Quick answer: 17 chests in the Pangzhen backstreet hold items. The most useful hold Thunderward, Congeal Talisman, Formless Divine Mirror, two Sha-Chi Amber Shards, the Carved-edge Inkstone and Ink Stick treasures, and the Backstreet Cellar Crank.
Pangzhen backstreet chest locations
In Phantom Blade Zero, the Pangzhen backstreet is the part of Pangzhen you reach after Town of Death. Each chest below is pinned to its nearest bell. The distance is a straight line from that bell, followed by how far above or below the bell the chest sits. These figures are not walking routes. Bells are fast travel and respawn points, so rest at the listed bell before you head out. The full list of bells in Phantom Blade Zero and the Pangzhen interactive map show where each bell is.
| Nearest bell | Distance from the bell | What is inside |
|---|---|---|
| Backstreet Archway | about 75 m, about 18 m lower |  Polished Broadplate Metal x3 Polished Twinned Metal x4 Concentrated Solvent x7 |
| Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen) | about 30 m, about 16 m higher | Polished Broadplate Metal x4Polished Twinned Metal x4Concentrated Solvent x6 |
| Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen) | about 50 m, about 5 m lower |  Incense Ash x3 Exotic Copper Ingot x3 |
| Backstreet Rest | about 165 m, about 9 m lower |  Ink Stick (treasure) |
| Narrow Alley Residence 2nd Floor | about 60 m, about 6 m lower |  Congeal Talisman (accessory) |
| Pond of Fading Song | about 100 m, same height (on the lake shore) |  Sha-Chi Amber Shard x1 |
| Pond of Fading Song | about 85 m, slightly higher (jade chest) |  Carved-edge Inkstone (treasure) |
| Pond of Fading Song | about 100 m, same height |  Camphor Timber x5 Blazing Darkfire Charcoal x6 Precision Mechanical Gear x2 |
| Pangzhen Slums | about 75 m, about 10 m higher |  Backstreet Cellar Crank (key item) |
| Pangzhen Slums | about 110 m, about 29 m higher | Concentrated Solvent x12 Skilled Healer’s Memory x1 Refined Indigo Crystal x1 |
| Pangzhen Slums | about 75 m, about 26 m lower | Polished Twinned Metal x4Polished Broadplate Metal x4Concentrated Solvent x5 |
| Old Man Gen’s House | about 155 m, about 29 m lower | Polished Broadplate Metal x5 Polished Forged Metal x3Concentrated Solvent x6 |
| Back Hill Pavilion | about 30 m, same height |  Formless Divine Mirror (accessory) |
| Green Serpent House | about 85 m, about 5 m lower |  Thunderward (accessory) |
| Green Serpent House | about 115 m, about 8 m higher (at an enemy camp) |  Otherworldly Copper x3Blazing Darkfire Charcoal x6Camphor Timber x4 |
| Ancestral Shrine Square | about 65 m, about 11 m lower | Polished Twinned Metal x4Polished Broadplate Metal x4Concentrated Solvent x5 |
| Lion Dance Hall | about 85 m, about 11 m higher (inside the hall) | Sha-Chi Amber Shard x1 |
The last chest sits inside the Lion Dance Hall. The Lion Dance Hall Depths bell is closer in a straight line, about 40 m away, but the chest is about 23 m below that bell.
Key items and treasures
Backstreet Cellar Crank
The Backstreet Cellar Crank comes from the chest about 75 m from the Pangzhen Slums bell, about 10 m higher. Its item card reads:
A rough metal crank with red cloth wrapped tightly around its handle, probably to keep it from slipping.
Opens the hidden cellar in the backstreets.
Carved-edge Inkstone
The Carved-edge Inkstone is in the jade chest about 85 m from the Pond of Fading Song bell, slightly higher than the bell. Its item card reads:
The craftsman carving this inkstone fell ill, spending ever longer asleep and ever less time awake, until one day he never woke again, his carving knife still clenched in hand. The unfinished inkstone was placed in storage by the healers. But ever since, they have occasionally come across a Wooden Puppet inside, quietly carving an inkstone, one stroke at a time.
A priceless treasure. It can be traded to Quick Hand Zhang for useful items.
Ink Stick
The Ink Stick is in the chest about 165 m from the Backstreet Rest bell, about 9 m lower. Its item card reads:
A medicinal ink stick shaped like a cicada shell. Years ago, a local landowner presented it to General Wu Xuan and his men in gratitude for their defense against the Maskwalkers. But this medicine could do little to mend so many broken bodies. How could it compare to the immediate effects of Perfect Transcension?
A priceless treasure. It can be traded to Quick Hand Zhang for useful items.
Both treasures belong on Quick Hand Zhang‘s Pangzhen relic list, which has four entries: Jade Brush Rest, Ink Stick, Tiger-shaped Paperweight and Carved-edge Inkstone. Of those four, only the inkstone and the ink stick come from backstreet chests. The other two are covered in the Lost Treasures of Pangzhen guide.
Accessories
Three backstreet chests hold accessories:
- Congeal Talisman (Narrow Alley Residence 2nd Floor): cuts Bleeding chance and Bleed Gauge buildup by 50%.
- Formless Divine Mirror (Back Hill Pavilion): makes Heavy Attack hits build temporary Remnant Spark, which Ranged-type Phantom Edges spend first.
- Thunderward (Green Serpent House): cuts Lightning damage taken and Paralysis buildup by 50%.
Sha-Chi Amber Shards
The backstreet has four Sha-Chi Amber Shards. Two are in chests: one on the lake shore about 100 m from the Pond of Fading Song bell, and one inside the Lion Dance Hall. The other two are glinting pickups lying on the ground.
Upgrade materials
Other chests contain upgrade materials. A chest roughly 110 m from the Pangzhen Slums bell and 29 m higher contains a Skilled Healer’s Memory, needed to upgrade Medicine from Lv. 2-4. It also holds a Refined Indigo Crystal.
| Material | Used for | Nearest bells |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrated Solvent | All weapons, Lv. 10-20 | Backstreet Archway, Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen), Pangzhen Slums, Old Man Gen’s House, Ancestral Shrine Square |
| Polished Broadplate Metal | Two-handed weapons, Lv. 10-20 | Backstreet Archway, Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen), Pangzhen Slums, Old Man Gen’s House, Ancestral Shrine Square |
| Polished Twinned Metal | Dual-wielded weapons, Lv. 10-20 | Backstreet Archway, Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen), Pangzhen Slums, Ancestral Shrine Square |
| Polished Forged Metal | Weapon upgrades | Old Man Gen’s House |
| Blazing Darkfire Charcoal | Destruction-type Phantom Edges, Lv. 10-20 | Pond of Fading Song, Green Serpent House |
| Precision Mechanical Gear | Artifice-type Phantom Edges, Lv. 10-20 | Pond of Fading Song |
| Camphor Timber | Ranged-type Phantom Edges, Lv. 10-20 | Pond of Fading Song, Green Serpent House |
| Otherworldly Copper | Martial-type Phantom Edges, Lv. 10-20 | Green Serpent House |
| Exotic Copper Ingot | Martial-type Phantom Edges | Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen) |
| Incense Ash | Summon-type Phantom Edges | Zhang’s Hideout (Pangzhen) |
The largest single stack of Concentrated Solvent, x12, is in the same Pangzhen Slums chest as the Skilled Healer’s Memory.
