Acolyte Guhe is a secret boss at Meigu Lake who appears when you touch a scarecrow on the shore of the Meigu Village island. All his damage is poison: equip the Preservation Jar beforehand, perfect-dodge the red circle to leap right to him and don’t waste time on his clones. He is weak to fire and gives Guhe’s Venom Mask.
Boss profile
Health, Sha-Chi, recommended level and elemental weaknesses
Weaknesses
Phases: 1 (with clones after a certain amount of damage) · Region: Meigu Lake
Bars relative to the boss with the most health (Mo Yuan, 186,000) and the most Sha-Chi (Huangxing, 55,860) in the game.
Where is he and how do you get there?
Guhe is one of the four acolytes in the purple quest “Secrets at the Heart of the Lake”. You find him like this:
- Meigu Village East Dock bellReach the Meigu Village island, in the middle of the lake, on the Sha-Chi boat. Vandal (Spanish guide) recommends landing on the west side and crossing the island; the north jetty is unlocked from the scarecrow area.
- Go to the tip of the islandFrom the bell, head south to the southeast shore: the scarecrow is there, on the edge of the island.
- Equip the Preservation Jar and touch the scarecrowInteracting with it starts the fight.
How to beat Acolyte Guhe
Guhe fights almost entirely at range and teleports when you get close. The poison affects you throughout the fight and, if it poisons you, it does a lot of damage: that’s why Vandal says that without the upgraded Preservation Jar (it reduces poison damage) the fight becomes very hard.
His attacks
- Poison orbs: he throws several in a row. Vandal says you can deflect them to damage his health and stamina; if you can’t land the deflects, dodge them.
- Poison explosion (red): he ends the orb barrage with an explosion around you. Get out of its range.
- Teleport: if you get too close, he vanishes and throws orbs again from somewhere else. Don’t chase him blindly.
- Poison circle (red): it appears under your feet and bursts after a moment. A perfect dodge instantly takes you next to Guhe so you can keep attacking: it’s your best damage window.
- Clones: after taking a certain amount of damage he summons four illusions that also fire orbs while the real Guhe casts the poison circle on you. According to Fextralife, hitting the illusions only damages Sha-Chi; they disappear when you break his guard and come back when he recovers.
- End of the fight: Vandal describes a poison cloud next to the clones that does damage very fast. You can tell the real Guhe because he’s the one doing the red attack: a perfect dodge at that moment is usually enough to finish.
The key: Jar, perfect dodge and the real Guhe
- Equip the Preservation Jar before touching the scarecrow and, if you can, upgrade it.
- Go for the perfect dodge on every red attack: it leaves you right next to him.
- Focus on the real Guhe. If the clones overwhelm you, Vandal advises taking one out quickly so fewer of them fire.
Strategies to beat him
Pick the one that suits the way you play. We only recommend gear you can have when you reach Meigu Lake.
Strategy with fast weapons (one-handed and dual)
Since he teleports, you need to deal a lot of damage in short windows. The best options here are Sundering Dual Axes and Parting Hooks. Punish right after each perfect dodge of the red circle and keep your other weapon in reserve: switching restores all your Sha-Chi.
Strategy with heavy weapons (two-handed)
Save the charged Sha-Chi attack for when the perfect dodge leaves you at his side. Try Armybreaker or Outlaw Warblade. The Outlaw Warblade restores health on hit and makes up for the poison attrition.
Elemental strategy (exploit his weaknesses)
He is weak to fire. Equip:
- Fire: Fire Meteor (Blaze’s Phantom Edge, in Pangzhen); Flaming Mane (Phantom Edge that Lei Dang repairs after you beat Flame); Goldblaze (fire Phantom Edge that Zhang gives you for the Pangzhen relics). Fire Meteor and Goldblaze let you damage him at range while he teleports.
Defensive strategy (parries and dodges)
His most dangerous attack is the poison circle with the clones firing at the same time: don’t stand still and go for the perfect dodge. Deflect the orbs you can to drain his Sha-Chi, and execute as soon as he’s stunned. If you’re struggling, the Counterstrike Bracers accessory (first Long Pillar) rewards deflects.
Strategy with Phantom Edges
Ranged fire Phantom Edges are your best bet. For guard breaking, bring the Bashpole or the Iron Gauntlets, and if the summon icon glows in the arena, the Puppeteer’s Bell or the Kuye Temple Prayer Beads so someone draws the orbs. Remember that sparks recharge when you rest at a bell: spend them freely on the boss.
If you get stuck
- Check that you’re wearing the Preservation Jar: it’s the biggest difference in this fight.
- Upgrade your two main weapons before going back (the boss is level 19) and upgrade your medicines with the healer at the Green Serpent House.
- The Green Serpent Brew removes status effects: use it if the poison builds up.
- Drop to Wayfarer: it doesn’t affect any trophy and you can raise the difficulty again later.
Recommended gear
- Preservation Jar (upgraded if you can).
- A ranged fire Phantom Edge: Fire Meteor or Goldblaze.
- Green Serpent Brew to clear the poison.
Rewards
- Guhe’s Venom Mask: one of the four acolyte masks that open the Four Guardians’ Mirror.
- Progress in “Secrets at the Heart of the Lake”, a purple quest for the true ending.
“Secrets at the Heart of the Lake” is one of the purple quests you lose when you cross into the Mirage Estate. Beat Guhe and the other three acolytes before that point. Check the area order and points of no return.
The other acolytes are in the four acolytes and their masks, and the whole region in the Meigu Lake guide. Looking for another boss? You have the list in all Phantom Blade Zero bosses in order.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Acolyte Guhe’s scarecrow?
On the southeast shore of the Meigu Village island. From the Meigu Village East Dock bell, head south to the edge of the island.
How do I withstand Guhe’s poison?
Equip the Preservation Jar, which reduces poison damage, and bring the Green Serpent Brew to remove the status.
How do I know which one is the real Guhe?
He’s the one who throws the red poison-circle attack at you. Hitting the illusions only takes his Sha-Chi.
