestes brancas apareceu lentamente. Bai Suzhen estava livre!
"Xu Xian!" she cried, running to him. They met in the middle of the crowd, their embrace a testament to a love that had survived twenty years of separation and suffering.
"Mãe!", Xu Mengjiao correu para abraçar a mãe com alegria.
"I never stopped praying for you," Xu Xian whispered into her hair.
"Irmã!", Xiaoqing correu para abraçar a irmã em lágrimas.
"And I never stopped loving you," she replied.
"Marido...", Bai Suzhen olhou para Xu Xian que esperava.
Mengjiao and Xiaoqing stood by, watching the reunion with tears in their eyes. The family was finally complete. The top scholar, the devoted husband, the powerful sister, and the legendary spirit—they stood together as a symbol of hope and perseverance.
A família separada por mais de 20 anos finalmente se reuniu, em meio à extrema alegria de todos.
The Emperor, hearing of the successful reunion, granted the family a special estate in Hangzhou, where they could live in peace. He also declared that the story of their love should be recorded and shared with future generations, so that all might know the power of devotion and forgiveness. The tragedy of the past was finally replaced by the promise of a peaceful future. The white snake was no longer a prisoner, and the mortal was no longer alone. Their story had become a part of the very fabric of Hangzhou, as enduring as the willows of the West Lake.