Wang Duolu is one of the Jianghu Friends in Where Winds Meet, tied to both a fishing contest and an AI-driven conversation. He sits by the river near General’s Shrine in Qinghe, debating whether to give up on fishing after a long streak of bad luck. Winning his friendship requires two things: meeting the right conditions in the open world and then steering his AI Chat toward a specific emotional outcome.
Where to find Wang Duolu and when he talks
Wang Duolu appears around General’s Shrine in the Qinghe region. There are effectively two relevant presences tied to him:
- A Fishing Contest “sentient being” north of the shrine, which uses his name for the minigame.
- A chat-capable fisherman by the river just across the General’s Shrine Boundary Stone, south of the main island.
The AI Chat only becomes available when he is actively fishing. At other times, he may be sitting or resting with no interaction prompt. Players consistently report success by changing the in‑game time to noontime (Wu hour) or to the Si hour window until he stands and casts his line.
How Wang Duolu works as a Jianghu Friend
Wang Duolu is classified as a Jianghu Friend associated with the Fishing Contest activity in Qinghe. Jianghu Friends are world NPCs that can become long-term acquaintances. Reaching Revered status with them grants weekly gifts and contributes to regional completion challenges such as “Old Friends” at General’s Shrine.
| NPC | Region | Type | Primary reputation action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Duolu | Qinghe (General’s Shrine / Verdant Wilds) | Jianghu Friend · Fishing Contest | Defeat him in a Fishing Contest; complete AI Chat successfully |
Reputation with Wang Duolu increases by defeating him in a Fishing Contest. The AI Chat encounter then lets you resolve his personal dilemma about quitting fishing and, when handled well, immediately pushes his affection to Revered.
Prerequisite: clear his Fishing Contest
Before the AI Chat behaves as expected, it helps to complete the fishing activity attached to his name near General’s Shrine.
Step 1: Travel to General’s Shrine in Qinghe and head toward the northern side of the island where Fishing Contests take place. Interact with the AI NPC that uses Wang Duolu’s name to start the contest.
Step 2: Win the Fishing Contest against him. This increases his reputation and ensures he shows up properly on the map as a Jianghu Friend.
Step 3: Once the contest is done, cross to the south bank of the river opposite the shrine’s Boundary Stone. Change the in‑game time to noontime or Si hour so that he stands and begins fishing. You should now see the AI Chat prompt when you approach.
Players who skip the contest can sometimes still talk to him, but completing it first makes the relationship state more consistent and avoids some of the “missing friend” confusion in the General’s Shrine Old Friends progress.
How to succeed in Wang Duolu’s AI Chat
Wang Duolu’s AI Chat revolves around a simple emotional goal: convincing a frustrated inventor-fisherman not to abandon his passion. He complains that the river never rewards his elaborate fishing devices and that years of effort have produced nothing but junk catches. Your responses need to validate his dream and reframe his failures as part of a long game.
Core strategy: lean on patience and encouragement
His hint points toward patience and persistence. The most reliable pattern is to:
- Affirm that fishing remains a worthwhile dream.
- Argue that giving up guarantees failure, while patience lets the river “test” and eventually reward him.
- Close with a confident blessing or praise that frames him as a visionary, not a fool.
An example of a full conversation that pushes his affection to Revered uses this kind of structure:
- Open with something like “Don’t give up on your dream of fishing.”
- Follow with a line such as “Nothing will ever happen if you give up. The water rewards people who are patient.”
- Reinforce his renewed resolve: “That’s the spirit. As long as you keep at it, the river will eventually play along.”
- End warmly, for example: “Very good. I wish you the very best catch.”
Another reported sequence that works keeps the same sentiment but uses different wording, praising his innovative ideas and insisting that he continue because his work can help others, then punctuating the exchange with positive feedback such as “wonderful”. The exact phrasing can vary; what matters is the consistent message that he should stay the course and that the river favors dedication.
General AI Chat techniques that help with Wang Duolu
Reset the dialogue when it stalls
Step 1: If the conversation goes sideways or loops, click the Refresh icon at the top of the chat box. This clears the current thread without affecting your world progress.
Step 2: On the next attempt, stick to a single strategy built around encouragement and patience. Avoid mixing in jokes about his failures or suggesting he quit or change professions, which can confuse his emotional state.
Resetting and re‑running a focused strategy is usually faster than trying to salvage a thread that has wandered far from his core issue.
Back out if combat starts
Some AI-enabled NPCs in Where Winds Meet can turn hostile if the conversation hits a dead end in the wrong way. If that happens with Wang Duolu or any other Jianghu Friend:
Step 1: Immediately exit to the login screen instead of fighting it out. Avoid killing dialogue-capable NPCs unless absolutely necessary.
Step 2: Load back into the game. The NPC returns to their original position and state, letting you attempt the conversation again without permanent consequences.
NPCs tied to AI Chat generally respawn after accidental deaths, but relying on that behavior is risky when chasing exploration or completion percentages.
Use his hint text as your compass
Every AI Chat NPC has a short prompt that effectively defines the “win condition.” In Wang Duolu’s case, his text frames the problem as a crisis of faith in fishing. If he seems happy in the dialogue but the conversation never wraps up or does not award affection, read that hint again and adjust your approach to match it more literally.
With him, answers that argue for patience, steady practice with the river, and confidence in his designs all align with that hidden requirement. Statements that push him toward abandoning fishing, seeking a different river, or turning his inventions to other uses may raise his mood but still fail the underlying condition.
How Wang Duolu affects General’s Shrine “Old Friends”
General’s Shrine has an “Old Friends” regional challenge that tracks how many Jianghu Friends you have befriended around the area. Players frequently get stuck at 5/6 even after chatting with multiple NPCs, only to discover that the missing slot is tied to Wang Duolu’s riverbank version south of the shrine.
To ensure his contribution registers:
Step 1: Confirm that you have befriended the standard Old Friends in the area, such as Li Laizuo, Zhao Dali, Chai Bakun, Lie Buxi, and Wang Duobao.
Step 2: Locate Wang Duolu on the south bank opposite the General’s Shrine Boundary Stone. Adjust the time so he is fishing and open AI Chat.
Step 3: Run a successful encouragement-focused conversation until the system grants a large affection boost and marks him as Revered. The Old Friends counter should then tick up to 6/6.
Some players also report that the Jianghu Friend icons on the map use yellow markers for friends who count toward these area challenges, while white markers often indicate other interactable NPCs. When troubleshooting a stuck percentage, focus on the yellow marks first.
Alternative fast-track conversation opener
There is another simple route that can move things along quickly if the patience angle feels finicky. Instead of only reassuring him from the riverbank, you can directly challenge him to a fishing contest through AI Chat:
Step 1: Start the chat and, when the opening allows, say something like “Why not have a fishing contest with me?”
Step 2: If he hesitates, respond with a nudge such as “Come on—what’s there to fear from a little contest?”
Step 3: When he agrees, answer with an enthusiastic “Great.” and follow the thread through. This reinforces his identity as a fisherman worth testing himself against, and can quickly raise his affection.
This line of conversation still respects his pride and determination, but does it through shared action rather than philosophical reassurance.
Once both his Fishing Contest and AI Chat end on the right notes, Wang Duolu settles into his role as a fully recognized Jianghu Friend. His relationship contributes to Qinghe’s completion targets and adds another small story about stubbornness, invention, and waiting out the river to the wider world of Where Winds Meet.
