Heaven Official's Blessing

Heaven Official's Blessing (Chinese: 天官赐福, pinyin: "Tiān Guān Cì Fú") is a Chinese novel series written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (Chinese: 墨香铜臭). A donghua series adaptation was first released on Bilibili and Funimation on 31 October 2020 and received a positive review and recommendation by CBR. The novel was first published in 2017 on , a popular Chinese website for publishing and serializing online fiction. It consists of 244 chapters and an additional five stories in eight chapters that take place post-canon. The last novel number 6, was published on 7 March 2022. There also exists a manhua based on the novel, illustrated by STARember and published by Bilibili, with 83 chapters as of 13 October 2022. It has been collected into 2 published volumes as of 18 July 2022.
Synopsis.
Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom. He was loved by his citizens and was considered the darling of the world. He ascended to the Heavens at a young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances, was quickly banished back to the mortal realm. Years later, he ascends again–only to be banished again a few minutes after his ascension.
Now, eight hundred years later, Xie Lian ascends to the Heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms. On his first task as a god thrice ascended, he meets a mysterious ghost who rules the ghosts and terrifies the Heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this ghost king has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time.
Plot.
Novel.
Though not chronologically, the novel follows the life of Xie Lian, a once human crown prince of the Kingdom of Xianle in the east who ascends to godhood at seventeen after dedicating himself to cultivation and martial training. During the inaugural years of his divinity, his kingdom experiences upheaval and war, due in part to drought and a terrifying new disease. Going against the edicts of both the heavenly realm and of fate, Xie Lian involves himself in the affairs of the mortals who have always loved and supported him, hoping to achieve peace and relieve suffering in his kingdom. Unfortunately, his appearance in the mortal world only amplifies the conflicts between his people, and their desperation leads to the dramatic and abrupt downfall of Xianle, as well as the downfall of Xie Lian. The people destroy his temples, statues, and shrines, abandoning him as their most respected religious figure and earning him the reputation of a God of Misfortune.
Much later in his immortal life, after being banished twice by the Emperor of the Heavenly Realm, Xie Lian again ascends to the heavens to work as a godly official. Now known as a peculiar, peripatetic scrap-collector with perennially bad luck, Xie Lian is ridiculed or ignored by most other heavenly officials. Nevertheless, he retains his good-hearted nature and only wishes to fulfill his duties as a god.
For Xie Lian's first assignment of his third ascension, he is tasked with solving the mystery of a number of brides who have disappeared during their wedding processions through Mount Yujun in the mortal world. During his investigation, he is unexpectedly greeted by a ghost whose form resembles that of a young man wearing maple-red robes and silver vambraces, with black boots and attached silver chains. Silver butterflies and a rain of blood also accompany the first appearance of the youthful ghost. He interacts with Xie Lian only to briefly guide him in his mission, by taking his hand and walking with him through Mount Yujun, simultaneously breaking an enchantment array on the mountain that was preventing Xie Lian from detecting the culprit of the disappearances. After his completion of the assignment, bemused by an encounter he describes as "oddly charming to the extreme," Xie Lian learns from heaven that he had encountered Hua Cheng, or Crimson Rain Sought Flower (血雨探花), one of four fearsome ghost kings known as the Four Great Calamities.
Heedless of warnings to stay away from Hua Cheng, Xie Lian continues to cross paths with the nonchalant and intelligent ghost king as he becomes increasingly enveloped in the affairs of the three realms of heaven, earth, and ghost. Their interactions gradually lead to the building of a close, mutually protective relationship. As he unravels his feelings for Hua Cheng, and as Hua Cheng establishes himself as a steady fixture in his life, Xie Lian is yet to realize just how long their pasts have been entwined.
Translation.
The novels are being officially translated into English by Seven Seas Entertainment with eight volumes in total. The first was released on December 14, 2021 and volume 5 was released December 20, 2022.
Origin.
Regarding her conception of the story, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu has said:
Adaptations.
Donghua.
The donghua was released on Bilibili and Funimation in October 2020. The production of a second season was confirmed by Bilibili in January 2021. A special episode was released on February 16, 2021. Netflix also began streaming the series (including the special episode) as of April 9, 2021.
The English dub premiered on November 12, 2021 on Funimation.
Live-action.
A live-action series, "Eternal Faith", began production in 2021. Chen Jialin will direct the series.
Characters.
Main characters.
Xie Lian 谢怜 (The Crown Prince, God-Pleasing Crown Prince, Flower-Crowned Martial God, Scrap Immortal)
Voiced by: Jiang Guangtao (donghua), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese dub), Park Yohan (Korean dub), Howard Wang (English dub), Non Sepho (Thai Dub)
Hua Cheng 花城 (Crimson Rain Sought Flower 血雨探花, San Lang 三郎)
Voiced by: Ma Zhengyang (donghua), Jun Fukuyama (Japanese dub), Jeong Joo-won (Korean dub), James Cheek (English dub), Sakarach Amsom (Thai Dub)
Heavenly Court.
Jun Wu 君吾
Ling Wen 灵文
Voiced by: Huang Ying (donghua), Yoko Hikasa (Japanese dub), Kim Bo-na (Korean dub), Wendee Lee (English dub)
Shi Wudu 师无渡 (Lord Water Master, The Water Tyrant)
Shi Qingxuan 师青玄 (Lord Wind Master, Lady Wind Master)
Voiced by (female form): Qiu Qiu (donghua), Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese dub), Anjali Kunapaneni (English dub)
Voiced by (male form): Lu Zhixing (donghua)
Ming Yi 明仪 (Lord Earth Master, Lady Earth Master)
Yushi Huang 雨师篁 (Rain Master)
Feng Xin 风信 (General Nan Yang 南阳真君)
Voiced by: Wen Sen (donghua)
Nan Feng 南风
Voiced by: Wen Sen (donghua), Makoto Furukawa (Japanese dub), Choi Seung-hun (Korean dub), Phil Song (English dub)
Mu Qing 慕情 (General Xuan Zhen 玄真将军)
Voiced by: Hu Liangwei (donghua)
Fu Yao 扶摇
Voiced by: Hu Liangwei (donghua), Chiaki Kobayashi (Japanese dub), Nam Doh-hyeong (Korean dub), Lucien Dodge (English dub)
Pei Ming 裴茗 (General Ming Guang, General Pei)
Voiced by: Tu Xiongfei (donghua), Junichi Suwabe (Japanese dub), Aaron Campbell (English dub)
Pei Su 裴宿 (Little Pei, A-Zhao)
Voiced by: Ling Fei (donghua), Toshiki Masuda (Japanese dub), Aaron Campbell (English dub)
Quan Yizhen 权一真 (Qi Ying)
Lang Qianqiu 郎千秋 (Prince Tai Hua)
Calamities.
White No-Face/Bai Wuxiang 白无相 (White-Clothed Calamity 白衣祸世)
He Xuan 贺玄 (Ship-Sinking Black Water 黑水沉舟)
Qi Rong 戚容 (Night-Touring Green Lantern 青灯夜游, Green Ghost)
Banyue 半月
Voiced by: Tao Dian (donghua), Kana Hanazawa (Japanese dub), Emi Lo (English dub)
Xuan Ji 宣姬
Voiced by: Shan Xin (donghua), Yuko Kaida (Japanese dub), Michelle Rojas (English dub)
Spiritual devices.
Ruoye 若邪
E'ming 厄命