Encircling Lake’s Treasure is a Wandering Tales side quest in Where Winds Meet that sends you across Qinghe to track down two hidden keys and crack open a chest hidden behind a waterfall. The progress is simple, but the directions the game gives are vague enough to send you the wrong way if you’re not careful. Our walkthrough tells exactly how to start Encircling Lake’s Treasure, what to find the keys, and how to finish the quest in no time to walk away with final rewards.
How to Complete Encircling Lake’s Treasure in Where Winds Meet
To start the quest, head to Encircling Lake in the Qinghe region and speak with Hong Yang, standing beside another man near the water, which is close to the waterfall. For a quick visit, teleport to Encircling Lake Boundary Stone and find him a short walk from the waypoint. If you don’t see him there, advance the in-game time to Yin hour, then check again at the same shoreline.
Talk to Hong Yang and pay him 50 Coins to ask about the Bandit Couple’s treasure, which is hidden somewhere in a secret place. He will spill some beans about treasure, and the dialogue conclusion triggers Encircling Lake’s Treasure Wandering Tale.
First Strange Key Location
Strange Key 1 can be found southwest of Twinbeast Ridge, inside the house at the Meow Meow puzzle location. Get inside the room and interact with the cat to begin the challenge.
To complete the puzzle, unlit the lantern beside the door and light up the second lantern near the wine jar placed above the wooden boxes.
Once done, a chest will fall from the roof to the ground, containing the first key.
Second Strange Key Location
Strange Key 2 is located in Tiger Fort towards the northeast of Twinbeast Ridge. Once there, first take down all fort bandits to get rid of trouble. At the back of the house, you will see stone rocks that have blocked the cave-like opening and explosive barrels near it.
Shoot fire arrows at the explosive to blast them and destroy the rock wall. Go inside the revealed hidden area with two loot chests. The chest beside the wall has the second key.
Find the Treasure Chest Behind the Waterfall
Once you have both the keys, teleport to Encircling Lake Landmark and follow the quest marker up the hill. Climb the rocks beside the waterfall and jump directly through the falling water. Behind it, you will reach a secret cave that’s invisible unless someone passes through the water curtain.
Inside, follow the short path to find a locked chest. Interact with it and select ‘Open’ when prompted. The game will ask to use Strange Keys. Use them to open the chest, and it will complete the Encircling Lake’s Treasure Wandering Tales quest.
If you only see an “Investigate” option, back out and interact again. The open command might not always shows on the first try.
Encircling Lake’s Treasure Rewards
Completing the quest gives a solid bundle of exploration-friendly rewards:
- Echo Jade x40
- Qinghe Exploration x10
- Character EXP x5000
- Coins x5000
For a side quest that involves exploration and a short puzzle, it’s well worth the quick detour, especially if you’re after Qinghe completion or hunting down Echo Jade.
