Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 1 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

 GREETINGS STACK WORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM OBSESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *cough* *hack* *wheeze* I'll be fine. I just love this book series. The anime is great too. And I'm dying to see the live-action (if it's anything like The Untamed). I kind of read these out of original publication order, sorry. I went TGCF, then RZFZX, and then MDZS (you'll know what those other titles are if you read my other reviews). 

While these books are by the same author, I'm going to do them separately because they are different series, so this isn't going to be like my NAGA Brides review (though if you like this review go read those plz?). 

TW: 

- Gay Panic 

- LGBTQ

- Some foul language 

- Some graphic violence 

- Daoism/Taoism practice 

- Different religion (Oh no how scary *sarcasm*)

SPOILERS AHEAD.........................DUH!!!

Xie Lian is a thrice ascended god...and a laughing stock. This time he ascended as a poor scrap god and is made to go on missions to fix the damages he did while ascending. So, he goes on a mission to find out why brides are going missing while crossing a mountain path. Two new deputy gods are assigned to help Xie Lian during said mission, even though, they don't get along with each other and find Xie Lian to be kind of a mess. 

To find out how and why brides are going missing Xie Lian dresses up as a bride himself to bait the ghost groom. However, during this trip, the caravan is attacked by ghoul like beings and Xie Lian is saved by a powerful and gentle-man, who leads him to an old shrine for one General Pei. Then disappears. 

This is where his deputies and he meet back up to find that there is no Ghost groom. Just a dead jilted lover of General Pei's who couldn't stand the thought of brides going to their weddings happy. So, she killed them and turned them into her army of undead brides. It's only when Pei Junior steps in that the lover is finally removed from the temple. 

Afterward, Xie Lian decided he was going to fix himself up a shrine in the mortal realm and live there. On his way back one day, he comes across a very handsome and very knowledgeable youth. Who thought to have run away from home so Xie Lian offers him a place to stay, which the young man accepts enthusiastically, calling Xie Lian his 'gege'. 

Once we get to know San Lang a little bit, then it's time for a new adventure to the Banyue pass, which is a complete shit show. San Lang, Xie Lian, and his two deputies have to fight against scorpion-snakes, undead plant faces, and undead Banyuen barbarians that try feeding them to their trapped fellow warriors. 

Xie Lian having guessed who it was behind everything calls out Pei Junior for destroying Banyue and constantly feeding the undead barbarians traveling merchants for years. Pei JR doesn't deny this, he's just surprised that Xie Lian had figured it out. 

After the Wind Master and the two deputies rise to heaven with their new prisoner, Xie Lian calls San Lang out for being the ghost king, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, Hua Cheng. Having figured it out when San Lang's disguise was too good for a lowly ghost. They travel back to the shrine for rest and this is where San Lang promises to one day show gege his true form, no matter how monstrous it might be. 

Likes: 

- the characters: San Lang is hot and funny, Xie Lian is adorable and kind in every way, the deputies (spacing on their names sorry it's been a while since reading it) are funny and I know who they are so it makes it cute that they're helping Xie Lian out. 

- GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All of the gay. There gay. Here gay. Everywhere there is a gay!! 

- The art is breathtaking

- I want to find out Xie Lian and San Lang's entire past so much so I'm gonna keep reading

Dislikes: 

- The Peis' are assholes! 

- There is some awkwardness here and there because of the translation, but after watching the donghua (Twice in Mandarin, Once in English) I got what I was missing. So, it feels necessary to cross over media-wise to fully understand, which can be a bit irritating, but the donghua is great so no complaints. 

- THESE BOOKS ARE TAKING TOO FUCKING LONG TO COME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *throws self down and proceeds to have a fit* I literally bought the series from Taiwan to get more volumes, even though I cannot read them. Yes, deluxe editions. Do you think I was exaggerating when I said obsessed earlier? No, I wasn't. 

Sorry, I know this isn't the best review and the next two won't be either since I read them a bit ago. Anyway, that's it for now. Toodles! 

- Bug