You've probably been bashing your head against the wall trying to 100% Black Myth: Wukong. Honestly, it's a brutal game. But then you hear about this one Curio. The Gold Flora Hairpin. It sounds fancy. It sounds like something a celestial being would drop while fleeing a cosmic brawl. But let's be real: is it actually going to save your life when a giant beetle is trying to flatten you?
Maybe.
The Gold Flora Hairpin is one of those items in Black Myth: Wukong that players either obsess over or completely ignore because they’re too busy trying to survive the next boss phase. It’s a Curio. Specifically, it boosts the amount of Will you gain from defeating enemies. Will is basically the lifeblood of your progression—the currency you need to buy everything from new staves to the "shredded silk" you keep running out of.
How You Actually Get the Gold Flora Hairpin
Don't expect this to just fall into your lap. You’ve got to work for it. Specifically, you need to head over to the Webbed Hollow. If you haven't reached Chapter 4 yet, stop reading and go play, because spoilers are coming.
You find this thing in the Upper Hollow. There’s a specific area near a meditation spot where you’ll run into a rather annoying NPC—the Man-in-Stone. Well, actually, his questline starts way back in Chapter 2, but the Hairpin itself is tied to your interactions with the shop mechanics and specific drops in the later spider-infested tunnels. To be precise, you can purchase it from the Man-in-Stone's shop after you've progressed his questline and reached the appropriate point in the narrative. It costs 12,800 Will.
That’s a lot of dough.
Is it worth spending nearly 13k Will on an item that... gives you more Will? It’s the classic "spend money to make money" trap. If you're early in the game, that price tag feels like a slap in the face. By the time you reach the later chapters, though, 13,000 Will is basically pocket change you find under the sofa cushions after a particularly messy boss fight.
The Math Behind the Will Boost
Let's talk numbers. The Gold Flora Hairpin increases Will gained by about 10%.
Ten percent.
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Doesn't sound like much, right? If an enemy drops 100 Will, you get 110. Big deal. But think about the scale of Black Myth: Wukong. You are killing thousands of enemies. You are grinding for levels. You are farming for materials. Over a 40-to-60-hour playthrough, that 10% compounds. It’s the difference between being able to afford that high-tier armor upgrade immediately or having to go back and smack a few dozen more wolf-monks.
Why the Gold Flora Hairpin Matters for Completionists
If you're just trying to beat the story and move on to the next big release, you can probably skip this Curio. Just use something that boosts your defense or attack power. However, if you're going for the Platinum Trophy or full achievement list, the Gold Flora Hairpin becomes nearly mandatory.
Why? Because of the sheer cost of crafting every single weapon and armor set in the game.
The endgame staves in Black Myth: Wukong are ridiculously expensive. We're talking tens of thousands of Will for a single craft. If you're rocking the Hairpin throughout Chapters 4, 5, and 6, you'll find yourself sitting on a mountain of cash by the time you reach the final encounter. It minimizes the need for mindless "farming runs" at the end of the game.
Synergy and Setup
You shouldn't just wear the Hairpin in a vacuum. To really maximize your "income," you want to pair it with other Will-boosting mechanics.
- Spirit Skills: Some spirits have passive bonuses that increase drop rates.
- The Gourd: Certain gourds or soaks can marginally increase the rewards from enemies.
- The "Farm" Route: There's a famous spot in Chapter 4, near the "Pool of Shattered Jade," where you can clear a massive group of cocoons in about 15 seconds.
If you equip the Gold Flora Hairpin and do that cocoon run for ten minutes? You’ll be rich. You’ll be the wealthiest monkey in all of Chinese mythology.
Comparing it to Other Curios
It's a trade-off. You only have a limited number of Curio slots—initially two, eventually three if you find the right NPC to upgrade your capacity.
If you use a slot for the Gold Flora Hairpin, you aren't using it for the Boshan Censer (damage reduction when your gourd is empty) or the Cat Eye Beads (critical hit rate). You're choosing wealth over power. In a game as difficult as this, that's a bold move. Most players prefer to stay alive. But the "Pro" move is to wear the Hairpin while you're exploring and clearing out "trash mobs," then swap it for a combat-focused Curio the second you see a boss arena.
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It's tedious menu-swapping. But it's efficient.
The Lore Factor
Game Science, the developers, didn't just throw a hairpin in for no reason. In Chinese culture, hairpins (especially gold ones with floral patterns) have deep historical significance. They weren't just fashion; they represented status and sometimes even romantic pledges. In the context of Journey to the West, jewelry and celestial items often signify the vanity or the former lives of the demons you're fighting.
The fact that you buy it from the Man-in-Stone, a character who is literally trapped and obsessed with wealth and items, adds a layer of irony. He’s a grifter. He’s selling you a tool to get rich, but he’s taking your money to do it.
Common Misconceptions About the Hairpin
People often think this item increases "Drop Rate." It doesn't.
If you're looking for rare materials like Refined Iron Sand or Mind Core, the Gold Flora Hairpin won't help you one bit. It only affects the literal currency (Will). If you need rare drops, you're looking for the Gold Spikeplate or other items that specifically mention "Drop Rate" or "Luck."
Another thing: the boost does not apply to Will found in chests or "Will jars." It only applies to enemies you physically kill. This makes it a "grinder's item" rather than an "explorer's item."
Is it Glitched?
There were some early reports in the community that the Hairpin wasn't stacking correctly with certain spirits. After several patches, this seems to be resolved. The math is consistent now. If you kill a boss that gives 2,000 Will, you should see 2,200 pop up on the side of your screen.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're currently playing through the game, here is how you should handle the Gold Flora Hairpin situation.
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First, finish Chapter 2. You need to complete the Man-in-Stone questline by defeating the Mother of Stones in the caves. Give him the essence, then kick his butt when he inevitably betrays you. After that, he becomes a vendor.
Second, don't buy the hairpin immediately. In Chapter 2 and 3, your Will is better spent on upgrades. You'll struggle more with combat than with money at this stage.
Third, once you hit Chapter 4 and find yourself at the Upper Hollow, check your bank account. If you have the 12,800 Will and you aren't struggling with your current boss, buy it. Equip it. Leave it on for the rest of the chapter. The spiders in Chapter 4 come in huge swarms, making the Hairpin incredibly effective.
Fourth, keep an eye on your "Will" counter. Once you hit about 50,000 Will, you can safely unequip it for something that helps with Critical Hits or Stamina recovery. You’ve reached the "wealth threshold" where you can afford most things in the mid-game.
Finally, remember that the Hairpin is a tool for a specific job. It's like a hammer. You don't use a hammer to eat soup. You use the Hairpin to build your treasury, then you put it away when it's time to actually fight a god.
The game is hard enough. Don't make it harder by being broke. Get the pin, get the Will, and get back to the fight.
To make the most of your investment, focus your farming on the Pool of Shattered Jade shrine in Chapter 4. Use the Ashen Slumber transformation or a wide-area spell to pop all the cocoons nearby. With the Gold Flora Hairpin equipped, this is the fastest way to bridge the gap between "struggling monkey" and "unstoppable legend" before you head into the final acts of the game.