Where Winds Meet wraps a full marriage system inside its wuxia action RPG, and it is built entirely around other players. You cannot marry NPCs no matter how many gifts you hand them. What you can do is pair with another real person, hold a ceremony, and pick up bonuses that grow the more you play together.
Quick answer: Switch to Online Mode, reach Intimacy Level 2 (Companions) with your intended partner, form a group with them, then travel to NPC Shi Yimo in Red Maple Forest and choose the partnership option to complete the wedding.
What you need before you can marry
Partnerships only exist between player characters, so both of you need to be playing in Online Mode. The gate to a wedding is Intimacy Level 2, called Companions. This is the second tier of the intimacy system, and it comes quickly through playing together or trading gifts. Think of it as a “we actually know each other” checkpoint rather than a grind.
Gender places no restrictions on partnerships. Any character can pair with any other character, regardless of the combination. You can also only hold one partnership at a time in the global version, so this is a single-partner commitment unless you later want to go through an in-game divorce.
How to form a partnership with Shi Yimo
Fateful Search: finding a partner when you play solo
If none of your friends play, the game includes a matchmaking feature. From the Social menu’s Partnership section, choose the “Seeking Fate” option, then head to the Wishing Band Tree near Shi Yimo in Red Maple Forest.
Leave a message describing your character or what you want in a partner. That message becomes visible to other players browsing the board, and anyone interested can contact you directly. It still depends on other people checking the listings and reaching out, but it beats cold-messaging strangers in world chat.
Intimacy levels and the bonuses they unlock
Intimacy runs from level 1 to 10 and applies to all player relationships, not just marriages. You raise it by playing together, clearing co-op content, or exchanging gifts from your inventory. Each level needs a short ceremony with your friend or partner to advance once you hit the threshold, so you cannot skip straight to the top.
| Level | Adventure slip bonus | Key unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Acquainted) | 10% | Shared adventure slip bonus begins |
| 2 (Companions) | 15% | Synced actions to follow and move together |
| 3 (Kindred) | 20% | Login notification, Shadow Pairs drinking emote |
| 4 (Comrades) | 25% | Camaraderie I, borrow outfits 30 min weekly |
| 5 (Allies) | 30% | Teleport to partner in the same scene, Open Door |
| 6 (Harmony) | 35% | Camaraderie II, borrow outfits twice weekly |
| 7 (Enduring) | 40% | Known By All, auto-join your team |
| 8 (Sworn) | 45% | Camaraderie III (60 min twice weekly), friendship badges |
| 9 (Destined) | 50% | Higher bonus tier |
| 10 (Vowed) | 55% | Maximum adventure slip bonus |
The adventure slip bonus is the standout reward. At max intimacy, you earn 55 percent more slips when playing with that same partner, which is a large gain if you grind content together regularly. The level 5 teleport to your partner’s location and the auto-join options at higher tiers also remove a lot of the usual “where are you” friction in co-op.
Partnership points and rewards after the wedding
Once your partnership is live, you level it up separately from intimacy for extra benefits. Playing together earns partnership points and Harmony Tokens, which you spend in an associated shop for exclusive rewards. The design pushes you to keep playing with your partner rather than marrying and then ignoring each other.
Limits, the single-partner rule, and Velvet Shadows
In the global version you commit to one partner at a time. There is one known exception tied to the Velvet Shadows sect, which reportedly allows multiple partners, but that sect is not part of the Western release, so the single-partner rule stands for now.
Note: partnerships are one of several social systems. Discipleships let players at level 50 or higher mentor up to five disciples, and sworn brotherhoods bond groups of up to 10 players for recurring co-op. Those run on their own progression and do not affect who you can marry.
NPC affinity is separate from marriage
You cannot marry NPCs, but raising their affinity still pays off. Complete their quests, run favors, and hand over their preferred gifts to build affinity faster. Higher affinity with merchants opens better stock and sometimes lower prices, while other NPCs unlock personal story quests and occasional unique rewards. Acting against a faction can lower affinity with its NPCs and lock you out of related quests, so behavior matters.
If you are chasing the co-op advantages, the fastest path is picking one steady partner, hitting Companions, running the ceremony with Shi Yimo, and then keeping your intimacy climbing toward that 55 percent slip bonus.
