Meng Zhao was not surprised that Zhao Rulíng knew Monk Huikong. After all, he had previously received word that Monk Huikong and the Pudu Cult had withdrawn their forces, breaking them into scattered parts and turning from the open into the shadows, all because Monk Huikong had been wounded by a peerless expert and had nearly died.
At the time, Meng Zhao had already guessed that the one who struck might have been Zhao Rulíng. Now that he had spent some time with Nameless Eunuch, he was even more certain that it had been him.
For one thing, Monk Huikong was a Celestial martial artist, invincible throughout the Northern Territory. Aside from Meng Zhao himself, the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord, and Zhao Rulíng, who else could wound him? And who else could kill him?
He had not made a move himself, while the Heavenly Demon Palace Lord should have been far away on the Arctic Ice Plains at the time. Only Zhao Rulíng, who had just arrived in the Northern Lands, possessed such ability.
Naturally, though he understood this in his heart, he did not show it. Instead, he put on a puzzled expression and asked,
"Lord Zhao knows him too? No, has met him?"
"Not only have I met him, I have exchanged blows with him. At the time, I thought it would be best if I could subdue him and the Pudu Cult and bring them under Beitang Sheng's command.
"However, this man had some tricks and skill. Though I could defeat him, I was unable to capture him without suffering so much as a scratch. He escaped.
"From what Dragon King Meng says, it seems you share quite a deep friendship with him!"
Zhao Rulíng appeared quite candid, making no attempt to conceal either his thoughts or