How to Complete Whence the Weeping in Phantom Blade Zero

The "Whence the Weeping" quest in Phantom Blade Zero progresses alongside the main story. Soul first hears a woman crying in Weeping Creek Valley, but it will be quite some time before he can track down the source. To do so, you'll need to restore the Illusory Pipa, open the Spectral Gate at Meigu Lake, and make your way up to the shrine on the Mountain of Imprisonment.

The quest appears almost as soon as you begin exploring Weeping Creek Valley. Soul hears a woman weeping, and the objective "Find the source of the weeping" appears in your journal. Near the waterfall, you can speak to Yu'er and ask her about the crying. She doesn't hear anything, leading Soul to suspect that he's the only one who can hear it. This conversation doesn't unlock a new area or lead you to the source.

There's no point searching for the source in the early part of the valley. Continue the "Against the Flow" quest, defeat The Hunt, Sixfold Scythe, and enter the Crimson Forest. Your next main story objective will lead you to Bai Chilian, Lady of the Twin Serpents. Defeating her unlocks the Village of Lu, where the quest continues.

Find Jewel, the sister of Forge, the blacksmith. Jewel is near the shop beside the Place of Awakening bell. Ask her about the faint weeping and listen to all her dialogue about the old instrument. She'll tell you about a musician named Chord and the broken Illusory Pipa, then send Soul to Myst in Pangzhen.

This begins the related "Illusory Pipa" quest. For details on where to find Myst and the instrument's head, backplate, and strings, see our separate guide to restoring the Illusory Pipa. Return to this walkthrough once Myst has repaired the instrument.

Head to the Spectral Gate in the northern part of Meigu Lake and interact with it. Soul will play the Illusory Pipa, disperse the mist, and open the route to the Mountain of Imprisonment. You don't need to equip the instrument before interacting with the gate. Its ability to clear the mist covering Phantom Barriers works even when the Illusory Pipa is in your inventory. If the gate doesn't respond, return to Myst and make sure you've given her all three parts and finished the conversation about the repairs.

On the Mountain of Imprisonment, start at The Lady's Path bell. Follow the main route toward the summit:

After defeating Huangxing, approach the statue in the hall and use the Flying Guillotine on the circular mechanism at its base. A passage will open in the floor. Drop down to continue Chord's story. After the story scene, "Whence the Weeping" will be completed, and Inanis will give you Inanis' Radiant Fan, a Phantom Edge that creates a field which gradually restores health and Sha-Chi while you're inside it.