The quick answer
Get one Strange Key from the lantern puzzle south of Twinbeast Ridge and the other behind the explosive-barrel wall in Tiger Fort. Return to Encircling Lake and open the chest in the cave behind the upper waterfall.
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Quest requirements
Wandering Tale · Start with Hong Yang
Rewards
- Quest completion rewards
Ask Hong Yang about the treasure
Find Hong Yang by the water near the Encircling Lake Boundary Stone and waterfall. Speak to him about the Bandit Couple’s treasure; his information costs 50 Coins.
The treasure needs two Strange Keys found away from the waterfall. Seeing the final chest early is useful, but it does not eliminate either key pickup.
First key: change two lanterns
Go to the house south or southwest of Twinbeast Ridge with the Meow Meow puzzle. Interact with the cat to start the challenge, then set the lanterns as follows:
| Lantern | Required state |
|---|---|
| Beside the door | Extinguished |
| On the stacked wooden boxes, near the wine jar | Lit |
Once the puzzle resolves, open the dropped chest and collect the first Strange Key. Lighting every lamp is not the solution: one must be off while the other is on.
Second key: break Tiger Fort’s rear wall
Travel to Tiger Fort north of Twinbeast Ridge. Clear the enemies that interfere with your search, then inspect the back of the house deeper inside the fort.
Look for rubble blocking an opening and explosive barrels beside it. Use a Fire Arrow on the barrels from a safe distance to destroy the wall. Enter the exposed chamber and open its chests, checking the one beside the wall for the second key.
- Fire Arrows: unlock the recipe, craft and select them
- Outposts: first-clear rewards, repeat farming and Dragon Keys
A cleared fort is not the same as a collected key. If your inventory only shows one, revisit the hidden chamber before returning to the lake.
Reach the cave behind the upper falls
Return to Encircling Lake and climb the rocks beside the waterfall. The hidden cave is behind the higher curtain of water; searching only along the lower shoreline can keep you beneath the entrance.
Move through the falling water and follow the cave to the locked chest. Choose Open and accept the use of the Strange Keys. If the interaction only shows Investigate, back out and approach the chest again after confirming both keys are held.
Check completion at the chest
Opening this chest completes the treasure objective. Check the Wandering Tale entry for its completion and reward state before leaving.
If it remains locked, distinguish three problems: the lantern reward was never opened, the Tiger Fort key was left in its chest, or you reached a different waterfall container. The two key names and upper-cave landmark are the quickest way to identify which stop needs another look.