This also means that we are getting closer and closer to leaving this dream world.
After leaving Chenjiagou, Li Boyang did not go to Shaolin Temple, which is also located in Henan Province.
Shaolin Temple has long been known as "the number one temple under heaven" and "all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin, and Shaolin Kung Fu is the best in the world." Only Wudang Mountain can rival Shaolin Temple.
However, the Shaolin Temple of this era was not like the numerous Taoist temples and branches on Wudang Mountain, which pursued the path to longevity and rarely had any involvement with the secular world.
The Shaolin Temple in the Qing Dynasty was deeply involved with the religious sects that were causing havoc throughout the country. Since the reign of Emperor Qianlong, almost all the cult-related incidents that occurred in Huguang, Shandong, and Henan were related to the Shaolin Temple, which is clearly documented in historical records.
As for the White Lotus Cult, a heretical sect, he didn't believe that Shaolin had nothing to do with it. In the eyes of the White Lotus Cult, he was a deep-seated enemy.
A wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall; he didn't want to go to Shaolin and be ganged up on by Shaolin monks as soon as he gave his name.
After passing through village after village and crossing mountain after mountain, Li Boyang headed towards Zhili.
Along the way, it was alright in populated areas, but in the wilderness, when you got tired you could only find a boulder to lie down on for a while, and when you were hungry you could eat wild fruits and game.
Whenever Li Boyang passed by a river, he would wade across the water, which never went above his knees. If any passersby saw this, they would always kowtow to him, regarding him as a living deity.
A month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Wherever he went, Li Boyang would visit any martial arts master with even a little reputation to seek their guidance.
From Henan to Shandong, he defeated countless boxing gyms along the way, and as he defeated more and more opponents, Li Boyang's reputation began to expand in the Central Plains region.
The nickname "Human Butcher" given to him by the White Lotus Sect truly began to circulate widely in the Central Plains.
Li Boyang was very puzzled by this. The White Lotus Sect was his enemy; it was a fight to the death. He had killed many of the White Lotus Sect's followers and leaders, so it was understandable that the White Lotus Sect called him "the butcher."
But aside from the White Lotus Sect, he only dealt with bandits and robbers he happened to encounter. He never killed anyone when challenging those boxing gyms, so why did everyone accept the nickname "Human Butcher"?
Later, as his reputation as the "Human Butcher" grew, the challenge became more complicated. Famous martial arts masters would find excuses to decline when they heard that "Human Butcher" Li Boyang had come to challenge them, and some even admitted defeat outright.
Li Boyang could only feel helpless about this. The other party had already made up an excuse, so he could either just admit defeat or he couldn't just hold his nose and insist on doing it.
After repeatedly avoiding battle and admitting defeat, Li Boyang rarely went to challenge them anymore.
He discovered that fame is sometimes a double-edged sword. Countless people pursue it, but once they actually obtain it, they find that they are all burdened by fame.
With a "go with the flow" attitude, Li Boyang stopped asking around and simply visited people he happened to be passing by. He wouldn't force them if they were unwilling.
Shandong is in chaos now. Not only is the White Lotus Rebellion spreading, but the Boxers are also starting to reappear. Everywhere there are abandoned wastelands, and the scene of "white bones exposed in the wild, and not a rooster crowing for a thousand miles" is beginning to appear.
Meanwhile, within Shandong province, Li Boyang encountered two true masters.
One of them is Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman!
Moreover, it was Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman, who was at his peak and a master on par with Huang Feihong, Huo Yuanjia, and others. He met him on an official road just before leaving Shandong.
Wang Wu's caravan encountered bandits who were robbing them. Li Boyang, who was just passing by, was mistaken for a member of the bandits by the caravan.
When Li Boyang discovered that the person he was fighting was actually a master of internal energy, he didn't explain and just went along with the mistake and fought with Wang Wu.
Wang Wu, wielding a sword, was incredibly strong, so strong that Li Boyang was forced to retreat repeatedly, unable to even display his martial arts skills.
This is how it is when two masters of the Transformation Realm clash: if one side has a weapon, their combat power increases several times over, and the side without a weapon will almost certainly lose if nothing unexpected happens.
Unfortunately, Wang Wu was a straightforward person. He was provoked by Li Boyang's words and threw down his broadsword to fight him. This behavior was tantamount to using his own weakness to attack the other's strength. How could Wang Wu, whose life's skills were all in the sword, be a match for him?
After defeating Wang Wu, Wang Wu realized it was a misunderstanding; the person in front of him was none other than the infamous "Human Butcher" Li Boyang.
It was only after the battle, when they were introduced to each other, that Li Boyang learned that the other party was actually the famous "Big Knife Wang Wu," and that the other party planned to give up all his wealth and join the Boxer Rebellion after completing this escort mission.
Wang Wu, nicknamed "Big Knife," was shot and killed by foreign guns in history. Since he had met Li Boyang, he naturally wouldn't let this happen again. On Li Boyang's recommendation, Wang Wu did not join the Boxers, but instead went to Baozhilin in Guangzhou.
Although he won this battle, and witnessed for the first time the terrifying power of a master of the same level wielding a weapon, Li Boyang still had no intention of practicing with weapons.
The way of martial arts is to be refined and single-minded. His natural talent was not high, and to study these external things would be to put the cart before the horse. For him, his bare hands were enough to sweep across the world.
The other one is Guo Yunshen, who made his name with the Half-Step Bengquan (a type of punch), and is Li Luoneng's apprentice.
At this time, Guo Yunshen was also at his peak.
Since there was no life-or-death struggle between them, the battle between Li Boyang and Li Boyang ended in a draw.
The half-step jumping fist of Xingyi was far more powerful in Guo Yunshen's hands than in Li Luoneng's.
His Half-Step Crushing Fist relies purely on explosive power to win. Regardless of your weight, defensive ability, or whether you have practiced external martial arts such as Iron Shirt, he will send you flying with one punch. As long as you are touched by his fist, even the slightest contact, he can knock away a strong adult man.
Both fighters were the type to go head-to-head, and after a minute they were both exhausted and had to give up.
As if they had known each other for a long time, Li Boyang stayed at Guo Yunshen's boxing school for three whole months, discussing martial arts with Guo Yunshen every day and exchanging skills with each other. His kung fu became increasingly unfathomable.
Three months later, the landscape of the world changed once again.
Five or six more provinces declared independence, and the foreign powers realized that the Qing Dynasty's demise was only a matter of time. They began to support their own proxies on the Chinese mainland, and the Qing Dynasty truly entered its final period of procrastination.
At this moment, feeling that the time was ripe, Li Boyang went straight to Dagu Port in Tianjin and delivered the final blow to the Qing government.
In Dagukou, Tianjin, Li Boyang secretly met with Yuan Shikai.
By this time, the general trend of the world was clear: the fall of the Qing Dynasty was inevitable. After Li Boyang promised that Baozhilin would not cross the Yangtze River northward within five years, Yuan Shikai, who was training troops at Xiaozhan in Dagukou, Tianjin, finally made his decision.
Three months later, Yuan Shikai sent troops into Beijing and forced Emperor Guangxu to abdicate.
With the end of the Qing Dynasty, China entered an era of warlordism and fragmentation.
Three months later, only Li Boyang's heart remained nourished. He felt the force binding him to this dream world rapidly dissipating, and he knew it was time for him to leave.