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Huiyuan, the eminent monk from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, added, "I still have some worldly matters to attend to. Please feel free to leave, benefactor."
Raphael could hardly believe his ears. "You... you mean I can leave?"
Huiyuan smiled. "The bond between us has yet to run its course, benefactor. We will meet again."
Raphael's mouth twitched. Our bond has yet to run its course? If a young woman said that to me, I'd be pretty pleased.
Despite his inward grumbling, he sounded perfectly sincere as he said, "Thank you for saving me, Master."
Huiyuan kept smiling. In the space of a breath, his figure suddenly faded and vanished, leaving his voice echoing through the woods. "Remember, benefactor: upon encountering water, you will find the middle way."
Although Raphael did not quite understand what he meant, he committed Huiyuan's words to memory and quickly left the woods, lest the Luo Sect's holy maiden return.
Over the next few days, Raphael remained extremely cautious, treating himself as a fugitive and constantly changing both his means of transport and his direction of travel.
Was Yan Ruobing's bad luck still lingering, or had Raphael been blessed with good luck? Whatever the reason, neither the Luo Sect nor the Dark Hut managed to find him.
Only then did Raphael enter a city, planning to spend some time somewhere crowded before traveling farther to see what this world was like.
Backlund, Loen, Northern Continent.
Smoking with one leg crossed over the other, Raphael looked at Kaven Thomas and his fiancée, Estella, at the far end of the hall. A contemptuous smile suddenly crossed his