Well of Heaven is one of the standout sects in Where Winds Meet: a loose brotherhood of Robin Hood–style wanderers who steal from the powerful and pour their fortunes back into the world. Joining them is not just a role‑play choice; it changes your martial arts toolkit, your reputation, and even the kind of stories you experience in Qinghe.
The recruitment chain is short but easy to fumble, and it hides an important fork that can send you to a very different sect instead. Here’s how the Well of Heaven works, how to get in, and what you gain by swearing to “valor above gold.”
Where Winds Meet Well of Heaven: what the sect actually is
Well of Heaven is a joinable sect built around a simple idea: righteousness matters more than wealth or political power. Its disciples move through the Jianghu as free agents rather than as tools of the state or aristocracy, using martial arts to protect vulnerable people and redistribute hoarded riches.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Sect role | Moral “good” faction focused on justice and protecting commoners |
| Ethos | Rob the rich, aid the poor, stay true to one’s own heart over law or hierarchy |
| In‑game motto | “Do right as you should; valor above gold” |
| Leader | Xiao Tianyun |
| Notable members | Shen Hanying, Dugu Yuan, Guo Xie, Ju Meng |
| Core rewards | Thundercry Blade and other sect martial arts, sect shop, reputation titles |
The official description frames their blades as serving neither “state” nor “privilege,” but only justice. Laws and formal morality are background noise; what matters is whether an action feels righteous to the individual. That philosophy shows up in both their initiation test and their ongoing rules.
Well of Heaven entry clue and where to start
Your route into Well of Heaven begins in Qinghe, with rumors of a mysterious “coin rain.” Locals have seen money literally falling from the sky around Harvestfall Village—charity giveaways orchestrated by a roving hero sometimes called Heaven’s Spring Great Hero.
Those public displays are your breadcrumb. To pick up the trail, travel to Harvestfall Village in western Qinghe and look for the local canteen. Inside, a waiter named San Qian (also referred to as San Qian’er) has done his homework on the hero’s movements and quietly brokers information to would‑be recruits.
Where Winds Meet Well of Heaven: joining route and branching choice
The initiation is short but layered with misdirection. The critical part is recognizing which “elder” actually represents Well of Heaven’s values.
| Step | Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go to Harvestfall Village (west Qinghe) and talk to San Qian in the canteen. | He’s your first contact and unlocks the recruitment lead. |
| 2 | Pay San Qian a 200 Zhou Coin bribe. | The “fee” is trivial and simply gates access to the next NPC. |
| 3 | Follow his directions to an elder beneath an elm tree on the main road out of the village. | This elder claims to be Well of Heaven and asks for a second bribe. |
| 4 | Pay the second bribe when prompted. | Opens his “test,” despite the hypocrisy of demanding money. |
| 5 | Accept the task to retrieve jewelry from his “old friend.” | This friend becomes the pivot point of the whole quest. |
| 6 | Visit the friend and explicitly ask him about Well of Heaven, even though the elder told you not to. | Reveals the elder as a fraud and the friend as the true master. |
| 7 | Collect 3 pieces of Ill‑gotten Wealth for the true master. | Proves commitment to redistributing stolen riches. |
| 8 | Return the items to the true master. | Completes initiation and inducts you into Well of Heaven. |
On your way out of the canteen, an internal art clue for Art of Resistance also updates, tying the sect’s story into your broader build progression.
The key twist arrives when the first elder sends you to his “old friend” and warns you not to discuss Well of Heaven with him. Ignoring that warning is exactly what you should do. When you bring up the sect directly, the second man’s reaction exposes the charade: his demeanor, ideals, and knowledge mark him as the authentic Well of Heaven master, while the elm‑tree elder is simply riding the sect’s reputation for personal gain.
From that moment, you effectively stand at a crossroads:
- Follow the true master’s request, gather Ill‑gotten Wealth, and enter Well of Heaven.
- Turn a blind eye to the deception, stick with the imposter, and slide into the orbit of the Nine Mortal Ways instead.
Choosing Well of Heaven aligns you with a “heroic” sect and unlocks their Thundercry Blade martial art. Choosing to go along with the trickster elder steers you toward Nine Mortal Ways, a more morally ambiguous faction built around deception and cons.
How Ill‑gotten Wealth works in the Well of Heaven quest
The true master does not want random trinkets; he asks specifically for Ill‑gotten Wealth. In the world of Where Winds Meet, that term covers high‑value goods that were originally acquired through exploitation or crime: fine paintings, silverware, jewels, valuable pottery, rare wine, and similar luxuries.
You don’t pull these off everyday bandits. The cleanest way to find them is to visit Black Market Dealers, which are marked directly on your map. Once there, use Wind Sense by pressing in the right stick. That pulse highlights the illicit items in the area so you can grab exactly what counts as Ill‑gotten Wealth instead of wasting time on ordinary loot.
Bring back three such pieces to the true master, and your admission is essentially guaranteed.
Well of Heaven sect rules and how they shape your play
Joining a sect in Where Winds Meet is not just about earning a logo and a weapon. Each sect enforces internal rules that affect discipline, precepts, and how you’re expected to behave. Well of Heaven’s rules are built to push you away from hoarding and toward generosity.
| Sect rule | Effect on your character | What it encourages |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestrained Spirit | The sect can deduct 1,000 Discipline Value Points. | Freedom of action, but with the threat of discipline if you stray from their spirit. |
| Generous and Righteous | Earning too much in a week causes a ‑100 hit to precept value. | Moderate income, sharing wealth, avoiding pure gold‑farming. |
| Brotherhood | Harming fellow disciples breaks the code and hurts your standing. | Loyalty to other Well of Heaven members and cooperation in sect content. |
Where some sects reward aggressive accumulation or strict obedience, Well of Heaven leans into a “riches are for giving away” fantasy. The penalties for excessive weekly income, and the protection extended to other disciples push you into a more communal, support‑oriented playstyle.
What you unlock by joining Well of Heaven
Membership gives access to sect‑specific martial arts, weapons, cosmetics, and a reputation ladder that feeds into your identity across Jianghu.
| Reward type | Examples | How it’s earned |
|---|---|---|
| Martial arts & weapons | Thundercry Blade, Predator’s Shield, Galecloud Cleave, Sunrush Gale | Unlocked through joining and progressing within the sect. |
| Sect shop & cosmetics | Well of Heaven‑themed outfits, weapon appearances, other visual items | Purchased with sect currency as your reputation increases. |
| Titles & reputation | Sect‑specific ranks and honorifics tied to heroic deeds | Completion of Commands/Errands and consistent adherence to sect rules. |
Thundercry Blade is the headline unlock from the opening questline—a signature martial art that supports a swashbuckling, front‑line playstyle. Predator’s Shield, Galecloud Cleave, and Sunrush Gale round out the sect’s kit with additional offensive and defensive options that fit a mobile, high‑impact fighter who can wade into danger on behalf of others.
On the meta side, the sect shop lets you dress the part of a snow‑scarred northern hero. Official art highlights fur‑trimmed coats and sharp steel, with disciples described as arriving “from snow with hearts of flame,” laughing louder than coin and throwing away fortunes that could topple empires. The more you embody that spirit in missions, the more of that look you can claim.
How Well of Heaven compares to other sect paths
Well of Heaven sits firmly on the “heroic” end of the sect spectrum. It rejects direct alignment with the court or nobles, but it also refuses the cruelty and opportunism that define some rival factions.
The clearest contrast in the early Harvestfall storyline is Nine Mortal Ways. Follow the impostor elder instead of questioning him, and you drift into the orbit of legendary grifters who delight in misdirection and blurred morals. That path offers its own set of arts and stories, but undercuts the “defender of the weak” fantasy that Well of Heaven leans into.
Nothing prevents you from exploring multiple sects over the life of one character—Where Winds Meet is designed so you can eventually join more than one organization and move between them. But your first choice strongly colors your early identity, and Well of Heaven is the obvious home if you want to play a House‑of‑Stark‑style wanderer with a code.
Joining Well of Heaven ultimately means doing three things right: listening to villagers, questioning authority when it feels wrong, and putting stolen wealth back into better hands. Spot the fake elder, walk with the true master, and you unlock not only Thundercry Blade and a suite of sect techniques, but a role in Jianghu that is defined by generosity rather than greed.
