Throne and Tempest I is the Kaifeng Lost Chapter added in the Version 1.7 Imperial Palace update for Where Winds Meet, released on May 28, 2026. Completing it grants access to the heavily guarded Imperial Palace region and pulls you into an investigation that turns into a plan to break into a sealed vault. The chapter runs in two parts, and the second segment unlocks a few days after the patch went live.
Throne and Tempest I requirements and rewards
You cannot pick up the Lost Chapter until you meet both unlock conditions. The level gate and the story prerequisite both apply.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Unlock level | Character Lv. 32 |
| Prerequisite quest | New Arrival in Kaifeng - The Welcoming Crowd (Kaifeng Main Chapter) |
| Start location | South Gate Avenue, Kaifeng (near Constable Wang) |
| Unlocks | Imperial Palace region and the Sealed Treasury campaign |
Finishing the chapter pays out a single batch of rewards once the final conversation ends.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Echo Jade | 80 |
| Lingering Melody | 1 |
| Coin | 67,500 |
| Imperial Service Token | 1 |
| Stored EXP | 67,500 |
| Imperial Palace Exploration | 120 |
Start the investigation at South Gate Avenue
Step 1: Travel to South Gate Avenue in Kaifeng and stop near the crowd gathered around Constable Wang. Listen in on the complaints about a string of thefts in the district. Talk to the locals to open the investigation.
Step 2: Activate the Wind Sense mystic skill and follow the footprints across the city. The trail leads to Zhang Ankang and Liu Xian. Speak with them and the onlookers to hear about a so-called Signboard Spirit.
Step 3: Continue the dialogue chain until you learn the spirit supposedly kills at midday. The clues point you to an Official Seal. Pick it up to trigger a conversation with a middle-aged man.
Infiltrate the Imperial Palace
Step 1: Follow the man to his carriage and board it. He reveals a plan to rob a secret vault. Agree to help, and your character changes into the Imperial Service garb to slip inside the palace. Speak with the security personnel to move on.
Step 2: Find the idle Imperial Guard standing by the walls inside the palace. Two dialogue options appear.
| Dialogue option | Result |
|---|---|
| Start with the business of Imperial Service | Gets you locked in prison until Zhao Guangyi frees you; finish the follow-up dialogue to receive a pendant |
| Pretend to be a guard of the Sealed Treasury | Alternate response path |
Join the Imperial Service and start the night patrol
Step 1: After escaping confinement, report to Du Youwei. You enlist as a new recruit on the security team. Finish the conversation, then head to the study room to read through some old files.
Step 2: Use the time change feature to switch to the Zi hour so the night patrol can begin. Follow the marker to Xing Li and the rest of the recruits.
Step 3: Keep following the markers until you reach a courtyard. Investigate inside to pick up the "Letter Hidden Beneath a Dead Tree," which confirms the palace invented a ghost story to scare people away from the secret vault.
Investigate the servant's quarters and Haunted Palace Wall
Step 1: Report the letter back to Du Youwei. He gives you permission to check the servant's quarters. Talk to Huizhen and play the slap-dodging minigame to keep the interrogation going.
Step 2: Travel to the Haunted Palace Wall the next marker points to. In the courtyard, use Wind Sense again to track footprints until you find the token left by a palace guard. Return to Du Youwei to advance.
Step 3: Head to the Training Ground and eavesdrop on three different guards. Their chatter reveals a cricket match happening next to the haunted courtyard. Go to the rear garden and catch a cricket, then move to the fighting ground north of the Imperial Vault Boundary Stone.
Win the Cricket Fighting minigame and tail Liu Liang
Cricket Fighting is one of the new entertainment activities added with the palace. Pick any captured insect from the left panel and it brawls on your behalf. The crickets auto-attack, so your job is to trigger their special ability at the right moments to gain the advantage.
Step 1: Clear the Cricket Fighting bout to continue the chapter.
Step 2: For the final step, follow Liu Liang all the way to the haunted courtyard without being spotted. Use the rooftops to stay out of sight.
Step 3: Once you reach the tree, strike the bell using the Meridian Touch mystic art. Finish the conversation with Liu Liang to wrap up the chapter.
How to confirm Throne and Tempest I is complete
The chapter closes after the final conversation with Liu Liang, and the reward batch lands at that point. Receiving the Imperial Service Token and the 80 Echo Jade payout confirms the first segment is done. With it cleared, the Sealed Treasury campaign becomes available, and the full Imperial Palace area opens for exploration, where appearances such as Cricket's Delight, Palace Crimson, Demon Queller, and Jadestep Spring can be earned alongside Hero Titles, Decorations, Inscriptions, and Lingering Melodies.
If the chapter does not appear in your log, check the two gates first. You need Character Lv. 32 and a completed New Arrival in Kaifeng - The Welcoming Crowd before the Lost Chapter becomes acceptable. The second half of Throne and Tempest follows a few days after the patch release, so the chapter is structured to continue beyond this opening run.