The sick goose in Qinghe looks like another small side activity in Where Winds Meet, but it hides one of the game’s nastiest surprise bosses and a useful ally. Handling it correctly lets you unlock the Goose Slayer achievement/trophy and gain a powerful companion for future boss fights.
Where Winds Meet sick goose location
The sick goose lives in Qinghe, in the Moonveil Mountains region. It rests on rocks by a river, surrounded by other geese near a small bridge.
| Region | Sub-area | Landmarks | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qinghe | Moonveil Mountains | North of Heaven's Pier, east of Blissful Retreat | Bridge over a river with a gaggle of goslings and one sick goose lying on rocks |
Walk up to the sick goose, and you’ll see an interaction prompt to treat it using the medical minigame that appears elsewhere in the game.
Use Wind Sense on the goose to start the healing interaction. The recommended mastery level for this treatment is very high, but that actually helps trigger the boss fight you need for Goose Slayer.
How to spawn the Demon Goose boss
The Demon (or Maniacal) Goose appears only when you fail the sick goose’s treatment. You are not looking to cure it; you are trying to push it over the edge.
| Step | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interact with the sick goose and begin the healing minigame | Healing interface opens with multiple “healing cycles” and a timer |
| 2 | Skip every healing cycle instead of treating symptoms | The treatment progresses with no prescriptions or defenses |
| 3 | Continue skipping until all cycles are used | The game registers a failed treatment |
| 4 | Exit the minigame once failure is shown | The sick goose mutates into the Demon Goose boss almost immediately |
On the controller, “skip” is the button shown next to “Next healing cycle” on the right side of the screen (commonly the square button). Use that button every turn until all ten healing cycles are consumed and the treatment fails.
As soon as the failure notification appears, you have only a moment before the boss spawns, so be ready to move or sprint away from the goose’s position.
What the Demon Goose boss does
The Demon Goose is designed to feel overwhelming if you fight it head-on near its flock.
- It moves quickly and chains attacks, forcing constant dodges or deflects.
- Nearby geese can join in, swarming you and interrupting counters.
- Simply trying to run along the riverbank only buys brief breathing room.
Once spawned, the Demon Goose will continue to exist in that area until killed. Leaving and returning later does not remove it; it only resets its position and awareness.
How to get the Goose Slayer achievement the easy way (Tai Chi throw)
The cleanest way to kill the Demon Goose and earn the Goose Slayer achievement is to drown it. That sounds dramatic, but in practice, it turns a punishing boss into a short positioning puzzle.
| Requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Tai Chi mystic skill unlocked | Lets you grab and throw enemies, including the Demon Goose |
| Access to the river or lake next to the bridge | Deep water is what kills the boss instantly |
Tai Chi is the first mystic skill you learn early in the game from the bear encounter, so by the time you reach Qinghe, you should already have it. Make sure Tai Chi is equipped on your ability bar before you start provoking the boss.
Drown the Demon Goose
Once the goose has transformed and you’re back in the open world:
- Leave the immediate riverbank briefly if the fight has already started. Re-enter the area so the Demon Goose is slightly distracted or off to the side of the bridge.
- Stand on the bridge or the bank opposite where it first spawned and get its attention with a ranged poke or by stepping into its aggro range.
- Kite it so that both you and the goose are close to deep water (not the shallow edge where you can stand).
- When it comes into melee range, activate Tai Chi to grab it.
- Aim the throw directly into the deeper part of the river or lake and complete the throw.
If the throw lands in water that is deep enough, the Demon Goose dies instantly. You do not have to chip its health beforehand. This kill grants the Goose Slayer achievement/trophy immediately.
How to beat the Demon Goose “honestly” in combat
Players who prefer a straight fight can kill the boss without using the water at all, but the difficulty spikes sharply. Treat it as a late-game encounter.
| Combat element | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Gear and level | Bring upgraded weapons and armor and your strongest martial arts sets |
| Range vs melee | Favor ranged damage to avoid its constant lunges |
| Element | Use flaming arrows to ignite the goose and apply damage over time |
| Adds (other geese) | Expect nearby geese to join; control them quickly or separate them |
| Positioning | Use the bridge and nearby rocks as escape paths when overwhelmed |
The Demon Goose’s rapid strings of attacks reward precise deflects. Repeated successful deflections can open short windows for melee combos, but standing still for too long near the flock risks being swarmed.
Using flaming arrows at the start of the fight applies extra pressure. Keep moving, fire from range, then close in only when it is recovering from an attack you successfully deflected or dodged.
If you get boxed in by a swarm of geese, retreat over the bridge or climb to higher rocks to reset your footing. Re-engage once the boss’s pathing separates from the smaller geese.
How to turn the Demon Goose into an ally
Defeating the Demon Goose does more than unlock Goose Slayer. Killing it in the open world lets you summon a powerful goose ally during boss battles.
Unlocking the goose companion
After killing the Demon Goose (either by drowning or normal combat):
- Open your main menu/inventory screen.
- Select your player profile or avatar portrait.
- At the bottom of this profile screen, open the All achievements section.
- Use the option to Claim all unclaimed rewards.
Claiming the Goose Slayer reward here adds the demon goose as a selectable ally for the game’s companion assist system.
How to summon the goose in boss fights
In eligible boss arenas, the game lets you call in NPC allies from certain summoning points.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Summon point | A small gold object on the ground in boss arenas marked “Companion Assist” |
| Visual cue | Shows a small moving white bird or insect icon above the summon point |
| Cost | Consumes in-game currency (around 10,000 for the Demon Goose) |
| Duration | Ally joins the fight briefly, deals damage, then departs before the end of the battle |
Interact with the Companion Assist object to open the ally selection interface. The demon goose appears alongside other NPC allies you’ve unlocked. Selecting it spends the required currency and summons the bird into the current fight.
The goose delivers a burst of damage rather than staying for the entire encounter. Whether that is worth the cost depends on how tight your build is on resources and how much you value a safer early phase in hard boss fights. The in-game currency used for summons is relatively common, so experimenting with the goose in a few encounters is straightforward.
What happens to the sick goose afterward
Killing the Demon Goose and claiming the achievement does not permanently break the underlying animal encounter. After some time, the goose event resets.
- The sick goose respawns at the river location after several in-game hours.
- You can return later and successfully heal it using the normal medical minigame.
This design lets you both unlock Goose Slayer and still complete the more compassionate outcome for Qinghe’s oddities, without having to choose one permanently over the other.
Handled this way, the Demon Goose becomes less of a roadblock and more of a flexible tool: a hidden boss you can delete in seconds with Tai Chi and deep water, and a surprisingly useful ally once you’ve claimed your reward.
