The quick answer
Gambler’s Secret continues beyond the tavern investigation. Follow the Cuju, Tea Cup and Withered Tree clues, take Gai Zhongyan’s pouch with Celestial Seize and open it in your Bag for the Bronze Key.
On this page
Finish the opening investigation first
At the Incomparable Tavern north of Main South Gate, listen to the crowd outside and the conversation inside. Speak with Bai Shigao about access to the Imperial Suite, pay the displayed fee and investigate the third-floor room.
Search the desk in the left bedroom for Pigment Traces. This closes the initial exploration stage and leads into the Wandering Tale. A quest-complete message here does not mean the treasure-map chain is finished.
Use the newest clue to choose the next opponent
| Stage | Next action |
|---|---|
| Treasure hunters near South Gate | Talk to Gai Zhongyan and win his dice game for Clue Map: Cuju. |
| Qiyun Society at the Cuju Field | Speak with Xia Ban and win the next dice game for Clue Map: Tea Cup. |
| Jiang’s Teahouse | Find Xia Zhi, then enter the left room and play Wu Gulin for Clue Map: Withered Tree. |
| Vigilance Garden | Find the Immortal Tree and Gai Zhongyan above you. |
For the dice interaction, use Wind Sense when prompted and hold the directional input as instructed rather than tapping it briefly. Follow the displayed win condition for that round; the later challenge is not just a repeat of the first conversation.
Take the pouch and actually open it
- At the Immortal Tree, locate Gai Zhongyan among the branches.
- Use Celestial Seize on the Withered Tree Coin Pouch. If it is out of range from the ground, move to a higher nearby position and adjust your view.
- Open the pouch from your Bag. It contains the Paper Slip and Bronze Key.
Collecting the pouch and opening it are separate steps. Search the inventory item before assuming the key failed to drop.
Return to the South Gate market building
Go back to the main market area of South Gate Avenue. Climb into the upper room of the building indicated by the final clue and find the incense burner. Use the Bronze Key at that interaction and finish the scene.
The final rewards include Harmless Prank and The Cunning Outsider title. The key is a local quest item; it is not a Dragon Key for a Martial Art sanctum.
Check which layer of the quest you are on
- Only the tavern stage is complete: look for the Wandering Tale and talk to the treasure hunters.
- A map seems to repeat: read the newest clue in the Bag before revisiting an earlier opponent.
- No Bronze Key: open the Withered Tree Coin Pouch.
- Key owned but no progress: inspect the incense burner in the South Gate market building, not a random locked chest.