Kong Xuan

Kong Xuan is a character from the 16th-century Chinese novel *Fengshen Yanyi*, based on the Buddhist figure Mahamayuri. He is a peacock spirit who became King Zhou's general during the Shang dynasty. Kong Xuan was born as the world's first peacock when chaos divided, with his mother being the phoenix, ancestor of all birds. Known for his pride and ambition, he attained enlightenment, transforming into human form to serve as the general of the Three Mountains Pass. Later, he was sent to Jinji Ridge to block the Zhou army, using his five-colored light rays to challenge even King Wu's strongest generals, such as Nezha and Erlang Shen. This ability is inspired by Buddhist sutras like the *Mother Great Peacock Sutra* and the *Tathagata Protection of the Countryside Dharani Sutra*. Eventually, Kong Xuan was defeated by Candi, a Buddha from the west, reverting to his peacock form and becoming Candi's mount. He later assisted in battling the Zhuxian Evil Formation.

In folklore, Kong Xuan is also known as a peacock demon living in a lacquer tree. He attacked Taoist priest Candi, who used a branch from the tree to create the magical Lacquer Treasure. This treasure subdued Kong Xuan, making him Candi's disciple.