Where Winds Meet: A Keen Ear Encounter Walkthrough

A Keen Ear is an Encounter quest in Where Winds Meet that starts at the entrance to Crownleek Terrace in Qingzhou Eastern Peak, near Greenshade Village. A trio of gossiping elders is spreading a rumor that a scholar named Huang Chuan failed his exams and is now plotting a rebellion. Your job is to listen in, investigate the scholar’s home, and settle the truth.

Quick answer: Eavesdrop on the elders at dusk, go to Huang Chuan’s cottage and subdue the black-clad intruder (Meng Ding), explain the misunderstanding to the villagers, then wait two days and return to the village entrance to finish.

Where to start A Keen Ear

Open the world map and look for the Encounter marker near Greenshade Village in Qingzhou Eastern Peak. The quest sits at the entrance to Crownleek Terrace, also labeled Sageplow Stead on the map. Travel there and find the group of three villagers standing by the dirt road: Li Hongxia, Liu Yinyuan, and Xu Guiying.

Locating Quest on Map — The map marks A Keen Ear near Greenshade Village in Qingzhou Eastern Peak. Shown at 00:07 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

Eavesdrop on the elders at dusk

Move your character close to the large boulder next to the talking elders. This is the spot where the eavesdrop interaction triggers, so stay within range of their conversation.

Moving to Eavesdrop Position — Position yourself by the boulder next to the elders to set up the eavesdrop. Shown at 00:28 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

If the eavesdrop prompt does not appear, open the zodiac clock menu and advance time to late afternoon, around 17:00 (the Shen hour). The conversation only plays at dusk.

Approaching the Elders — The three elders gathered by the road are where the quest begins. Shown at 00:16 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

Crouch and trigger the eavesdrop. The villagers whisper that Huang Chuan failed his exams and is scheming a rebellion. Keep still so they do not catch you listening.

Eavesdropping Scene — The eavesdrop scene plays out the villagers' rumor about Huang Chuan. Shown at 00:44 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

Step forward and speak to Li Hongxia and the gathered elders. Volunteer to investigate the rumor by checking Huang Chuan’s home yourself.

Confronting the Villagers — Talk to Li Hongxia to take on the task of investigating the scholar. Shown at 00:54 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

Investigate Huang Chuan’s home

Follow the waypoint southwest. Cross the stream and head into the settlement toward the stone cottage marked as Huang Chuan’s house.

Heading to Scholar's Home — Follow the marker over the wall toward the scholar's cottage. Shown at 01:27 in RIFAS’s video. Image: Everstone Studio

Climb to the upper opening of the cottage and peek inside. A cutscene shows Huang Chuan reciting Mencius quotes, followed by a black-clad figure slipping into the room carrying a tight bundle.

Drop into the house. The intruder turns hostile, so fight him inside the cottage. Equipping the mystic skill Lion’s Roar helps end the fight fast, since it slams down and deals area damage in a wide frontal arc.

Once he is subdued, a conversation begins. The intruder is Meng Ding, a friend from the Inkbound Order who was delivering exam review notes to Huang Chuan. The rumored “rebellion” is a misreading of classical texts being recited aloud.

Clear the rumor and finish the quest

Fast-travel back to the Crownleek Terrace / Sageplow Stead waypoint. The elders are still gathered at the village entrance, now spinning stories about rebel armies and forged swords.

Talk to Li Hongxia and pick the dialogue options that explain the overheard phrases. The lines about “decapitating the people” and “forging blades to start a war” were ancient classic quotes, not real threats. You can also choose to vouch for Huang Chuan directly.

When the prompt reads “Wait two days before returning to check,” open the system menu and use the Zodiac Time function to advance the calendar by two full days.

Return to the village road at Crownleek Terrace, where Li Hongxia is now joined by Madam Zhao and Grandpa Yang. A final cutscene plays, the completion screen for Encounter – A Keen Ear appears, and your rewards are handed out.

The completion screen is your confirmation that the quest is done. If it does not appear, make sure you selected the explanation dialogue with the elders before skipping time, and that the full two days have passed.

A Keen Ear rewards

Reward	Amount
Echo Jade	50
Qingzhou Exploration	50
Coin	15,000
Stored EXP	15,000
Jade Fish	+150
Trace Jade	+3,000

With the misunderstanding cleared and the two-day wait behind you, Huang Chuan’s name is set straight and the Encounter closes out, adding its coin, jade, and experience rewards to your haul in Qingzhou.