"Retaliation is a must, at least to put on a show for the financial backers behind us. If we don't even have the guts to retaliate, they'll feel like they wasted their money on us."
"I heard from the patrons that Huang Feihong is in the provincial capital to attend a medical conference." Master Jiugong shifted back and forth in the temple and said, "Send someone to keep an eye on Baozhilin and see if that butcher Li Boyang will go with Huang Feihong. That butcher usually keeps to himself and Baozhilin has so many guns that we can't force him. If he goes this time, we'll kill him."
The foreman said with some concern, "I heard that most of the people attending that medical conference are foreigners. Won't what we're doing cause us some trouble?"
"What trouble could there be? Those foreign devils, do you think they can find our hideout? This is Chinese territory. Whoever is willing to help them, just do it. It would be best to kill a few more foreign devils so they know that we Chinese are not to be trifled with."
Seeing that the leader still had something to say, Master Jiugong said impatiently, "Stop dawdling, just listen to me or you? Hurry up and do it. If you don't get this done, don't come back."
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Chapter 25 Li Boyang, a master of internal energy transformation and an enemy of the world
The study in Guangzhou Baozhilin can also be called Li Boyang's private study.
Unlike the antique furnishings of the Foshan Baozhi Study, the Guangzhou Baozhilin Study has a more modern and classical ambiance. While inheriting the cultural heritage, it also creates a modern, unrestrained, and unconventional feel.
A rectangular rosewood desk sits on the sandalwood-colored tiled floor. Beside the kerosene lamp on the desk is a half-open copy of "The Treatise on Tai Chi Boxing" written by Wang Zongyue, a Tai Chi master from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The cement walls are covered with beige wallpaper and adorned with framed landscape paintings. The dragon-patterned bookshelves are filled with classics, including historical texts, philosophical works, and martial arts manuals. In the center of the study hangs a plaque inscribed by Huang Feihong himself.
"The Dao gives birth to them, and Virtue nurtures them."
This saying comes from Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, and the full text is: "The Tao gives birth to them, Virtue nourishes them, things take shape, and circumstances bring them to fruition."
Huang Feihong only took half of it. Here, "Dao" refers to the Way of Martial Arts, and "De" naturally refers to martial virtue. The implication is that the higher one's martial arts skills, the more one needs martial virtue to restrain oneself and prevent one's behavior from spiraling out of control. The "De" in "De Xu" (virtue accumulation) is not simply doing good deeds, but a genuine act of kindness that aligns with one's true nature. Only this kind of good deed can accumulate virtue!
At this moment, besides Huang Feihong and Li Boyang sitting on either side of the desk facing each other, there was also a Toothpick Su in the study.
Huang Feihong looked directly at Li Boyang and asked, "What is the origin of the White Lotus Sect today?"
Li Boyang did not answer Huang Feihong's question directly, but instead said, "Master, do you remember when we discussed the issue of class position?"
“We chose to side with the merchant class, and wooed the working class and peasantry to stand on the opposite side of the gentry class, only selectively reforming those gentry who could be reformed.”
“Of course I remember. Over the past year, I have increasingly felt that everything you said, Boyang, has been proven true, which shows how far-sighted you are.”
Huang Feihong tapped his fingers repeatedly on the desk, puzzled, and asked, "Could the White Lotus Sect be connected with the gentry class?"
“This White Lotus sect is simply a product of the gentry of Guangzhou trying to compete with us for direct support from the working class and peasantry.” Li Boyang felt a surge of anger as he thought of the ignorant masses’ blind obedience to the White Lotus sect. He turned to look at Yacha Su.
Toothpick Su understood and said, "Since Baozhi headquarters moved to Guangzhou, the provincial capital, according to Third Brother's strategy, we have bound the interests of the merchants in the provincial capital together, appeased and bought off the workers and farmers, and as for the gentry class, apart from winning over the officials, we have directly taken away their interests in the provincial capital through our own means."
Huang Feihong nodded and said, "Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. Those gentry will definitely come after us to our death."
“Master, we’re not afraid to risk our lives, and those gentry wouldn’t dare either, but we can’t stand that they don’t fight us openly, they’re playing dirty tricks instead.” Li Boyang said with a wry smile, “Tell me about our expansion outside the provincial capital, Su.”
"When the third junior brother moved the headquarters of Baozhilin to the provincial capital, he set a plan to use the provincial capital as a base to vigorously develop factories, win over merchants of all sizes to form a bond of interests, and at the same time radiate the influence of Baozhilin to the whole of Guangdong Province. He also secretly supported anti-Qing people all over the country with guns and funds."
"Everything else is going smoothly, except for Baozhilin's expansion outside the provincial capital. It's been going quite well in the various county towns, but after all, with guns pointed at our heads, not everyone has the guts to say no to us." Toothpick Book changed the subject, continuing:
“It won’t work outside the county seat. Our people will run into all sorts of inexplicable troubles as soon as they enter a town or township. The expansion plan for Baozhilin that you proposed, Third Brother, has already stalled at the town level.”
"The reason why it can't be pushed forward is because the White Lotus Sect is causing trouble, and the biggest supporters behind the White Lotus Sect are those gentry."
Li Boyang sighed and said, "Most of the followers of the White Lotus Sect are honest and simple farmers. In the past six months, we have been afraid that if we fight the White Lotus Sect, we will push the farmers into the arms of the gentry. Therefore, we are very wary of the White Lotus Sect and dare not really take action."
"The more I hesitated, the more the gentry took advantage of me. The White Lotus Sect's influence had already infiltrated the provincial capital. It was only recently, when the White Lotus Sect caused a bit too much trouble in the provincial capital, that I secretly killed a large number of them, and the situation improved somewhat."
After listening, Huang Feihong remained silent for a long time. He understood that the White Lotus Sect was nothing more than a pawn in the hands of the gentry. In fact, he himself was from the gentry class. Putting himself in their shoes, he could guess the purpose behind some of the actions of the gentry class. However, he had already betrayed the class he belonged to.
The gentry class can be said to be a unique class in Chinese feudal society. It was mainly composed of local small and medium-sized landlords with some education, small and medium-sized officials who had retired to their hometowns or lived in the countryside for a long time to recuperate, clan elders and other influential figures in rural society.
The so-called "imperial power does not extend to the countryside" refers to the fact that these people, by using the name of their clans, wielded immense influence in the county and countryside, even surpassing that of the government.
It can be said that when someone commits a crime, the first thing to consider is whether they have violated the laws of the imperial court, and the first thing to consider is whether they have violated the rules of their clan. If not, the clan can completely ignore the imperial court and protect the offender.
Now that the gentry, who have the greatest influence on the peasantry, are inciting them to join the White Lotus Sect and providing them with funds behind the scenes, it's no wonder that Li Boyang finds this matter difficult to handle. After all, his enemy is the gentry, not the peasantry. On the contrary, the peasantry is the class he wants to win over.
The gentry class had essentially stabbed Po Chi Lam in the heart, and Po Chi Lam was ill-prepared to deal with the situation.
The atmosphere in the study grew increasingly heavy.
“Boyang, look me in the eyes!” Huang Feihong suddenly said, “Do you remember that late-night conversation by candlelight? You told me that the gentry controlled 99% of China’s power, and that foreign powers were eyeing us covetously. You asked me if I was prepared to be an enemy of the whole world.”
"Let me tell you, I am prepared to be an enemy of the whole world, and until now, my heart has never wavered."
"Now I'm asking you, do you remember what you said back then?"
Li Boyang fell into reminiscence and slowly said, "So what if we're at odds with the whole world? How could I dare to say these things to you if I didn't have the will to be at odds with the whole world?"
Huang Feihong nodded heavily and said, "Now I'll ask you again, have you wavered?"
"How could I possibly waver? I have never wavered."
Li Boyang fell into deep thought, then emerged from it, his expression shifting from confusion to clarity, then from clarity to determination, and finally from determination to resolve.
"Then why is the mere White Lotus Sect making you so hesitant? And why are you so wary of the gentry class in Guangdong Province? Are you afraid to take action against these people because you are concerned about your master's feelings?"
"Where did Li Boyang, who dared to be an enemy of the whole world, go?"
"If you are hesitating because you are worried about my feelings, then I tell you to go for it. I will always be behind you."
“Boyang, your master only knows martial arts and medicine. Your master is not as smart as you, but your master understands one principle: if something is right in itself, then just do it. Why care about other people’s opinions?”
"Take martial arts training for example. Your internal strength has already reached a high level, so why haven't you been able to reach the next level? Is it because you can't persevere? Is it because you're not diligent enough?"
No, that's not it.