TL;DR
- The Thief’s Manual is a story item tied to the Leave None Alive quest.
- Find it in the Crimson Forest Thieves’ Camp — drop from an enemy near Quick Hand Zhang’s hideout.
- Give it to the Wounded Thief near Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance in the Village of Lu.
- Reward: the Arrowward accessory.
- This quest is missable — do it before entering the well at the Village of Lu.
The Thief’s Manual is one of those story items in Phantom Blade Zero that the game drops in your inventory without much explanation. You pick it up, look at it, and wonder — what is this for, and where does it go?
This guide covers exactly that. Where to get the Thief’s Manual, who to give it to, and how the whole Leave None Alive quest plays out from start to finish.
What Is the Thief’s Manual in Phantom Blade Zero?
The Thief’s Manual is a story item — it doesn’t upgrade your build or affect combat. It belongs to a member of the Thieves’ Camp in Crimson Forest, and your job is to return it to his companion in the Village of Lu.
It’s tied to a Tales quest called Leave None Alive. This quest spans two regions and has multiple objectives, but the Thief’s Manual is the key item that closes it out.
Thief’s Manual Location – Where to Find It in Phantom Blade Zero
Head to the Thieves’ Camp in Crimson Forest. This is the same camp you visit during the Honor Among Thieves quest, where you meet the Gentle Thief. If you’ve already been there, you know the area.
Look for the enemy standing in front of Quick Hand Zhang’s hideout entrance near the camp. Defeat that enemy and the Thief’s Manual will drop as a story item. You don’t need to clear the entire camp before picking it up, but defeating all enemies at the camp is part of the quest’s progression.
A couple of things to keep in mind before you go:
- You should be coming here after reaching the Village of Lu, not before. The Leave None Alive tale only starts once you speak to the Wounded Thief in the Village of Lu.
- If you already cleared the Thieves’ Camp earlier in the game, go back after arriving at the Village of Lu — the Manual drop may not appear until story progression catches up.
Need help finding other items in Crimson Forest? Check out our guide on the Crimson Forest Weeping Portal Puzzle and the Crimson Forest Tunnel Crank.
How to Start the Leave None Alive Quest
The Leave None Alive quest doesn’t start in Crimson Forest. It starts in the Village of Lu, the third region in Phantom Blade Zero.
Once you enter the Village of Lu and progress past the Master Bi Hai arena, you’ll reach the area near the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance bell. A Wounded Thief sits slumped against the wall near a barred gate in this area.
Walk up to him and talk to him. After his initial dialogue about a girl, you’ll see two options. Pick “Any Other Requests?” — that’s the one that starts the quest. If you pick “Leave,” you’ll exit without activating it.
Once you choose the right option, the Leave None Alive tale will appear in your quest log under the Tales tab. The quest will point you back toward Weeping Creek Valley and the Crimson Forest Thieves’ Camp to investigate what happened there.
How to Complete Leave None Alive – Full Steps
Step 1 – Talk to the Wounded Thief in Village of Lu
As described above — find him near the Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance bell, past Master Bi Hai’s arena, and choose “Any Other Requests?” to start the quest.
Step 2 – Return to Weeping Creek Valley Outpost
The quest first sends you to the Weeping Creek Valley Outpost. Head there and find Monk Huijue of Kuye Temple. Speak with him to update the quest.
Step 3 – Go to the Crimson Forest Thieves’ Camp
Next, head back to the Thieves’ Camp in Crimson Forest. Defeat the enemy near Quick Hand Zhang’s hideout to collect the Thief’s Manual. This is the story item you’ll need to return in the next step.
While you’re in the area, don’t forget to explore the camp fully. You may have other quests and collectibles tied to this location. Our Wily Hare’s Three Dens guide covers Quick Hand Zhang’s hideout in detail if you need it.
Step 4 – Defeat the Monk for the Prayer Beads
After collecting the Thief’s Manual, you’ll also need to deal with a Monk encounter tied to this quest and obtain the Prayer Beads. Defeating the Monk rewards you with this item, which is another relic needed to close out the tale.
If you’re working on related objectives, our Kuye Temple Prayer Beads guide has more detail on this item.
Step 5 – Return to the Wounded Thief in Village of Lu
Now go back to the Wounded Thief near Smuggler’s Tunnel Entrance in the Village of Lu. Hand over the Thief’s Manual. Soul will give it to him, and the Wounded Thief will reward you with the Arrowward accessory.
The Leave None Alive tale will complete immediately after the handoff.
Arrowward Accessory – What You Get for Completing Leave None Alive
The reward for handing over the Thief’s Manual is the Arrowward accessory. This is a defensive accessory earned through this specific quest and not available anywhere else in the game without completing it.
It’s a solid reason to prioritize this quest early. Accessories in Phantom Blade Zero can make a real difference to your build, especially once you start polishing them. If you haven’t yet, check our guide on how to polish accessories in Phantom Blade Zero, and see the full accessories locations list to find everything else you might be missing.
Is the Thief’s Manual Missable?
Yes — and this is the most important thing to know. The Leave None Alive quest has a hard deadline.
The Wounded Thief will eventually die or disappear as you progress through the Village of Lu. The exact trigger isn’t fully confirmed, but entering the well at the village entrance — the route that advances you beyond the Village of Lu — is believed to lock out this quest permanently.
That means you need to:
- Start the quest by talking to the Wounded Thief and choosing the right dialogue option.
- Return to Crimson Forest and collect the Thief’s Manual.
- Hand it back to him — all of this before entering the village well.
If you’ve already passed that point, the Arrowward accessory becomes unobtainable in that playthrough. So do this early, right when you arrive at the Village of Lu.
For other missable content worth watching out for, see our perfect ending guide and the full chapter list.
Other Phantom Blade Zero Story Items and Quests
The Leave None Alive quest is one of several side tales in Phantom Blade Zero that are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Here are a few more worth doing while you’re in the same stretch of the game:
- A Dream of Motherhood Quest Guide
- A Healer’s Mercy Quest Guide
- Gentle Thief Honor Among Thieves Answers — also in the Thieves’ Camp
- Quick Hand’s Request Guide
- Four Fierce Axes Quest Walkthrough
- Festering Secret Quest Walkthrough
For a broader look at the game’s content, see our all bosses guide, the full weapons list, and the all Phantom Edges list.
Phantom Blade Zero is available on PlayStation 5, Steam, and Epic Games Store. The official site is at pbz.s-game.com.
