This survey will take about 1 minute.
Your answers will help us to improve our website.
Where Winds Meet
The Story of Blissful Retreat
NEW: Hexi Map | Chapter 3 | Flute Mystic Skill
★ Unfettered and Everspring Build
☆ Liangzhou | Cat Fever | Prismatic Essence
✪ Updated: Best Weapon | Best Builds
☆ WWM Game8 Twitter: New tips daily!
Recruit using our Guild Recruitment Board!
Here's the story of Blissful Retreat in Where Winds Meet. See the full story and lore summary for the Blissful Retreat, along with a list of important characters, here.
List of Contents
Blissful Retreat Full Story
This is based on Williamweeb's analysis of the full story of Blissful Retreat. For more in-depth Where Winds Meet and other Wuxia-inspired game lore, check out Williamsweeb’s YouTube channel and videos!
1. Qinghe: A Land Forged in Conflict
Nestled between the sixteen prefectures and ruled by the Later Zhou Dynasty, Qinghe lies at the heart of Yanyun. It has long been scarred by battles with the Khitan forces of the Northern Liao Dynasty. Yet amidst this turmoil, your journey begins in tranquility in the peaceful fields of the Blissful Retreat in Heaven's Pier.
2. Young Master of Blissful Retreat
You, the protagonist, grew up in Heaven’s Pier. Being under the steady guidance of Uncle Jiang (Jiang Wulang) and the tender care of Aunt Han (Han Xiangxun), proprietress of the Blissful Retreat Inn, you were fondly called the Young Master by the townsfolk. Yet, despite this nurturing home, your true origins remain veiled in mystery.
Three years earlier, Uncle Jiang vanished without a word. A hidden letter revealed he had been summoned by Prime Minister Wei Daoji to once again draw his sword and aid Tian Ying against the looming threat of the Dream Puppet Calamity.
|
“One of my disciples, Tian Ying, discovered a strange item … only to be caught in Tang’s hands. … Knowing the Dream Puppet Calamity has returned, I now write to you.
Old grudges still burn and new threats now arise. ... I ask again to draw your sword.” - From Wei, to Jiang Wulang
|
Influenced by Uncle Jiang’s training and experience, you and your childhood friend Ruby—the spirited daughter of Uncle Zhou, the inn’s loyal butler—share a passion for martial arts and a yearning to step into the boundless world of the Jianghu. Aunt Han, however, remains cautious, fearing the dangers such a path may bring.
Now sixteen, you stand beside Aunt Han, preparing the Blissful Retreat for the First Jar Banquet, a grand celebration renowned across Jianghu for its legendary Parting Tears wine.
3. The Secret Beneath
Behind Aunt Han’s gentle guise as an innkeeper lies the legacy of a patriot of the Jianghu. Once known as the Water Lady, she was both a skilled martial artist and a master of disguise, gifted with the rare ability to alter a person’s face.
Hidden beneath the Blissful Retreat is a secret clinic. With the aid of her loyal assistant Tian Ying, who conceals her own identity beneath a man’s disguise, Han offers face‑alterations for gold. Yet the true purpose of this art runs deeper. Years ago, Qinghe’s patriots willingly surrendered their faces and identities, becoming spies who infiltrated Khitan lands in the hope of reclaiming freedom for their homeland.
|
“Fifteenth day of the eight month: Successfully swapped the face of the daughter of Jiangnan's Du family with Lan, their beautiful servant. Recover requires one month. Made 10,000 Gold."
- Water Lady's Notes
|
Not all transformations succeeded, unfortunately. Those who failed the operations chose to remain underground, nameless ones that do not want this secret revealed, waiting for the day their sacrifice would somehow lead to the freedom of Qinghe.
 A group of “Faceless Ones” remain hidden in the underground chambers to protect the secret of the face alterations. |
Locked within the same chamber lies a perilous record. A list containing all the spies and the true identities of those who underwent the transformations. Its existence alone makes Aunt Han and the Blissful Retreat a coveted target.
4. Yi Dao's Arrival
Yi Dao, feared across Jianghu as the Killerblade, first appears as a hostile intruder seeking Aunt Han. Yet fate quickly entwines your paths, and together you investigate the bandits suddenly surrounding Heaven’s Pier. Yi Dao uncovers their allegiance to the Aureate Pavilion of the Jiangnan Kingdom.
In pursuit eliminating this threat, you confront Dalang the Horse Dancer. Though defeated, the horse dancer feeds his steed a strange pill, reanimating it into a creature resembling those spoken regarding the Dream Puppet Calamity. Just as despair looms, Aunt Han fells the abomination with a precise and graceful strike.
 The defeated horse, Dalang, is reanimated with glowing red eyes and a black aura surrounding it after being fed a strange capsule by the horse dancer. |
With the Aureate Pavilion’s attack thwarted, Yi Dao finally reveals his purpose that night with you and Aunt Han.
5. The Conflict Between Aunt Han and Chu Qungquan
 Yi Dao reveals his mission to Han Xiangxun, along with the unfortunate news about her former lover, Chu Qingquan. |
Yi Dao revealed himself to be a messenger sent by Chu Qingquan, Aunt Han’s former lover. He delivers the devastating news that Chu had perished during the Blackwater City incident. Though Aunt Han outwardly masked her grief with indifference, her heart was shaken, and she could no longer deny that Blissful Retreat was no longer a sanctuary.
The following day, Aunt Han instructed Uncle Zhou to pour out the jars of Parting Tears she had saved for Chu’s return. Every annual banquet, she saved one jar hoping for Chu's return. Each one was a silent promise of reunion that would now never come.
 Uncle Zhou pours out jars of Parting Tears that Han has been saving every banquet for Chu's return. |
Han Xiangxun and Chu Qingquan were once lovers and heroes who fought side by side against the Khitan invaders. Yet in the Peace Bell Tower, something fractured between them. Some say their quarrel arose because Chu wished to have his face altered to infiltrate the Khitan envoy as a mission tied with a greater plot involving Tian Ying.
 The ruined bell and the scattered throwing daggers stand as silent witnesses to the fierce quarrel between Han Xiangxun and Chu Qingquan within the Peace Bell Tower. |
But how could she agree to such a request? To alter a lover’s face is to erase their identity, a transformation no different from losing them entirely.
|
"Your face determines your fate. Another face, another fate..."
- Unknown Voice
|
6. Leaving Blissful Retreat
 Aunt Han contemplating finally relocating Blissful Retreat as she comes to terms with the loss of Chu. |
With the news of Chu’s fate and the looming threat of the Aureate Pavilion, Aunt Han finally resolves to relocate the Blissful Retreat after the banquet. She had long known the secrets hidden beneath its chambers would draw ill intent, yet delayed the decision out of hope that those who had left might one day return.
In her sorrow, Han confesses her regret for ever letting Chu go and vows never again to lose anyone by her side. This includes the Young Master, whom she forbids from following the perilous ways of the Jianghu, fearing it will lead only to death. But the Young Master, unwilling to be bound, and with a passion and motivation of their own, chooses to leave quietly with Yi Dao to Kaifeng.
|
"You follow the ways of the Jianghu, you will end up dying in the Jianghu. Do you want to be like [Chu], without even a proper grave ...
I regret it! ... I shouldn't have let him go. We leave tomorrow morning. All of us. I have found a place where no one can find us, and no one can leave." - Han Xiangxun to the Young Master
|
Ruby, ever spirited, still passionately dreams about living the Jianghu dream. Knowing of this passion, the dangers of living the path of the Jianghu, and you're plans of leaving Blissful Retreat, you decide to comfort her by first introducing her to Yi Dao as the living example of a warrior forged in the Jianghu.
 Moved by her lively spirit, Yi Dao gifts his horse to Ruby, who she names Clip‑Clop. |
Moved by Ruby’s lively spirit, Yi Dao gifts her his horse, which she names Clip-Clop. You spend the afternoon riding with her across Heaven’s Pier, draping her with a red cape upon her shoulders, a keepsake worthy of a true heroine. With the carefree heart of youth, she embraces your decision, her laughter rising as the crimson cloth dances behind her in the wind.
 Ruby joyfully prancing along adorned with the red cape you gave her after she accepts your decision to leave Blissful Retreat. |
That night, Yi Dao shares more of Chu Qingquan’s story. He recalls how Chu once saved his life, and how, after being gravely wounded in Blackwater City, Yi Dao carried him out, only to lose him in an accident while crossing the Yellow River. With no body ever found, Chu’s fate remains uncertain.
And at that very moment, disaster strikes.
7. The Siege of Blissful Retreat
Warriors of the Aureate Pavilion storm the Blissful Retreat, led by Qianye, the enchanting woman you once met in the inn, now revealed as a deadly sorceress sent to claim the spy list at any cost.
The first to fall is Uncle Zhou, Ruby’s father. As you try to intervene, Yi Dao restrains you, knowing your inexperience would mean certain death. Yet, seeing in you the same spirit of determination once carried by Chu Qingquan, he chooses to fight at your side despite the impossible odds.
 Yi Dao confronts the Young Master, knowing that their intervention will ultimately lead to their demise. |
You manage to rescue Ruby and several townsfolk, only to discover that Blissful Retreat is ensnared in Qianye’s illusion, disorienting everyone with what seemed to be endless copies of Blissful Retreat. Yi Dao reveals that the only way out of the illusion is to be guided by something from the high ground.
 A faint red banner waves on Moonveil Mountain amidst the chaos. |
Ruby, fearless and determined, breaks free from Bearded Guang, whom you had instructed to restrain her to prevent reckless action. She slips away through the hidden passages and ascends Moonveil Mountain. Soon, a familiar red cape flutters against the sky. She has raised the keepsake you gave her as a guiding flag, a beacon to lead everyone out of the illusion. Yet the signal also draws the eyes of the enemy, and a storm of arrows begins to fall upon her.
Ruby holds her ground. Clip-Clop shields her from Qingye's first enchanted arrow, gravely wounded in the act. Then in an act of selfless sacrifice, Ruby ties the cape to the tree instead, ensuring the flag will remain even when she inevitably falls. Qingye releases a second arrow, this one tearing through the flag before striking the young heroine.
 Ruby tying the the cape you gave her to the tree to act as a guide out of Qianye's illusion. |
You rush toward Moonveil Mountain, but Qianye blocks your path. She reveals another spell, shifting her face into Aunt Han’s likeness to prey upon your emotions. At one point of her illusion, she shows two forms, her true visage and one resembling Aunt Han, yet bearing the frame of a man, hinting at Han’s long‑deceased twin brother.
 Qianye's true form revealed in an illusion, along with another figure resembling Han Xiangxun. |
Together with Yi Dao, you Qianye and waves of enemies. Realizing survival is unlikely, you share a final drink of Parting Tears with Yi Dao, a toast of brotherhood and farewell. With newfound resolve, Yi Dao pushes you from the cellar and ignites the countless jars of wine, unleashing an explosion that consumes himself, Qianye, and the rest of the Aureate Pavilion warriors.
As the flames roar, a hand resembling Aunt Han’s pulls you from the inferno. Overcome by wounds and exhaustion, you collapse, slipping into unconsciousness.
8. The Aftermath
You awaken days later to the grim silence of what remains. The Blissful Retreat lies in ruins, reduced to ashes and memories. At Yi Dao’s grave, you bow in respect, honoring the bond of brotherhood and the sacrifices made by everyone to defend the sanctuary.
There are survivors, though few. Among them is Clip-Clop, rescued by a passing caravan, carrying the scars of sacrifice yet still alive. Aunt Han, however, is nowhere to be found, her fate shrouded in mystery.
This is the Jianghu, a world where stories are born from tragedy, shaped by generations of war and chaos. No longer the Young Master of Blissful Retreat, you set your eyes toward Kaifeng, seeking answers about your origin, Uncle Jiang, and Aunt Han’s disappearance. You leave behind the ashes of your past, stepping forward as a wanderer with a new face, bound to the endless roads of the Jianghu.
Blissful Retreat Important Characters
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
 Jiang Wulang
(Uncle Jiang) |
The Young Master's adoptive father who raised and trained him in Martial Arts. It's been three years since he disappeared. |
 Han Xiangxun
(Aunt Han) |
The protagonist's adoptive mother and the proprietress of Blissful Retreat. Beneath her gentle exterior lies the past of a patriot of the Jianghu. |
 Ruby
|
Uncle Zhou's daughter from Heaven's Pier who is a close friend of the protagonist. Like the protagonist, she is interested in the Jianghu and wishes to explore it with them. |
 Yi Dao |
Also known by his moniker “Killerblade”, he is the jianghu wanderer who arrives at Qinghe in the beginning of the game. He forms an allliance with the protagonist to uncover the Aureate Pavilion's plot in Blissful Retreat.
▶︎ Yi Dao Boss Guide |
 Qianye |
A witch sent by the Aureate Pavilion to lead the raid of Blissful Retreat to eliminate Han and find the document of Qinghe spies.
▶︎ Qianye Boss Guide |
Where Winds Meet Related Stories and Lore
Comment
Author
The Story of Blissful Retreat
Please participate in our site
improvement survey
03/2026
improvement survey
03/2026
Would you assist in
improving Game8's site?
improving Game8's site?
×
We are listening to our users' valuable opinions and discussing how to act on them.
The information collected through this survey will be used for the purpose of improving our services. In addition, the information will only be disclosed a part of a statistic in a format that will not allow identification of personal information.
Begin Survey
Not Now
×
Please rate each item regarding Game8.co's Advertisements.
Amount of Ads
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Fine
Somewhat Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Placement of Ads
Timing of Ad Display
Ad Loading Speed
Safeness of Ads
Content of Ads
×
Please rate each item regarding Game8.co's Quality of Articles.
Amount of information
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Fine
Somewhat Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Frequency of updates
Speed of new information
Accuracy of articles
Understandibility of articles
Readability of sentences
×
Please rate each item regarding Game8.co's Usability of the Site.
Ease of finding information
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Fine
Somewhat Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Loading Speed
Use of Color
Font Size
Visibility of Images
Easy to Understand Layout
×
Please rate each item regarding Game8.co's Message Boards, Comments.
Ease of Writing
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Fine
Somewhat Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Readability
Ease in Finding Information
Comment Quality
Comment Quantity
Admin Response
×
Please rate each item regarding Game8.co's Site's new design.
Please rate our site's new design
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Fine
Somewhat Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Do you think that the website's design change makes the site easier to use?
Has the new design made it easier for you to find information on the site?
Has the new design improved the overall visual appeal of the site?
How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the new design of the site?
×
How likely are you to recommend Game8 to someone you know?
Very Unlikely
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very Likely
If you have other opinions regarding potential improvement to the website, please share them with us. We would appreciate your honest opinion.
Note: This is a free response section, so you can proceed without entering anything.
Note: Please be sure not to enter any kind of personal information into your response.
Note: Please be sure not to enter any kind of personal information into your response.
×
Thank You
×
Thank you for participating in our survey! Your answers will help us to improve the quality of our website and services.
We hope you continue to make use of Game8.
We hope you continue to make use of Game8.
Close
Rankings
- We could not find the message board you were looking for.
Popular Games
Genshin Impact Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Honkai: Star Rail Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Umamusume: Pretty Derby Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Pokopia Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Resident Evil Requiem (RE9) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Monster Hunter Wilds Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Wuthering Waves Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Arknights: Endfield Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP) Strategies & Guides Wiki
Recommended Games
Fire Emblem Heroes (FEH) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Monster Hunter World Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Persona 3 Reload Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
All rights reserved
©1997-2025 NetEase, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The copyrights of videos of games used in our content and other intellectual property rights belong to the provider of the game.
The contents we provide on this site were created personally by members of the Game8 editorial department.
We refuse the right to reuse or repost content taken without our permission such as data or images to other sites.