Town of Death is chapter 5 and takes place in Pangzhen. You come in through the tunnel from the Village of Lu, cross the town to Myst’s Tavern and meet Myst, who unlocks Soul Temper. The bosses are Blaze, Shadow Warden Captain and Cavalrybane. It ends when you cross the main street bridge, when The Heart’s Trail begins. No source gives its length.
Chapter summary
Soul reaches Pangzhen through the hidden passage from the Village of Lu and finds a town taken over by the Shadow Wardens and by puppets. The chapter is almost linear: you go across the rooftops and streets of the center, open shortcuts, defeat two Shadow Wardens and reach Myst’s Tavern, the cellar where several characters gather and give you new tales. From here on you can temper weapons and Edges.
Step by step
Town of Death route
From the first bell to the end of the chapter (in red, what you must not skip)
- Hidden Storehousestarting bell
- South Gate BridgeFlameward
- Blazeboss
- Pavilion CrossroadsLan Shaodi
- Cavalrybaneboss
- Myst’s Taverntales and tempering
- South Pondbridge: end
Order according to Vandal’s (Spanish guide) chapter guide.
The chapter’s golden objectives, in order, according to Vandal:
Book and petal titles are translated from the Spanish version of the game; the in-game English wording may differ.
- Enter central PangzhenYou start at the Hidden Storehouse bell and follow the only path to Abandoned Wine Cellar. Watch out for the kamikaze enemies waiting around corners.
- Reviver’s courtyardThe reviver heals nearby enemies: take down the ones on their knees first. Then climb the wall to get out.
- Rooftops and squareAcross the rooftops you reach the square with the South Gate Bridge bell, with three masked enemies: take out the ones with firearms first.
- Equip the FlamewardIt is in a chest on the porch, north of the stairway. Vandal recommends putting it on now, before the boss.
- Defeat BlazeBlaze, Shadow Warden Captain, with his second phase, Blaze, Phosphor Consciousness. He gives the Fire Meteor and the red Flesh Lily.
- Find a way to the alleyThe south gate is closed: go around it to the west and take out the rider at the end of the street. Activate the Jingyang Hall and Marketplace bells.
- Tavern and Huang Manor CrossroadsOn the tavern stairs there is a guard you can attack from behind. Take out the puppets (send back the blue projectiles of the one smoking a pipe) and activate the Huang Manor Crossroads bell.
- North pagodaOn the upper floor is the Pavilion of Knowledge Rooftop Key. On the rooftop, the Child of Revelation gives you the Blood Oath Dagger and closes Four Fierce Axes.
- Pavilion of Knowledge CrossroadsActivate the bell. If you talked to Lan Shaodi before leaving the Village of Lu, he gives you a key here; after clearing the area and talking to him again, you close Young Master Lan and receive Crimson Resolve.
- Defeat CavalrybaneCavalrybane, Elite Shadow Warden, in the courtyard before Myst’s Tavern. He gives the Armybreaker.
- Myst’s Tavern and MystPull the lever in the back courtyard to open the tunnel. After the scene with Myst, the third sister of the forge, exhaust her dialogue options: from now on you can Soul Temper.
- Go through the hidden passageActivate the Myst’s Tavern (Crane) bell and talk to everyone: five tales start here. The shopkeeper gives you the Huang Manor Key.
- Huang ManorGather the four pot fragments (chain, handle, body and lid) for the Manor Medicine Pot. On the upper floor is the petal The Severed Finger.
- Close The Star PerformerVandal recommends finishing it before moving on (see the tales table).
- On to the South Town PondGo back to the cellar, leave through the door at the back and clear the rooftops before dropping down the hole. Activate the South Town Pond bell. On the main street there are Shadow Wardens, one with a repeating crossbow. Crossing the bridge starts chapter 6.
Chapter bosses
| Boss | Type | Reward | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaze, Shadow Warden Captain (and Blaze, Phosphor Consciousness) | Mandatory (story) | Fire Meteor and red Flesh Lily | How to beat Blaze |
| Cavalrybane, Elite Shadow Warden | Mandatory (story) | Armybreaker | Elite Shadow Wardens |
Vandal includes both in its list of story bosses.
Tales and purple quests in this chapter
| Tale or quest | Where it starts or progresses | Missable if you move on? |
|---|---|---|
| The Sword and the Way | Taoist Bi Di, at Myst’s Tavern (ask him about the bronze sword) | Yes, when you climb the stairs past the Green Serpent House |
| The Undying Heroic Spirit | Warrior in the room next to the Myst’s Tavern bell | Yes, same point |
| The Star Performer | Lead opera actress puppet, at Myst’s Tavern | Yes, same point |
| The Cube | Warrior sitting in a corner of Myst’s Tavern | Yes, same point |
| A Brother Once More | The Severed Finger petal, upper floor of the Huang Manor | Yes, same point |
| Four Fierce Axes | It closes here, with the Child of Revelation (Pavilion of Knowledge) | Carried over from chapter 1 |
| Young Master Lan | It closes here, at the Pavilion of Knowledge Crossroads | Only if you did not accept it in the Village of Lu |
| Flesh Lily | It progresses with Blaze’s red Flesh Lily; it ends in chapter 6 | Yes, if you do not close it with Yu’er’s father |
| Sha-Chi Powered Boat (purple) | Talking to Myst | Yes, when you cross into the Mirage Estate |
| Illusory Pipa, part 2 (purple) | Talking to Myst | Yes, when you cross into the Mirage Estate |
The five tales that start in this chapter fail when you climb the stairs that open past the Green Serpent House, at the end of chapter 6. According to Vandal, only Cui, A Severed Mindseal, Triple Threat, Quick Hand’s Request and Las tres guaridas de la liebre astuta survive that cutoff. Myst’s purple quests also close there. In addition, Young Master Lan can only be closed here if you talked to Lan Shaodi before entering Pangzhen. You have every cutoff in area order and points of no return.
Collectibles and key items
- Accessories: Flameward (porch next to the South Gate Bridge), Crimson Resolve (Young Master Lan), Dance Fan (The Star Performer) and Manor Medicine Pot (fragments in the Huang Manor).
- Weapon: Armybreaker (Cavalrybane).
- Phantom Edge: Fire Meteor (Blaze).
- Tempering: Blood Oath Dagger (tempers the Dread Axe) and Dancer’s Ribbon.
- Zhang’s relic: Tiger Paperweight, reward for The Star Performer (see Zhang’s relics).
- Collectibles: several Blackstone Fragments and Sha-Chi Amber Fragments, the petals New Year Greetings, The Debut, Truth and Illusion and The Severed Finger (Memory Flowers), and books such as The Lady’s Sacred Scroll I and II (books).
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Flameward?
In a chest on the porch north of the stairway in the South Gate Bridge square, right before Blaze. Equip it for that fight.
When can I start tempering weapons?
After the scene with Myst at Myst’s Tavern. According to Vandal, at first you only have the material for the Dread Axe.
Which tales should I finish before leaving Pangzhen?
All of the ones from Myst’s Tavern (The Sword and the Way, The Undying Heroic Spirit, The Star Performer, The Cube and A Brother Once More), because they fail when you climb the stairs past the Green Serpent House. Several are closed at Meigu Lake.
When does Town of Death end?
When you cross the main street bridge, past the South Town Pond bell. A scene leads into The Heart’s Trail.
