Among the hardest-to-join Sects in Where Winds Meet is The Nine Mortal Ways. Unlike other Sects, these rogues operate under a veil of deception with planted agents and under-the-table deals. If you want in, you’ll have to play their game and run with the schemes they slip into other recruitment quests.
This guide covers all known ways of joining the Nine Mortal Ways, what to do when you accidentally reject their offer, and the unusual means by which you leave the Sect once you’re in.
Also Read: Where Winds Meet: March of the Dead Quest Guide
All Known Ways to Join the Nine Mortal Ways
But unlike most Sects, which have a straightforward initiation, the Nine Mortal Ways twist themselves into the recruitment missions of other Sects. Currently, there are two fully confirmed paths:
| Method | Where It Starts |
| Well of Heaven recruitment chain | Harvestfall Village |
| Midnight Blades recruitment chain | Halo Peak, Qinghe |
A third potential path concerning Elder Ni in the Ghostlight Market is mentioned in the Rope Dart theft mission in Kaifeng; it does not have a quest or continuation as of this time. It seems to be flavour text or possibly content planned for a later update.
Joining Through the Well of Heaven Questline
This route disguises itself as a normal Well of Heaven recruitment, and then slowly reveals the true intentions of the Nine Mortal Ways.
- See San Qian, the waiter in Harvestfall Village, and pay 200 Coins to get information about Well of Heaven recruiters.
- Follow the marker to find the supposed Well of Heaven Elder sitting under a large elm tree.
- Pay him 999 Coins to continue the initiation.
- Head to the mountainside to meet his “friend” Zhang Yihao, who’s guarding a chest.
- Use Celestial Seize on him to steal the Large Pile of Jewellery.
- Go back to the Elder, and he will drop the act, revealing himself as one of the Nine Mortal Ways.
- Recruitment can be accepted by choosing “Fine, I’ll go with the flow”.
If you choose “Not happy! I quit!”, he becomes hostile. Defeating him permanently closes this recruitment path, and continuing the chain will instead align you with the Well of Heaven Sect.
Joining Through the Midnight Blades Questline
This path starts the same as joining the Midnight Blades, but deviates if you give up a certain token.
- Go to Halo Peak in northern Qinghe and find the Seriously Injured Swordsman.
- Follow the blood trail to Icchantika, the Ferryman of the Midnight Blades.
- When you’re asked, choose “My heart is of the Asura Heart.”
- Icchantika gives you a token and asks you to “bloody it” by killing someone.
After you have done so, speak with him once more and give the Rouge Token instead of the usual Annihilation Token.
This will put you on a new questline:
- You will be sent a fake letter from the “Midnight Bladez Chief Elder.”
- Follow the marker to the rendezvous point.
- Present the fake letter and accept their “welcome gift.”
- You will then be formally initiated into the Nine Mortal Ways.
(Tip: Rouge Tokens are sold by the Honest Merchant in Harvestfall Village.)
Also Read: Where Winds Meet: How to Defeat Elder Gosung
How to join the Nine Mortal Ways after rejecting them
If you declined their offer or opted out of either recruitment chain, well, you’re not locked out. Icchantika always offers a fallback route.
As long as you are not currently a member of another Sect:
- Bring Icchantika a Rouge Token at Halo Peak
- Speak with him again,
- And he’ll directly recruit you into the Nine Mortal Ways.
- This method is always available.
Also Read: Where Winds Meet: Defeating the Heartseeker Boss
How to Leave the Nine Mortal Ways
Leaving the Nine Mortal Ways is different from all the other Sects.
- There is no Severance Trial here.
- You have to buy your freedom.
- Open the Sects tab in the menu and choose Betray Master.
- You’ll get the quest, “Find the Elder to leave the Nine Mortal Ways.”
- Travel west of Harvestfall Village to find Elder Ni Laoshan standing near a wooden house.
- Pay him 50,000 Coins to leave the Sect.
Elder Ni only appears here and nowhere else except when this particular quest is available. At all other times, he’s found in the backyard of the Nine Mortal Ways Martial Hall in Kaifeng – during the Rope Dart Skill Theft mission.
