Nine Dragon Pillars

Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, Jiro Tatsuta was very satisfied with this performance and said, "In addition to the commercial blockbuster, I have a new idea for this co-production between Japan and China. We can co-produce an art film that focuses on folklore and urban legends, continuing the narrative core of 'Departures,' and focusing on the hidden taboos and folk legends that are often overlooked in modern cities. The core is to show how human nature is expressed at different times."

"good!"

As soon as the suggestion was made, lackeys immediately chimed in.

Several people who hadn't spoken up in time looked annoyed and quickly joined in the cheering, afraid that being a little late would displease Tatsuta Jiro. They probably wouldn't even do this much for their own father.

The three of us looked at each other; this was absolutely disgusting.

The behavior of these people is absolutely disgusting, downright repulsive.

Jiro Tatsuta was even more satisfied with this situation. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said, "I have been to Shanghai many times and have heard many local legends about it. I have always longed to visit."

This guy speaks slowly and in a very formal, literary way. Partly it's because his Chinese isn't very fluent, partly it's because he's trying to show off, and there's another reason besides that: he's taking the opportunity to observe the reactions of the crowd.

For example, now that everyone's attention was drawn, he put down his wine glass and said, "For example, the Nine Dragon Pillars on the Yan'an Elevated Road in Shanghai have been rumored for many years. Construction was hindered and a high monk was appointed to suppress the energy. It is the most representative feng shui secret place in Shanghai. There is also the Caoyang Road subway station, where lines three and four intersect. The tracks are intersecting and the energy is mixed. Various urban legends and strange things happening at night have been circulating for many years. It has a lot of stories to tell."

As he spoke, he observed our reactions. "I really want to visit these two places in person, gather material, and incorporate these hidden folk customs into our new co-production."

His words were delivered with righteous indignation, every sentence reflecting the creator's exploration and curiosity about the material, perfectly matching his identity as an art-house director, leaving no room for criticism.

But when I heard this, my heart sank, and I became wary.

Not just me, Fatty Lin was the same way; his chubby face was all tense.

Actually, I had heard about the Nine Dragon Pillars on the Yan'an Elevated Road in Shanghai. Besides what Ryūta Jirō said about the construction being hindered and a high monk calming the energy, he omitted four words: "Nine Dragons Locking the Fortune."

It was precisely because these four keywords were missing that I became wary.

If he had told the truth, I wouldn't have done it this way.

The Nine Dragon Pillars and Caoyang Road subway station are not just ordinary internet-famous spots or common urban landscapes, but rather key points of Yin-Yang energy fields and Feng Shui patterns that have been recognized by the people of Shanghai for decades.

As a Japanese person, what do you want to do by visiting these two places?

The first things that came to my mind were the three tombs in the suburbs of Beijing and Li Xiaomei's factory located at the ley line node of the capital, where the dragon-locking nails were found were not fake.

I suspect this guy is trying to stir up trouble by taking advantage of filming.

As far as I know, in the early 1990s, the Shanghai elevated road network project was launched. The four-level interchange at the intersection of Yan'an Road and Chengdu Road is the heart of the city's "申"-shaped elevated road network. The entire burden of the road network rests on this one foundation at the intersection.

According to the design, 36 steel piles, each 64 meters deep, need to be driven into the intersection to lock in the underground soil and support the traffic flow on the bridge.

However, from the first day of construction, things reached a stalemate. After the pile driver entered a certain depth, it was as if it had hit a metal plate. No matter how much pressure the equipment applied, it just couldn't go any further.

In an effort to drive the piles in, several drill bits made of special steel were worn out, and mechanical malfunctions occurred one after another, but no matter what they did, the piles just wouldn't go in.

To solve the problem, several construction teams were changed, including local experienced workers and experts from other places, but none of them could solve it.

Moreover, strange things would happen at the construction site every night.

Sometimes strange animal roars come from underground, and sometimes red muddy water gushes out of the pile holes.

The strangest thing is that the soil layer was repeatedly surveyed by the geological exploration team, and the report showed no abnormalities. The soil in the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta is soft and there are no natural hard rock layers. The reason for the construction obstruction cannot be explained scientifically at all.

Due to the construction stall, the higher-ups, under immense pressure, had no choice but to consult a feng shui master.

The feng shui master said that this place is the head of the entire water dragon vein in Shanghai. The steel piles hardened into the dragon's lair disturbed the sleeping earth spirit, and the earth energy spontaneously blocked the intrusion of soil and wood.

Finally, having no other option, they invited a high-ranking monk to chant sutras and pray for blessings, to stabilize the energy and secure the foundation. He also had nine dragons carved on the pillar to suppress the dragon vein of the land and stabilize the energy of the entire city, which allowed the project to be completed smoothly.

It is said that the Nine Dragon Pillar has locked in the fortune of Shanghai for a century and is one of the most important feng shui eyes in Shanghai.

Jiro Tatsuta came here to investigate, and what he wanted to do was self-evident.

If the Nine Dragon Pillars are the earthly guardians that harmonize the dragon veins of heaven and earth, then the Caoyang Road subway station, where lines 3 and 4 intersect in Shanghai, is a deep underground crossing between the living and the dead, a place to deliver the souls of the unjustly deceased.

It is said that strange things happened at the construction site every few years during the years the station was under construction.

The area around Caoyang Road was a mass grave in the old society, and no one knows how many nameless corpses were buried there.

The excavation of tunnels and the construction of platforms unearthed all the bones buried beneath this mass grave, thus disturbing the spirits of the dead buried there.

Since then, there have been continuous accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities.

For example, a tunnel collapse buried workers alive, and a tower crane overturned, crushing construction workers to death. Within a short period of time, several similar accidents occurred at the construction site.

This kind of thing is taboo on construction sites. Coupled with some local rumors, many work teams resigned and fled out of fear, causing the construction site to come to a standstill several times.

Just like with the overpass, the higher-ups could only send in experts to investigate.

It is said that the final solution was to invite a high-ranking monk to the site to chant sutras to deliver the wandering souls from the underworld and reach a balance agreement with the spirits, which calmed the evil energy and allowed the construction team to start work.

Therefore, these two places, one guarding the city's dragon vein and fortune, and the other gathering mixed yin and yang from all directions, are both key elements in the feng shui pattern of Shanghai.

Most tourists or creators would at most treat the rumors about these two places as anecdotes and wouldn't believe them.

But Jiro Tatsuta, he very accurately targeted these two key feng shui points in Shanghai, and even came to the location to film and delve into their essence.

Was he going to visit the site for artistic inspiration?

If he were from Daxia, I would believe him, but he is from Fusang, and I don't believe a single word he says.