Chapter 0085 Gambling Luck
Frank Fang was very pleased. He felt that he should get to know more Black Robe Ajarns like this in the future and specialize in helping others procure these "Yin" or "Shadow" amulets and occult objects; the prospects were certainly promising. Ajarn Pong told him that the secret formula for the tattoo he had received could not be performed casually. Not only were the ingredients difficult to obtain, but it also consumed too much spiritual power. Aside from tattoos, one could also choose Shadow amulets with wealth-attracting effects, such as the Wealth-Attracting Spider, the Nine-Tailed Gecko, or the Salika Bird (Affinity Bird), as well as Kuman Thong and similar items. Frank Fang carefully recorded these categories and their prices in his notebook.
To better develop his business, Frank Fang began to delve deep into the industry of Thai amulets, Kuman Thong, and Ajarns. For a month, he visited various large and small temples throughout Thailand, which were filled with different kinds of amulets and Kuman Thong. Amulets are unique to Thailand, essentially serving the same purpose as statues of Guanyin or the Maitreya Buddha in China. While Chinese Buddhism venerates figures like Guanyin, Maitreya, Tathagata, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, Southeast Asian Buddhism venerates deities such as Ganesha, the Five-Eyed Four-Eared God (Si Hu Ha Ta), Phra Somdej, and the Four-Faced Buddha (Phra Phrom). High-ranking monks—known as Luang Phor or Kruba—create or oversee the production of these amulets and then use their years of cultivation to empower them (what the Chinese call "consecration"). Believers then invite these items into their lives to ensure their safety and peace.
Kuman Thong, on the other hand, is a very special type of devotional item in Thailand. Kuman in Thai means "Golden Boy." Their physical form is usually that of a chubby infant; males are called Kuman Thong, and females are called Kuman Lay. The production method also involves infusing spiritual power into the Kuman to give it a soul, enabling it to perform various functions. Furthermore, some practitioners inject the souls of children or even infants into the Kuman—especially those of fetuses that died before birth—which grants them even greater power. These Kuman Thong are possessed by the spirits of infants, and believers take them home to raise them as if they were their own children.
Beyond amulets and Kuman Thong, there is an even darker practice in Southeast Asia: "Raising Ghosts" These so-called "little ghosts" are actually infants who died young or even fetuses that were aborted before birth. Due to various reasons, these infants and fetuses accumulate incredibly powerful resentment within them. A Black Robe Ajarn then uses spiritual power to bind their physical remains—using methods like coating them in gold powder or soaking them in corpse oil—before handing them over to a believer for devotion. The power of these ghosts is immense, surpassing any standard amulet or Kuman Thong, and they can achieve goals that conventional methods simply cannot. Many celebrities and public figures have experienced raising ghosts; not just in Thailand, but also many famous stars in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Without exception, they all received their rewards, but their ultimate ends were usually quite grim. I won't name them one by one here; you can fill in the blanks yourselves—those who rose to fame and power mysteriously, only to later decline strangely, go insane, or commit suicide, are generally examples of this.
In addition to amulets and Kuman Thong, Frank Fang researched more related information, such as the creators themselves. Most Southeast Asian countries follow Theravada Buddhism, also known as "Southern Buddhism" or "Sthaviravada." As for the specific differences between it and the Mahayana Buddhism practiced in China, Frank Fang didn't know and didn't care to know, as he felt it was irrelevant to his business. However, he had to understand the practitioners in Thailand. These practitioners have different titles. Highly cultivated monks who practice in Thai temples are called "Luang Phor" (sometimes transliterated as Luang Pu or Luang Por). This is the terminology used in Southern Thailand; in Northern Thailand, they are usually called "Kruba." Whether it's Luang Phor or Kruba, people add the practitioner's name after the title to form their common name, such as Luang Phor Nen, Luang Phor Yam, Kruba Boonlee, or Kruba Krissana.
Ajarns are different. In Thai, Ajarn simply means "teacher," but over time, people became accustomed to calling those who independently practice sorcery "Ajarn." Ajarns are divided into White Robe and Black Robe. Those who practice orthodox methods are called White Robe Ajarns, such as Ajarn Meng, Ajarn Phon, and Ajarn Lekhant. Those who specifically practice Black Magic or Shadow Arts are Black Robe Ajarns, like Master Ajarn Pong.
Thai amulets are categorized into "Righteous Amulets" and "Shadow Amulets" (Yin Pai). Those produced by Luang Phor or Kruba monks in temples are Righteous Amulets, while those created by independent Ajarns are Shadow Amulets. Shadow Amulets are further divided into "Positive Shadow Amulets" and "Vicious Shadow Amulets." White Robe Ajarns create Positive Shadow Amulets, which have good effects and few side effects. Black Robe Ajarns create the Vicious Shadow Amulets. These vicious types are generally quite unconventional; as long as they produce an effect, the methods, processes, and ingredients don't matter. Consequently, the materials for Vicious Shadow Amulets are very specific—lonely ghosts, corpse oil, graveyard soil, and even coffin nails are all fair game.
Vicious Shadow Amulets, Kuman Thong, and Raising Ghosts share a common trait: they use "heavy" ingredients and produce powerful effects, but they also come with side effects, such as the depletion of one's future karmic merit or severe consequences if the devotion is handled incorrectly. However, many people, in their pursuit of immediate gain, often lose their sanity and find every possible way to obtain these items to solve their problems. This was the primary direction Frank Fang chose for his money-making venture.
To facilitate his business, Frank Fang specifically bought an old Toyota pickup truck. The people he knew best were gamblers, so he decided to test the waters with them first. Those people were addicted to gambling; naturally, no gambler ever made a fortune through betting, though many had ruined their families. Frank Fang used himself as a living example, promoting his own gambling luck as proof. Immediately, several gamblers expressed interest in obtaining an amulet or a secret incantation tattoo to attract wealth. Because Frank Fang had a prior agreement with Ajarn Pong, he told them that besides incantations, they could also invite Wealth-Attracting Amulets, which were no less effective than tattoos. But these gamblers didn't believe him. To break the ice, Frank Fang first put up over 50,000 Thai Baht of his own money to invite a "Wealth-Attracting Spider" Vicious Shadow Amulet from Ajarn Pong, letting everyone volunteer to wear it and test the results.
A gambler named Darinka, who not only had poor skills but also terrible luck—losing nine times out of ten—stepped forward. "Then let me wear this Wealth-Attracting Spider!"
The other gamblers mocked him, saying, "These things are everywhere. There's a temple less than four hundred meters from here with hundreds of amulets; why don't you go try those?" Frank Fang ignored their ridicule and encouraged Darinka to go home first and use the "Heart Mantra" to empower the object according to the method Ajarn Pong had taught.
The following night, Darinka came to the casino wearing the amulet. Several people approached him to start a game, mocking him all the while. After a few rounds, Darinka had both wins and losses; although his luck seemed better than before, there wasn't a massive change. Just as Darinka was getting impatient, he was dealt a huge hand. Ordinarily, in such a situation, others wouldn't follow his lead, and Darinka wouldn't win big. But tonight was strange—those gamblers seemed to look down on him completely, repeatedly following his bets until they had wagered all the money they had. When the cards were finally revealed, everyone was stunned. Darinka won, sweeping up all the cash on the table—roughly 200,000 Thai Baht.
This became major news. Darinka had rarely won this much money at a table. Over-excited, he continued playing, and as a result, he lost all that money back in less than half an hour. After the game ended, he accused Frank Fang's amulet of not working. Frank Fang said with disdain, "With your skill and luck, winning that much today was already a miracle. An amulet cannot protect you for a lifetime. You could have just stopped and gone home, and you'd have kept that money. It's your own head that wasn't clear—don't blame the amulet!"
In truth, everyone understood this logic; Darinka was simply lashing out in shame. The other gamblers saw what happened and were secretly envious, and they all began approaching Frank Fang to invite amulets. To maintain a balance in the local ecosystem, Frank Fang wouldn't sell an amulet to every gambler, but only picked those with extremely poor luck and average skills. Even with an amulet's protection, such people wouldn't completely dominate the games. Frank Fang thought it through carefully: if he sold them to people who were already skilled, eventually no one would play with them—just like himself. If that happened, those people would turn around and complain to Frank Fang.
For Darinka's amulet, Frank Fang charged him 100,000 Thai Baht. Although it looked like he had doubled his money, Frank Fang still felt he had sold it too cheaply, as a single big hand could cover the cost. But Frank Fang was in no rush to make a quick buck; he knew that every one of those gamblers was a human loudspeaker. They would spread the word far and wide—to their families, friends, fellow gamblers, prostitutes, and every person they met.
Frank Fang probably never imagined in his dreams that the first business lead to actively seek him out would be a prostitute.