Ghost of Yōtei - The Way of the Shamisen Walkthrough

In Ghost of Yōtei, the mission The Way of the Shamisen takes players deep into a world of mystery, stealth, and cryptic puzzles. This follows after Blood on the Snow, when Atsu uncovers a cipher: the next challenge is to find the secret hideout of the Kitsune. Here's how to navigate this labyrinthine mission, complete the puzzles, and reveal the next strand of the story.

How to Start the Way of the Shamisen

Having completed Blood on the Snow, the mission marker for The Way of the Shamisen will now appear. Atsu has a clue but no clear path forward. To start, make your way to the Red Crane Inn, just north of the Nine Tails training camp. The Golden Gingko Leaf icon on your map points the way. Inside, Oyuki is seated at the back near the sliding doors - she'll help kick off the next part of Atsu's journey.

Getting Information from the Matsumae Commander

In search of the Kitsune's hideout, Atsu has to get more information from the Matsumae Commander. However, after a previous encounter, the commander promised to kill him on sight. Stealth is key here, as you'll have to sneak around and use hidden passages. 

Follow Oyuki to find a secret route that will take you to the room of the commander.

Inside, he overhears the most important detail: an informant named Chosuke might possess the information they need. But finding the meeting spot of Chosuke will entail further investigation.

Uncovering Chosuke’s Location

Atsu and Oyuki make their way to Nakajima Sake House, where Atsu will be disguising herself as a waitress and Oyuki using her Shamisen skills to charm the guests.

 Play through this section, taking note of various conversations about Chosuke that provide a lead on his whereabouts.

At the sake house, Atsu will meet with Chosuke and give him a poisoned drink to trick him into revealing where the Kitsune's hideout is, near a Black Dye House.

The Black Dye House Puzzle

When Atsu and Oyuki finally arrive at the Black Dye House, they find a puzzle that, when solved, provides access to the hideout of the Nine Tails. The puzzle is made up of two fox statues: one on the left and the other on the right. 

Each needs to be positioned to face a particular way. The left fox should be positioned facing left, with the right fox facing right. After the fox statues are in their correct positions, turn the hatches beneath each according to their directional symbols.

Correctly solving the puzzle unlocks a secret passage that opens into the next part of the mission.

Exploring the Nine Tails Hideout

The main goal inside the Nine Tails hideout is for Atsu and Oyuki to get deeper in through stealth, avoiding or silently taking out the various guards that stand in their way, saving hostages in the process. These include the Black Dye Merchant and her family, who, upon being rescued, provide further insight into the Nine Tails operations.

The Nine Tails Hideout Puzzle

To further get ahead, players have to resolve yet another puzzle in the Nine Tails hideout by rotating fox statues. Each represents a certain emotion or action that is supposed to be faced in a correct direction, thereby unlocking the next area.

Return to Oyuki with the Puzzle Box

When the puzzle is solved, Atsu finds a mysterious Kitsune's Puzzle Box. Later, both of them return to Oyuki and find even more secrets hidden inside the box: the recipe for a poison and the location of one harvesting site.

Unlocking New Items

Once the mission is completed, players can gain access to buying new items from the Black Dye Merchant. Armor dye, hats, masks, and other resources will become available, along with a special reward: the Steady Bamboo Headband.

Conclusion The Way of the Shamisen is another step deeper in the richly woven Ghost of Yōtei narrative: stealth, puzzles, character development. Following the trail of the Kitsune, deeper mysteries and tougher challenges will be put before the player. Added rewards with the Black Dye Merchant make this mission satisfying in terms of both gameplay and story progression.