WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Heaven Official's Blessing, "Lost Crescentian," now streaming on Funimation.
Xie Lian and San Lang don't get to spend much time together in their new home before they get pulled away to solve another mystery in Episode 6 of Heaven Official's Blessing. The biggest mystery of all continues to shroud San Lang (the nature of his true identity) but Xie Lian doesn't seem to care whether or not San Lang is human or not: the two of them are just really compatible. And even if San Lang is a Ghost King, why would a Ghost King be with Xie Lian in the first place?
Unfortunately, that's just not good enough for the Heavens, who put the mystery man's identity to the test. But these hardships only bring the two closer together.
San Lang & Xie Lian's Perfect Teamwork
San Lang and Xie Lian come across an old man escaped from Crescent Pass -- now dubbed the "Death Pass" because half of the people who pass through it disappear. Xie Lian offers the man water, thus revealing his true identity as a puppet once it's obvious that he can't drink it. The old man runs for the door but before he can do that, San Lang launches his chopstick, pinning him to the ground, leaving nothing but a shriveled mess behind.
With Ling Wen remaining tight-lipped around Crescent Pass, Xie Lian learns from San Lang that there's a Taoist who is known as the Imperial Preceptor of the aggressive Crescentians. 200 years ago, Crescent Kingdom was attacked by the Central Plain. The soldiers fortified the gates but the Imperial Preceptor let in enemy soldiers and turned the city into a bloody mess. This is just the start of San Lang and Xie Lian's troubles, though, through it all, the pair's bond only continues to deepen.
Testing San Lang
Suddenly, Nan Feng and Fu Yao show up at the temple to accompany Xie Lian to Crescent Pass. Upon hearing San Lang's voice, the two storm in and almost immediately are ready to duke it out before Xie Lian manages to stop it. While it's obvious that Nan Feng and Fu Yao dislike and distrust San Lang, it doesn't even bother him. In fact, it seems like San Lang's looking down on the two heavenly officials.
Using a teleportation formation, the four of them travel to Crescent Kingdom, where a pouting San Lang refuses Xie Lang's hat to protect him from the sun. While San Lang checks out a shelter, Fu Yao and Nan Feng ask Xie Lian why he's letting someone as strange and suspicious as San Lang accompany him. Xie Lian responds that to a lot of people, he looks pretty strange, too, but it doesn't make him dangerous.
The two of them insist that they have to test him. Xie Lian and San Lang share a waterskin but Fu Yao slams a flask of True Shape Serum in front of him instead. After confirming with Xie Lian that it's not poisoned, he chugs it -- to everyone's surprise. Feng Xin offers him a sword called Red Mirror to protect himself when, in truth, it's a ghost-revealer. San Lang draws it out but a few inches later, he exclaims that it's broken. And sure enough, the blade has been shattered, much to their horror.
Xie Lian & San Lang Take Care of Each Other
The four of them catch sight of two people running in the middle of a sandstorm. Thinking that it might be the Imperial Preceptor, they all run out. However, Xie Lian loses sight of Nan Feng, Fu Yao and San Lang, and panics for a second. When he spots them all, he's relieved and as he walks up to San Lang -- as if there's no one there except the two of them -- Xie Lian tugs up San Lang's loose robes. The wind blows Xie Lian's hat but not before San Lang catches ahold of it and ties it back for him. But without warning, a sand tornado carries Xie Lian up into the skies. Flailing, he commands his silk band, Ruoye, to grab something solid and dependable. What Ruoye grabs -- and drags up -- turns out to be San Lang!
Although it's becoming increasingly obvious that San Lang is a Ghost King, all of the moments between Xie Lian and San Lang are full of tenderness. The romantic tension isn't as prominent in this episode; replaced by a warm, almost shy air. Xie Lian doesn't seem to mind that he might be in the presence of one of the most feared beings in the world -- to him, he's just San Lang, and that's all that matters.
