Chapter 66: The Atmosphere of the Festival

  The Water Lantern Festival has finally arrived amidst an unsettling wait.

  Actually, since leaving the fishing village and entering the city, Tian Long has already felt the enthusiastic atmosphere of the annual Water Lantern Festival. As early as half a month before the Water Lantern Festival, Thailand's major shopping malls and department stores have been filled with joyful songs about the "Water Lantern Festival". The Thai government tourism agency and major travel agencies and hotels are also busy promoting the Water Lantern Festival through domestic and foreign media, hoping to attract more tourists during this beautiful holiday. Including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, all provinces have launched colorful "Water Lantern Festival" tour projects, and the joyful atmosphere of the Water Lantern Festival is everywhere.

  There are many promotional brochures and leaflets for the "Water Lantern Festival" in the hotel, and just by looking at the pictures of girls wearing beautiful ethnic costumes releasing water lanterns with great enthusiasm, you can tell how grand and colorful it is.

  Thailand's "Festival of Lights" has a long history, and legend has it that in the royal court there was a noble queen named Nanopama, who was skilled with her hands and had great artistic talent. She cleverly folded banana leaves into a lotus-shaped lantern boat, decorated with fruit carvings of flowers and birds on top, inserted fresh flowers, lit incense sticks, and placed it in the water, letting it drift with the wind to express gratitude to the Buddha and the river god.

  The king was overjoyed and ordered that the water lamp be used as a model, and from then on, December 15th of every year would be Water Lamp Festival. From then on, whenever it was Water Lamp Festival, all sorts of water lamps were made, and their shapes and styles became more and more varied, and the craftsmanship also became more exquisite and skilled.

  Of course, the meaning of releasing floating lanterns has also been constantly expanded with the change of times. If releasing floating lanterns in cities is to express gratitude to Buddha and the river god, then for rural farmers, it is to thank the river god for providing them with abundant water sources, irrigating their crops, and praying for a good harvest next year.

  In Thailand, farmers at the end of the year hope for a good harvest and favorable weather. However, areas near canals, rivers, and streams often suffer from flooding, causing distress. After the rainy season, around November, locals release floating lanterns to worship the river spirits, showing respect and praying for an end to water disasters. The floating lanterns also symbolize carrying away past sins, bidding farewell to the past and welcoming the future, allowing oneself to face new beginnings with a pure heart, ready to meet all challenges.

  In addition, young men and women in Thailand also enthusiastically join in the fun, hoping to find a satisfactory girl or their dream white knight to talk about love during this festive season - this is the beautiful dream of young people, and also the sweet memories of old people.

  So, every year on the full moon day of December in the Thai calendar, grand events are held throughout Thailand to celebrate Loy Krathong, including lively parades and street performances. However, it is only after nightfall that the release of floating lanterns truly reaches its climax. People gather at rivers and ports to release floating lanterns, with lights twinkling on large and small rivers. Young men and women are filled with romantic feelings, with girls praying for a suitable husband and boys hoping to find a wise companion. Meanwhile, ordinary people express gratitude to the heavens, earth, and water gods for providing food and water throughout the year, and apologize for polluting the rivers, seeking forgiveness and wishing for a healthy and happy life.

  The Jade Buddha Temple also becomes the most bustling place, attracting countless Thai people and tourists to come and celebrate and watch.

  The Thai people were all in high spirits, reveling in the festive atmosphere, and even tourists staying in hotels couldn't contain their curiosity, with almost no one left in the hotel by early morning. However, Tian Long didn't feel excited; on the contrary, his right eyelid kept twitching, which according to folklore was a bad omen. He told Yin Tao about it, who thought for a moment before responding: "These things only work if you believe in them. But we should still be fully prepared. The night of the Water Lantern Festival is the most lively, and with so many people around, that's advantageous for us - at least 'Hua Qing Gang' won't dare to openly cause trouble. If innocent civilians were hurt, the Thai police wouldn't let them off easy."

  "Yes, now we are in the dark, they are in the light. As long as we pretend to be sightseers and adapt randomly, no one can do anything to us."

  Yin Tao said: "I'm not worried about our plan now, I'm worried that the whole thing is a trap carefully arranged by Chen Fu, maybe there's no huge wealth at all, it's just his means of killing people for revenge."

  Ying Tianlong shook his head and said, "I think it's unlikely, because Chen Fu has important evidence in his hands, that list. Before he died, he wouldn't let go of those who had called him brother but stabbed him in the back at critical moments. He must have found someone to hide this list, as a tool for blackmailing and extortion in the future, so that these people can live in terror every day, this is what he most wants to see."

  "So he orchestrated this farce, really a bit of overkill, this person's mentality belongs to the highly abnormal type."

  "He must find the most cunning, strongest and fiercest candidate to complete his unfinished business. The reward is that huge sum of money. Will there be brave men under heavy rewards?"

  Yin Tao nodded: "You said that, I understand a bit, just like the martial arts competition in the past, who has the most ruthless moves, who has the strongest skills, who can win. Chen Fu's move is really vicious."

  Luo Guo walked out of the room, his mental state was not bad today, it seemed that he didn't watch Japanese AV last night. Stretching his waist and asking: "What are you two brothers talking about?"

  Ying Tianlong replied: "We are discussing tonight's action, we must get the money and the blacklist at the same time. The money can support us, the blacklist can protect us, one cannot be missing."

  This afternoon, Feng Ai Jun came and told Tian Long that everything was arranged. Once it gets dark, you will set off to the Jade Buddha Temple. Tonight, the Jade Buddha Temple is very lively, definitely crowded with people. I will bring the Chinese Martial Arts Friendship Exchange Team's warriors disguised as a tourist group to secretly protect you. Remember, if the situation changes, try to get close to us. Also, do not carry weapons and do not hurt anyone, except for the 'Hua Qing Gang', you can take down a few of their gang members, the Thai police will not intervene.

  Yin Tao said: "This 'Huaqing Gang' is also notorious, how can it be unpopular."

  "Hua Qing Gang has always been a target of the Thai police, so you don't have to be polite with them."

  Yin Tao took out something like a copper coin from his body and handed it to Ying Tianlong. Ying Tianlong took it over and looked at it, but it was not a copper coin. It was thick in the middle and thin on both sides, with a sharp edge like a knife blade. Its size was similar to that of a one-yuan RMB coin. He immediately thought of what it was used for. With Yin Tao's internal force, this thing flew out and was more effective than bullets at close range.

  Yīng Tiān Lóng said give me some, I also come try try.

  Yin Tao handed a leather wallet to Ying Tianlong, which was heavy with coins inside.

  The sky gradually darkened, and the lights outside the window were red and green, with people coming and going. The huge neon sign made of Chinese characters read "Water Lantern Festival" in three big words. Ying Tianlong stood at the window, gazing down at the crowd below, paying attention to whether there were any suspicious figures. Yin Tao walked over and said, "Master, we can set off now."

  He looked at Luo Guoyong, who was wearing a duck tongue hat on his head, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and a fake mustache that had just been stuck on. He was dressed in casual clothes, looking like he was here to tour Thailand. Seeing that he was still calm and composed, without showing any signs of panic or unease, he couldn't help but admire him. After all, he was the boss of the underworld, someone who had seen the world. Being fearless in the face of danger was a basic prerequisite for achieving great things. Luo Guoyong had also been through thick and thin, having narrowly escaped death many times. Life and death could sometimes be decided in an instant. If justice and evil were two incompatible ways of survival, their manifestations in the form of killing were surprisingly similar. It was as if heroes and villains, with swords in hand, had clear targets in mind. Those who killed for pleasure prepared themselves every day, drawing their swords only to shed blood. Without a target, even the best weapon would be nothing more than a plaything.

  Today, my own sword is out of its scabbard, and what it kills is not just Luo Guo's head. His head is already in my hands, and he can't escape. The true target of the sword is that blacklist. Once it falls into the hands of a righteous person, more heads will fall to the ground.

  It takes about half an hour to walk from the hotel to the Jade Buddha Temple. As Yong Tianlong and Luo Guoyong Yintao walked out of the hotel gate, Feng Aijun had already led the Chinese Martial Arts Friendship Exchange Team's warriors to greet them there. The two exchanged a glance quickly, and Yong Tianlong said to Luo Guoyong: "Brother, we follow those people together, following the sightseeing group, no one will notice."

  Luó Guó Yǒng is now following Yuè Tiān Lóng's arrangements in everything.

  The road was packed with people, all heading in one direction - where there was water. The various "water lanterns" in their hands were colorful and exquisitely crafted, a wonder to behold. Ying Tianlong walked calmly and quietly along with the crowd. The journey was peaceful and uneventful, until the magnificent lights of the Jade Buddha Temple came into view. It was just past midnight, and a round mirror hung high in the sky, reflecting the sparse stars twinkling like diamonds against the dark blue sky, intermingling with the lights on the ground, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene that left one in awe.