The system wants me to go to Wutan City?

For three-year-old Dongfang Chen, leaving Hangzhou, where his family lived, to settle in Wutan City (Bocheng) was clearly out of the question.

Fortunately, the system had set no deadline for completing the mission.

After six long months of persistent pleading, his eldest uncle and guardian, Dongfang Mo, finally agreed to his request.

The main reason was that, over those six months, Dongfang Chen had shown intelligence far beyond that of other children, along with exceptional obedience and maturity.

"Chen'er, have you really decided to go to Bocheng?"

Dongfang Mo looked at Dongfang Chen and asked earnestly.

"Uncle, I've made up my mind. I want to see Mother's hometown. I heard she left an old house in Bocheng, and I want to see if there's anything of hers still there."

Dongfang Chen said.

If a three-and-a-half-year-old suddenly asked to settle in another city, no one would agree without a reason, however clever and sensible the child might be.

That was why Dongfang Chen had prepared his excuse long ago.

He had discovered that his mother happened to be from Bocheng. Although she had later moved away, his parents had returned to live there for a while after getting married.

That gave Dongfang Chen the perfect reason to go to Bocheng.

Dongfang Mo sighed. Chen'er might have matured early, but he was still a child. He must have been missing his parents.

Very well. I'll let him go.

"In that case, I won't stop you anymore. But I still have family affairs to handle, so I can't go with you..."

Hearing his uncle relent, Dongfang Chen hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Uncle. I can take care of myself. Besides, Grandpa Sai will be with me."

The "Grandpa Sai" Dongfang Chen mentioned was Dongfang Sai, the family's butler.

Whenever Dongfang Mo had no time to look after Dongfang Chen, Dongfang Sai took care of him.

"Yes, with Butler Sai accompanying you, I can rest easy."

Dongfang Mo nodded.

Dongfang Sai had served the family for years. He was loyal and quite powerful, possessing the strength of a High-Tier Mage.

"When are you planning to leave?" Dongfang Mo continued.

"No time like the present. Tomorrow."

Dongfang Chen could hardly wait to see the Wutan City (Bocheng) the system had mentioned.

Welcome to where the story begins-Bocheng! Ah, Bocheng, what a beautiful place!

After arriving in Wutan City (Bocheng), Dongfang Chen checked the system.

[Novice mission: settle in Wutan City and become acquainted with Xiao Xun'er]

[Reward for settling in Wutan City: Flame Mantra (yellow-tier low-grade), Grade 4 Pill Juqi San]

[Xiao Xun'er reward will be triggered after the host becomes acquainted with Xiao Xun'er]

Since the system required him to settle in Wutan City (Bocheng), Dongfang Chen had to find a place to live before he could complete the mission and trigger the rewards.

Dongfang Chen was quite eager to get his hands on the rewards the system offered.

The Flame Mantra needed no introduction. It was the cultivation method practiced by the Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan.

However, the Flame Mantra was a late-game cultivation method. In the early stages, it offered little advantage over ordinary cultivation methods.

For now, the reward that would help Dongfang Chen most was the Grade 4 Pill, Juqi San.

Juqi San guaranteed the formation of a Dou Qi Vortex, allowing the user to advance to Dou Zhe.

That meant Dongfang Chen would be guaranteed to advance to Dou Zhe once he completed the mission.

During the six months since he had obtained Dou Qi, Dongfang Chen had also figured out how powerful nine-stage Dou Power was.

In terms of destructive power, using a Fire Element Mage as a comparison, it roughly matched one who had mastered initial level 2 magic, though it fell slightly short of level 3 primary magic.

But if he could get close, Dongfang Chen was confident he could instantly kill any Beginner Mage.

Compared to demons, nine-stage Dou Power was slightly weaker than a servant-level demon.

Dongfang Chen reckoned that once he advanced to Dou Zhe, he should be able to take on a servant demon in close combat.

As a high-star Dou Zhe, he should be able to trounce servant demons without breaking a sweat.

After arriving in Bocheng, Dongfang Chen headed straight to his mother's old house with Butler Sai leading the way.

The house certainly looked old. It was not large, but it had a small, peaceful courtyard out front.

Despite its age, the interior walls were not shabby, and even the furniture had little dust on it. It looked as though someone cleaned it regularly.

The instant Dongfang Chen stepped inside the house-

[Congratulations to the host for settling in Wutan City]

[Rewards: Flame Mantra (yellow-tier low-grade), Grade 4 Pill Juqi San]

[Juqi San has been delivered to the System Space (the System Space can only store system items)]

The system's prompt delivery of the mission rewards lifted Dongfang Chen's spirits.

This broken system might glitch now and then, but it certainly did not skimp on rewards.

Dongfang Chen did not rush to inspect his rewards. Instead, he asked Butler Sai, "Grandpa Sai, does the family still send people to clean this house?"

As far as he knew, no one had lived here since his parents died in an accident, yet there was hardly any dust inside.

"I expect the Mu Clan sent someone to clean it."

"The Bocheng Mu Clan?"

"Yes. The Bocheng Mu Clan is a branch of the Imperial Capital Mu Clan. Your father was friends with Mu Zhuoyun, the head of the Bocheng Mu Clan. Apparently, they even arranged a marriage for you."

"A marriage?" Dongfang Chen blinked. Don't tell me my fiancée is Mu Ningxue?

When Dongfang Chen said nothing more, Butler Sai naturally moved on from the subject.

After all, in Butler Sai's eyes, his young master was only three and probably did not yet understand what an arranged marriage meant.

"Oh, Young Master, after hearing that you had arrived in Bocheng, the Bocheng Mu Clan wanted to hold a banquet for you. Would you like to attend?"

"Would refusing have any repercussions for our family?"

Dongfang Chen had never particularly liked social banquets.

So whenever his uncle took him to one, he declined whenever he could. When he could not, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and attend.

"No," Butler Sai said with a smile.

Although the Mu Clan was a clan and the Dongfang Family was only an established family, there was a considerable gap between the two. (A clan needed a Forbidden Curse Mage and international influence, while an established family had an Archmage.)

But the Bocheng Mu Clan was merely a tiny branch of the Mu Clan, insignificant before a behemoth like the Dongfang Family.

That was why Mu Zhuoyun, the head of the Bocheng Mu Clan, had gone to such lengths to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the young master.

"If you don't want to go, Young Master, you can simply decline."

Hearing Butler Sai's words, Dongfang Chen thought for a moment.

"Grandpa Sai, please politely decline the banquet for me. But since he's Father's friend, we can pay him a private visit later instead."

Dongfang Chen did not want to attend a banquet, but he did want to visit the Mu Clan and see Mu Ningxue as a child.

"As you wish."

Butler Sai prepared to contact Mu Zhuoyun personally.

At Dongfang Chen's request, the social banquet became a family dinner with the Mu Family.

Dongfang Chen also met Mu Zhuoyun and the still very young Mu Ningxue.

He had to admit that Mu Ningxue was adorable as a child.

Her delicate features and long, ice-blue hair made her look like a little princess who had stepped out of a kingdom of ice and snow.

As a child, Mu Ningxue was not yet so cold and aloof.

With Mu Zhuoyun deliberately encouraging her, she soon became friendly with Dongfang Chen.

The two held hands as they ran around playing in the Mu Family Manor.

But even as he played, most of Dongfang Chen's attention remained on the system.

Because the system had just sent a notification.

[Ding! Host encounter with Nalan Yanran detected. Mission to become acquainted with Nalan Yanran has now been issued!]