The next day, Old Daoist Liu passed away silently in his sleep. It had been Meng Zhao's doing.
When he had acted, Meng Zhao had found it strange. Old Daoist Liu was a Grandmaster-level expert no matter what; with his martial cultivation, even if he had drunk himself senseless, he should have awakened at once upon sensing killing intent.
Later, Meng Zhao guessed that Old Daoist Liu had already sensed the approach of his final hour and had also guessed Beitang Xing's fate. That was why he had dispersed his cultivation and gotten thoroughly drunk, choosing to die in his sleep.
Old Daoist Liu was an old hand through and through. He knew that since Meng Zhao had committed such a heaven-shaking deed, he would never allow even the slightest flaw to appear. Thus, any plea for mercy would have been futile, nothing but wasted effort.
So, his choice to face death with open-hearted resolve was not because he felt no fear at all, but because it was the only choice left to him.
Afterward, Meng Zhao had Lu Hou'er cremate Old Daoist Liu's body. He found a place outside the city with clear waters and lovely mountains and arranged an unmarked grave for him. Each year, offerings of fruit and the like would be placed there, as repayment for the information Old Daoist Liu had once revealed about Beitang Sheng.
Naturally, this string of actions could not be concealed from Monk Huikong. Meng Zhao sought him out as well and explained the matter.
"So that was how it was. I never expected Beitang Sheng to be so vicious as to place a restriction within his own son's body, plotting something sinister.
"Then, Dragon King Meng, now that you have killed Beitang Xing, have you considered what you will do