Quick answer: Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic, is a boss in the Crimson Forest. Find him roughly 35 m from the Pangzhen Bridge Overlook bell; defeating him gives you the Fanatic’s Broken Blade, his old sword.
Where to find Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic
The codex sets the scene with a blue-clad swordsman, drunk on the bridge to Pangzhen. He pours wine over his mask while waiting for the man who broke his sword.
Hua Qianxiao is in the Crimson Forest, about 35 m in a straight line from the Pangzhen Bridge Overlook bell. No other bell is within 300 m of him, so that is the one to rest at. The bell locations guide lists every bell in the game.
The map below marks the Crimson Forest bosses. His pin is the one beside the Pangzhen Bridge Overlook bell.
He is one of nine bosses in the region. The rest are covered alongside everything else worth picking up in the Crimson Forest collectibles list.
Hua Qianxiao vs Hua, Deadly Betrothed
Searches for “Hua” also turn up the bride, Hua, Deadly Betrothed. She is a separate boss. Hua Qianxiao is his own fight with his own achievement.
Who Hua Qianxiao is
Hua Qianxiao gave his whole life to mastering the sword, and for years nobody stood above him. That changed when Maskwalkers started defeating fighters he had only narrowly beaten himself, and he understood that without Transcension he would fall behind.
He handed the decision to his wine, drinking one cup for yes and the next for no. By the time he couldn’t drink any more, he no longer remembered which answer had come last. He later fought for the mysterious Order, where his prized five-foot blade snapped. Every time he looked at the break, he only laughed harder and fought harder.
The Fanatic’s Broken Blade
The Fanatic’s Broken Blade is the main weapon you get for defeating Hua Qianxiao. Its map pin sits about 9 m from his spot and about 44 m from the Pangzhen Bridge Overlook bell, at roughly the same height as the bell.
Its lore line ties it straight back to him: “The broken sword of Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic, with three feet of blade still remaining.”
The item description explains how it fights: “A broken sword. Drinking awakens its power, allowing it to fly through the air and strike distant enemies. Damage falls off over distance.”
His story continues in the weapon’s Soul Tempering material, Fanatic’s Obsession. Its effect line reads “Used to Soul Temper the Fanatic’s Broken Blade.” It forms on its own once you hold both Fanatic’s Fragments: Fixation, which you get after defeating Gu Wanyue in Pangzhen, and Attachment, which Yan Qiansui gives up in the tale Allure of Vanity. The other upgrade materials are grouped in the Soul Tempering materials list.
Hua Qianxiao achievements
| Achievement | Grade | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A Thousand Cups Drained | Bronze | Defeat Hua Qianxiao, the Sword Fanatic |
| A Drunken Dream | Bronze | Enter the [Drunk] State with The Fanatic’s Broken Blade |
The rest of the game’s unlocks are in the full list of all achievements.
To see where this fight falls among the rest, check the list of all bosses in order.
