The Heart’s Trail is chapter 6 and the longest one in Pangzhen. The goal is to reach Yu’er’s house, get through the Lion Dance Hall and gather the items from the Serpent Houses to open the Green Serpent House. The story bosses are Wu Xuan, Gu Wanyue, Xie Qiudong, Chang Hong and Flame, and at Meigu Lake Heartpiercer awaits you. The end of the chapter is a point of no return. No source gives its length.
Chapter summary
Soul goes through the back alleys of Pangzhen looking for Yu’er’s house, while facing the warriors who rule the town. Lei Dang, an old acquaintance, repairs the Flaming Mane, and with it you can burn brambles and open up half the region: the dock, the road to Meigu Lake and the Mandate Encampment. It is the chapter with the most optional content. Before closing it you should finish everything pending, because at the end almost every tale fails.
Step by step
The Heart’s Trail route
Bells and bosses in order (in red, the point of no return)
- Backstreet ArchwayWu Xuan
- Pond of Fading SongGu Wanyue
- Well of Wei SanchuanXie Qiudong
- Shrine SquareChang Hong
- Lion DanceFlame
- Jingyang HallFlaming Mane
- Serpent Housestongue, fang, eye
- Green Serpentno return
Order according to Vandal’s (Spanish guide) chapter guide.
Book and petal titles are translated from the Spanish version of the game; the in-game English wording may differ.
- Visit Yu’er’s houseYou start at the Backstreet Archway bell. Defeat Wu Xuan, the Fallen General, who gives the Wolfjaw.
- Zhang’s HideoutGo past Backstreet Rest to Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen). The book Lost Treasures of Pangzhen activates Quick Hand’s Request (3). Also pick up Quick Hand’s Manual, for the Flying Dagger.
- Narrow alleyNarrow Alley Residence 2nd Floor bell. At the end of the alley is the Congeal Talisman.
- Defeat Gu WanyueFrom Pond of Fading Song you reach Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith. In the well and the puppet room is the key to the outer gate of the Mandate Encampment.
- Defeat Xie QiudongWell of Wei Sanchuan bell. Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer, gives the Everflow. Afterwards, in the Green Serpent House, the healer unlocks medicine upgrades at bells and gives you the Green Serpent Brew.
- ThunderwardIn a chest in the banquet hall, west of the Green Serpent House. Vandal recommends it against Chang Hong and against Acolyte Lei Ting.
- Lion Dance Hall (outside)Activate the bell. Here you can face You Loong and accept Bi Yuan’s challenge (both optional). The petal Betrayal opens Kin Against Kin.
- Defeat Chang HongAncestral Shrine Square bell. Chang Hong, the Thunder Lancer, fights in two phases, the second on horseback. He gives the Thunder Spear.
- Yu’er’s HouseActivate the bell, talk to her father and examine the body. You receive the Blessed Jade Pendant and close Flesh Lily. You also get the Heavy Lion Hall Gate Key.
- Lion Dance Hall (inside)Reach Lion Dance Hall Depths. Vandal recommends the upgraded Flameward and You Loong’s Deluge. Defeat Flame and The Lion Dance Grandmaster’s Final Dance.
- Jingyang HallOpen the red door, explore the courtyard and talk to Lei Dang: he hands you the Flaming Mane, which burns brambles.
- Detours with the Flaming ManeOptional, but with plenty of loot: the dock (Soulclaimer), Old Man Gen’s House (Acolyte Lei Ting), the Back Hill Pavilion and the Mandate Lodgings. Before leaving Pangzhen, go back to Zhang to close his relics for the region and receive Goldblaze.
- The Serpent HousesYou need one item from each house: the Red Serpent Tongue (Crimson Forest), the Black Serpent Fang (Village of Lu) and the White Serpent Eye (Meigu Lake, where Heartpiercer is). Vandal warns that you have to go to the lake, although you do not need to explore all of it. See how to get to Meigu Lake.
- Open the Green Serpent HousePlace the tongue, the fang and the eye in the serpent head. Going through the door starts The Way Forward. It is the point of no return: read the warning below first.
Chapter bosses
| Boss | Type | Reward | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wu Xuan, the Fallen General | Mandatory | Wolfjaw | Wu Xuan |
| Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith | Mandatory | Fanatic’s Fragment: Fixation (tempering) | Gu Wanyue |
| Xie Qiudong, the Divine Healer | Mandatory | Everflow | Xie Qiudong |
| Chang Hong, the Thunder Lancer (and the mounted thunder lancer) | Mandatory | Thunder Spear | Chang Hong |
| Flame and The Lion Dance Grandmaster’s Final Dance | Mandatory | Vandal does not list it in the chapter | Flame |
| Heartpiercer, Elite Shadow Warden (Meigu Lake) | Mandatory | Sundering Dual Axes | Elite Wardens |
| You Loong, Leader of the Blackwater Crew | Optional | You Loong’s Deluge | You Loong |
| Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect (challenge) | Optional | Banyan’s Heart | Bi Yuan |
| Acolyte Lei Ting | Optional (electric scarecrow; bring the Thunderward) | Leiting’s Thunder Mask | Acolyte Lei Ting |
| Soulclaimer, Elite Shadow Warden | Optional (Dockside Warehouse) | Parting Hooks | Elite Wardens |
Mandatory or optional according to Vandal’s boss lists. Heartpiercer is, according to Vandal, the only mandatory boss at Meigu Lake.
Tales and purple quests in this chapter
| Tale or quest | Where it starts or progresses | Missable if you move on? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Hand’s Request (3) | Book Lost Treasures of Pangzhen, Zhang’s Hideout | No: it survives the point of no return (Vandal) |
| Kin Against Kin | Betrayal petal, next to the Lion Dance Hall | Yes, at the Green Serpent House |
| A Mother’s Heart | The Son Who Left Home petal, before the Pangzhen Slums bell | Yes, same point |
| Flesh Lily | It closes at Yu’er’s House | Yes, same point |
| The Sword and the Way | It closes with Bi Di after tempering the Tianxuan Bronze Sword | Yes, same point |
| The Journey Home | Vandal closes it with Old Man Gen in the Village of Lu | Yes, same point |
| Daughter of the Dark Sect | Mandate Encampment, which opens in this chapter | Yes, and it can fail without warning |
| Pillars of Kunlun 3 and 4 (purple) | Well past Gu Wanyue and the southeast gate of the Village of Lu | Yes, at the Green Serpent House |
| Secrets at the Heart of the Lake 4 (purple) | Old Man Gen’s House and Acolyte Lei Ting | Yes, same point |
| Sha-Chi Powered Boat 2 (purple) | Brambles in northeast Pangzhen | Yes, same point |
Placing the three items in the Green Serpent House and going through its door into the Mirage Estate is the point of no return. According to Vandal, only Cui, A Severed Mindseal, Triple Threat, Quick Hand’s Request and Las tres guaridas de la liebre astuta stay open; the other tales fail. Ten of the eleven purple quests also close there, so do the optional areas first. And in the Dovecote of the Mandate Encampment, do not kill Red: escape by the chain on the roof (how to do it). You have the route in area order and points of no return.
Collectibles and key items
- Phantom Edges: Wolfjaw, You Loong’s Deluge, Thunder Spear, Flaming Mane and Goldblaze (Zhang).
- Weapons: Parting Hooks (Soulclaimer) and Sundering Dual Axes (Heartpiercer).
- Accessories: Congeal Talisman, Thunderward, Blessed Jade Pendant, Formless Divine Mirror (Back Hill Pavilion) and Battleforged (Pangzhen Docks).
- Medicines: Everflow, Green Serpent Brew and Merciful Dew (A Mother’s Heart).
- Zhang’s relics: Ink Stick, Carved-Edge Inkstone and Jade Brush Rest (Zhang’s relics).
- Tempering: Fanatic’s Fragment: Fixation, Blazing Lion Head, Snake Gallbladder: Green, Snake Rattle: Red and Snake Venom Sac: Black (Soul Temper).
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Frequently asked questions
How do I get into the Mirage Estate?
Gather the Red Serpent Tongue, the Black Serpent Fang and the White Serpent Eye, place them in the serpent head of the Green Serpent House and go through the door. Only do it once you have finished everything pending.
Which tales do not fail when you finish The Heart’s Trail?
According to Vandal, Cui, A Severed Mindseal, Triple Threat, Quick Hand’s Request and Las tres guaridas de la liebre astuta. The rest fail.
What is the Flaming Mane for?
It burns the brambles that block paths. With it you reach the dock, Soulclaimer, the Meigu Lake boat and several Pangzhen shortcuts.
Do you need to go to Meigu Lake in this chapter?
Yes. The White Serpent House, with the eye you need to progress, is there. Vandal clarifies that you do not need to explore the whole lake.
