“Cui” starts with the puppet girl at the Puppet Testing Grounds bell, in the Village of Lu, after you beat Yuzan. It continues on the Mountain of Imprisonment with her grandfather, Lu Sanqian, and ends on Mount Soulrend with her father, Lu Jieyuan. It gives the Crude Radiant Heart and the Baishan Headband. Missable: talk to Lu Jieyuan before you beat The Crusher and the Saw.
Where does Cui start?
In the Village of Lu, in the chapter Heartless Remnants. After beating Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet, go to the Puppet Testing Grounds bell, climb the steps to the room with hanging cloths and talk to the puppet girl crying at the back. That’s Cui. The rest of the tale requires opening the Mountain of Imprisonment, which only opens with the restored Illusory Pipa (see how to get there).
Step by step
- Talk to the old man in the cageOn the Mountain of Imprisonment, go from the Iron Butcher’s Camp bell along the only path to the scaffolding. Kill the dog handler and talk to the old man calling for help from a cage.
- Beat Bi Feng and pick up the dewBeat Bi Feng, Giant Saber Commander (Mountain of Imprisonment bosses). Before moving on, take the Rocío desarraigado (players call it Rootless Dew): it’s on the rocks next to the pavilion at the Commander’s Platform, up the stairs from the bell. Then open the door and talk to Lu Sanqian, Cui’s grandfather.
- Beat Kui YanyanNext to the Shrine Outer Gate bell, beat Kui Yanyan, the Deranged, who drops the Missing Lift Crank. Climb down the ladder that was behind her.
- Free Lu from the hanging cageIn the cave, past the dog handler, take the path on the right. Clear the camp, go up the stairs next to the bonfire and use the farthest lever to lower his cage.
- Give him the dewTalk to Lu and hand him the dew.
- The Lady’s ShrineOpen the shrine’s outer gate and climb to The Lady’s Shrine bell, near the end of the region. Lu is on the ground: talk to him. He leaves you his belongings.
- Find Lu JieyuanOn Mount Soulrend, from The Last Mandate Encampment bell, cross the bridge and follow the voice calling for Cui. Talk to her father, Lu Jieyuan, and give him the ribbon and the letter.
- Beat The CrusherThe tale looks completed, but it isn’t. Keep climbing and beat The Crusher and the Saw: Lu Jieyuan shows up to help you and, after the fight, there’s a closing cutscene.
Rewards
Book and petal titles are translated from the Spanish version of the game; the in-game English wording may differ.
| Reward | Type | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Crude Radiant Heart | Accessory (see summoning accessories) | Lu Sanqian, at The Lady’s Shrine |
| Cinta roja de Cui (Cui’s red ribbon) | Tale item | The Lady’s Shrine |
| Lu Sanqian’s Last Letter – To Jieyuan | Book (see books) | The Lady’s Shrine |
| Baishan Headband | Tempering material (Soul Temper) | After the final cutscene with Lu Jieyuan |
The Crusher gives the Bonesaw when you beat him, with or without the tale.
Cui is one of the five tales that survive the close of The Heart’s Trail (Vandal, Spanish guide), but it’s lost if you beat The Crusher and the Saw without having talked to Lu Jieyuan first: you miss the Baishan Headband. Mount Soulrend is the final area, so save manually before each step.
Why won’t it progress?
According to player reports on the Steam forum (not confirmed by S-GAME as the cause):
- Lu Sanqian disappears or is left floating: it happens if you explore the cage area or open the door he points you to too early. Do the steps in the order he asks.
- Lu Sanqian gives you nothing at The Lady’s Shrine: you must have given him the dew, and you have to pick it up before freeing him from the cage the second time.
- Lu Jieyuan doesn’t show up after the boss of the second-to-last step and stays sitting with the woman: the tale fails and you lose the Baishan Headband. Support replied in the thread that it passed the report on.
The only shared way out is loading an earlier save. You have more cases in bugs that block your playthrough.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the dew for Lu Sanqian?
On the rocks next to the pavilion at the Commander’s Platform, on the Mountain of Imprisonment, near where you beat Bi Feng. Pick it up before freeing Lu Sanqian the second time.
Why does Cui’s tale show as completed but I didn’t get the Headband?
Because the last step is missing: beating The Crusher and the Saw with Lu Jieyuan’s help. The Headband comes after the final cutscene.
Does Cui fail when you close The Heart’s Trail?
No. According to Vandal, it’s one of the five tales that can stay open afterwards.
What is the Baishan Headband for?
It’s a Soul Temper material for the Baishan Stormswords, which you earn in Secrets of the Baishan Sect.
