Manhunt is a quest in Chapter 1: Heaven Has No Pier – A Horse Neighs in the Forest in Where Winds Meet that introduces stealth tracking, trap navigation, and a pressure plate puzzle that can soft-lock if something goes wrong. The quest asks you to follow the attackers, find their lair, and rescue Han Xiangxun. This walkthrough shows how to solve the stone slab gate puzzle to complete the Manhunt quest, and tells how to fix the objective if the game places you on the wrong side.
Where Winds Meet Manhunt Quest Guide
The Manhunt part happens at Moonveil Mountain, Qinghe, after the initial fight, when Yi Dao realizes the attackers aren’t random and decides to chase down the last survivor to their base.
Manhunt Description: Yi Dao seems to know the attackers well. Join forces with him to discover their lair and search for Han Xiangxun.
Track the Swordsman Without Being Noticed
Silently track one swordsman who manages to escape. Crouch and move from cover to cover as he moves through Aunt Han’s building and goes up the hillside. He will stumble now and then, pause, and look back. Stay in bushes, hug rocks, and don’t rush to get too close to blow your cover.
If you fall too far behind, the game gives you a limited time to catch up before the objective fails. Keep him in sight, move when he moves, stop when he stops, and you’ll get through this chase game. In the end, he will quickly slip into a hidden cave near the top of the hill.
Find the Captive’s Whereabouts
Follow Yi Dao into the cave. Head down the stairs and straight through the wine cellar corridor until you reach a big stone door at its end. Your character and Yi Dao will force open the door together, and instantly, things go wrong. A trap triggers on, Yi Dao gets stuck behind a fallen gate, and you are forced to set him free, even when you wanted to leave him behind.
Hold the Stone Slab Down to Open the Closed Gate
While facing the hall, move forward and take the first right turn where sloped paths moving upward are rigged with fire traps. If you get caught in fire, you will receive burn damage, so be careful when moving past them. Use Wind Sense and look closely at the ground. You’ll notice bloodstains and footprints that hints which pressure plate someone set their foot on because that’s the right plate to stand on to disable the fire. Moving above the wrong plates triggers the flames burst that can toast you down.
After the first slope, check the room on the right and get the Emperor’s Smile Charm inside. Exit to the hallway and continue up the second trapped slope using the foot signs.
Once on the top with a dead end, turn left and look for a small wall alcove to find a stone statue. Interact with it to lift the statue, which disables all the fire traps for safe travel back. Carry the statue all the way back to the gate at Yi Dao’s trapped place.
You’ll see two pressure plates in front of the gate. As Dao mentions, the game expects weight on both plates at once. Place the stone statue on one slab, then stand on the other. The locked gate will lift open, and Yi Dao will be freed.
Note: Do not drop the statue randomly or step off the slab too early. The trigger can be picky.
Lead Yi Dao into the Hidden Passage
Once Yi Dao comes out, continue forward together. A runner will attack right there in the hallway, but Yi Dao will kick him over, and the Manhunt quest of Chapter 1 ends with a short cutscene. You will receive these rewards by completing the quest:
- Engraved Key
- Homostatic Powder x2
- Qinghe Exploration x20
- Enlightenment Points x500
- Character EXP x5000
Stone Slab Gate Bug and How to Fix It
The quest has an issue around the stone slab gate section. It happens when you’re outside the cavern with the gate closed and no way back in, or stuck between two gates, unable to move forward or retreat. The objective says “hold the stone slab down to open the closed gate,” but you’re actually in the wrong place.
Fix If You’re Outside the Cavern
- Track the Manhunt so it’s active.
- Leave the quest place completely.
- Fast travel back to the quest point using panel actions keys, which are the touchpad → left button on PS5.
If it works, the game teleports you into the dungeon to the right of the gate, and you can continue forward.
Fix If You’re Stuck Between Two Gates
- Teleport out of the area and return to the location.
- Open the quest menu and choose restart mission where you left off.
It can force the game to reset your position and gate states without resetting the entire quest. Both fixes let the quest re-evaluate where your character should be.
