In the beginning, the King of Shang was a good man... China, 1057 B.C. The well-meaning but foolish king of the Shang Dynasty has gravely insulted a goddess. In revenge, the angry goddess sends a thousand-year-old fox demon to extinguish the soul of the beautiful young Daji, inhabit her body, and seduce the king into taking her as his chief concubine. Daji slowly gains control of the king and his kingdom, leading the Shang Dynasty towards chaos and disaster. But gods and demons are all watching closely and try to take matters into their own hands. This book is based on chapters 1 through 50 of The Investiture of the Gods, one of the most famous novels in classic Chinese literature. It is a gripping tale of powerful gods, scheming mortals and epic battles, but it also explores the dilemma faced by loyal government officials who must choose between their country and its corrupt leader. This book was originally written in the 16th century by Xu Zhonglin but has never been translated in full by a native English speaker. Now best-selling author Jeff Pepper retells the story in contemporary language for modern readers, making it readable while preserving all the core elements of this dramatic story. Jeff Pepper is President and CEO of Imagin8 Press, and co-author of dozens of best-selling books for English-speaking people learning Chinese language and culture, including the best selling 31-volume Journey to the West series and innovative translations of the Dao De Jing, Art of War, and San Zi Jing. Prior to starting Imagin8 Press, Jeff founded and led several successful computer software firms, including one that became a publicly traded company. He's authored two software related books and was awarded three U.S. patents.