Qi Sheng quietly sits on the critical path of Where Winds Meet’s early game. He is both your first real build-defining decision and the NPC who turns all those strange plants and bugs into permanent power. Missing what he offers can slow your progression far more than most side content.
Qi Sheng location in Verdant Wilds
Qi Sheng lives in the Qinghe region, inside the Verdant Wilds sub‑area. You reach him soon after the opening chapter, once the game lets you move around more freely.
| Detail | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Region | Qinghe |
| Sub‑region | Verdant Wilds |
| Landmarks | Southeast of General's Shrine, west of the Verdant Wilds Wayfarer waypoint |
| Type of NPC | Oddity Collector (non‑interactable in AI Chat) |
To track him down, move toward the area between General's Shrine and the Wayfarer point in Verdant Wilds and look for a small roadside stall. The game positions him so that you naturally run into him as you follow early main quests and exploration icons, but it is possible to ride past without realizing he is more than set dressing.
What Qi Sheng does: oddity exchange and Melodies of Peace
Qi Sheng is the main sink for oddities in the early game. Oddities are the strange collectibles the game nudges you to pick up: Enchanting Lotus, Redmist Beetles, Whisper Hives, and similar curiosities scattered across Qinghe.
| Function | What Qi Sheng provides |
|---|---|
| Oddity exchange | Trades your collected oddities for progression in a specific talent tree |
| Talent affected | Melodies of Peace |
| Benefit type | Permanent stat boosts and additional arts (combat‑relevant abilities) |
Handing over oddities to Qi Sheng upgrades your talent in Melodies of Peace. Each upgrade layer adds concrete value: more raw stats and access to arts that fold into your broader build. These are not cosmetic bonuses; they influence how strong and flexible your character feels as combat difficulty ramps up.
Oddities themselves appear across the open world and are tracked under the game's Sentient Beings category. A dedicated Oddities map exists in the in‑game compendium and on the interactive map interface, which makes it practical to route side excursions through oddity‑dense pockets instead of wandering at random.
Qi Sheng’s early quest: your first major weapon choice
Beyond oddities, Qi Sheng is tied to one of the first big questions the game asks you: What role do you want to play in a group?
After the initial prologue and a few main story quests, you encounter an old man by a stall along the road. He teaches you the Tai Chi mystic skill, then sends you to fetch a beehive. Completing that task leads straight into a reward choice tied to weapon types.
| Weapon | Role shorthand | What it is good at |
|---|---|---|
| Panacea Fan | Healer | Support and recovery in co‑op groups |
| Thundercry Blade | Tank | Front‑line defense and self‑shielding |
| Infernal Twin Blades | MDPS (melee damage) | Close‑quarters damage output |
| Vernal Umbrella | RDPS (ranged damage) | Attacking from distance with more safety |
Picking one of these unlocks that weapon’s corresponding Martial Arts for your character. That matters more than the physical weapon drop itself: you can loot or buy weapons of many types, but you cannot use their skill kits until the Martial Arts line is unlocked. This decision defines what you actually play in combat for a long stretch of the game.
Each choice subtly steers your early build:
- Panacea Fan fits players who enjoy supporting others in co‑op or who want more sustain baked into their kit.
- Thundercry Blade leans into tanking, with strong defensive options and self‑shields useful in higher difficulties.
- Infernal Twin Blades reward aggressive melee play, darting in and out of enemy reach.
- Vernal Umbrella suits players who prefer to maintain distance and kite enemies.
There is no wrong option, but your pick will shape both how you approach encounters and which Inner Ways and Mystic Skills feel natural later.
How Qi Sheng fits into character progression systems
Where Winds Meet layers several progression systems on top of each other. Qi Sheng touches two of the most opaque ones: oddities and Martial Arts unlocks.
| System | Qi Sheng’s role | Impact on your character |
|---|---|---|
| Oddities | Primary exchange point | Permanent boosts via Melodies of Peace, extra arts |
| Skills | Questgiver tied to Tai Chi training and first weapon unlock | Unlocks a full Martial Arts line based on chosen weapon |
| Overall build | Indirect anchor for support/tank/DPS identity early on | Guides later choices in Inner Ways, gear, and co‑op role |
Oddities fed to Qi Sheng sit alongside more conventional paths in the Develop menu: levelling up Martial Arts, enhancing gear slots, and slotting Inner Ways. The game never fully foregrounds the oddity system, but the stat differences accumulate in the background. Characters that keep funneling oddities to Qi Sheng feel sturdier and more complete than those who treat oddities as flavor collectibles.
His early quest also syncs with how the game handles weapon access. Panacea Fan and Infernal Twin Blades can be unlocked again relatively early through a Skill Theft exploration quest near the starting zone. Thundercry Blade and Vernal Umbrella, by contrast, are tied to Kaifeng content much later in the campaign, after you work through the first two story chapters.
That timing gives your Qi Sheng choice extra weight: if you want to play Thundercry Blade or Vernal Umbrella during the long stretch between Qinghe and Kaifeng, picking them at his stall is the practical way to do it. If you are comfortable waiting, you can instead secure an earlier heal or melee damage option, knowing the other roles become available later through standard progression.
How to prepare for Qi Sheng as a new player
When starting a fresh character, Qi Sheng is one of the first points where planning ahead pays off.
- Decide your preferred role early. Think about whether you want to spend most of your time holding aggro, keeping allies alive, or focusing on dealing damage. Use that decision to drive your weapon pick from his quest.
- Pick up every oddity you see in Qinghe. Enchanting Lotus, Redmist Beetles, and other “strange” items along paths, rivers, and cliffs feed directly into Melodies of Peace upgrades once you reach Qi Sheng.
- Use Solo Mode to learn his systems safely. Playing in Solo Mode gives space to experiment with your new weapon and any arts unlocked through Melodies of Peace without the pressure of other players.
Once Qi Sheng is unlocked on your map, it is worth routing back to him whenever you have a new batch of oddities. Treat it as part of the same loop as visiting healers, upgrading Martial Arts, and enhancing gear in the Develop menu. Keeping that rhythm makes the game’s difficulty curve feel more even and ensures your build keeps pace with new zones and bosses.
Qi Sheng looks like a background roadside elder, but he is wired directly into two of the most powerful early systems in Where Winds Meet: your first real class‑like commitment and a steady stream of passive upgrades. Learn where he sits in Verdant Wilds, bring him every oddity you can find, and take a moment with his weapon offer instead of clicking through it. Your future self, staring down later bosses, will feel the difference.
