Quick answer: Acolyte Guhe’s scarecrow sits under a lantern tree on an island in Meigu Lake. Land at the island’s far-side wharf, walk to the tree, and press E to fight her and four copies.
Guhe is one of the four Acolytes in Phantom Blade Zero, and she guards one of the four masks. She attacks with green poison shots from a distance. Her four copies add their own shots from other angles. The fight takes place on an open moor with no cover, so there is nothing to hide behind.
Acolyte Guhe at a glance
Her health bar reads “ACOLYTE GUHE”. She has the same health pool on Wayfarer and Pathbreaker, and it is far larger than any other Acolyte so far. Yanru, for comparison, has 42,210 HP.
| Enemy | HP | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Acolyte Guhe | 109,881 | 1 |
| Copies (with fans) | 97,672 each | 4 |
- Arena: a wide moor tinted green and covered in fog, with no cover.
- Entry: press E at the scarecrow and the game moves you to the arena.
- On death: you respawn inside the arena, next to a post with red threads and an E prompt.
Where to find the scarecrow
The island is about 218 m from White Serpent House Dock and about 262 m from Meigu Village East Dock, so you need the boat to reach it. All Meigu Lake docks work the same way when you land.
It sits behind some moored boats, with green glints around it, about 20 m from the water. You can’t land beside the tree. The boat runs aground in the rocks and shallows there and no E prompt appears, so don’t spend time trying.
The wharf on the island’s far side has no bell, so you can’t rest there. Rest and sort your medicines before you leave the dock.
Don’t rely on the coast as a route between the tree and the pier. Follow the waterline in the pier’s direction and a high fishing net, held up by timber posts, blocks the way before you arrive; rocks plug the spaces around it. The barrier runs along that stretch, can’t be jumped, and only open water lies beyond it.
A group of enemies stands about 28 m from the scarecrow. The E prompt still appears with them at that distance. There’s no bell near the tree. If the enemies kill you, you respawn beside the tree rather than at a bell, and your boat stays wherever you left it.
Guhe’s moveset and attacks
Most of the danger comes from ranged poison.
Green poison shots
Each hit is small, about 70 damage on Pathbreaker. They land roughly every half second, though, so the damage adds up fast. One Pathbreaker attempt can take nearly 4,900 damage from these shots alone.
Heavy poison shot
A single larger shot opens a volley and reaches you quickly. It deals 898 damage on Pathbreaker and 601 on Wayfarer.
Poison burst
When a shot hits Soul at close range, a green cloud bursts on him.
Fan swing
Up close, Guhe swings a large fan in a wide arc.
Red flash
A red flash crosses the screen while the others are shooting. When you see it, dodge.
Tips for the Guhe fight
Guhe is a very hard fight whenever you take her on. On Pathbreaker, a full-health attempt can last about 66 seconds and take only 1.4% off her bar. On Wayfarer, an attempt can last about 47 seconds and take 2.6%. If you’re stuck, upgrade your weapons and come back.
Stay close to her. Standing within 4 m of Guhe tended to cost less health per second than standing 4 to 12 m away. On Pathbreaker, that was about 70 per second up close against 127 at range. On Wayfarer, it was 16 against about 100.
Bring a Longevity Tonic. It refills at your next rest, and the island has no bell, so rest before you sail.
What you get for defeating Guhe
Guhe drops Guhe’s Venom Mask, one of the four masks for Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. The game lists it as a “Story Item” and describes it as “A purple mask coated in deadly, corrosive poison.”
The item text explains why the masks matter: “The Forbidden Ruins have been sealed shut ever since an intruder caused havoc within. Even the four Acolytes tasked with hunting down traitors can no longer enter on their own.”
