Crimson Manor opens with the Puppet's Tongue, a reward for completing The Herald's Illusion in Phantom Blade 0. Finding the house beneath Sha-Chi Tower is only the first part: getting that item requires three portals spread across later regions. An early visit still gets you the nearby Ancient Armor Fragment, but opening the door takes considerably more progress. Follow the route below to uncover the entrance, reach each portal, and collect the rewards waiting beneath the manor.
How do you unlock Crimson Manor?
Complete The Herald's Illusion by entering the portals in Village of Lu, Mandate Encampment, and Mountain of Imprisonment. Each portal visit opens an eye on the hanging Three-Eyed Puppet. After the third visit, speak to it to receive the Puppet's Tongue, then return to Crimson Manor and use it at the puppet-door, Mute.
The full route has four main steps:
- Complete Deep in the Valley to access the lower Sha-Chi Tower area.
- Use a Powderkeg explosion to uncover the lift leading down to Crimson Manor.
- Visit all three Herald's Illusion portals and collect the Puppet's Tongue.
- Return to Mute and use the tongue to open the entrance.
Crimson Manor is optional, so you can finish the main story without entering it. Its rewards connect to other secret content and an ending, though, which makes this detour worth following if you're pursuing more than the campaign's main route.
Where is Crimson Manor's hidden entrance?
Crimson Manor sits beneath Sha-Chi Tower in Weeping Creek Valley, the first major region. Deep in the Valley opens the route into the tower's lower section, with the Sha-Chi Tower Base Camp Gate Key granting access to the eastern valley area.
How do you reveal the lift?
At the bottom of Sha-Chi Tower, look for the repeatedly spawning Powderkeg enemy and the nearby rubble blocking a passage. The explosion is your way through.
- Approach the blocked passage near the ruins.
- Lure a Powderkeg toward the obstruction.
- Move clear before it explodes.
- Go through the newly opened passage.
- Take the lift down to Crimson Manor.
Mute will remain shut during an early visit because it is missing its tongue. If your quest objective says keep exploring, continue progressing toward the later regions and their portals.
Before leaving, collect the Ancient Armor Fragment near the gnarled tree. This accessory improves damage reduction, so the trip has a useful reward even while the manor remains locked. For help planning other early detours and upgrades, use the Phantom Blade 0 beginner guide.
Where are the three Herald's Illusion portals?
All three portals lead to the chamber containing the hanging Three-Eyed Puppet. Their access requirements are different: Village of Lu follows campaign progression, Mandate Encampment needs a key obtained in Pangzhen, and Mountain of Imprisonment requires the repaired Illusory Pipa.
| Portal region | Access requirement | Landmark to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Village of Lu | Follow the main objectives down the well and defeat Yuzan | Path near the Puppet Testing Grounds bell |
| Mandate Encampment | Obtain the entrance key in Pangzhen, then access the Training Grounds | Portal beyond Yubi's boss encounter |
| Mountain of Imprisonment | Repair the Illusory Pipa and open the barrier northeast of Meigu Lake | Hidden route beneath Huangxing's summit shrine |
Village of Lu: find the path after Yuzan
Progress through Village of Lu until the main objectives take you down the well into the Puppet Testing Grounds. Defeat Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet, then look left for a path leading upward to the portal near the area's bell.
Enter the portal to begin The Herald's Illusion and meet the hanging puppet. Interact with it before leaving. This visit opens its first eye, but the Puppet's Tongue comes after you have visited the other two portals.
Mandate Encampment: get past the Training Grounds boss
Continue the campaign into Pangzhen and obtain the key that opens Mandate Encampment. The gate into this region is near the entrance to Village of Lu.
Inside Mandate Encampment, obtain the Training Grounds Key and head toward the Training Grounds in the northern part of the area. Defeat Yubi, No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet. This encounter also lets you collect a component for the Illusory Pipa.
Continue beyond Yubi to find the second portal. Enter it and interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet again to advance The Herald's Illusion.
Mountain of Imprisonment: use the Flying Guillotine
Repair the Illusory Pipa, then use it to remove the barrier northeast of Meigu Lake. This opens the route to Mountain of Imprisonment.
Follow the region's main objective to the summit shrine and defeat Huangxing. Your reward is the Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge, which can rotate special dials to reveal hidden chambers.
Use the Flying Guillotine on the dial inside Huangxing's shrine. The opened route leads into the mountain's depths. Continue through the encounter below and take the portal route back to the hanging puppet.
With all three portal visits complete, speak to the puppet. It gives you the Puppet's Tongue and Crystal Puppet Eye [Yin]. The tongue opens Crimson Manor, while the Yin eye belongs to another quest.
How do you open Mute with the Puppet's Tongue?
Return to Weeping Creek Valley, retrace the route beneath Sha-Chi Tower, and take the lift down to Crimson Manor. Interact with Mute and use the Puppet's Tongue to unlock the entrance.
The Three-Eyed Puppet awards the tongue after the final portal interaction, so finish that conversation before making the return trip. Once Mute opens, you can explore the manor and reach the bosses below it.
What should you collect inside Crimson Manor?
Start with the second-floor library. It contains books and lore fragments, along with Leng Tu's Memory Flower. Collect these before continuing through the tunnel toward the chasm beneath the manor.
The descent uses threads as landing points. Make your way down by landing on those threads to avoid fall damage, then continue to the bottom for the Puppet Scavenger encounter.
How does the Puppet Scavenger fight change at 50% HP?
The Puppet Scavenger fight changes when its HP reaches 50%. Acolyte Hansui appears and freezes it, shifting your attention to a second opponent before you can finish the original boss. If you need a refresher before the encounter, review the Sha-Chi, parry, and Ghoststep combat guide.
The encounter follows this sequence:
- Fight the Puppet Scavenger until it reaches 50% HP.
- Defeat Hansui after she freezes the Scavenger.
- Finish off the Puppet Scavenger once Hansui is dead.
Hansui's ice attacks can freeze you as well. Avoid those attacks while fighting her, then return to the unfinished Puppet Scavenger. Beating Hansui alone does not complete the encounter.
What rewards do the Crimson Manor bosses give?
Completing the encounter awards three notable items. The Alloyed Scythe Blade modifies the Hunter's Chain Sickle, while the other rewards connect to an ending and a separate secret location.
| Reward | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Alloyed Scythe Blade | Soul Temper item used to modify the Hunter's Chain Sickle |
| Crystal Puppet (Yang) | Special item connected to an ending |
| Hansui's Frost Mask | One of four Acolyte Masks needed to access another secret location |
Hansui is the acolyte tied to this manor route, and her mask contributes to Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. You need all four Acolyte Masks to continue into the related secret area, so keep that quest in mind after clearing the basement.
With Mute unlocked, Leng Tu's Memory Flower collected, and Hansui's Frost Mask secured, continue through the Phantom Blade 0 guide collection to plan your next side quest or secret-area detour.
