Chapter 1

A Horse Neighs in the Forest

main-story released introduction

Summary

The protagonist returns to Heaven's Pier and is dragged into an involuntary adventure with the mythical bandit Killerblade, who is searching for someone from his past.

Characters

Aunt Han (Han Xiangxun)

Independent - formerly Jianghu underworld qinghe

Innkeeper of Blissful Retreat and adoptive mother of the protagonist. Her hidden jianghu identity is the legendary Water Lady - a master of face-altering surgery. Secretive, sharp-tempered, and pursued by the Aureate Pavilion after taking certain artifacts from them by force.
Yi Dao (Killerblade)

Unaligned bandit-hero qinghe

A mythical wandering bandit and parry-combat duelist searching for Han Xiangxun. Intervenes to save the protagonist during the Aureate Pavilion raid on Heaven's Pier, and later returns as a Qinghe world boss.
Young Master of Heaven's Pier

Independent qinghe

The player character - infant rescued by Uncle Jiang and raised by Aunt Han at Blissful Retreat. After Heaven's Pier falls, the Young Master becomes a wandering xiake whose true origin remains unknown.

Connections

Synopsis

The longest quest in Chapter 1. The protagonist returns to Aunt Han's inn - Blissful Retreat - and is set to serve wine to patrons while Han manages the floor. Routine work is interrupted by an errand: the new wine sets have not arrived from the kiln, and Han sends the Young Master to investigate. What looks like a logistics hiccup turns into a crime scene. Bodies in the storage unit. A survivor pinned. As the protagonist tries to extract them, a tall stranger with a massive blade attacks - first labelled simply Jianghu Wanderer, soon revealed as Killerblade (Yi Dao / Di Yao).The encounter slides from hostility to uneasy alliance. Killerblade is not hunting the village; he is hunting someone. Specifically, he is searching for Han Xiangxun - the name Aunt Han went by before she put down her swords. The protagonist, dragged into a story that predates them by decades, becomes Killerblade's reluctant guide as the trail leads through traps, locked rooms, and finally to a confrontation with the kiln-takers themselves.The standout combat beat is the Dalang boss fight. Dalang is the bandit holding the kiln, and the Owner is held alongside as both hostage and unwilling ally - the Owner's poison flasks become an exploitable mechanic, applying poison to Dalang if the player keeps Dalang positioned between themselves and the Owner. Phase one is a three-body skirmish; phase two is a focused 1v1 against Dalang where deflect timing is the only real currency.By the quest's end, Killerblade and the Young Master have been split, reunited, and forced to trust one another. Killerblade's reason for being in Qinghe is now explicit: he is looking for Han Xiangxun, and he expects answers.

Key Events

Return to Blissful Retreat; serve wine for Aunt Han.
Sent to investigate the kiln over missing wine sets.
Discover crime scene with casualties; rescue a survivor.
Attacked by Jianghu Wanderer - revealed as Killerblade / Yi Dao / Di Yao.
Forced cooperation through a trapped building; split-and-reunite puzzle sequence.
Confront the kiln-takers - Dalang boss encounter (with Owner as poison-applier).
Phase two: 1v1 deflect duel with Dalang.
Killerblade reveals he is searching for Han Xiangxun.
Quest closes, handing the mystery thread to Dusty Mirror.

Outcomes & Revelations

Killerblade / Yi Dao introduced as recurring ally-of-convenience.
The name "Han Xiangxun" is dropped - Aunt Han has a past.
First substantive boss fight (Dalang) - teaches deflect timing.
Player learns the kiln is being used as cover for something larger.
Trap-room puzzles introduced as a Qinghe-flavoured mechanic.

Notable Quotes

“I'm here looking for Han Xiangxun. Lead the way.”
- Killerblade
“Stop rambling about wandering the jianghu and go serve the wine.”
- Aunt Han
“I know this martial style — I won't kill you. Not yet.”
- Killerblade

Gameplay Notes

First "real" combat showcase of the campaign. Dalang is the rite-of-passage boss for deflect mechanics - phase one rewards positioning (Dalang between player and Owner = free poison stacks), phase two collapses into a clean deflect duel. Quest is also notable for a known progression bug: if the player quits the game while inside the trap-room before solving the gate puzzle to let Killerblade through, the next load can spawn the player on the wrong side of the gate. Workaround: exit the building into the open world, then use "Return to Quest Point" from the Quest menu. Expect ~45-90 minutes for first-time players; the quest is intentionally long to set tone.