Ningguang's reward raises the curtain on the competition, while dark undercurrents present a different sort of threat.
Will Liyue, now under human rule, withstand the coming tide? Will the one long separated from society find their place among people once more?
All will be revealed when the Jade Chamber rises once more.
The Crane Returns on the Wind is the first act of the Interlude Chapter of the Archon Quests. Players must have completed Chapter I: Act III - A New Star Approaches to start this quest.
Quests[]
Summary[]
- Jade Chamber Rising
Several months later, as the Traveler continues to be in pursuit of their sibling, the Traveler overhears Ningguang's announcement to rebuild the Jade Chamber; she requires Sunset Vermillionite, Wonder Core, and Adepti Sigils. In return for the first three people who could acquire these materials for her, she would allow them to ask any question and she would honestly answer them in response, gaining the excitement of all present. The Traveler then approaches Ningguang, who is pleased to see them and that they're intending to participate, clarifiying that she would answer the question to the best of her ability.
As Ningguang takes her leave, the Traveler and Paimon spot two men talking to a young woman; believing them to have information, they decide to follow them. They arrive just slightly outside of Bubu Pharmacy, where the discover that the two "brokers", Scar Liu and Qiang the Brave, are trying to fleece the woman of her money to pay off their gambling debts. Paimon then points to a Millelith on duty to ask for help. Qiang is worried that they have bitten off more than they can chew as he feels terribly anxious; as Scar tries to use force, the woman begins to activate some exorcist sigils. The Millelith, Zheng, recognizes Scar and Qiang and apprehends them.
The woman then introduces herself as Shenhe, having heard of them before and thanks them for their assistance, although if she had it her way, she would have smashed their heads until they understood, which Paimon finds violent. Shenhe's stomach begins growling and Paimon recalls overhearing the two men commenting on her eating "spree" around the city. It is soon revealed that Shenhe was not interested in the food, as she preferred Qingxin, Violetgrass and Glaze Lilies, much to Paimon's surprise. They then take her to Bubu Pharmacy for the herbs.
Inside, Shenhe orders the herbs and consumes them all in one sitting to everyones' astonishment, although she finds the experience bitter. She had come to Liyue Harbor to assist in rebuilding the Jade Chamber, but had no interest in participating in the contest. However, to repay the Traveler's kindness, she wishes to assist and proposes that they eliminiate the other contestants, much to Paimon's astonishment.
As they argue, Baizhu comes in, saying he wanted to fetch the wound dressing that Ningguang ordered. Baizhu then mentions that the Sunset Vermillionite is a very rare item and that the Feiyun Commerce Guild would have more information on the item. The Traveler and Paimon thank him, and then they go to the guild.
- Seagaze Sunset
Meanwhile, Xu arrives to inform Xingqiu about a problem; the Guild has received some strange orders recently and wants him to deal with them. Just then, the Traveler, Paimon and Shenhe arrive, and Xu leaves so that Xingqiu can 'entertain' them. Xingqiu is surprised to learn that the Traveler is participating in the contest and that they do have a piece of Sunset Vermillionite on auction, but discourages them from taking part in the auction as he anticipates the transaction to be at least 500 million Mora, none of which they could afford. However, he tells them of an adepti, Sea Gazer, who had an abode rumored to be filled with the material, which he believes is in the Lisha area after cross-referencing multiple books. Shenhe states that Sea Gazer was close to Mountain Shaper, while Paimon is worried about disrespecting the deceased adepti. Shenhe states that Sea Gazer was open-minded and wouldn't mind, surprising Xingqiu. As she takes her leave, Xingqiu notes that she's awfully familiar and reminds the Traveler that the abode is likely to be well-defended and infested with monsters.
Upon arrival, Shenhe uses an art to dispel the magic surrounding the area, revealing a seelie that the group pursues into the adepti's adobe. When they enter, Paimon is surprised at the sudden change of the atmosphere as the seelie disappears into the clouds. Shenhe states that they'll need to destroy the mechanisms maintaining the "clouds" if they wish to go deeper inside. They destroy two mechanisms before reaching the bottom, destroying one final mechanism to find the interior of the adepti's abode. They also spot the Sunset Vermillionite, with Shenhe taking the massive rock herself to the building area; the Traveler and Paimon catch up to her there.
Shenhe delivers the Vermillionite, much to the surprise of everyone present, believing her to be an adeptus. Baiwen asks Shenhe for her name, believing that she is participating in the contest. Shenhe states that she was just delivering it when the Traveler and Paimon arrive; Baiwen is impressed with the Traveler's talent, as the Vermillionite is the largest and highest quality for the project. She also tells them that Ningguang provided all the contestants with lodging before leaving. As Paimon asks Shenhe how she felt when the people complimented her, she gives a plain response and becomes slightly irritated by her fellow people worshipping her as something she isn't. Paimon suggests she take a rest, which she does out in the wilderness, but Paimon insists she take a rest with the provided accommodations.
Arriving at the hotel, Ju'an tells them that one room is still being prepared. The Traveler and Paimon let Shenhe take the vacant room and decide to go get a snack for her when they spot Cloud Retainer landing above. Cloud Retainer is bewildered when Paimon asks her what Shenhe's adepti name is and states that she is just a human. She then proceeds to explain about her past and reveals herself as Shenhe's master and caretaker. She tells them to take good care of Shenhe and that she came to see how Ningguang would deal with the contract between Liyue and its people, as the adepti sense a calamity coming soon; if she could not rectify it, the adepti would not hesitate to seize control.
In the morning, they meet up with Shenhe again, who says her master has already relayed the situation to her and apologizes for not explaining sooner. She knew because she did not see the Traveler going in, and when she went out, she noticed her master talking with the Traveler. The group then decides to go to the building site to see how the progress is going.
- Bygones Time Like Dust Passing
They arrive to find the Jade Chamber built, though tied down because it's not finished yet. After Baiwen finishes briefing up the work, Beidou introduces her new friend Yun Jin, who has joined the contest in order to be able to ask Ningguang about the place for her opera, titled "The Divine Damsel of Devastation". Yun Jin proposes to split up the reward to three people asking a question to which both sides agree. Beidou decides to split up to find the raw materials for the Wonder Core. Yun Jin, the Traveler, and Shenhe decides to go to town to ask for questions.
They find Master Zhang in town and asks him for questions. He replies that he needs the Starsplinter Iron and Subrosium in order to make the Wonder Core, and recalls that last time the Starsplinter Iron was collected was on Mt. Tianheng, though he doesn't know where to find the Subrosium, citing that the people around the area had some trick that allowed them to collect the mineral.
After arriving to the destination, Yun Jin reminisces herself about how she was brought here once by her father when she was little, and says the area is the inspiration for her father's opera. She explained the story of the opera, which was slightly close to Shenhe's real story. After listening to the summary of the plot, Shenhe says that she doesn't think the little girl in the opera was as brave as she made it out to be, which Yun Jin takes in consideration, given that the opera has a degree of deviation from the true story.
After obtaining the iron, Yun Jin suggests asking around in the village for the Subrosium. Mingjun is silent when the group tries asking him for clues, however he is surprised to learn that Shenhe is alive and that the rumors were true. He actually gives the clues, and the rest leave to find the ore while he talks with Shenhe about the old times. Yun Jin collects the first part of the father's diary and is surprised to learn that the damsel was actually Shenhe herself. She now understands why; it wasn't because of the courage, but rather because she was forced into it, and mumbles that her father would need to revise the opera. The third piece reveals the location of the ore, and they return to Shenhe just as she finishes talking to Mingjun. Yun Jin comes forward to apologize to Shenhe, but Shenhe says she likes Yun Jin's fictional version of her own story more. They get the Subrosium, and they return to the Liyue Harbor to have the ore be crafted. Next to the Subrosium is Xiao and says he is preparing for danger in the sea but cannot get involved.
- Where The Heart Finds Rest
After successfully crafting the Wonder Core and the Adepti Sigils, the group goes to Baiwen to hand in the items, and they are regarded as the winner of the contest. After being led up to the Jade Chamber, Ningguang thanks them for the hard work. She offers to Yun Jin to host an opera at the Jade Chamber after the rebuilding, as it would provide a good view, both in the air and from below. Ningguang then answers the Traveler's question, although she says with disappointment that she hasn't found any leads regarding their sibling, so she answers Paimon's question instead. She says that in the future, if there is any need for financial assistance, she would pay them at the highest cost possible.
Paimon asks Shenhe if she had any question, and although with some relucance she asks Ningguang if she could fit in the Liyue Harbor to which she says the key is to develop a sense of belonging. Just then, Beidou arrives and asks if preparations are done, replying to Paimon that she was forced to help the Tianquan, who reassures her that preparations are done. The Traveler is curious to know what is going on, but Ningguang says that it would be better to not know.
Just as the Jade Chamber finally ascends into the air, a storm suddenly comes and with it, a large monster appears once again; this time it is Beisht, the wife of Osial. She admits to knowing it, as Beidou warned her months prior, and thus she was preparing for its arrival. This time however, she says she would rely on her own people of Liyue to fight it instead of the adepti. With her monologue, the Tianquan attacks Beisht with the projectiles, assisted by Keqing, Ganyu, the Millelith, and Beidou's Fleet. The creature roars and creates a tsunami. The Traveler suddenly leaps forward in order to intercept the monster, however it fires a beam, launching the Traveler into one of the stone pillars and causing them to lose consciousness as they are grabbed by Shenhe; she suddenly remembers a flashback of her father leaving her to die and Retainer's words.
Furious, Shenhe summons a talisman to freeze the tsunami, allowing the Jade Chamber the chance to fire it, weakening it further as Shenhe then dives into the vortex. She is startled to see the Traveler and Paimon going in as well to help her. After defeating the creature, Ningguang commends them on the hard work and orders the soldiers to rest up. Cloud Retainer then comes in after being seen by the Tianquan and commends her for being able to make prior preparations, which was considerable progress compared to last time even though she says that Shenhe had contributed significantly. Ningguang decides to host a victory banquet at the Jade Chamber, inviting the Traveler and Shenhe over.
In the night, Paimon is happy to be able to eat at the Jade Chamber just as Ningguang addresses the guests and Yun Jin performs The Divine Damsel of Devastation to everyones' applause. A drunken Zhu Tao then tries to interact with the group, only to be rebuked by Shenhe.
Achievements[]
There are 4 Achievements obtainable from The Crane Returns on the Wind:
| Achievement | Category | Description | 
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Rise of the Jade Chamber |  Wonders of the World
|
Complete the reconstruction of the Jade Chamber. | 5 |
| Majesty of the Deep | Wonders of the World
|
Defeat Beisht, Avenger of the Vortex. | 5 |
| A Former Dream | Wonders of the World
|
Witness the truth of the village's history. | 5 |
| The Crane Returns on the Wind | Wonders of the World
|
Complete "The Crane Returns on the Wind." | 10 |
Soundtracks[]
Gallery[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | The Crane Returns on the Wind | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 风起鹤归 Fēngqǐ Hèguī | The Wind Rises, The Crane Returns |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 風起鶴歸 Fēngqǐ Hèguī | |
| Japanese | 風立ちし鶴の帰郷 Kaze Tachishi Tsuru no Kikyou | The Wind-Blown Crane's Homecoming |
| Korean | 바람이 불면 돌아오는 학학 Baram-i Bulmyeon Doraoneun Hak | The Crane That Returns When the Wind Blows |
| Spanish | La grulla regresa con el viento | The Crane Returns with the Wind |
| French | Retour de la grue dans le vent | Crane's Return in the Wind |
| Russian | Ветер дует - Veter duyet - zhuravli vozvrashchayutsya | The Wind Blows - Cranes Return |
| Thai | นกพิสุทธิ์หวนคืนสู่สายลม Nok Phisutwon Khuen su Sailom | The Pure Bird Returns to the Wind |
| Vietnamese | Phong Khởi Hạc QuyPhong Khởi Hạc Quy | The Wind Rises, The Crane Returns[※][※] |
| German | Heimkehr des Kranichs mit dem Wind | Homecoming of the Crane with the Wind |
| Indonesian | Bangau Pulang Mengikuti Angin | The Crane Returns Following the Wind |
| Portuguese | A Garça Retorna para o Vento | The Crane Returns to the Wind |
| Turkish | Rüzgara Kulak Veren Turna | Crane Lending an Ear to the Wind |
| Italian | La gru ritorna col vento |
