"Li Boyang, the Butcher"
The leader impatiently pointed in the direction his men were pointing, looking at Li Boyang's face with suspicion. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he swallowed hard and blurted out the rest of his threatening words.
"The Butcher" was a nickname given to Li Boyang by the White Lotus Sect in Guangzhou. Too many members of the White Lotus Sect, directly or indirectly, died at his hands. In fact, he orchestrated the rise and fall of the White Lotus Sect in Guangzhou.
The White Lotus Sect in Guangzhou was destroyed overnight, and the culprit was Baozhilin, which was under the control of Li Boyang. His portrait had long been passed on to the leaders and above of the White Lotus Sect after the destruction of the Guangzhou branch, and Li Boyang became a taboo in the White Lotus Sect.
Seeing the White Lotus Sect leader's reaction, Li Boyang looked at him with amusement, not expecting that the other party would actually recognize him.
One of the boss's men leaned in and asked, "Boss, is it that person?"
Nodding slowly, the chief replied with difficulty, "He looks exactly like the portrait, almost certainly."
"So, shall we go ahead?"
The leader whispered in response, "Are we going up there to die? Chenjiagou has actually gotten involved with the butcher Li Boyang. Things have changed this time. Don't make any rash moves."
The scene suddenly seemed somewhat eerie.
Chen Xin, the clan chief of Chenjiagou, saw that the other party had only spoken halfway and then stopped, but failed to notice the other party's hesitation, and shouted: "What if my Chenjiagou is unwilling? What do you want to do then?"
The old man standing next to Chen Xin glanced at Li Boyang with some curiosity.
Chen Xin's words put the leader in a dilemma. According to the original plot, the fight should have started soon, but with Li Boyang as an added variable, the leader was wavering.
The leader's face darkened. He glanced at the clueless Chen Xin, then turned to look at Li Boyang, who was staring at him with amusement. Finally, his eyes narrowed, and he made a decision.
"Alright! I'll give you, Chen Xin, face this time. You Chenjiagou people had better think it over. You won't be so friendly next time."
"Let's go!"
The White Lotus Cult members came and went in a hurry. Chen Xin was completely bewildered when he saw them leave so quickly. He stopped the villagers who wanted to chase after them and told them to disperse.
Chen Xin was also aware of the situation. In the current situation, it would be best to avoid a fight. If a fight were to break out, although Chenjiagou was able to repel the White Lotus Sect's invasion this time, it might not be able to do so next time. The White Lotus Sect's voluntary withdrawal was already the best outcome.
"Brother, you look unfamiliar. You're probably not from Chenjiagou."
The speaker was an old man practicing martial arts in the river.
Li Boyang solemnly said, "Having traveled here, I originally intended to come to Chenjiagou to learn about Chen-style Tai Chi, but I did not expect to see such a scene. It seems that my arrival was somewhat inappropriate."
There's a right time to ask for advice. Chenjiagou is currently facing a lot of trouble. If he were to propose a match now, his opponent would probably treat him as an enemy rather than someone to discuss martial arts.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, young friend. The White Lotus Sect is powerful, while our Chenjiagou is weak and isolated. However, we are unwilling to associate with them."
Chen Xin, the clan chief of Chenjiagou, knew very well that the White Lotus Sect, though seemingly prosperous now, was nothing but a castle in the air. Historically, few peasant uprisings had a good ending, so naturally he was unwilling to drag Chenjiagou into a fire pit.
As for Li Boyang, he was an outsider, but since he wasn't from the White Lotus Sect, I didn't have time to deal with him earlier.
“Young friend, you’ve come a long way. Although Chenjiagou is poor, we can still offer you a cup of wine. How about we come to my house for a chat?”
"Then I'll just ask for a cup of wine." (To read the latest chapter, please follow WeChat ID: rdww444)
Free novels, ad-free novel website, TXT downloads, please remember Ant Reading Network
------------
Chapter 46 Divine Fist Li Luoneng
Chen Xin's house is located in the northwest corner of Chenjiagou. It is a two-section brick and thatched house with a separate courtyard. In the courtyard, there is a stone table and four stone stools, and the courtyard is surrounded by a fence.
After leading Li Boyang and another old man to sit down in the courtyard, Chen Xin went back inside and brought out a two-jin jar of rice wine, along with three porcelain bowls. He poured a bowl for each person before saying:
"Young friend, you've come a long way. The confluence of the Yellow River and the Luo River outside Chenjiagou is a spectacular sight that you absolutely mustn't miss."
Chen Xin was naturally referring to the natural Tai Chi symbol formed by the confluence of the two rivers, and replied:
"That's natural. I just came from there. It truly is a miracle of nature." After saying that, he turned to the seventy or eighty-year-old man and smiled, "May I ask how you are called, elder? The way you practiced your boxing at the confluence of the two rivers was truly impressive."
"It's just a minor skill. My surname is Li, just call me Feiyu."
The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. Upon hearing the old man's name, the listener said solemnly:
"Divine Fist Li Luoneng?"
Li Luoneng of Xinyiquan, Dong Haichuan of Baguaquan, and Yang Luchan of Taijiquan can be said to be the three most famous grandmasters in modern times. Now, Yang Luchan and Dong Haichuan have passed away, and Li Luoneng is the only living and recognized grandmaster.
The predecessor of Xingyiquan was Xinyiquan. Li Luoneng innovated on the basis of Xinyiquan and wrote the Xingyiquan manual, which led to the Xingyiquan that is still in circulation today.
Seeing that Li Boyang recognized his name, Li Luoneng was not surprised. Most people in the martial arts world had heard of him. He humbly replied, "These are all compliments from my colleagues. I don't deserve them."
"I see that your skill has reached the level of inner strength and composure, so you must not be an unknown person."
The Xingyi Quan manual describes three stages of skill, including the transformation of energy, which states: "The whole body moves, rises and falls, advances and retreats, stretches and contracts, opens and closes, without using force. The spirit and intention are hidden within the ancestral aperture, the body is smooth and unobstructed, and the form is like flowing water."
Li Luoneng carefully observed Li Boyang and saw that when Li Boyang sat in the chair, the pores on his body naturally expanded and contracted, and when he picked up the wine glass, his movements were fluid and unhindered, and his eyes contained a sharp light. He judged that Li Boyang had also reached the Transformation Realm.
"Li Boyang from Guangzhou!"
Li Luoneng politely clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "It's an honor to have heard so much about you!"
It can only be said that although Li Boyang's reputation in the martial arts world has spread throughout the Central Plains, it is not yet to the point that someone of Li Luoneng's caliber would take him seriously.
"Could it be Li Boyang from Baozhilin?"
"It is I."
Upon hearing Li Boyang's name, Chen Xin suddenly interjected, recalling the White Lotus Sect's actions earlier, and laughed loudly:
"I was wondering why those guys from the White Lotus Cult were acting so strangely today; turns out it was because they ran into you."