Malaysia / China: Carving of Chao Tian, depicting his role in the 16th Century Ming...

A character from the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi', Chao Tian was an officer serving under King Zhou of Shang. When Huang Feihu rebelled against King Zhou and escaped to Ji province to serve King Wen of Zhou instead, Chao Tian and his brother Chao Lei were sent to spy on them; the two were described as being the right and left hands of King Zhou himself. They are eventually found out and defeated by Nangong Kuo, who captures them and brings them back to the sage Jiang Ziya. They refuse to kneel in front of Jiang Ziya, seeing him as no more than a peon. Huang Feihu tried to convince them to become generals under the Zhou army to avoid being executed, but they refuse, worrying for their families should they be found fighting against King Zhou. Their lives were spared in the end, and the two brothers were forced to stay within Phoenix City. By the end of the novel, Chao Tian was appointed as the deity of Suipo Star, while his brother became the deity of Zhongduo Xinggong. Editor: Anandajoti