Phantom Blade Zero Scarecrow Locations and Acolyte Masks

The talisman scarecrows in Phantom Blade Zero hide three of the four Acolytes: Yanru in a pond in the Village of Lu, Lei Ting on a slope below Old Man Gen's House in Pangzhen, and Guhe on a small island in Meigu Lake. The fourth Acolyte, Hansui, is not behind a scarecrow at all but joins a boss fight beneath Crimson Manor. Beating all four earns the masks that open a hidden realm on Meigu Lake, which holds a weapon, two accessories and two of Quick Hand Zhang's relics.

We matched these locations across AllThingsHow's individual Acolyte guides, KeenGamer's Acolyte and Discordance guide, and PowerPyx's region guides and trophy list in November 2026. Distances are the in-game marker readings those guides recorded.

What the Talisman Scarecrows Are

The scarecrows belong to a questline called Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. KeenGamer reports it starts when you pick up any of Firefly's Memory Flowers in the Village of Lu, and AllThingsHow quotes the objective that appears in your log: "Find the scarecrows bearing a talisman and defeat the hidden Acolytes", which ticks up toward a count of four. Each scarecrow is a robed figure with a talisman and outstretched arms, and interacting with it warps Soul into a sealed arena with that Acolyte.

They also count toward the map's challenge locations. PowerPyx lists 13 challenge locations across the game, a category that includes the scarecrows and the Long Pillar duels, and it flags the Village of Lu scarecrow as that region's only one. Each arena is themed around one element, so the single best preparation is the matching ward accessory, which we list for each fight below.

Order matters more than it seems. KeenGamer recommends taking them in story-unlock order, Yanru, then Lei Ting, then Guhe, then Hansui, with one exception: get the fire ward for Yanru before you fight her, even though her scarecrow is available earlier.

Acolyte Yanru: The Pond in the Village of Lu

Yanru's scarecrow stands in a shallow pond in the Village of Lu, under a large tree hung with red paper lanterns. AllThingsHow is specific about two traps. First, a second scarecrow-like figure by a fence further off is a decoy; the right one wears red robes and carries a talisman. Second, the pond is occupied by a Village Auntie and three Little Rascals, and the interaction prompt will not appear until you clear them, because they can knock you off the scarecrow.

The nearest connected bell is Engine Giant Remains, about 139 metres away with a short drop. The Terraces Bell is closer in a straight line, around 56 metres, but sits on a level that does not connect to the pond, so do not waste time trying to path from it. KeenGamer describes the same spot as the northern farming fields just before Engine Giant Remains. Our Village of Lu walkthrough shows where both bells fall on the region route.

Inside, Yanru fights in a ring of flame with leaping fireballs, fire orbs, flame breath, spear thrusts and a close-range spin. AllThingsHow recorded 42,210 HP on both Wayfarer and Pathbreaker. Dying respawns you in the arena with her health restored. The counter is the Flameward, which KeenGamer's accessory list rates at 50 percent less fire damage and burn buildup, or 80 percent at +1. It is found in Pangzhen, which is why most guides suggest leaving her until you have it. Her reward is Yanru's Blazing Mask.

Acolyte Lei Ting: Below Old Man Gen's House in Pangzhen

Lei Ting's scarecrow is a purple-robed figure on a patch of dirt among fallen logs on the Pangzhen backstreet, below Old Man Gen's House. AllThingsHow puts it about 77 metres from the Old Man Gen's House bell. The Green Serpent House bell is about 142 metres away, but that approach is blocked by a bamboo spike barricade and enemies, so always start from Old Man Gen's House.

The walk down is the dangerous part. The slope passes a pack that includes a Scarlet Swordsman, a Faceless Captain and a Faceless Swordsman, and if they kill you near the scarecrow you respawn there rather than at the bell. KeenGamer lists the Flaming Mane as a requirement, used to burn vines near the Pond of Fading Song, and recommends bringing the Thunderward. That means repairing the Mane first: defeat Flame, then take the Dormant Flaming Mane to Lei Dang at Jingyang Hall.

The fight itself is a lightning arena. AllThingsHow recorded an 88,830 HP health bar and a moveset of lightning strikes, spark orbs, a flying pole lunge and an overhead swing signalled by a red flash. Her reward is Leiting's Thunder Mask, whose item text describes "the four Acolytes tasked with hunting down traitors". If you are still building toward a parry setup, our best build guide covers the accessories that make long fights like this one easier.

Acolyte Guhe: The Island on Meigu Lake

Guhe's scarecrow is on a small island in Meigu Lake, under a lantern tree behind moored boats, roughly 20 metres from the water. You need the Sha-Chi-powered boat, which KeenGamer places in the Meigu Lake chapter. AllThingsHow adds three useful details: the only landing is the island's far-side wharf, about 62 metres from the tree; a tall fish-net fence blocks the shore route from the tree back to the pier; and there is no bell on the island at all, so rest on the mainland before you sail out.

When you press the prompt, you are moved to a fog-covered green moor with no cover, where Guhe fights alongside four copies of herself and uses poison. Dying here puts you back beside the lantern tree, with your boat still where you left it. KeenGamer recommends the Preservation Jar for poison damage and an upgraded Green Serpent Brew to clear poison. The Preservation Jar also unlocks the Deathlock accessory at a nearby dragon statue, so bring it either way. Her reward is Guhe's Venom Mask.

The Fourth Acolyte: Hansui Beneath Crimson Manor

There is no fourth scarecrow to look for, which is where many players get stuck at three masks. KeenGamer explains that Hansui joins a duo fight against the Puppet Scavenger at the bottom of Crimson Manor in Weeping Creek Valley, arriving at half health and freezing the Scavenger, so you should focus her first. PowerPyx places the arena at the Scavenger Pens, reached down through the manor.

Getting there needs the Puppet's Tongue. KeenGamer says you obtain it by entering all three Herald's Illusion portals and then interacting with the hanging puppet at the Puppet Cell bell in the Mountain of Imprisonment, then using it on the Crimson Manor door. The fight drops Hansui's Frost Mask, the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang] and an Alloyed Scythe Blade, a Soul Tempering material. KeenGamer notes the Green Serpent Brew is the only cure for her freeze. For the manor itself, see our Crimson Manor guide.

What the Four Masks Open

With all four masks, sail through the ice floes to a frozen shoal in the northwest of Meigu Lake, ring the bell there, and interact with the Four Guardians' Mirror. KeenGamer describes the barrier shattering and Soul entering Discordance, also called the Phantom Illusionist Ruins, a seven-bell area that runs from wooden bridges through a fishing dock, a snowy camp and floating ruins to a frozen ship graveyard.

The haul includes the Acolyte Whisk and Acolyte Icicle accessories, the Phantom Brew medicine, more Memory Flower petals, a Long Pillar duel against the Gold-Masked One, and the Whiteshadow weapon from the Blizzard Blademaster at the end. Two of Quick Hand Zhang's Meigu Lake relics, the Blight Astrolabe and the Sundial of Impermanence, are also in here, which is why our Quick Hand Zhang guide tells you to leave that set until the masks are done.

Pack two Phantom Edges before you step through. KeenGamer recommends the Dread Axe for cutting the chains at the Long Pillar and the repaired Illusory Pipa for clearing a mist wall that hides a Blackstone Fragment. The two Crystal Puppet Eyes are not needed to get in, but the last step of the questline asks you to place both at a red statue at Whiteshadow's Fall: Yin from the hanging puppet in the Mountain of Imprisonment, Yang from the Hansui fight. Defeat the elders that follow and you earn the Violet Blossom tempering material.

Timing matters. PowerPyx lists the Forbidden Arts Beneath the Lake trophy as missable, and KeenGamer ties the mirror quest and the first four Long Pillars to the true ending deadline. Our chapter list shows where the Mirage Estate cutoff falls, so plan to finish all four Acolytes before you head there.

Prefer to Skip the Mask Hunt?

Four elemental arenas spread across four regions is a long detour for a handful of accessories and one weapon. If you would rather start with the arsenal already in hand, the store's Phantom Blade Zero mega modded save for PS5 and PC gives you the full weapon roster plus every accessory and medicine fully upgraded, 99,999,999 currency and resources at 9,999, in four fresh Cycle 1 slots set up for different difficulties.

It requires your own copy of the game and is not offered for Xbox or Nintendo Switch 2, and the platinum trophy is a separate service. See the Phantom Blade Zero store page for every option.

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