Phantom Blade Zero: Whence the Weeping Quest Walkthrough

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

• Whence the Weeping is a major multi-region questline in Phantom Blade Zero tied to the story of The Chord and Lady Inanis.
• It starts automatically in Weeping Creek Valley when Soul hears a mysterious woman weeping in the distance.
• The quest spans five regions — Weeping Creek Valley, Crimson Forest, Village of Lu, Pangzhen, and Meigu Lake — and ends at the Mountain of Imprisonment.
• You cannot fully complete it in one go. Progress happens naturally as you reach each new region.
• Completing it is required for the True Ending of Phantom Blade Zero.
• Key rewards include the White Serpent & Crimson Viper dual-wield sword and the Resonance Talisman, earned by defeating Bai Chilian.

What Is Whence the Weeping in Phantom Blade Zero?

Whence the Weeping is one of the most important questlines in Phantom Blade Zero. It looks like an optional side quest at first, but it runs through almost the entire game and connects directly to the True Ending. Miss it, and you will only see the Normal Ending when you finish.

The quest follows Soul as he tracks down the source of a mysterious weeping sound — the voice of a young woman named The Chord, the daughter of Lady Inanis. Her story is woven into every region and slowly reveals a darker thread underneath the main story.

Because this quest spans many chapters and regions, some players do not even realise it is progressing. There is no flashing marker telling you what to do next — you just have to keep playing and pay attention to the story beats as they come. This guide walks through every step.

Phantom Blade Zero Whence the Weeping Quest Walkthrough 1

Whence the Weeping Quest – Full Walkthrough

Step 1 – Hear the Weeping Voice (Weeping Creek Valley)

The quest triggers automatically very early in the game. Shortly after Soul arrives in Weeping Creek Valley, he hears a faint sound — a woman crying somewhere in the distance. The game adds Whence the Weeping to your quest log at this point.

Head northeast of The Beginning Bell to find Yu’er, the healer at the camp. Talk to her and ask about the weeping sound. She will share what little she knows, adding some early context to the mystery.

That is all you can do here for now. The quest sits quietly in your log while you continue through the main story.

Step 2 – Meet the Illusion of Lady Inanis (Crimson Forest)

The next major step happens in Chapter 4: Snake’s Reflection. After the events at the end of Weeping Creek Valley, Soul wakes up inside a cave at the start of the Crimson Forest region.

Head outside and travel east. A cutscene will trigger automatically — here, Soul meets the Illusion of Lady Inanis, a ghostly figure who finally puts a name to the voice. She explains that the weeping belongs to her daughter, The Chord, and that The Chord herself led Soul to this place.

After the conversation, Lady Inanis points Soul toward a nearby Crane Bell. Ring it. The bell triggers a vision — a memory of The Chord and a battle from the past. When Soul wakes from it, a full day has passed, and your timer drops to 61 days remaining. This interaction also activates The Crimson Forest Bell, the first fast travel point in the region.

Step 3 – Investigate the Mirrorwood Depths (Crimson Forest)

With the vision behind you, the trail leads deeper into the Crimson Forest. Travel to the Mirrorwood Depths Bell and begin exploring the area.

You will encounter a series of blue portals scattered through the forest. Interact with each one you find. As you do, they disappear and leave behind stone pillars with glowing lights. Some pillars are blocked by cobwebs — look for one with an open entrance and go inside.

Follow the path through that pillar, defeating any enemies in your way. You will then need to repeat the process — find more blue portals, interact with them, locate another accessible pillar. Keep pushing forward until the path opens toward the Threadbound Great Tree.

Step 4 – Defeat Bai Chilian (Crimson Forest)

Continue to the Threadbound Great Tree Bell and activate it. This is your last checkpoint before the region boss — make sure your build is in good shape before you press on.

Approach the tree and a cutscene plays featuring Bai Chilian. She is the Sacrificial Serpent, and the fight that follows is one of the more demanding boss encounters in the Crimson Forest. Her attacks are fast and she punishes slow reactions, so stay sharp on your parry and dodge reads.

When she goes down, you get a revealing story cutscene that fills in more of The Chord’s history. After it ends, Soul awakens near the Place of Awakening Bell — now in the newly unlocked Village of Lu. Your quest log updates, and you receive:

• Broken Illusory Pipa — the key story item for the next phase of this quest
• Resonance Talisman — a useful accessory
• White Serpent & Crimson Viper — a dual-wield sword and one of the better early weapons

Step 5 – Meet Jewel in the Village of Lu

When Chapter 5: Heartless Remnant begins, cross the bridge and enter the Village of Lu. A cutscene triggers and you meet Jewel, an NPC who becomes a recurring face in the story.

Talk to Jewel and ask her about the Broken Illusory Pipa. She cannot fix it herself, but she knows who can — a woman named Myst, who operates out of a secret underground tavern in Pangzhen. You can also ask Jewel about the weeping to hear her perspective and fill in more lore around the questline.

Hold onto the Broken Illusory Pipa. You will need it in Pangzhen.

Step 6 – Find Myst at the Underground Tavern (Pangzhen)

During Chapter 6: Town of Death, you arrive in Pangzhen. The Underground Tavern is not marked on the map, so you need to know where to look.

Head to the area near the Huang Manor Crossroads Bell. Look for a building with two glowing green lanterns that have no visible flames — that is the Order’s Tavern. Enter the building and walk east toward the wine racks.

Behind the wine racks in the middle of the room, find the largest ceramic jar. It looks slightly out of place compared to the others. Destroy it to reveal a hidden crank underneath. Interact with the crank and it opens a latch in the floor, leading down to the underground passage.

Head downstairs, follow the passage, and open the gate at the end. A cutscene plays and you meet Myst.

Show Myst the Broken Illusory Pipa. She tells you she can restore it — but she needs three missing pieces: the strings, head, and backplate. She then directs you to Lake Meigu to find them, and points you toward the Boatmaster’s Sha-Chi Powered Boat as your way to reach the area.

Step 7 – Repair the Illusory Pipa and Reach Meigu Lake

Getting to Meigu Lake requires progressing through Pangzhen and defeating the main boss in the west of the city to earn the Phantom Edge that opens the northern route. Once you have it, follow the path north out of Pangzhen to enter the Meigu Lake region.

Finding and delivering all three Pipa parts to Myst is its own quest — the Illusory Pipa Tale. Complete it to receive the restored Illusory Pipa as a Phantom Edge. This instrument is not just a story item — it is a weapon, and you need it for the next step.

Step 8 – Dispel the Barrier and Enter the Mountain of Imprisonment

In the northeast section of Meigu Lake, you will find a barrier blocking entry to the next region. Only the Illusory Pipa Phantom Edge can dispel it — which is exactly why Myst needed you to restore it first.

Equip the Illusory Pipa, approach the barrier, and use it to dispel the blockage. This opens the path to the Mountain of Imprisonment — a new region that was completely inaccessible until this moment.

Step 9 – Reach the Summit and Complete the Quest (Mountain of Imprisonment)

Progress through the Mountain of Imprisonment following the main story path. The mountain is a full region with its own enemies, bells, and story content. Push toward the summit, fighting through everything in your way.

At the top, defeat the region boss: Huangxing. This fight ends with a significant story payoff and rewards you with the Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge, which is needed for further exploration of hidden areas in the game.

After defeating Huangxing, follow the path downward from the summit. At the bottom of the mountain, you will find The Chord’s body. Interact with it to complete the Whence the Weeping questline.

Why Whence the Weeping Matters — True Ending Requirement

Completing Whence the Weeping in full is one of the requirements to unlock the True Ending of Phantom Blade Zero. The game tracks a set of purple-icon quests that must all be finished before you enter the Mirage Estate region. Whence the Weeping is on that list.

If you skip it or leave it incomplete, the game will still let you finish the story — but you will land on the Normal Ending instead. You get a warning when you approach the Mirage Estate if any of the required quests are unfinished, giving you a chance to go back.

The good news is that none of the True Ending quests are permanently missable based on other choices. As long as you complete them before that final check, you are fine.

All Rewards from Whence the Weeping

• Broken Illusory Pipa (story item) — obtained after defeating Bai Chilian
• White Serpent & Crimson Viper — dual-wield sword, also from the Bai Chilian fight
• Resonance Talisman — accessory reward from the same encounter
• Illusory Pipa (Phantom Edge) — restored after completing the Illusory Pipa Tale in Meigu Lake
• Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge — from defeating Huangxing at the Mountain of Imprisonment summit
• True Ending requirement fulfilled
• Mountain of Imprisonment region fully unlocked

Tips for Not Getting Stuck on Whence the Weeping

• Do not skip the Crane Bell in Crimson Forest. It is easy to walk past if you are not paying attention to the cutscene with Lady Inanis. Ring it before you move on — missing it leaves you confused about where the quest is going.
• Talk to Yu’er early. After you hear the weeping in Weeping Creek Valley, go find her northeast of The Beginning Bell and exhaust her dialogue. It is a small step but it officially registers the quest as started.
• Do not sell or discard the Broken Illusory Pipa. It is a story item so the game should protect it — but do not take chances. You need it for Myst.
• The Underground Tavern has no map marker. Look for the two green lanterns with no flames near the Huang Manor Crossroads Bell in Pangzhen. That is how you spot it.
• Complete the Illusory Pipa Tale before trying to enter Mountain of Imprisonment. The barrier will not open without the restored Phantom Edge — there is no workaround.
• Check your quest status before entering Mirage Estate. The game gives you a warning, but do not ignore it. Go back and finish any outstanding True Ending quests first.

Connected Quests That Run Alongside Whence the Weeping

This questline overlaps with several other important Tales as you move through each region. Here is what to keep an eye on:

• Bloodline Awakening — the Gold-Masked One duels at Long Pillars are a separate questline, but they run through many of the same regions. Our Phantom Blade Zero Gold-Masked One Boss Guide covers all five encounters.
• Deep in the Valley — one of the early True Ending prerequisites you should knock out before leaving Weeping Creek Valley. See our Deep in the Valley Quest Guide.
• Festering Secret — connects through Weeping Creek Valley and is worth doing before you move on. Our Festering Secret Quest Walkthrough has all the details.
• Four Fierce Axes — another Weeping Creek Valley questline that runs into the later regions. See our Four Fierce Axes Quest Walkthrough.
• Crimson Manor — unlocked during the Deep in the Valley area and also needed for the True Ending.

Want to see every outfit unlockable through quests and exploration? Our all Phantom Blade Zero outfits guide has them all. And to track your position in the story, see our Phantom Blade Zero all chapter list.

Not started yet? Check PC specs and install size in our Phantom Blade Zero preload and PC requirements guide, or see our full verdict in the Phantom Blade Zero review.

Phantom Blade Zero is available now on PC via Steam, PS5 via PlayStation Store, and Epic Games Store.

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