Part 8: Become Senior Disciple
Newly-minted as a Senior Disciple of Wudang Sect, Yi has been dispatched on another mission: Travel to Pingkang City and purchase some Cinnabar. Sounds simple enough, but... we'll see. Pingkang City is
located a short walk back east from Wudang Sect, on the road to Wutong Village.
When you first arrive in Pingkang you'll spot a group of ruffians attacking a lone man. Apparently the victim owes a sizable debt of 5,000 coins. You have two options for settling this situation:
- Pay the man's debt. You'll be out 5,000 coins, but you'll avoid a fight.
- Intervene. You'll have to battle a silly-looking fellow named Pocky Chen, as well as two Bouncers. These guys are not a big deal... but their boss, Jue Wuxin, will come out and engage in a one-on-one with Yi after the first fight. It is highly unlikely that you'll win.
... which means it is time to explore. You've probably been to Pingkang City a few times by now, but now that you're officially in the neighborhood you should have a look around. We'll start with the NPCs:
- South of the eastern entrance to Pingkang is a little girl named Xiaoling. She'll give you the Sympathy side quest.
- Inside the inn are two NPCs with side quests, one on the lower floor and one on the upper floor.
- South of the inn is the Pingkang Martial Club. Inside is a man named Chen Linxi whom you can apparently Invite into the party... but you won't really get to engage him until you speak to him, then leave Pingkang City. When you reenter Pingkang an incident at the gate will give you a chance to jump in, and if you do you'll trigger a side quest, The Childe's Invitation.
- Among the city's traders is Zhang Hai the Blacksmith, who is set up about halfway through Pingkang. If you speak to him he'll teach you how to Forge new items, and give you the Class X Weapon Compilation and the Ore Refining Compilation. Use both to learn new recipes for Forging. From this point on you can use any blacksmith throughout the game to forge weapons.
- Across the street from the blacksmith is Mrs. Jin the Tailor. Approach her and she'll give you a lesson in Tailoring new garments... which is to say, forging armor. She'll give you the Class X Armor Compilation.
- In the center of Pingkang you'll see a small, raised garden. In front of the garden is an NPC, Lord Wang, with the Valuable Toad Epidermis side quest. Just east of here is another NPC, Kong Wen, with the Medicity side quest. (Just do this latter side quest now. It is a single conversation.)
- As you head west you'll see a house with two Constables out front. The Constable on the left will give you the side quest The Massacre Case: The Lobbyist, if you speak to him.
- In the far west is a Pawnshop with some goods on sale. At least one Wudang Sect Affiliate Quest will send you to this shop.
- Check beside the bottom of the eastern stairs inside the inn. There's a chest against the wall that contains a Bloodstone, a Shabby Pouch, and Rock Candy.
- Look in the upper-right corner of the Pingkang Martial Club. There's a chest here containing a Pottery Xun, a Bamboo Xun, a Seven-Hole Flute, and Martial Arts Notes.
- Next to the inn is the Casino. There's nothing inside the Casino itself, but if you check the walls of its small inner courtyard you'll find a hidden chest. It contains Cinnabar Ore and a Refined Meridian Pill.
- North of Zhang Hai the Blacksmith is a house with a man out front. Next to the man is a chest containing Phoenixorchid and the Thick Felt Snow Boots Advanced Blueprint.
- Inside the Pawnshop and on your left as you enter is a chest. It contains a Lianpearl, an Eastpearl, and some Shabby Pouches.
Time to get on with business. If you look southwest of the inn you'll spot a Beggar outside the Pingkang Herb Shop. The Beggar won't move until you get him some Zhang's Roast Chicken from the inn. Speak to the waiter, standing out front, and you can buy some chicken for 998 coins. Hand it over to the Beggar, and... he'll ask for some Snowball Nectar. Same waiter, same price.
The Beggar will leave once he's had his fill, leaving a Wealth Token behind. Whatever, man. Head inside the shop and you can purchase some Liniment for 200 coins. Take it to Jun's home, and... dangit, Pocky Chen is back, and this time he has more help. The fight is only marginally more difficult than last time, so long as you avoid getting too crowded by Chen's Bouncer buddies.
Chen will spill the beans on where Jun's wife is being held: The Casino. Head over there at night and a cut scene will get you into the next dungeon.
Casino - Cellar - Enemies
- Casino Bouncer (melee and ranged)
- Black Leather Liuhe Boots
- Copper Armor
- Dragon Pendant
- Dragonhead Saber
- Gloss Silver Boots
- Green Jade Thumb Ring
- Linen
- Liuhe Staff
- Piercing Awl
- Purplelight Garment
- Refined Boxing Gloves
- Serpent Spear
- Silver Serpent Sword
- Solid Gold Helmet
- Twin Phoenixes Crown
- White Light Sword
Well, this place proved to be a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. You can't leave until you find Mrs. Chen, so you'd better look around. The enemies are about what you'd expect, and shouldn't prove a huge deal. You'll find the following items of interest as you explore the cellar:
- A short way into the cellar you'll see a heap of crates, to the left of a tiger skin on the wall. Atop the crates is a chest containing a Shabby Pouch, Vault Protector Coins, and Coal.
- As you head east you'll find a small landing where three sets of stairs converge. If you continue east you'll find a clearing. To the north are many jars, and in front of them is a chest containing a Red Copper Saber and Jade Ore.
- As you head south from the landing with the converging stairs you'll see rooms on your right and left. The left room has a chest containing Honghua, Jinchuang Ointment, and Buguzhi.
- At the bottom of the long staircase are landings to the left and right. Check the right landing to find a chest containing Fine Hide and the Caltrop Advanced Blueprint.
Reach the bottom of these stairs and you'll find more stairs on your left. At the bottom you'll find Mrs. Wang, safe but not terribly sound. Bouncers and Casino Bouncers will enter the room to stop you from leaving, though they're not that much stronger than all the guys you've beaten up to get to this point. Take 'em out.
Once the goons are gone Yi and Mrs. Wang will be saved by a surprising (but not that surprising) third party. When he leaves you can loot the four chests in this room, which combined contain Jade Weiqi Stones, Shufu Porcelain Xianqi Pieces, a Solid Gold Helmet, a Note of Whim and Improvisation, The Turbulent Windfall, a Dragon Pendant, Panpearls, a Lotus-Shaped Silver Plate, Copper Armor, Huawa Tea, Ox Horn Teapots, and Gloss Silver Boots. Quite a haul.
Approach the stairs to exit the dungeon, without any extra travel time. The Wangs will relocate to Luo Village, and you'll need to trek over to Wudang Sect and speak to the higher-ups in Sanqing Hall, north of the entrance. Yi will learn the Guiyuan Cultivation Method, allowing you to boost his stats more, and after that you'll be headed... back to Pingkang City.