Weeping Creek Valley.

Soul arrives in this gorge once the cart chase in Reckless Pursuit is over, and it counts as the opening complete region of Phantom Blade Zero. Against the Maskwalkers, the Mandate has built up defences throughout. Starting in the riverbed, the principal path rises through a guarded Outpost and an archer camp, finishing at the Valley Sha-Chi Tower and the Great Waterfall.

The route onward accounts for only part of the valley. Hidden beneath the tower, a cavern shelters an optional boss whose drop ranks among the finest weapons around; the first Lóng Pillar sits in a locked eastern section; and a sealed red manor in the depths will not open before the late game. Count on coming back three or more times.

Plenty of later content is seeded in the valley too. Forge and Yu'er first show up here, as do your earliest Phantom Edges, and tales begin that stretch across multiple regions ahead. Certain of those are lost permanently as the plot advances.

Lay of the Land

Three tiers make up the region: the creek and ravine on the lowest level, the fortified road across the centre, and the concealed ground beneath and behind the tower.

Scaffolding, timber walkways and chains hung over gaps above the water form the whole opening section. A red thread barrier stands at the creek's end, originating in Broken Puppet Valley to the south-west. Past it, a northbound river cave leads into a clearing drowned in water behind the waterfalls, where the first boss waits.

The Outpost, hub of the region, is reached by climbing from Rustblade Pavilion. Beyond it the road passes Peng Meng's arena and a holding cell, then spans a small river by bridge and ends at the Creek Valley Plains Entrance gate. Uphill is the archer camp, and from there an enormous timber bridge connects to the Sha-Chi Tower. Over the tower a further bridge continues to the Great Waterfall, at the map's boundary, and the forest above it carries the principal road to Pangzhen.

Optional areas surround this main line. A hole at the back of the tower leads down to a cavern with red spider lilies. Unlocking the Creek Valley Plains Entrance gate reveals the eastern section, an optional area made up of an overlook cabin, a tiny village, channels of river and caves. Taking a lift down from it reaches a high vault, under which one red-roofed building stands alone below the tower.

Sub-areas

They appear in the sequence you encounter them, and each one gets a separate page with every detail.

Bells

Also in this list are the Crane-shaped Bells, which trigger a story scene on contact.

Coming Back

Four stages alter what is possible in the valley.

Once Peng Meng Is Beaten

With the Dread Axe, the chained courtyard and a number of barricades can be opened, and Yu'er relocates to the forge. From now on, handing over the bow, the lilies and the herbs each require a trip back to the Outpost.

Following The Hunt

From the Summit Bell, Hunter's Chain Sickle lets you climb to the tower's highest point and collect the Sha-Chi Tower Base Camp Gate Key, which opens the gate next to Creek Valley Plains Entrance. Next, return all the way to the beginning to obtain Lingran's Pendant.

Upon Arriving at the Village of Lu

Leave None Alive sends you to the Outpost again and unlocks The Lady’s Cave. Once the Tiger Canon is in your hands, it also smashes the wall at the Lóng Pillar, revealing Pigeon Feed.

Following The Herald's Illusion

To unseal Crimson Manor you need Puppet's Tongue, hanging from a puppet within an eerie realm. Three portals lead there: at the Puppet Testing Grounds in the Village of Lu, after the Mandate Encampment boss, and after the Mountain of Imprisonment boss. Teleport to the Crimson Manor Bell, open its door, and take the second-floor Memory Flower. Then go underground, to the Scavenger Pens and the fight below.

Having beaten the other acolytes, you finish your Acolyte Mask set with this prize, and that opens the hidden region in Meigu Lake.

Perfect Ending Tasks

The Perfect Ending draws on four items from this region, and all of them have to be finished before you step through the Green Serpent House door that leads to Mirage Estate.

• Defeat The Gold-Masked One at the Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar
• Finish Deep in the Valley
• Complete Crimson Manor
• Get Hansui's Frost Mask and the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang] out of the Crimson Manor battle

Bosses

HP, Sha-Chi and Remnant Dust show baseline amounts. Higher difficulty settings and repeat playthroughs increase HP and Sha-Chi. The final column names the kinds of damage and status afflictions that hurt each boss more.

Combat tips

Practise your parry and perfect-dodge timing on Jagged Steel, who exists to teach them. Peng Meng's charge with a black flash and his ground slam need dodging; hit him freely whenever his guard gets broken. You fought The Hunt earlier, in two phases, atop a cart in motion during Reckless Pursuit.

Three varieties of lily fill Hua's arena: some bloom and then blow up, some wander about and detonate on meeting each other, and white ones follow you and cause stun. Raise a weapon to Level 5 beforehand, stay in motion, and practise countering her red grab. She is immune to Bleed.

Starting weapons that have not been upgraded do almost nothing to the Aberrant Three-faced Puppet, so postpone her. Her smoky black attacks should be dodged because blocking one empties your entire stamina, and constant standard attacks gradually wear down her Sha-Chi. Once the Livingwood Talisman from the Village of Lu has been polished, a bleed weapon will work on her, although at a lowered effect.

Defence is what The Gold-Masked One examines: parry attacks with a blue flash and perfect-dodge those with a red flash. Leaving him until Soul has stronger gear is fine, as the cutoff for this fight arrives far later. A victory also moves Bloodline Awakening forward.

During the Crimson Manor battle, once The Puppet Scavenger is reduced to roughly half HP, Acolyte Hansui enters the fray. Dodge her freezing attacks and defeat her before turning to the Scavenger.

Enemies

Ordinary enemies seen throughout the valley are sorted here by kind.

By the bridge at the Red Thread Barrier there is a boulder that can be shoved onto foes, and the rooftops and tall grass around the Outpost courtyard suit assassinations.

Maskwalkers:

• Brute
• Throwing Brute
• Spear Brute
• Shield Brute
• Shielded Brute
• Yellow-Robed Brute
• Twin-Axe Brute
• Thorn Brute
• Madwoman
• Mad Arsonist
• Twin-Pick Madwoman
• Powderkeg
• Bronze Man: Fist

Perfect Transcension:

• Shadow Warden
• Faceless Swordsman
• Faceless Spearman
• Featherbow Archer

Quests and Tales

As the story progresses, several of them become unavailable; each entry lists when.

Flesh Lily

You accept it without a prompt on talking to Yu'er by the waterfall. A rare flower is what she seeks, in order to help her father.

Deliver the flowers to her prior to beating Bai Chilian, and finish this tale if A Healer's Legacy is something you want.

Four Fierce Axes

It begins with the case file beside the tree close to the Broken Puppet Valley Bell. At first the objective points you towards Peng Meng, who leaves a file himself, and after that you must find seven further ones. Your map marks them all.

Bring the whole set to the Child of Insight, who waits on a guarded rooftop close to Pavilion of Knowledge Crossroads in Pangzhen. In return you get the Blood Oath Dagger, the item for Soul Tempering the Dread Axe.

Purge the Sect

You can lose this one. On an Outpost rooftop, the Brooding Old Archer wants you to handle the archers who turned on their master.

After Bai Chilian the tale fails, taking the Feather Bow along with it.

Festering Secret

You can lose this one. It begins as you approach the guards beside the chain-sealed courtyard in the Outpost.

Bai Chilian's defeat causes the tale to fail.

Apprentice Healer

Two of the herbs lie beyond the eastern gate, which means The Hunt has to be beaten beforehand. When you come back, Yu'er hands you the Medicine Case. Complete it ahead of the Jing Ye fight, because the tale additionally unlocks A Healer's Legacy.

A Severed Mindseal

Only part of it can be missed. It is handed out by the friendly Shadow Warden who stands beside the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Summit Bell.

Its continuation takes place at the Sha-Chi Towers of Pangzhen and in Crimson Forest.

Triple Threat

You take it on at the statue beside The Lady’s Rift Bell. The boss yields the Three-Headed Doll, which is of no use early, so hurrying is pointless. Its next stage is much later in the game, and the Freezing Chaos weapon concludes the tale.

Deep in the Valley

This purple tale comes from the Mandate disciple at the locked gate by Creek Valley Plains Entrance and relates to the eastern section, which is optional. Make sure it shows as complete prior to entering Mirage Estate.

Whence the Weeping

It appears early and seems like something to wrap up in this region, yet that is impossible. The tale spans a large part of the game and concludes at the Mountain of Imprisonment.

Leave None Alive

It originates in the Village of Lu, and it returns you to the Outpost to learn the fate of the Mandate disciples. Here you collect the relic of Monk Huijue of Kuye Temple and then proceed to the Thieves’ Camp. The monk close to the shop drops Prayer Beads when beaten; the Stately Monk in the Village of Lu takes them in exchange for the Agarwood Prayer Beads accessory, provided your answer is "Do not believe".

Four Fierce Axes:

• Lying on the table inside the house by the Broken Puppet Valley Bell
• Found on the corpse next to the shrine in Broken Puppet Valley
• Resting on a table where the stealth tutorial happens, around Outpost Courtyard
• Left-hand table beside The Axemaster’s Holding Cell Bell
• Awarded during Festering Secret by the Mandate lieutenant, who is at Lóng Pillar Overlook
• Table near the stairs, shortly before the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Base Bell
• Wooden platform in front of The Lady’s Cave, available after Leave None Alive has started

Apprentice Healer

Plot Background (Spoilers)

Spoiler alert: backstory that the region's bosses and documents reveal is covered below.

Peng Meng, eldest of the Four Axes, lost his three brothers in a trap and took Transcension to avenge them. Heavy losses were suffered by the Mandate squad that overcame him: an iron chain was driven through each of his shoulder blades, leaving him pinned behind the post station. Another squad reporting to the Pillars of Kunlun meanwhile used the Sha-Chi Tower as a temporary base.

Monks arrived at the tower from Kuye Temple over several waves; certain ones hunted for a missing master, and the rest investigated happenings around Pangzhen. After the Sha-Chi Furnace burst, most of them were killed by molten metal, and those who lived lost their sanity.

Hua is a puppet bride. Her father married her off to the Li family and then joined them in plotting the murder of Hui, a neighbour who had urged her to elope. Six letters recount her story. Believing he will come back, she keeps feeding the Flesh Lilies.

The Herald's failed experiment, The Puppet Scavenger, was pieced together using a strongman's remains. Imprisoned under the manor, it was tasked with disposing of unwanted puppets, along with any troublesome members of the Mandate.

Services

Next to the Outpost Bell is Forge, who works for Inanis. Soul's original Sanguine was reforged by Forge into Sanguine Twin and Sanguine Reach. Meeting Forge makes the upgrade menu usable at any Bell.

At the Outpost you find The Peddler, who runs the valley's shop with limited stock.

Festering Secret

1. Defeat Peng Meng, come back afterwards, and use the Dread Axe to cut the chains.
2. Assist with clearing the courtyard, then talk to the Swordsman Captain by the Outpost entrance to get his written orders.
3. Following The Hunt, unlock the eastern gate and hand the orders over to the lieutenant in blue robes, who stays in the Lóng Pillar Overlook cabin.
4. Return Gu Lingran's Secret Letter to the Swordsman Captain.

Collectibles

After the story ends, free-roam lets you pick up anything not flagged as missable.

Weapons plus Phantom Edges

Shields and iron chains give way to the Dread Axe. Against enemies at full health, the Feather Bow deals extra damage, and it can also shoot hanging objects down. High ledges and faraway anchor points can be reached with Hunter's Chain Sickle. Each opens places you walked past already, which makes backtracking worthwhile.

Medicines and accessories

Boulderguard comes after Peng Meng is down. Head into the building beside the Brooding Old Archer, on its right, and go on talking to the man hidden among the boxes until a grave near the stables is brought up. Then interact with the grave on the walkway in front of the holding cell Bell. Bai Chilian's defeat ends the chance to speak with him.

Upgrades

A complete stone needs four shards. Once whole, a Blackstone permanently adds 10% to Attack and Guard Break, and a Sha-Chi Amber adds 10% to maximum Sha-Chi; the region supplies one of each. After enough Memory Flowers are gathered, Soul's maximum HP goes up.

Documents

Inspecting stone writing across the valley yields Remnant Dust, and smashing crates now and then drops items as well.

Weapons plus Phantom Edges

Medicines and accessories

Upgrades

Key items

Documents

Items to collect

Primary Path

Soul wakes up at the ravine's bottom as Against the Flow starts, and that tale contains the Jagged Steel and Peng Meng fights. Steel and Steam owns The Hunt.

1. Starting at The Beginning, walk the walkways, cross the chain and slide down the rope to find Yu'er by the waterfall.
2. Pick up Sanguine Twin off the rack beyond her, then ascend the ladder to reach the Bell.
3. Cross the bridge to the Red Thread Barrier, enter Broken Puppet Valley, and beat the enemy that holds the threads.
4. Enter the river cave via the cleared barrier and beat Jagged Steel, then continue through Rustblade Pavilion and the courtyard.
5. Meet Forge in the Outpost, then pick Sanguine Reach off the rack at Forge's back, and talk with everyone prior to leaving.
6. Past the Outpost, beat Peng Meng to receive the Dread Axe.
7. Walk by the holding cell, go over the bridge, and ascend through the archer camp.
8. Walk over the giant wooden bridge, ascend the Sha-Chi Tower, and carry on across Waterfall Bridge.
9. Beat The Hunt at the Great Waterfall to obtain Hunter's Chain Sickle; Crimson Forest comes after.

Flesh Lily

1. Beat Hua in the Flesh Lily Fields, then pick up the Twin Flesh Lilies.
2. Once Peng Meng has fallen, Yu'er shows up by Forge at the Outpost, and the lilies go to her. As a memento, she gives one back.
3. Hold on to it. After defeating Chang Hong at Ancestral Shrine Square in Pangzhen, go into the building in front of you and use it to rescue her father.

Purge the Sect

1. Kill each archer in Ruthless Archer Camp to earn a Blackstone shard and the Broken-String Bow.
2. Go back to the old man; he mends the bow, turning it into the Feather Bow.

A Severed Mindseal

1. Go up onto the roof, take the tall ladder down on your left, and beat the enemy who has the Sha-Chi Furnace Inspection Crank.
2. Head back to the 1st Floor and put the crank into the furnace to get the Primal Stone, then take the crank again.
3. Before exiting the valley, hand the stone to the Shadow Warden.

Recommended Order

1. Light the Bells at The Beginning and The Lady’s Rift, but skip the Rift boss.
2. Run the main route up to the Outpost, collecting Sanguine Twin and Sanguine Reach on the way.
3. Take every tale from the Outpost, and spend Dust on materials if you can afford them.
4. Beat Peng Meng, return and clear the courtyard sealed by chains. Speak to Yu'er, and also to the fellow hiding behind boxes.
5. Stop by the grave, the chest with the Focus Pill, and the river underneath the bridge.
6. Clean out the archer camp, then go back for the Feather Bow.
7. Upgrade one weapon, beat Hua, and bring the lilies to Yu'er.
8. Start A Severed Mindseal by finishing its first stage, and after that defeat The Hunt.
9. Collect Lingran's Pendant and the gate key, then clear out the eastern section, last herbs, Tower Base and Crimson Manor lift included.
10. Prior to heading off to Crimson Forest, deliver the herbs and finish Festering Secret. The Gold-Masked One can be left for later.

Nearby locations

The Lady’s Rift · Broken Puppet Valley · Rustblade Pavilion · Outpost · The Axemaster’s Fall · The Axemaster’s Holding Cell · Ruthless Archer Camp · Valley Sha-Chi Tower · Flesh Lily Fields · Waterfall Bridge · Great Waterfall · Weeping Creek Lóng Pillar · Crimson Manor · The Lady’s Cave · Scavenger Pens · Crimson Forest · Thieves’ Camp · Village of Lu · Puppet Testing Grounds · Pangzhen · Green Serpent House · Ancestral Shrine Square · Mandate Encampment · Mountain of Imprisonment · Meigu Lake · Mirage Estate

Characters

Soul · Inanis · Yu'er · Forge · Chang Hong · Bai Chilian · The Hunt · Child of Insight · Peng Meng · Jing Ye · Jagged Steel · Acolyte Hansui · The Gold-Masked One

Weapons

Sanguine · Sanguine Twin · Sanguine Reach · Jagged Steel · Scarlet Wraithblade · Freezing Chaos · Dread Axe · Feather Bow · Hunter's Chain Sickle