I explained things to Bingbing. Daji nodded in agreement and said that it was likely due to her dual identity that these two historical periods had been merged. In the Investiture of the Gods, King Li Jing of Pagoda and Daji also had a connection. Li Jing had almost killed Daji, but fortunately, Goddess Nuwa appeared in time and blocked Li Jing's fatal arrow.
Daji emphasized that the one who shot her at the time was not Li Jing, but Chong Houhu. Ji Fa was the Marquis of Xibo at that time, and Chong Houhu was the Marquis of Beibo.
Daji stated that it was very likely that both periods involved the history of the demon race, and it had been muddled up by later generations.
History was too complex, and with the existence of the demon race, it was even harder to discern truth from falsehood. I was too lazy to investigate further. The problem now was not Li Jing, but Yuwen Chengdu, and more crucially, the Jiangdu Palace ruins.
Daji also did not know where this Jiangdu Palace was. That year, she had not accompanied Emperor Yang of Sui to Jiangnan, but stayed in Chang'an to guard with Yang Su. She had only heard that Yang Guang had built a palace in Jiangdu, which is present-day Yang Province, that was no less luxurious than Chang'an. This was the main palace of the Great Sui court.
Jinling was not far from Yang Province, separated by a river. Now there were bridges spanning the river. We went downstairs, hailed three cars, and went directly to Yang Province.
Upon arrival, Yao Yao and I split up. She went to interview the local people, and I went to the library to consult the local chronicles of Yang Province.
Much of the information online was still incomplete. For example, not all local chronicles from various regions were digitized. To find the real deal, one had to delve into physical literature.
However, by four o'clock in the afternoon, after searching continuously, Yao Yao and I contacted each other and still had found nothing.
I suddenly remembered that Little Slave should be very close in time to Emperor Yang of Sui. I asked her, but she, a ghost from the Tang Dynasty, didn't know. She was a ghost from the mid-Tang period, by which time the Jiangdu Palace had already been destroyed and was not worth visiting. Therefore, even though Little Slave's master was a high-ranking official, he had never been to Yang Province.
"How about..." Little Slave suggested, "we go back to the underworld and look for ghosts from that era?"
"Do you know any ghosts from the Sui and early Tang dynasties?" I asked.
"I don't know any personally, but I know someone who participated in the Jiangdu Mutiny. He should know the detailed address," Little Slave said.
"Who?"
"Sima Dekan. This person currently holds a position in the court, seemingly in the Ministry of Rites," Little Slave said. "Once, when the Ministry of Rites asked our Divine Machine Camp to manufacture ceremonial cannons for the Emperor's birthday, I saw him once during the inspection. I didn't recognize him then, but another colleague told me that this person was the commander of Emperor Yang of Sui's one hundred thousand elite troops. He was very formidable!"
I nodded. I had some impression of this person. He was the main instigator of the Jiangdu Mutiny. It could be said that he killed Emperor Yang of Sui and then supported Yuwen Huaji. However, he later fell out with Yuwen Huaji, was stripped of his military power, and was eventually hanged by Yuwen Huaji.
Knowing this made things easier. It would be too late to go to the underworld personally. I took out the Soul Summoning Token and directly called Little King Yama. I was worried about Xie Bi'an and the others, as they were not in the same system and might not know Lord Sima.
The intercom connected, and Little King Yama's lazy voice came through. He was probably sleeping. As long as he wasn't fighting, it was fine. I didn't know where he was in his solo deep dive towards the Three Yin Hall.
"Why do you always call me when it's inconvenient?" Little King Yama complained.
"Because you're not only good-looking but also extremely busy and never have spare time," I flattered him.
Little King Yama chuckled, "Go ahead, what is it?"
"Do you know Sima Dekan?"
"The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, what about it?"
"Can you contact him? I have some matters I'd like to consult Lord Sima about."
"Didn't you just return from Erqi City? He's in Erqi City, accompanying His Majesty."
Oh, right. At that time, the King of Hell had brought dozens of ministers with him, but I didn't have the time to pay attention to them. If I had known I would need this gentleman, I would have introduced myself.
"Are there any Yin Messengers in Erqi City?" I asked. Erqi City was near the outskirts of the capital and quite far. If there were colleagues there, it would be best, saving me another trip.
"Then I'll have to check for you. I'll hang up now."
The Soul Summoning Token did not support calls with more than three people, so I had to hang up and call back.
I had a backup plan. While waiting for his call, I asked Bingbing to contact Xie Bi'an and inquire about the nearest City God Temple in Yang Province, preparing to enter the underworld again.
Two minutes later, Little King Yama called back, saying that there were no Yin Messengers currently on duty in Erqi City.