Chapter Forty-Nine: Jade Buddha Zen Temple

For many years, every city has had its share of mysterious legends whispered along its streets and alleyways. In the midst of Shanghai’s bustling elevated highways, the central axis is marked by a pillar known as the “Dragon Column.” Tales of this Dragon Column have circulated among the city’s residents since the 1990s, becoming a staple of conversation over tea and meals. Some say that beneath this Dragon Column lies the “Dragon Vein.”

“Rather than calling it a Dragon Vein, it’s more like an underground dragon barrier,” said the young Lord Tai Shang, perched atop the pink glass sphere of the Oriental Pearl Tower, leaning against the concrete pillar as he munched on bread.

The morning sun had just begun to rise, rousing the entire Lujiazui financial district from its slumber. Looking down upon the broad thoroughfares below, the traffic was steadily increasing; vehicles of all sizes emerged in a steady stream from the Yan’an East Road tunnel, entering the bustling area. As the rush hour approached, crowds surged around every subway entrance.

“The subway is packed even at dawn! No wonder people say that office workers in big cities now live on a five-to-nine schedule,” Hua Sheng remarked.

“Look below—the flow of people, the movement of water, the placement of mountains and buildings—all combine to form a feng shui array,” Tai Shang muttered to himself. The wind at this height stirred his Daoist robes, accentuating the immortal aura of this descendant of the gods. “I have always felt that an exceedingly rare and colossal feng shui formation exists here, surely hiding something extraordinary. But what could it be?”

Hua Sheng interrupted Tai Shang’s reverie, sitting alongside him on the rim of the tower’s sphere. “You mentioned earlier that there’s an underground dragon barrier beneath that elevated Dragon Column. Why would such a boundary exist in a modern metropolis?”

Tai Shang took a deep breath, answering slowly, “That is a long story.”

“Take your time!” Hua Sheng’s curiosity was piqued. “We need to discuss our plan before we act.”

“Have you ever heard of the Four Great Ferocious Beasts from ancient legend?”

“The Four Great Ferocious Beasts?”

“Yes! The ancient tales speak of four fearsome creatures: the ‘Chaos,’ a beast resembling a cross between a dog and a bear; the ‘Greed,’ with a human head and sheep’s body, eyes growing beneath its armpits; the ‘Wild Fury,’ a winged giant tiger; and the ‘Mischief,’ with a human head, tiger legs, and wild boar tusks.”

“What do these beasts have to do with the Dragon Column?”

“The elevated bridge is connected to the ‘Chaos’ beast.”

“Chaos?”

“The Chaos, one of the Four Great Ferocious Beasts, is recorded in works such as the Records of the Grand Historian, Zhuangzi’s ‘Emperor Responds,’ and the Classic of Divine Marvels. The creature was over forty meters long and roamed west of Kunlun in ancient times. Ordinary people could neither see nor hear it. When encountering virtuous individuals, the Chaos would wreak havoc, devouring those with kindness in their hearts. Over centuries, many lost their lives to the Chaos.”

“How savage!”

“During the Han Dynasty, people prayed for the gods to subdue this beast, and the celestial court dispatched an earth dragon to descend and tame the Chaos. After a fierce battle, the earth dragon imprisoned the Chaos within its own underground barrier. To prevent harm to the people, the earth dragon relocated this prison to what was then a wild region along the East Sea. At that time, it was a shallow shore, part of Yangzhou, known as Huating County. To prevent the Chaos’s escape, the earth dragon moved the barrier deeper underground, about a hundred meters down.”

“Could that be the very spot…”

“Exactly. Because it was remote and deeply buried, the earth dragon’s barrier remained undisturbed for centuries.”

“So how does the elevated bridge come into play? Wasn’t it built recently?”

“It was the construction of the bridge that drove thirty-six piles into the ground above, creating a giant pillar five meters in diameter, thirty-two meters tall, with a pile foundation sixty-two meters long.”

“Even if the pillar is massive, it’s still an earth dragon’s barrier. How could it be pierced so easily?”

“Indeed. Initially, the piles couldn’t penetrate the ground at all. Later, the builders secretly enlisted a high monk from Jade Buddha Zen Temple, who aided them. Only then was the earth dragon’s barrier breached.”

“So the Chaos escaped?”

“The earth dragon has never left the depths in a thousand years. Although the barrier was damaged, the earth dragon used its divine power to suppress the Chaos temporarily. The high monk also set up a Sanskrit formation, plunging both the earth dragon and Chaos into slumber, preventing their battle from shaking the earth.”

Hua Sheng finally understood. “So you mean the sleeping earth dragon might help us?”

“The earth dragon knows all about the Xuanwu Spirit Serpent. It’s the only deity who can unlock the serpent’s secrets for us,” Tai Shang replied. “We must awaken him!”

“I suspect meeting the earth dragon won’t be easy.”

“There will certainly be difficulties. We must overcome two major obstacles.”

“As expected. Growing up means facing greater challenges,” Hua Sheng sighed, covering his eyes.

“First, the Sanskrit formation that sent both earth dragon and Chaos into a shared sleep still exists. If we step into it, we’ll fall into sleep like them, unable to awaken unless the formation is broken. Second, if we do enter and manage to awaken the earth dragon, the formation will dissolve, and the Chaos will awaken too. That would mean a fierce battle is inevitable.”

“But isn’t the earth dragon still there?”

“Yes, but we can’t tell who’ll wake first when the formation is lifted. We might find ourselves within reach of the Chaos, so we must be fully prepared to fight. If the earth dragon is even a moment slower, the Chaos could destroy us.”

Hua Sheng frowned. “You make a good point. What solutions do we have for these problems?”

“There are solutions. Otherwise, how could I be the prodigious Lord Tai Shang?”

“Oh? You’ve just arrived and already picked up modern slang?”

“For the Sanskrit formation underground, we can seek guidance from the abbot at Jade Buddha Zen Temple.”

“I heard the abbot passed away during the bridge’s construction. If it was him…”

“Then we’ll consult the current abbot and seek enlightenment from the monks.”

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“Understood. If all goes well, how do we deal with the Chaos?”

“My grandfather once told me about the Chaos’s weakness. Everything in the world has its counter. There’s something that can subdue the Chaos. You’ve seen it, but you’d never guess what it is.”

Hua Sheng was lost. “Is it some magical artifact?”

“It’s a medicine found in Saint Pingning.”

“Medicine?”

“Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill.”

“What?”

Hua Sheng was indeed familiar with the Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill. When he first arrived in Saint Pingning, he was barely alive. After taking the pill brought by the hospital’s cat nurse, he fully recovered and could walk immediately. The pill could bring the dead back to life, but he never imagined it could also frighten the Chaos.

“Why does this pill subdue the beast?”

“The ingredients include bear bile, hundred-year angelica, millennium snow lotus from Tianshan, and other rare herbs. When these precious medicines are combined and refined with Divine Fire, the pill emits an extraordinary fragrance. Humans, limited by their senses, can only detect a thousandth of its aroma. Just as ancient people used wormwood, mugwort, agastache, sandalwood, and eupatorium to repel mosquitoes, each herb alone does nothing to the Chaos, but the pill’s scent terrifies the beast, whose sense of smell is keen—it flees at the slightest whiff.”

Hua Sheng said, “I’ve seen the Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill; its effects are miraculous. But the hospital nurse said it’s prescription-only in Saint Pingning, unavailable elsewhere. How can we find it here in the mortal world?”

“There’s no immortal medicine among mortals.”

“None? Then what’s the point?”

“No ready-made pill doesn’t mean we can’t make one.”

“But we can’t return to Saint Pingning now.”

Tai Shang crossed his arms. “What’s my family’s traditional craft?”

Hua Sheng paused, then suddenly realized. “Of course! Alchemy! How could I forget your ancestral skill?”

“Correct!” Tai Shang raised an eyebrow. “We’ll make the Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill ourselves!”

The two resolved to first seek advice at Jade Buddha Zen Temple to break the Sanskrit formation, then refine the pill, descend beneath the Dragon Column to confront the Chaos, and meet the earth dragon to find the Xuanwu Spirit Serpent.

To avoid unnecessary commotion in the city, they decided not to leap across rooftops or fly on clouds.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang quietly landed in a small grove behind the Oriental Pearl Tower. However, as soon as they stepped onto the street, they attracted the attention of a group of tourists.

“Look! Is the International Conference Center hosting an anime convention? Those people in game costumes—what do they call it? Right, cosplay!” an elderly lady pointed at Tai Shang and Hua Sheng.

“Probably filming a reality show!” a middle-aged man said, raising his camera.

Hua Sheng realized that they were still wearing Daoist robes—far too conspicuous in a modern city. He hurriedly said, “Sorry, sorry, we’re rushing to a commercial roadshow.”

He discreetly cast a small spell on the camera.

“The shutter’s jammed! It won’t respond!” The man’s camera seemed to malfunction.

Seizing the opportunity, Hua Sheng pulled Tai Shang through the crowd and into the greenery opposite the conference center, finding a secluded spot.

“We forgot these outfits aren’t suitable for walking around.”

Tai Shang agreed, making a gesture and reciting a spell towards the low bushes. “Follow me,” he said, leaping through the shrubs, with Hua Sheng close behind. On the other side, Tai Shang had changed entirely.

He now wore a white “Supreme Suborui” T-shirt, his hair styled short and neat. His pants were deep blue jeans, and his feet sported “Huili” running shoes, the heels emblazoned with the words “Power to Return Heaven.” A sparkling earring in his left ear completed the look—he was the picture of a fashionable young man.

“When did you change clothes?” Hua Sheng exclaimed.

“Just now, I cast a transformation spell on the bushes, referencing current youth fashion. We should blend in and keep a low profile here,” Tai Shang replied.

Hua Sheng looked at himself and found he too was now dressed in a deep red “Supreme Suborui” T-shirt and black jeans. Stretching his neck, he said, “How nostalgic! It’s been almost a year since I wore mortal clothes!”

Jade Buddha Zen Temple is located on Anyuan Road in Shanghai’s Putuo District. Named for the Jade Buddha enshrined within, the temple belongs to the Linji branch of Chan Buddhism and practices Zen meditation. Although situated in a bustling district, it offers tranquil respite and is praised as a haven amid the city’s noise.

It is one of Shanghai’s few ancient temples. In 1882, Master Huigen of Mount Putuo journeyed to Mount Wutai, Emei, Tibet, and India, worshipping the Buddha along the way. With the support of Chinese expatriates in Burma, he obtained jade, sculpted five Jade Buddhas, and brought them to Mount Putuo. Passing through Shanghai, he left a sitting and a reclining Buddha in Jiangwan Town, founding the Jade Buddha Temple.

After a decade of dedicated construction, the temple was completed with halls, pavilions, kitchens, and other Song Dynasty-style structures, earning the temple praise for its grandeur and beauty.

Designed in the Song style, the temple’s layout is rigorous, occupying over ten acres. The main axis features the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Great Hall, and the Jade Buddha Hall, with the east and west sides housing the Guanyin Hall, Bronze Buddha Hall, Reclining Buddha Hall, Memorial Hall, Chan Hall, and Dining Hall.

Within the Jade Buddha Hall, the seated Buddha statue stands 1.95 meters tall, carved from a single piece of jade. It sits in meditation, left palm up on the left thigh in the “Dhyana Mudra,” symbolizing Shakyamuni’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree; the right hand naturally touches the earth in the “Earth-touching Mudra.” The statue’s face is full, brows like crescent moons, half-open eyes, closed lips, serene and dignified. The robe’s edges and right arm are adorned with over a hundred jade and agate gems.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang arrived at the temple in the early morning. Having been restored in recent years, the Jade Buddha Zen Temple was even more imposing and solemn up close. The mortal and the immortal, hands pressed together in prayer, entered the temple with gentle steps.

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The temple was extraordinarily quiet; perhaps today was neither the first nor fifteenth of the lunar month nor the Buddha’s birthday or enlightenment day, so it was not crowded. In the courtyard, only a sweeping monk slowly swept fallen leaves, the sound rhythmic and soothing.

Tai Shang approached, bowed, and asked, “May I inquire, Master, is the abbot present?”

The sweeping monk did not raise his head, continuing his task leisurely. “The abbot is away for a while, perhaps half a month before his return.”

“What a pity,” Tai Shang said, showing a trace of disappointment.

The sweeping monk continued, “Are you two cultivators?”

Hua Sheng was surprised—their mortal disguises had been seen through in an instant. “They say temple sweepers are often deeply hidden masters—without even looking, you know we’re cultivators.”

“Your cultivation is not shallow. As soon as you entered, the courtyard brimmed with immortal energy. Even these dead leaves began to glow, seeking a last resurgence,” the monk said, sweeping the leaves into a pile.

Tai Shang laughed. “Usually, at this point in a story, isn’t it revealed that the sweeping monk is actually the abbot himself?”

The monk chuckled, leaning his broom against his arm and pressing his palms together. “Young Daoist, don’t tease this humble monk. I only sweep and recite scriptures each day.”

Tai Shang hurriedly bowed. “Forgive me, Master. I meant no disrespect. To be honest, we are here to seek the abbot’s help in an urgent matter.”

“What brings you here?” the monk asked.

Hua Sheng replied, “It’s said that a pillar of the elevated bridge is carved with a flying dragon, beneath which flows the energy of the dragon vein. When the bridge was built, a high monk from your temple assisted. Is this true?”

The monk answered, “I’ve heard bits about those days, but whether it’s as you say, I can’t claim certainty. That master passed away years ago; if you want details, I’m afraid I can’t help.”

“We don’t seek verification. We need to go beneath the Dragon Column today, but the underground barrier is strong, and as mere mortals, we fear we can’t enter. We hoped the temple’s abbot could grant us a way to break the formation.”

The monk laughed aloud. “If you wish to travel underground, perhaps you should first get approval from the subway police! Why come to the temple for permission? Though I am a monk, I am mindful of the law.”

Tai Shang said quickly, “You are right, Master. We simply wish to know how to pass through the barrier beneath the Dragon Column. As I understand, it’s a Sanskrit formation—covering our ears won’t help, and entering recklessly will send us into endless sleep.”

“Perhaps you need a pair of soundproof earplugs?” the monk joked.

Hua Sheng replied, “Master is jesting. How could earplugs withstand the Sanskrit formation?”

But Tai Shang was serious. “Master, perhaps we do need a pair of ‘earplugs’ that can pass through the formation.”

“Understood. Follow me,” the monk said.

He set the broom in a corner and led them through long corridors to a rear chamber.

The room was small, barely three meters square, but impeccably clean—a resting place, perhaps. It contained only a simple wooden bed and a cabinet with two drawers. The monk opened the lower drawer, took out two boxes, and handed them to the pair. Hua Sheng opened his, astonished.

“Master, aren’t these over-ear wireless headphones?” he asked.

“Over-ear wireless noise-canceling headphones,” the monk explained.

Hua Sheng was puzzled but amused. “Noise-canceling headphones can resist the formation?”

“Why not? Because these are Dharma headphones.”

Hua Sheng smiled bitterly. “I know they’re Sony headphones, but this isn’t what I expected.”

The monk’s deep, mellow voice interrupted him, “You young Daoists are modern, yet your thinking is outdated. Magical artifacts are defined by their magic, not their form. Over the centuries, their shapes have evolved. Must I produce prayer beads for you to accept them as artifacts?”

“Thank you, Master!” Tai Shang immediately bowed, taking the box from Hua Sheng’s hands.

Seeing Tai Shang’s sincerity, Hua Sheng felt he shouldn’t question further and joined in thanking the monk.

“How did you know we would come today?” Hua Sheng asked.

The monk replied, “The abbot gave these to me before he left, saying that today distinguished Daoists would visit, and I was to give these to you.”

“Thank you, Master! We’ll thank the abbot in person another day!” Tai Shang said.

Suddenly, Hua Sheng remembered something. “Master, are the headphones’ charger and manual inside? Is there still a warranty?”