Phantom Blade Zero Crimson Manor Guide: How to Find the Puppet's Tongue

Phantom Blade Zero's Crimson Manor is not a location players can open shortly after discovering it. The locked structure beneath the Sha-Chi Tower in Weeping Creek Valley is tied to one of the game's more extensive optional quest chains, requiring progress through distant regions, multiple major boss victories, and access to areas that are unavailable until much later in the adventure.

That means there is no need to worry if you find the manor early and cannot interact with its lock in any useful way. The key item needed to open it, the Puppet's Tongue, comes from completing The Herald's Illusion. Reaching that point also overlaps with other major side content, including the questline involving the Illusory Pipa and the longer-running Secrets at the Heart of the Lake objective.

There are story and quest spoilers ahead. This guide covers every step needed to unlock the Crimson Manor, the bosses encountered after entering it, and what the rewards lead to afterward.

What opens the Crimson Manor?

The Crimson Manor is opened with the Puppet's Tongue. This unusual key is given by the Three-Eyed Puppet after Soul has located and used three hidden portal doors spread across the game world. Each portal is associated with substantial progression requirements, so the task is less about solving a single nearby puzzle and more about completing a broad exploration route.

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The Three-Eyed Puppet sequence completes The Herald's Illusion. In addition to the Puppet's Tongue, the puppet gives Soul its Yin blue crystal eye. It also explains that the corresponding Yang eye is inside Crimson Manor, setting up the next phase of Secrets at the Heart of the Lake.

Before pursuing the portals, make sure the relevant regions are unlocked. The Mandate Encampment requires the Mandate Encampment Key. The Mountain of Imprisonment demands even more preparation: the Illusory Pipa must be repaired. Repairing it involves finding Myst in Pangzhen and thoroughly searching the Village of Lu, Mandate Encampment, and Meigu Lake for the necessary parts.

Portal one: Village of Lu

The first secret door is in the Village of Lu. It becomes available after defeating Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet, who is found in the smuggler tunnel.

After the fight, head to the Puppet Testing Grounds Bell. Face the doorway that leads back into the main tunnel route, then turn left instead of continuing forward. This path leads into a large cavern. The first hidden portal is located there.

This is the most accessible of the three portals, but it is still easy to miss if players leave the tunnel immediately after defeating Yuzan. Take a moment to search the adjoining cavern before moving on. The portal is one part of the Three-Eyed Puppet route, not the conclusion by itself, so finding it will not immediately provide the key for Crimson Manor.

Portal two: Mandate Encampment

The second portal lies at the far end of the Mandate Encampment. To reach this portion of the region, players first need the Training Grounds Key. The portal is found after defeating Yubi, No. 21 Swordfighter Puppet.

Once Yubi is down, look for the building beside the arena. Go through it and continue into the tunnel beyond. The route is marked by red candles, making this portal considerably easier to identify than the Village of Lu entrance once you are on the correct path. At the end of the long candlelit tunnel is the second secret door.

The Mandate Encampment is especially important for this wider chain of optional content. It contains progression needed for the portal hunt, contributes to the work required for the Illusory Pipa, and is also a valuable place to explore carefully for other key items. Players spending significant time in the area should make sure they collect Moji's House Key while they are there rather than needing to return later.

Portal three: Mountain of Imprisonment

The final portal is the most demanding one, both because of the region's access requirements and the steps immediately surrounding it. It is located at the summit of the Mountain of Imprisonment after defeating Huangxing, the Kunlun Renegade.

Defeating Huangxing grants the Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge. Use this new ability on the nearby statue switch to open a pit in the floor. Carefully descend through the opening. At the bottom, Soul finds the Chord, which also completes the Whence The Weeping quest.

A cutscene follows, ending with Soul speaking to Lady Inanis. After it concludes, turn around and pass through the portal used to return to the area where the Chord was found. Another portal will now be present there. This is the actual third route to the Three-Eyed Puppet.

The distinction matters: reaching the summit and defeating Huangxing is not enough on its own. Players must use the Flying Guillotine Phantom Edge, descend to claim the Chord, watch the ensuing scene, then return through the portal path to reveal the doorway needed for The Herald's Illusion.

Claiming the Puppet's Tongue

After locating the final portal, interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet. It hands over the Puppet's Tongue, completing The Herald's Illusion and finally providing the item needed to access Crimson Manor.

The puppet also gives Soul the Yin blue crystal eye. This is not merely a bonus collectible: it is one half of the pair required for the later stages of Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. The other half, the Yang eye, waits inside the manor itself.

With the key item in hand, fast travel back to Crimson Manor beneath the Sha-Chi Tower. Interact with the sealed lock and insert the Puppet's Tongue. The manor will open.

What to do inside Crimson Manor

Once inside, take the time to search the building and collect its rewards. The route does not end at the manor's front entrance. After looting the interior, exit through the back and look for a pit. Drop down carefully and continue descending until reaching the lower area.

This section leads to a double boss encounter against the Puppet Scavenger and Acolyte Hansui. Although fighting two opponents can initially sound intimidating, the pair is more manageable than some of the game's larger late-game encounters if players control their positioning and avoid becoming trapped between them.

The Puppet Scavenger's size is its chief weakness. Its bulk makes it comparatively slow and leaves it open to repeated attacks during its recovery windows. Staying mobile and attacking after its heavier commitments is generally safer than trying to trade blows head-on.

Acolyte Hansui is more dangerous at range because of ice-based attacks. Dodge or block those projectiles and pressure Hansui up close when a safe opening appears. Hansui can be overwhelmed in close quarters, especially if players avoid allowing the Acolyte space to repeatedly use ice attacks. The key is to remain aware of both enemies rather than focusing so completely on one that the other gets a free attack.

Defeating both bosses awards the Yang eye and Hansui's Frost Mask. Their defeat also completes the Crimson Manor questline.

How Crimson Manor leads into Secrets at the Heart of the Lake

Opening Crimson Manor resolves one mystery but feeds directly into another. With both Yin and Yang crystal eyes, Soul can continue Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. However, the eyes alone are not the only requirements.

Players must also defeat three other Acolyte boss encounters at scarecrow locations around the world. These Acolytes can be found in:

• Village of Lu
• Pangzhen
• Lake Meigu

Collect the masks from those fights, then take them to the Four Guardians' Mirror on the icy western side of Lake Meigu. Using the masks there grants access to a special area. Progress through it until confronting the Blizzard Blademaster. Only after defeating that boss can the two crystal eyes be used for the next stage of the quest.

Crimson Manor is therefore best viewed as a major midpoint in a long optional progression path rather than a standalone detour. Its locked door signals content that is deliberately meant for players who have advanced through the Village of Lu, Mandate Encampment, Mountain of Imprisonment, Pangzhen, and Lake Meigu. If the route feels out of reach when the manor is first discovered, keep advancing through these regions, finish the necessary side objectives, and return once the Three-Eyed Puppet can provide the Puppet's Tongue.