Muzha

Muzha—also called Mocha or Hui’an—is the second son of Heavenly King Li Jing and elder brother to Nezha. His persona originates from Mocha, a disciple of the Buddhist monk Great Master Sengqie, later assimilated into the mytho-novelistic tradition of Chinese shenmo fiction. In Journey to the West, he appears as the senior disciple Hui’an Practitioner of Guanyin, brandishing a solid iron staff and repeatedly dispatched by his master to assist the Celestial Court in quelling demons: he battles Sun Wukong, helps subdue the Red Boy, and participates in numerous trials along the pilgrimage to fetch the scriptures. In Investiture of the Gods, he studies under the immortal Puxian Zhenren, descends the mountain wielding a pair of Wu Gou swords and a heart-piercing dart to aid Jiang Ziya in overthrowing King Zhou of Shang, slaying enemy generals such as Li Xingba and earning distinguished martial merit. After the investiture of deities, he ascends to the celestial ranks and resumes his role as a Dharma protector before Guanyin. In popular belief, he is venerated alongside his brothers Jinzha and Nezha as the 'Three Princes', jointly enshrined within the Hall of Heavenly Kings.