Heartless Remnants is chapter 4 of Phantom Blade Zero and takes place in the Village of Lu, with trips back to the Crimson Forest and the Valley. The goal is to open the smugglers’ tunnel to Pangzhen: to do that you lay the bodies of three masters to rest. You defeat Zhuo Bi, masters Bi Yuan and Bi Hai and Yuzan, and the final boss is Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order and Queen of Iron and Jade. With the five ribbons from “Young Mistress” her fight has an extra phase. No guide gives the length.
Chapter summary
Past the Village of Lu bridge, Soul finds a place overrun by puppets and by the Lady’s sect. To continue toward Pangzhen you have to open a smugglers’ tunnel, and the key lies with the village’s three missing masters. The chapter is long and full of side life: Young Master Lan, Old Man Gen, the sleeping weaver, a singing puppet and a trail of red ribbons that leads to an old friend of Soul’s. Several purple quests that are resolved much later also start here. It ends in a hidden passage to Pangzhen.
Heartless Remnants route
Key bells, bosses and end of chapter 4 (in red, what closes tales)
- BossZhuo Bi
- BellYoung Master Lan’s Hideout
- BossBi Yuan
- BossBi Hai
- BellBeneath the Well
- BossYuzan
- BellLakeside
- BossMu Xiaokui
- BellHidden Passage to Pangzhen
Order according to Vandal (Spanish guide) and Fextralife. Mu Xiaokui closes Young Mistress and entering Pangzhen closes Lan’s and Gen’s tales.
Step by step
- Arriving at the villageWhen you cross the bridge the first flowers of Secrets at the Heart of the Lake appear and Leave None Alive activates on its own. According to Fextralife, talking to Jewel starts the Illusory Pipa purple quest and gives you Jewel’s Knot if you did not pick it up at the end of the previous chapter. Rescue Old Man Gen from the puppets for The Journey Home.
- Zhuo Bi, the GatekeeperHe guards the square with an unbreakable shield. He gives you the Bastion Edge, useful against crossbow traps. Vandal says you can bypass him via a staircase, although it does not advise it; Fextralife lists him as required to progress. Guide: Zhuo Bi.
- Lan and the first ribbonActivate Young Master Lan’s Hideout and talk to Lan Shaodi: Young Master Lan begins. On a tree next to the bridge is the first red ribbon, which activates Young Mistress. There are five in total.
- Well of the Three Puppets and Temple of Blue FirefliesActivate both bells. In the southeast of the village, the sleeping weaver gives A Dream of Motherhood, and in the temple the singing puppet gives A Puppet’s Wooden Heart. The second ribbon is next to the temple bell. The temple’s mist barrier only opens with all the petals of Secrets at the Heart of the Lake.
- From the Covered Bridge to The Lady’s GroundsActivate Covered Bridge (third ribbon on a post), Zhang’s Hideout, Black Serpent House, Statue Grounds Entrance and The Lady’s Grounds, which gives you the fourth ribbon when you activate it.
- Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan SectIn the statue grounds. He gives you the Tianxuan Bronze Sword. He is the first of the three masters whose body you have to find to open the tunnel.
- Smugglers’ tunnel and Bi HaiActivate Smuggler’s Treasure Cellar and Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance. For Leave None Alive you get the bandit’s manual and the prayer beads: hand them in before crossing the tunnel. Defeat Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple, who gives the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads; they summon Bronze Men that distract bosses, and Vandal recommends upgrading them.
- Terraces and Survivors’ CourtyardActivate Terraces, Engine Giant Remains and Survivors’ Courtyard, where the hunter from Dahuang sleeps.
- Secrets of the lake: Yanru and Dusk (secret)With the petals of the Firefly flower, a scarecrow with a red aura in the north summons Acolyte Yanru, who gives Yanru’s Blazing Mask. With all six petals you clear the mist at the Temple of Blue Fireflies and reach Dusk, the Puppeteer, who gives the Puppeteer’s Bell and the Illusory Pipa Head. Fextralife places him down in the broken puppet pit (Broken Puppet Pit Entrance bell).
- Beneath the Well: YuzanActivate Beneath the Well; the fifth ribbon is on a post of the next bridge. Defeat Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet: he gives you the Heartrend Pipa. At Puppet Testing Grounds are the puppet girl from Cui and the first portal of the Three-Eyed Puppet.
- Mu XiaokuiFrom Lakeside, the lift takes you to the final boss: Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order and then Queen of Iron and Jade. If you carry the five ribbons, a secret phase appears with the Jade Dancer and the Iron Fiend. On the dock, pick up the Wild Oriole Sword.
- Hidden Passage to PangzhenPuppet No. 44’s Eye opens Puppet No. 44’s door. With the Village of Lu Cellar Key you reach Hidden Passage to Pangzhen. Vandal warns: do not go through the mask door before talking to Lan and Gen again, and in Pangzhen do not use the lift until you have finished the tunnel business. Opening the door starts Town of Death.
Chapter bosses
| Boss | Type | Reward | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhuo Bi, the Gatekeeper | The sources disagree (see note) | Bastion Edge | How to beat Zhuo Bi |
| Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect | Mandatory | Tianxuan Bronze Sword weapon | Bi Yuan and Bi Hai |
| Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple | Mandatory | Kuye Temple Prayer Beads Edge | Bi Yuan and Bi Hai |
| Acolyte Yanru | Secret | Yanru’s Blazing Mask | Acolyte Yanru |
| Dusk, the Puppeteer | Secret | Puppeteer’s Bell Edge and Illusory Pipa Head | Dusk, the Puppeteer |
| Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet | Mandatory | Heartrend Pipa Edge | Yuzan |
| Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order and Queen of Iron and Jade | Mandatory | Puppet No. 44’s Eye and Wild Oriole Sword | Mu Xiaokui |
| Iron Fiend and Jade Dancer | Mu Xiaokui’s secret phase (with the five ribbons) | Fiend Saws and Fist Fragment: Core | Mu Xiaokui |
Zhuo Bi: Vandal’s chapter page says he can be avoided via a staircase, but Vandal’s boss index counts him among the story bosses and Fextralife says you need to defeat him to progress. Defeating him is the recommended choice.
Tales and purple quests in this chapter
| Tale or quest | Where it starts | Missable if you move on? |
|---|---|---|
| Leave None Alive | Automatic when you reach the Village of Lu | Yes: if you cross the tunnel without handing over the bandit’s manual or answer “believe” to the monk |
| Young Mistress | Red ribbon on a tree next to the bridge | Yes: defeating Mu Xiaokui without the five ribbons |
| Young Master Lan | Lan Shaodi, Young Master Lan’s Hideout | Yes: entering Pangzhen without accepting it or talking to Lan after opening the tunnel |
| A Dream of Motherhood | Sleeping weaver, southeast of the village | Yes: when you climb the stairs past the Green Serpent House |
| A Puppet’s Wooden Heart | Singing puppet, Temple of Blue Fireflies | Yes: when you climb the stairs past the Green Serpent House |
| Dahuang | Sleeping hunter, Survivors’ Courtyard | Yes: when you climb the stairs past the Green Serpent House |
| Cui | Puppet girl, Puppet Testing Grounds (after Yuzan) | Yes, but much later: defeating The Crusher and the Saw without talking to Lu Jieyuan |
| Illusory Pipa (purple; how to get it) | Jewel; the first piece is the Illusory Pipa Head from Dusk | Yes: when you cross into the Mirage Estate without closing it |
| Secrets at the Heart of the Lake (purple; acolyte masks) | Petals of the Firefly flower | Yes: when you cross into the Mirage Estate without closing it |
| The Herald’s Illusion (purple; the 3 portals) | Three-Eyed Puppet, Puppet Testing Grounds | Yes: when you cross into the Mirage Estate without closing it |
The Journey Home, Whence the Weeping (part 4, with Jewel), Pillars of Kunlun (part 2, northeast gate) and the Crimson Manor also progress, according to Vandal.
Defeating Mu Xiaokui without the five ribbons leaves you without the secret phase, the Fiend Saws and the Fist Fragment: Core, and according to our pages it also closes Use It Against Them and Heart of the Fist. Crossing the smugglers’ tunnel without handing over the bandit’s manual makes Leave None Alive fail. Entering Pangzhen without having accepted and talked to Lan and Old Man Gen closes Young Master Lan and The Journey Home (Vandal: do not go through the mask door before that). Our page marks the Wild Oriole Sword as missable: pick it up on the dock before leaving the village. Keep Yanru’s Blazing Mask: it is needed for optional content for the perfect ending.
Collectibles and key items
- Weapons: Tianxuan Bronze Sword, Fiend Saws and Wild Oriole Sword.
- Phantom Edges: Bastion, Kuye Temple Prayer Beads, Puppeteer’s Bell and Heartrend Pipa.
- Accessories: Seal of Dugu, Brass Chest Guard, Shenji’s Ring, Mother’s Talisman, Livingwood Talisman, Remnant Spark Cage and A Puppet’s Wooden Heart. Leave None Alive gives Arrowward and Agarwood Prayer Beads.
- Medicines: Spirit-Returning Broth and Forbidden Concoction.
- Story items: Yanru’s Blazing Mask, Illusory Pipa Head, Puppet No. 44’s Eye, Fist Fragment: Core, Village of Lu Cellar Key and the tunnel cage key. Zhang’s relics: Wedding Candles and Unveiled Statue (all the relics).
- Collectibles: many Memory Flowers (among them, the last one in the Crimson Forest), Blackstone and Sha-Chi Amber fragments, and books.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you open the smugglers’ tunnel?
By finding the bodies of the village’s three masters and laying them to rest, according to Vandal. Along the way you defeat Bi Yuan and Bi Hai.
Where are the five Young Mistress ribbons?
On the tree next to the bridge, next to the Temple of Blue Fireflies bell, on a post of the Covered Bridge, when you activate The Lady’s Grounds and on a post past Beneath the Well. You have the details in Young Mistress.
What happens if I defeat Mu Xiaokui without the five ribbons?
The secret phase with the Jade Dancer and the Iron Fiend does not appear, and you lose the Fiend Saws and the Fist Fragment: Core.
What do I have to do before entering Pangzhen?
Accept and talk again to Lan Shaodi and Old Man Gen, hand over the bandit’s manual for Leave None Alive and pick up the Wild Oriole Sword. Vandal also asks you not to use the Pangzhen lift until you have finished the tunnel business.
