Updated October 30, 2026
Defeating Bai Chilian, Lady of the Twin Serpents, in Phantom Blade Zero can permanently close several side quests in your current playthrough. If you rush into this boss fight without checking your Journal, you may lose access to unfinished Tales and their rewards.
The important detail is that not every affected quest has the same requirement. Four Tales must be fully completed before defeating Bai Chilian, while two additional questlines have specific steps you should finish beforehand.
This guide covers the four missable quests, their important locations and objectives, the extra warnings involving Yu'er and Lanlan, and what to do if you've already defeated the boss.
📋 Table of Contents
- Quick Answer: What to Finish
- Four Missable Quests Checklist
- Purge the Sect: How to Complete It
- Festering Secret: How to Complete It
- Honor Among Thieves and Silent Wrap
- A Healer's Mercy: All Four Wounded Thieves
- Two More Things to Do Before Bai Chilian
- What Happens After Defeating Bai Chilian?
- Already Defeated Bai Chilian? Recovery Options
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Checklist Before the Boss
Quick Answer: What to Finish Before Bai Chilian
Before defeating Bai Chilian in Crimson Forest, complete these four Tales:
- Purge the Sect — Finish the Old Archer's quest in Weeping Creek Valley.
- Festering Secret — Complete the investigation at the Outpost.
- Honor Among Thieves — Deliver the Nimble Thief's letter and answer the Gentle Thief's questions.
- A Healer's Mercy — Help all four wounded thieves and report back to Yu'er.
Two additional warnings:
- Flesh Lily: Give the flower to Yu'er at the Outpost before the fight.
- Secrets of the Baishan Sect: Speak to Lanlan and accept the quest before defeating Bai Chilian.
Recommended: Make a separate manual save before the boss and confirm that the four required Tales are marked as completed in your Journal.
You do not need to finish every optional activity in the game before fighting Bai Chilian, but you should resolve these specific missable objectives first.
Four Missable Quests Checklist
The following Tales can fail automatically if you defeat Bai Chilian before completing them.
| Missable Tale | Region | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| Purge the Sect | Weeping Creek Valley | Finish the Old Archer's quest |
| Festering Secret | Weeping Creek Valley | Complete the Outpost investigation |
| Honor Among Thieves | Crimson Forest | Deliver the letter and complete the Gentle Thief dialogue |
| A Healer's Mercy | Crimson Forest | Help four thieves and report to Yu'er |
Important: Simply accepting these quests is not enough. Finish their objectives and verify their completed status before continuing to Bai Chilian.
If you're preparing for the boss and need additional upgrade resources, see our Phantom Blade Zero enemies not respawning and upgrade materials guide. It explains why repeatedly resting at Bells is not an effective way to farm ordinary enemies.
Purge the Sect: How to Complete It
Region: Weeping Creek Valley
Key locations: Ruthless Archer Camp and the Outpost
Requirement: Complete before defeating Bai Chilian
Purge the Sect follows the Old Archer and his corrupted disciples.
Where to Start Purge the Sect
Head to Ruthless Archer Camp in Weeping Creek Valley and follow the Tale involving the Old Archer's former disciples.
Your objective is to deal with the corrupted disciples and recover a weapon connected to the Old Archer.
How to Finish Purge the Sect
- Travel to Ruthless Archer Camp.
- Follow the quest objectives involving the corrupted disciples.
- Defeat the required enemies.
- Obtain the Broken-String Feather Bow.
- Return to the Old Archer at the Outpost.
- Speak with him to finish the Tale.
The Old Archer can restring the recovered bow for you.
Do not assume the quest is completed simply because you've defeated the enemies. Returning the bow is an important part of the Tale.
Before Bai Chilian: Check your Journal and confirm that Purge the Sect is completed.
Festering Secret: How to Complete It
Region: Weeping Creek Valley
Key locations: Outpost and Sha-Chi Tower outskirts
Requirement: Complete before defeating Bai Chilian
Festering Secret involves investigating suspicious activities connected to the Mandate disciples, Maskwalkers, and the Outpost.
Where to Start Festering Secret
Look for the chain-sealed courtyard at the Outpost in Weeping Creek Valley.
The investigation involves discovering how Mandate disciples were transformed into Maskwalkers and uncovering evidence connected to the captain.
How to Finish the Investigation
Follow these main objectives:
- Locate the chain-sealed courtyard at the Outpost.
- Enter the courtyard and investigate the suspicious activities.
- Follow the clues concerning the Mandate disciples and Maskwalkers.
- Obtain the captain's order.
- Continue to the Sha-Chi Tower outskirts and deliver the order as directed.
- Follow the remaining investigation involving the captain and evidence of Gu Lingran's crimes.
- Complete the final quest interaction and confirm the Tale's status in your Journal.
The important thing is to complete the investigation rather than stopping after finding the first clue or obtaining the captain's order.
Before Bai Chilian: Make sure Festering Secret is marked as completed, not merely active.
Honor Among Thieves: Quest and Silent Wrap
Region: Crimson Forest
Starting area: Outlaw Trap Bell
Reward: Silent Wrap accessory
Requirement: Complete before defeating Bai Chilian
Honor Among Thieves involves recovering a letter written by the Nimble Thief and delivering it to his brother, the Gentle Thief.
Where to Start Honor Among Thieves
- Travel to the Outlaw Trap Bell in Crimson Forest.
- Take the route leading toward the nearby cave and the path beyond it.
- Continue toward the area with an enemy near a campfire.
- Defeat the enemy and collect the Blood Letter from the Nimble Thief.
- Check your Journal for the Honor Among Thieves Tale.
You can also read the letter in the Wulin Tales section of the archive.
Where to Find the Gentle Thief
Continue toward Thieves' Camp.
Find the Gentle Thief in the camp and speak with him about his brother's letter.
Because he cannot read the letter himself, he asks you three questions to confirm that you know its contents.
All Three Gentle Thief Answers
Choose these answers in order:
- Stole a landowner's jade belt
- Butterfly
- The letter never said. His fate is unknown.
Answering all three correctly earns the Silent Wrap accessory and completes Honor Among Thieves.
If you choose an incorrect answer, you can speak with the Gentle Thief again and retry the questions.
Is Silent Wrap Missable?
Silent Wrap is tied to the Gentle Thief interaction.
Because Honor Among Thieves can fail after Bai Chilian, finish the dialogue and claim the accessory before defeating the boss.
After receiving Silent Wrap, check that Honor Among Thieves is marked as completed in your Journal.
A Healer's Mercy: All Four Wounded Thieves
Region: Crimson Forest
Starting area: Thieves' Camp Bell
Reward: Calming Gourd accessory
Requirement: Help four thieves and report to Yu'er before Bai Chilian
A Healer's Mercy requires you to locate and help four wounded thieves across Crimson Forest.
Helping only one or two of them is not enough to complete the Tale.
Where to Start A Healer's Mercy
Speak with Yu'er near the Thieves' Camp Bell.
She needs your help treating wounded thieves scattered throughout the region.
Wounded Thief 1: Small Cave Near Outlaw Trap Bell
Travel to the Outlaw Trap Bell.
Head toward the smaller cave near the earlier Memory Flower location.
Enter the cave, locate the wounded thief, and complete the healing interaction.
Wounded Thief 2: Larger Cave Near Outlaw Trap Bell
Remain in the Outlaw Trap area and explore the larger cave.
Look along the wall near the chest containing the Sect Leader's Snuff Bottle.
Find the wounded thief and complete the required interaction before leaving.
Wounded Thief 3: Cliffside Lodge Cellar
Travel toward Cliffside Lodge.
Explore the lower cellar route and follow the connected path to locate another wounded thief.
During this section, collect the Thieves' Camp Dungeon Key. You'll need it to reach the final wounded thief.
Complete the healing interaction before moving on.
Wounded Thief 4: Thieves' Camp Dungeon
Return to Thieves' Camp with the Dungeon Key.
Find the locked dungeon door and use the key to enter.
Locate the wounded thief inside and complete the healing objective.
How to Finish A Healer's Mercy
After helping all four wounded thieves:
- Return to the Thieves' Camp Bell.
- Speak with Yu'er.
- Complete the final dialogue.
- Receive the Calming Gourd accessory.
- Confirm that A Healer's Mercy is completed in your Journal.
Important: Do not defeat Bai Chilian before reporting back to Yu'er. Helping all four thieves does not finish the Tale until you complete the final interaction.
Two More Things to Do Before Bai Chilian
The four Tales above are the main quests you must finish, but there are two additional requirements worth checking.
These are different from the four completed-quest requirements.
1. Flesh Lily: Give the Flower to Yu'er
The Flesh Lily questline involves Yu'er and continues beyond its early objectives.
Before defeating Bai Chilian, complete the step that requires delivering the Flesh Lily to Yu'er at the Outpost.
To obtain the flower, explore the Flesh Lily Fields beneath Sha-Chi Tower and defeat Hua, Deadly Betrothed.
After obtaining the flower, return to Yu'er and complete the hand-in.
You do not need to finish the entire Flesh Lily questline before Bai Chilian, but you should complete this early step.
2. Secrets of the Baishan Sect: Speak to Lanlan
Secrets of the Baishan Sect has a different requirement.
Before defeating Bai Chilian:
- Travel toward Thieves' Camp.
- Find the large wooden bridge near the camp.
- Locate Lanlan.
- Speak with her and accept Secrets of the Baishan Sect.
- Check that the quest has been added to your Journal.
For this cutoff, the important requirement is to accept the quest before the boss.
Its later objectives can be completed afterward, although they may have separate progression restrictions.
What About Apprentice Healer?
Apprentice Healer has an earlier missable cutoff involving Jing Ye, the Outlaw.
To avoid missing it, gather the three medicinal herbs requested by Yu'er and complete her early quest before progressing through that encounter.
If you've already passed its cutoff, preparing for Bai Chilian will not restore the missed opportunity.
What Happens After Defeating Bai Chilian?
Defeating Bai Chilian advances the story and changes the availability of several quest-related interactions.
The most important consequence is that the four Tales listed earlier can automatically fail if they remain unfinished.
Which Quests Can Fail?
The four main affected Tales are:
- Purge the Sect
- Festering Secret
- Honor Among Thieves
- A Healer's Mercy
If you're trying to complete every Tale, earn associated rewards, or avoid missing quest-related achievements, finish all four before defeating Bai Chilian.
Do Outpost and Thieves' Camp NPCs Disappear?
The story changes affecting the Outpost and Thieves' Camp can remove access to earlier NPC interactions.
That makes it important to finish conversations and quest objectives involving the Old Archer, Yu'er, Lanlan, and the Gentle Thief before proceeding.
However, losing access to specific quest-related interactions does not necessarily mean every merchant, collectible, or unrelated activity becomes permanently unavailable.
Can You Still Explore the Region?
The Bai Chilian quest cutoff is not the same as permanently losing access to every location in Crimson Forest or Weeping Creek Valley.
You may still have opportunities to revisit areas later.
However, returning to a location does not automatically restore an NPC interaction or Tale that has already failed.
Already Defeated Bai Chilian? Recovery Options
If you've already defeated Bai Chilian without completing the required Tales, check your Journal before attempting to revisit their original locations.
Step 1: Check Your Journal
Open your Journal and look for the affected Tales.
If any are marked as failed, you may have passed their completion cutoff.
Step 2: Reload an Earlier Manual Save
If you have a manual save from before the Bai Chilian fight, you can return to that point and complete the missing objectives.
Before loading an older save, remember that you'll lose progress made after it.
If you have several save slots available, preserve your most recent progress rather than overwriting it unnecessarily.
Step 3: Consider New Game+
If you do not have a suitable earlier save, you may need to complete the missed Tales in New Game+ or another playthrough.
Returning to the original quest locations in your current playthrough may not reactivate Tales that are already marked as failed.
Should You Restart Immediately?
Not necessarily.
If you're playing casually, you can continue the story and address the missed content during another playthrough.
If you're aiming for full quest completion or related achievements, checking for an earlier save is the better first step.
For another optional encounter where deciding when to fight matters, see our Phantom Blade Zero Three-Faced Puppet: Fight Now or Later? guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bai Chilian a Point of No Return in Phantom Blade Zero?
Yes, for several specific side quests. Defeating Bai Chilian can cause four unfinished Tales to fail, so complete them before continuing.
Which Four Quests Must I Finish Before Bai Chilian?
Complete Purge the Sect, Festering Secret, Honor Among Thieves, and A Healer's Mercy before defeating Bai Chilian.
Can I Complete Purge the Sect After Bai Chilian?
If you defeat Bai Chilian while Purge the Sect remains unfinished, the Tale can fail. Finish the Old Archer's quest and return the Broken-String Feather Bow beforehand.
Where Do I Start Festering Secret?
Look for the chain-sealed courtyard at the Outpost in Weeping Creek Valley. Continue the investigation involving the captain's order and Sha-Chi Tower outskirts until the Tale is completed.
Where Are All Four Wounded Thieves in A Healer's Mercy?
Two are located near the caves around Outlaw Trap Bell, one is reached through the Cliffside Lodge cellar route, and the fourth is inside the Thieves' Camp dungeon.
Return to Yu'er after helping all four.
Do I Need to Finish Flesh Lily Before Bai Chilian?
You should complete the early objective involving giving the flower to Yu'er at the Outpost. The entire Flesh Lily questline does not need to be finished before this boss.
Can I Start Secrets of the Baishan Sect After Bai Chilian?
Accept the quest from Lanlan near Thieves' Camp before defeating Bai Chilian. Later objectives can be completed afterward, subject to their own requirements.
Is Silent Wrap Missable?
Yes. Silent Wrap is obtained by correctly answering the Gentle Thief's questions during Honor Among Thieves. Complete the interaction before Bai Chilian to avoid losing the opportunity.
Can I Recover Failed Quests Without New Game+?
An earlier manual save may allow you to return to a point before the quests failed. Without a suitable save, another playthrough may be necessary.
Final Checklist Before Fighting Bai Chilian
Before entering the Bai Chilian boss fight, make sure you've completed the following:
- ☐ Purge the Sect is completed.
- ☐ Festering Secret is completed.
- ☐ Honor Among Thieves is completed, and Silent Wrap has been collected.
- ☐ A Healer's Mercy is completed, including reporting back to Yu'er.
- ☐ The early Flesh Lily hand-in to Yu'er is finished.
- ☐ Secrets of the Baishan Sect has been accepted from Lanlan.
- ☐ A separate manual save has been created before the boss.
Once these requirements are satisfied, you'll be in a much better position to continue the story without losing the listed missable Tales.
If you're adjusting your equipment before the fight, our Phantom Blade Zero weapon upgrade refund guide explains how to recover materials from previous weapon upgrades.
Bottom line: Do not rush into Bai Chilian if you're aiming for full quest completion. Finish the four missable Tales, resolve the two additional quest requirements, check your Journal, and preserve a manual save before continuing.
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