The Gourd of No Return is a short Encounter quest in Where Winds Meet, but it has one trap that stalls most players. The offerings you grab from the nearest market don’t work, and the game won’t tell you why. You need three specific items tied to the fallen general Zhang Huaishen before the ritual will complete.
Quick answer: Skip the generic grain, oil, and wine from Skybrim Market. Collect the grain from the Agricultural Commissioner at Reclining Buddha Temple, the oil from the Oil-Selling Veteran at Skybrim Market, and the wine from Li Fanglao at Kingvine Village, then perform Spirit Writing again with those three.
Where the Gourd of No Return starts
This is an Encounter set in Liangzhou Town, in the Hexi region. To open it, climb toward the top of Mount Wuwei and speak with the elder, Guo Huailie. He is mourning his disciple and asks you to help lay the young general to rest.
Before you can help him, you need the gourd itself. It sits under a collapsed roof at the Governor’s Residence on the Liangzhou (Fallen) map. Pick it up first so you don’t have to backtrack.
Image credit: NetEase / CrazyLord
The offerings that actually work
The quest deliberately sends you down the wrong path. When you buy grain, oil, and wine from the merchant at Skybrim Market and try the ritual, the Spirit Writing fails. Zhang Huaishen only responds to the exact grain, oil, and wine he cared for in life, and each one is held by a different person.
| Offering | Who gives it | Where to find them |
|---|---|---|
| Grain | Agricultural Commissioner | Reclining Buddha Temple |
| Oil | Oil-Selling Veteran | Skybrim Market |
| Wine | Li Fanglao (the Wine King Vine’s son) | Kingvine Village |
Tip: The oil comes from Skybrim Market too, but from the Oil-Selling Veteran rather than the general merchant. It is easy to grab the wrong one and assume the ritual is bugged.
Fastest way to finish the quest
How to know it worked, and why it fails
The quest is complete once you reach the top of Mount Wuwei with Guo Huailie after the successful ritual. The Encounter closes out, and your rewards are paid.
If Spirit Writing keeps failing, the cause is almost always the offerings. Generic grain, oil, and wine from the Skybrim Market merchant will never satisfy Zhang Huaishen. Replace them with the three tied to the Agricultural Commissioner, the Oil-Selling Veteran, and Li Fanglao, then repeat the ritual.
Gourd of No Return rewards
Finishing the Encounter pays out currency, exploration progress, and weapon rewards. The totals below are earned across the quest and on completion.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Echo Jade | 50 |
| Hexi Exploration | 50 |
| Enlightenment Points | 200 |
| Character EXP | 22,500 |
| Coin | 22,500 |
| Swiftwing Slash Saber | Weapon |
| Phalanxbane Blade | Weapon |
| Steadfast Devotion: Tome | Item |
Once you know the offerings ahead of time, the whole thing is a quick round trip. Grab the gourd, gather the correct grain, oil, and wine, and the ritual clears on the first proper attempt.
