"Wine Master Jiu!" An excited exclamation rang out inside the store. This surprised everyone and they could not help but take a look at the direction of the voice. 

At the entrance, they saw two figures dressed as a waitress and a waiter respectively, and when everyone realized who they were, their expressions immediately eased up. 

Jiu Shen similarly glanced at them, but his face remained unperturbed. He had already expected their presence in his store since he had discussed this with Emperor Elyk.

Just then, he suddenly felt a supple and fragrant body hugging him tightly like an octopus.

The fragrance of a young jasmine flower assailed his nostrils.

"Wine Master Jiu, you're finally back! Huhu!" This was none other than Sylvia, the fifth child of the emperor and the only daughter he had. 

Looking at the young girl with long and silky black hair, Jiu Shen recalled the day he had first met her and he could not help but let out a smile. 

The fourth prince, Prince Dante who was about to pull his sister from Jiu Shen suddenly saw the latter's smile and he almost staggered from shock. "Wine Master Jiu?" He muttered absent-mindedly. 

Was this really the aloof Wine Master Jiu that he knew? Then what was that smile just now?

Jiu Shen gently pushed Sylvia away as he spoke to them. "Why are the two of you late for work?" He asked.

Prince Dante and Princess Sylvia glanced at each other before taking an embarrassed look at Jiu Shen. 

"Wine Master Jiu, the imperial palace is far from here and since the area around your store is under relocation, there is no place to stay nearby. Emperor father also prohibited us from living outside of the imperial palace, so we had no choice." Prince Dante explained while scratching the back of his head with a forced smile.

Beside him, Princess Sylvia nodded her head like a chicken pecking on rice. She was happy to see Jiu Shen again, and when she recalled that she had actually hugged him out of excitement, she dipped her head to hide her blushing face. 'Ah!! I hugged him?! He smells so nice. Hehe!'

Jiu Shen thought for a moment and realized that the fourth prince's words made sense. He knew that the emperor prohibited them from living outside of the imperial palace because it'll be dangerous for the both of them. The Silver Wing Empire might be calm on the surface, but he knew that it could erupt any time by now. 

"In that case, you both should get to work. After the store closes later, you must stay and follow me somewhere." Jiu Shen said as he rubbed the head of the little lolita in his arms.

The fourth prince and the fifth princess finally saw the small figure in Jiu Shen's arms, making them dumbstruck. 

"Wine Master Jiu, this...is she your daughter?" Princess Sylvia asked in a slightly trembling voice. 

Everyone listened attentively, including Theia who appeared to be calm outwardly.

Jiu Shen's expression was calm as he shook his head. "No...but you could also take it that way."

Everyone was confused, but they no longer asked Jiu Shen when they saw him walking away with the little girl in his arms. 

Ice who was surprisingly silent throughout the whole conversation suddenly trembled, but Jiu Shen hurriedly rubbed her tiny head gently, making her ease up considerably.

Ice covered her adorable pair of eyes with her chubby right arm as she sobbed quietly. She then buried her face into Jiu Shen's chest since she was afraid that the other people might see her crying. 

"Let's go to my room. You can tell me your story right there." Jiu Shen said as he embraced the lolita closer to him. He knew that she might have recalled her family earlier. 

After arriving on the second floor, Jiu Shen saw that Liuli was already standing at the entrance of the second floor with a bored expression and pouted lips. Seeing this, Jiu Shen chuckled in his heart. 'Girl, that's what you get for messing with this Heavenly God.'

Liuli's eyes lit up when she saw Jiu Shen, and when she saw the little girl in his embrace, she was a bit stunned but she didn't ask him any questions and just pursed her lips to express her dissatisfaction with Jiu Shen's arrangements for her. After all, she was a 9th-rank Saint realm expert, but she was actually working as a door guard? She couldn't stomach this kind of treatment especially after leading a carefree life for many years, but who told her to provoke this malevolent being in front of her? She only had herself to blame for this...

"Don't worry. This is only a temporary arrangement for you. Think of it as my little punishment to you." Jiu Shen said as he patted the head of the pouting Liuli. 

Liuli wanted to smack his hand away, but when she sensed the warmness and his gentle touch, she couldn't bear to do it, so she could only puff her cheeks like a little girl. She was surprised at herself that she actually displayed this kind of expression to someone else and it was even to a man at that.

"Lord Jiu Shen, I know I was wrong. I-I..."

"Go inside and see for yourself. You might even want to get this position forever after you check this second floor that you're guarding." Jiu Shen cut her off as he went straight to the third floor without turning his head back.

Looking at his back figure, Liuli stomped her foot in a bit of annoyance, but because of her curiosity, she went to check the second floor.

"Huh?! This! What?! So that's why he is so confident... Hahaha! He's indeed right. I'd be willing to work as a guard in this kind of place!" Liuli exclaimed as she checked every corner of the second floor. She was stunned at the concentrated amount of true essence inside, and she realized that cultivating in this place was even much better than in her own abode.

"What a good cultivation environment! How did Lord Jiu Shen create this place? He's truly an unfathomable man..." She muttered as she looked around the second floor with a dazed look.