TL;DR
- The Wily Hare’s Three Dens is a collectible quest that tasks you with finding all five of Quick Hand Zhang’s hideouts across Wulin.
- It starts the moment you free Zhang from his cage in Crimson Forest — or when you first speak to him at his hideout.
- Hideouts are in: Crimson Forest, Village of Lu, Pangzhen, Meigu Lake, and Mirage Estate.
- Each hideout also ties into his Quick Hand’s Request treasure quest — both run side by side.
- Reward for visiting all five: Maintenance Oil (a Soul Tempering Material).
- Zhang also sells upgrade materials at every hideout — don’t skip them.
The Wily Hare’s Three Dens is one of those quests in Phantom Blade Zero that sounds easy on paper — find a guy, say hello, repeat — but Zhang’s hideouts are tucked away in spots that are genuinely easy to miss if you’re pushing through the story fast. Miss even one and you won’t complete the questline or unlock the final reward.
This guide covers every hideout, exactly where it is, and how to reach it. Since this quest runs alongside Quick Hand’s Request, you’ll be visiting the same hideouts for both — it’s efficient to do them together.
How to Start The Wily Hare’s Three Dens
The quest begins in Crimson Forest, the game’s second region. As you progress through Chapter 3: Steel and Steam, you’ll reach the Trail of Cages Bell. A man is hanging in a wooden cage just off the road — this is Quick Hand Zhang. He’ll call out to you, promising information about reaching Pangzhen in exchange for his freedom.
To free him, follow the nearby cliffside path into a cave. Work your way through and find the crank mechanism on the upper level of the cave — it’s directly above Zhang’s cage. Activate it to lower the cage and release him. Before leaving, open the golden chest nearby to grab the Cavalrybane accessory, which is particularly strong against the next story boss, Jing Ye, who opens the fight on horseback.
Freeing Zhang starts The Wily Hare’s Three Dens automatically. If you leave him in the cage for now, the quest still becomes available when you first speak to him at his first hideout — but rescuing him early earns you the Quick Hand Pendant accessory, which boosts one-handed weapon damage by 10%. Worth doing.
All Quick Hand Zhang Hideout Locations
Hideout 1 – Thieves’ Camp, Crimson Forest
After freeing Zhang and continuing through Crimson Forest, you’ll reach the Thieves’ Camp. Activate the Thieves’ Camp Bell, then exit the camp and climb the wall on the right side. Follow the path up and open the closed door at the top. Zhang is inside.
Speak to him fully — exhaust all his dialogue. This gives you the Quick Hand Pendant (if you freed him earlier), officially starts Quick Hand’s Request, and advances The Wily Hare’s Three Dens to point you toward his other hideouts. He also sells upgrade materials here, so stock up if you need them.
Hideout 2 – Village of Lu
Zhang’s second hideout is in the Village of Lu, the third region of the game (Chapter 4: Snake’s Reflection). It’s hidden in a deep cavern roughly in the center of the map.
Look for a building covered in red vines just north of the Well of the Three Puppets. A hidden ladder inside leads down into a cave passage. Follow it and you’ll reach Zhang’s hideout. Activate the Zhang’s Hideout (Village of Lu) Bell at the cavern entrance before descending.
Speak to Zhang here to advance the quest and pick up the next batch of treasure locations for Quick Hand’s Request. He’ll also have new upgrade materials available for purchase.
Hideout 3 – Pangzhen
Pangzhen is the fourth region, unlocked during Chapter 5: Heartless Remnant. Zhang’s hideout here is in an abandoned house west of the main village area, situated closer to the mountains.
From the Wu Xuan boss arena, head right after the fight and look for a wall of vines that can be burned using the Flaming Mane Phantom Edge. Burn them away to reveal the path to the hideout. Find the Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen) Bell inside the house, then take the ladder down through the hole in the floorboards to reach Zhang below.
This is also where Zhang hands you the four-treasure list for Pangzhen as part of Quick Hand’s Request — the most involved treasure set in the whole questline. See our Quick Hand’s Request guide for those specific locations, including the Tianxiang Pavilion Key you’ll need for one of them.
Hideout 4 – Meigu Lake
Meigu Lake is an optional region accessible after progressing through Pangzhen. Zhang’s fourth hideout is on the east side of the Meigu Village West Dock area.
From the West Dock, cross the bridge at the back of the area and jump across the wooden poles on the other side. The hideout is right there on the other bank. Activate the Zhang’s Hideout (Meigu Lake) Bell and speak to him inside.
Note that two of the three Meigu Lake treasures for Quick Hand’s Request are behind a locked area tied to the Secrets at the Heart of the Lake quest. You’ll need to defeat the four acolyte scarecrow bosses around Wulin to unseal the area. Our Frozen Mirror Meigu Lake guide covers that in full.
Hideout 5 – Mirage Estate (Final Hideout)
The fifth and final hideout is in Mirage Estate, which is accessible after entering through the Green Serpent House in Pangzhen — a late-game story gate. This is the final region before the endgame.
Once inside Mirage Estate, find the Zhang’s Hideout (Mirage Estate) Bell and enter the cave directly behind it. Descend and speak to Zhang one last time. This completes The Wily Hare’s Three Dens and rewards you with Maintenance Oil, a Soul Tempering Material used for weapon upgrades.
Important: This final hideout — and Zhang’s last treasure request — must be completed before the final battle. Don’t push into the endgame encounter without visiting him here first. It’s easy to forget when you’re deep in Mirage Estate’s late-game content.
The Wily Hare’s Three Dens – Quest Reward
Visiting all five hideouts completes the collectible quest and rewards you with Maintenance Oil. This is a Soul Tempering Material used to upgrade weapons and Phantom Edges — a genuinely useful reward, not just a cosmetic.
Beyond the reward, every hideout visit also gives you access to Zhang as a merchant. He stocks upgrade materials at each location, and his inventory changes per region. If you’re running low on tempering materials mid-game, Zhang’s hideouts are worth checking before farming enemies.
Is The Wily Hare’s Three Dens Missable?
The quest is technically not missable in a permanent sense — you can backtrack and find earlier hideouts during free roam. However, the Mirage Estate hideout closes off once you trigger the final encounter. That’s the only hard deadline.
The questline also feeds directly into the perfect ending requirements. Completing Zhang’s full storyline — both The Wily Hare’s Three Dens and Quick Hand’s Request — is part of what the true ending checks. Don’t leave either unfinished going into Mirage Estate.
Quick Tips
- Free Zhang from his cage as soon as you find him in Crimson Forest. You get the Quick Hand Pendant and an extra dialogue beat at his first hideout — both are easy to miss if you skip it.
- Both this quest and Quick Hand’s Request use the same hideouts. Visit them together to handle both objectives in one go and save time.
- Check Zhang’s merchant stock at every hideout — he sells region-specific tempering materials that can save you a lot of grinding.
- In Pangzhen, you need the Flaming Mane Phantom Edge to burn the vines blocking his hideout entrance. Make sure you have it equipped before heading there.
- Write Mirage Estate on a mental checklist — it’s the easiest hideout to forget when you’re caught up in the final stretch of the game.
More Phantom Blade Zero Guides
- Quick Hand’s Request – All Treasure Locations
- A Healer’s Mercy Quest Guide
- Secrets of the Baishan Sect Guide
- Perfect Ending / True Ending Guide
- Frozen Mirror Meigu Lake Guide
- Tianxiang Pavilion Key Location
- All Phantom Edges List
- Feather Bow Phantom Edge Guide
- Tiger Cannon Phantom Edge Guide
- Hunter’s Chain Sickle Guide
- Rusted Loong Key Guide
- All Chapters List
Phantom Blade Zero is available on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Epic Games Store.
