Village of Lu Guide: The Well, Puppets and Mu Xiaokui (Phantom Blade Zero)

The Village of Lu is a dense, puzzle-like hub built around a threaded well. Progress here is about peeling away the threads covering that well by beating a sequence of bosses, then descending into the caves beneath. It is also one of the most important regions for completionists, because it contains two missable weapons and a hidden boss tied to Memory Flowers. Take your time here and explore every side path before moving on.

Village of Lu at a glance

The AllThings.How interactive map tracks 22 bells, 10 boss markers and 6 chests in Village of Lu. Bells are checkpoints and upgrade stations, so unlocking every one makes backtracking much faster. Boss markers include optional fights as well as story bosses, and chests are where many accessories and upgrade materials are hidden. You can tick these off on our interactive map and the collectibles checklist.

Bosses and how to approach them

Zhuo Bi, the Gatekeeper is a shield-focused fight; PCGamesN says a shield-breaking weapon is essential. Attack when he lies on the ground after an attack, and remember most of your damage comes from finishers. He drops the Bastion edge, which blocks arrow-trap bolts.

Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect uses Sha-Chi-breaking attacks; dodge them and parry the follow-ups, and stay close so he cannot throw blades from range. He drops the Tianxuan Bronze Sword and clears the first threads on the well.

Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple encases himself in a bell and spawns three golden warriors that you must defeat to break it. Bring a shield breaker. He drops the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads and removes the second set of threads.

Dusk, the Puppeteer is a hidden boss. PCGamesN says he appears after finding Memory Flowers, while TechWiser specifies all Firefly Memory Flowers in the village and a barrier near the Temple of Butterflies. Focus his summons and block his shots. He drops the Puppeteer's Bell and the Illusory Pipa Head.

Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet waits inside the well. Dodge when her instrument glows red, parry white orbs and blue projectiles, and stay at the arena edge during her grey-orb attack. She drops the Heartrend Pipa.

Gu Wanyue, the Wailing Wraith flies around; stay locked on, parry the blue projectile when she glows purple, and keep blocking in the darkness. She drops the Mandate Encampment gate key.

Mu Xiaokui is the chapter boss; read the Mu Xiaokui guide.

Weapons found in Village of Lu

These primary weapons can be obtained here, based on KeenGamer's weapon list:

• Tianxuan Bronze Sword: Defeat Master Bi Yuan of the Tianxuan Sect near Statue Grounds.
• Fiend Saws: Collect all five of Mu Xiaokui's ribbons, then defeat the Jade Dancer and Iron Fiend.
• Wild Oriole Sword: Complete Mu Xiaokui's extra boss encounter; collect from the dock before leaving.

Phantom Edges in Village of Lu

Phantom Edges are your secondary weapons; you equip two at a time, and they run on Remnant Spark charges. According to TechWiser, the following edges come from this region:

• Bastion (Artifice, DMG 226 / Guard Break 198): Defeat Zhuo Bi, the Gatekeeper (story). Blocks arrow-trap bolts. Soul Tempering: Border Banner → Fierce Reprisal.
• Kuye Temple Prayer Beads (Summoning, Summon DMG 22 / HP 1,236): Defeat optional Master Bi Hai of Kuye Temple near Smuggler's Tunnel Entrance. Soul Tempering: Kuye Temple Sutra → Golden Formation.
• Heartrend Pipa (Artifice, DMG 276 / Guard Break 234): Defeat Yuzan, No. 3 Musician Puppet, in the underground caves. Soul Tempering: Becomes Illusory Pipa.
• Puppeteer's Bell (Summoning, Summon DMG 22 / HP 1,911): Find all Firefly Memory Flowers, then defeat Dusk, the Puppeteer. Soul Tempering: Abyssal Bell.

Compare every edge on the Phantom Edges page.

Accessories in Village of Lu

AllThings.How lists 8 accessories in this region. The name in parentheses is the closest bell, which is the easiest way to find each one:

• Fine Thread (Offensive): +50% damage and Sha-Chi depletion from summons. Location: (Black Serpent House).
• A Puppet's Wooden Heart (Support): +25% summon duration. Location: (Temple of Blue Fireflies).
• Agarwood Prayer Beads (Support): -15% Guard-Broken recovery time. Location: (Survivors' Courtyard).
• Remnant Spark Cage (Support): 33% chance for Edge follow-ups to restore 1 Remnant Spark. Location: (Smuggler's Treasure Cellar), chest.
• Arrowward (Defensive): -20% ranged damage and Sha-Chi depletion taken. Location: (Hidden Passage to Pangzhen).
• Jewel's Knot (Defensive): +15% HP. Location: (Crossroads), chest.
• Livingwood Talisman (Defensive): Bleed and Lifesteal 50% effective vs Puppets, Phantoms, Golden Bodies. Location: (Statue Grounds Entrance), chest.
• Mother's Talisman (Defensive): Restore 10% HP when Guard-Broken. Location: (Well of the Three Puppets).

See all 66 in the accessories database.

Tips for this region

• Collect all five of Mu Xiaokui's ribbons before her fight to unlock the extra encounter, and pick up the Wild Oriole Sword at the dock before leaving. Both weapons are missable.
• Hunt every Firefly Memory Flower to unlock Dusk; his reward starts the Illusory Pipa quest.
• Jewel's Knot (+15% HP) is in a chest near the Crossroads bell.
• Acolyte Yanru, one of the four Acolytes, is in this region according to games.gg.
• Old Man Gen's quest chain, which leads to the War Wagon edge, begins in the Village of Lu.

Related reading: Missable items guide, Memory Flowers explained, Crimson Forest guide. The next region in our series is the Pangzhen guide.