Zhang Yong's question made Li Ming recall the memories that she obtained during her challenge against Tiao Chen.

"She was banished from the Valkyrie court. Her wings were destroyed and she was sent to the Forbidden lands. But I have no idea why she was banished in the first place."

Li Ming told him what little she knew and it was clear that she was just as confused about Valkyrie's past as Zhang Yong was.

A sigh escaped her lips as she once again turned her focus towards the thick old book that was resting on the table.

She let the lights of the library dim before she moved her fingers over the carvings on the book cover.

The Shadow Lord was observing her very carefully, making sure that she was alright. He was ready to aid her if or when she needed him to.

Li Ming let her mind calm down before she focused it on the carvings, letting the magic of the book connect with her own as her mind tried to find the right spell to unseal the book.

It did not take long before she was muttering a small spell in the ancient language that belonged to the ancestors of the Mage Clan.

The book flew open as soon as she finished the spell. The green light that illuminated the characters and sketches made it easier for her to understand what was written or drawn on the pages.

She immediately looked through the index, her fingers, and eyes searching for the same word.

It took her quite some time but eventually, she found exactly what she was looking for.

She spent almost an hour reading through the section which was completely based on Valkyries, learning about their strengths and weaknesses.

After she finished reading the book, she looked not even a little bit relieved. Rather, her frown had deepened and there was worry in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Zhang Yong asked as he took one of her hands in his own, rubbing them softly in order to soothe her body and mind.

Li Ming let out a soft sigh as she felt Zhang Yong's touch working magic on her body. His mere touch was enough to help her relax.

She was silent for a few minutes before she finally spoke.

"If it was only a Valkyrie, it won't be so hard to deal with her. But this is no simple Valkyrie. She has been in this world for millenniums. She knows the dark spells and demonic cultivation. We have no idea how strong she has become in such a long time. How many people are working for her? And that black mist. The mist that has ruined half of the Demon Realm, I'm sure it is way more powerful than we think."

Zhang Yong's fingers stilled for a few seconds before he once again resumed to draw soothing circles in her palm.

"You are right, Ming'er. Our biggest drawback is that we have no information about our enemy while she is perfectly aware of us and our movements."

He looked so serious at the moment, completely different from his usual carefree self.

He noticed her watching him and as he turned his eyes towards her, he found her eyes filled with so much warmth and affection for him.

He could not help but smile at her as he entangled their hands while speaking, "No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side. I promise."

Li Ming stood up from her seat and engulfed the Shadow Lord in a tight hug.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Zhang. You are the best friend and family that I could have wished for. I love you just as much as the rest of my mates, and I hope that you will stay by my side for the rest of my life."

She placed a soft kiss on his forehead as she spoke those words from the depth of her heart.

Zhang Yong mattered for her just as much as the rest of her mates. Even though the two of them were not in a romantic relationship but that did not mean that she cared less for him. She loved him just as much as she loved her soulmates.

The two hugged each other tightly as Zhang Yong found himself filled with her warmth and love.

Not knowing that the coming days held so much pain and suffering for the two of them.

-

"Why it looks like you are planning something really scary?"

Zhang Yong asked as he followed her towards the little bridge that stood over the black stream in the Evernight province of the Demon Realm.

He had noticed that she visited this bridge frequently during her trips to the Demon Realm.

But he had no idea about what was so unique or secretive about that bridge.

Li Ming passed him a small smile as she looked around her surroundings, immediately noticing the high density of the black mist that was present around her.

It was the only reason why she used to visit this place time and again. The amount of evil darkness was more around this bridge than it was in the town.

It was probably because of the stream but she was not a hundred percent sure about her assumption.

She just needed enough evilness around her to connect to the black mist and find the answers to her questions.

"What are you planning to do, Ming'er?"

Zhang Yong again asked when he found that she had almost ignored his first question.

"I'm gonna try to find some answers about the Valkyrie by using the dark mist and evil aura that is present here." She finally told him about her plan as they reached the bridge.

Zhang Yong was left surprised for a few seconds before he shook out of his shock and stopped her as he asked, "Is it safe? You are not going to take any risks with your safety, right?"