Acolyte Yanru

Acolyte Yanru is an optional fire boss of the Village of Lu in Phantom Blade Zero, started by interacting with a scarecrow in a rice field near the Terraces bell. Wear Flameward, sidestep her flamethrower, dodge her diving clones, and keep moving once her flames grow at half health. She drops Yanru's Blazing Mask, needed for the True Ending.

Talk to the scarecrow: the optional fire boss Acolyte Yanru hides inside one in the Village of Lu, and GosuGamers places it in one of the rice fields near the Terraces Bell, where interacting with it opens her arena. Guides written in the week after the Oct 29, 2026 launch agree on the method, patient dodging with the Flameward accessory on, and disagree on her fireballs (below). She drops Yanru's Blazing Mask, one of the four Acolyte masks the True Ending quests ask for.

What the scarecrow opens is a ring of fire: in PowerPyx's Oct 29, 2026 recording, at 0:31, Soul faces Yanru across a bare stone floor walled in by flames on every side.

Quick facts

Where	A rice field near the Terraces bell (GosuGamers); the northeastern Village of Lu, in shallow water (Game8)
Chapter	No chapter of its own; the Village of Lu's story chapter is 5, Heartless Remnants
Required	No
Start	Interact with the scarecrow
Element	Fire: Flameward halves her fire damage and cuts Burn buildup
Phases	Two; the second at half health
Rewards	Yanru's Blazing Mask

Fight her now or come back with Flameward

She waits. GosuGamers says that if she is too much, return after getting the Flameward accessory in Pangzhen (Pangzhen); Game8 points to a Flameward chest as well and says to equip it before the fight. Do not skip her for good if you want the True Ending: her mask is one of the four Acolyte masks, with Leiting's, Guhe's and Hansui's, that GosuGamers lists for the purple quests (Endings, Missables). She is one of four Acolytes serving the High Elder, Game8 says.

How to beat Acolyte Yanru

Wear Flameward, and an accessory that cuts burn damage if you have one (PPE).
Dodge more than you parry. PPE's advice for the whole fight is to rely on dodging.
Bring the Outlaw Warblade: PPE uses it to heal, and its special ability to drain her health once her protective shield breaks (Weapons).
At half health her flame range grows: keep dodging constantly.
A large fire explosion can go off under Soul: GosuGamers says to wait for the red flash and perfect dodge. PPE adds that a well-timed dodge on the big warning markers opens a strong counter.

Acolyte Yanru's attacks

Fireball volley from range: Game8 says to block them, which deflects them back at her and drains her Sha-Chi. PPE disagrees: dodge them, since blocking is not an option. When the camera pulls back, keep dodging left or right until she stops casting, then close in.
Fireball summoned on your position: interrupt the cast with melee hits or Flying Daggers (Game8).
Midair dive with clones: dodge, do not block. It leaves a burning patch on the ground, and blocking keeps you standing in it. PPE finds dodging toward her direction of travel easier while she is in the air, and says to step away from the orb that hits the ground.
Flamethrower: she spins in place, then breathes fire in a straight line. Sidestep and attack her side; she stays put until it ends, a good window to drain her Sha-Chi.
Broom sweep: she sweeps her broom around herself. PPE says to hit her for 2 to 3 seconds, then back off before the explosion.
Warning markers: large markers on the ground. Move away fast or perfect dodge.