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Malaysia / China: Carving of the spirit Pipa Jing, depicting her role in the 16th Century Ming Dynasty novel Fengshen Yanyi ('Investiture of the Gods'). From Ping Sien Si Temple, Pasir Panjang Laut

Malaysia / China: Carving of the spirit Pipa Jing, depicting her role in the 16th Century Ming Dynasty novel <i>Fengshen Yanyi</i> ('Investiture of the Gods'). From Ping Sien Si Temple, Pasir Panjang Laut

Pipa Jing was a fictional character in the Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi'. She was a yaojing (demon/spirit) changed from a jade pipa (musical instrument), summoned by the Chinese goddess Nuwa to bring chaos to the Shang Dynasty after King Zhou of Shang insulted her within her own temple.

Alongside two other spectres, Su Daji and Jiutou Zhiji Jing, Pipa Jing changed her form to that of an exceptionally attractive young woman and went to bewitch King Zhou and the people of Shang. She was killed when she tried to get her fortune read by Jiang Ziya, a Chinese nobleman. Sensing that Pipa Jing actually was an evil spirit, he exposed her for what she really was and killed her by unleashing a 'triple divine fire', combined with 'shattering lightning'.

Pipa Jing was eventually revived five years later by Su Daji, after the vixen spirit gathered the essence of both moon and sun and combined them.

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