"This is so beautiful."

Li Ming whispered as she softly caressed the jade hairpin that her Mother-in-law just gifted her around half an hour ago.

She had seen her fair share of unique and rare jewelry. She even had many talented jewelers working for her but she still never found anything as beautiful and spiritual as the jade hairpin that she received from the Empress Dowager as a gift.

Its stick was made of white jade while five different colored twines (golden, blue, red, purple, green) were wrapped around each other before they joined with the little phoenix at the top which was also made of white jade.

The small feathery crown of the little Phoenix was made of orange-colored jade while the phoenix's body had a touch of silvery sparkles.

Whoever carved the hairpin, he/she was really a talent that needed to be praised and look up to.

A smile appeared on Li Ming's lips as she realized that the jade hairpin in her hand carried the colors of all of her mates.

"She knows how to win your heart." Zhang Yong praised the Empress Dowager as he watched Ming'er setting the hairpin inside a wooden box.

She safely tucked the hairpin in the enchanted box before putting the box away, making sure that the precious gift was as safe as it could.

"So, what are you planning to do now?"

The Shadow Lord asked her as he looked at the huge library where they were currently sitting.

No! It was not the library that she had in Xiao Tiantang, rather, it was the library inside her magical mansion. The one which was filled with the books that held secrets of the supernaturals and history of the Mages.

Li Ming stood up from her seat as she started moving towards the huge shelves that were covering almost eighty-five percent of the area of the entire library.

Zhang Yong followed behind her and soon found that they were moving towards the farthest corner of the library.

"I got this mansion when I turned twenty-one back in my previous world. I have known since then that this library and mansion held the answers to almost all the questions related to our kind. But I never needed to really use this information."

Li Ming told him as she stood in front of a wooden shelf that was standing against the wall in the very back of the library.

There was a candlestick standing in one of the compartments and when she turned it around, the shelf started moving.

Soon enough, the shelf opened into a new small room about the size of an elevator, and they found three more shelves lining the walls.

Even Zhang Yong could feel the air of ancient powers and secrets that were present around those shelves and the old huge books that were sitting in them.

"This hidden compartment holds the secrets of some of the most powerful supernaturals. Since our opponent is a Valkyrie, I'm sure that we will find something here."

Li Ming said before she muttered a luminous spell and the compartment filled with light, making it possible for her to find the book that she was looking for.

It took her a few minutes to locate the book that she needed. It was a very old but thick and heavy book, covered in dust and cobwebs.

Zhang Yong took the book from her as he helped her out before they once again closed the hidden compartment.

As they returned to the study table where they were sitting before, the Shadow Lord settled the book on the table before he cleaned it with his spiritual energy.

The book fluttered a little as it felt the presence of something very similar to magic.

After making sure that the book was no longer covered in dust and cobwebs, Zhang Yong took his seat beside his mate.

Li Ming took in a deep breath as she looked at the carvings that were visible on the cover of the book.

They were written in ancient mage language, guiding her to the spell that would eventually help her to open the seal that was placed on the book.

"Ming'er..."

Zhang Yong called her name as he too looked at the book with a serious look taking over his handsome face.

"Hmm."

Li Ming responded in acknowledgment before she turned her face to look at him.

"What exactly is a Valkyrie?"

Zhang Yong finally asked the question that he wanted to ask ever since she told him about how Hei Long saved her from the curse and that she was aware of the identity of the person who had ruined the Demon realm.

Li Ming relaxed in her chair as she decided to answer his question, forgetting about the book for the time being.

"They are known as the 'Choosers of the fallen'. They are the female warriors who work for a very powerful God. They are elegant and noble maidens with wings. Their duty is to collect the souls of the dead heroes and take them to the Afterlife Hall where they train together to serve their master. The Valkyries are one of the most powerful and respected warriors of our world and are known for their loyalty towards their master."

The library was filled with silence as Zhang Yong thought about what he just learned.

"So, these Valkyries are supposed to be good-hearted?" He asked his mate as soon as the question popped up in his mind.

A sad smile appeared on Li Ming's lips as she slightly shook her head before answering his question.

"Not necessarily. They are not only the collectors of souls of the dead heroes. In fact, they are the ones who decide which person was going to die in the battle and which one will live on. They are definitely not the cruelest ones of our kind but they are also not the most kind-hearted ones."

Zhang Yong nodded his head in understanding as a sigh escaped his lips with another question.

"What made this Valkyrie end up with such darkness in her heart?"