Experiences in Heaven’s Pier are short, one-off vignettes tied to specific NPCs, objects, and times of day. There are 22 in total, and several only appear after the major story event that burns the village. Others depend on having certain exploration skills unlocked or speaking to the right person at the right hour.

Experiences are tracked under Menu > Journal > Sentient Beings > Heaven's Pier > Experience. When you see 22/22, you are done for this area.

Heaven’s Pier Experience list

#	Experience name	Key trigger
1	Business is Tough	Zhao Weiye near the bounty board
2	Local Lore	Wayfarer with “Annals of Geography – Heaven’s Pier”
3	The First Blossom	Huge tree on high ground beside the village
4	Southern Tongue	Song Wu by food stalls (Chen hour)
5	Parting Beneath the Pear Tree	Gu San’ge at Brewery Backyard, ask about Madam Han
6	A Shadow in the Dark	Steal a map before the fire or talk to Uncle Mi after
7	The Disappeared	Dialogue with Uncle Mi
8	Drifting to the Shelter	Auntie Tian near the docks
9	Secret Letter on the Strange Pigeon	Workstations behind brewery and a pigeon / Liniang
10	Envoy of the Southern Tang Dynasty	Foreign merchant / shopkeeper in Heaven’s Pier
11	Drunken Raging Tides	Shi Yibei on boxes in the middle plaza
12	Snooping for Intel	Song Wu / Uncle Zhang Jiu
13	Fragrant Agarwood Dust	Huge barrel at brewery machine (Zhang Dazhuang)
14	Flying Petals Onto the Rooftop	Interactable petals on a rooftop
15	Prayer for My Benefactor	Chu Wuming in a riverside house
16	Pear Blossoms of Hometown	Mysterious Patron / Xia Aze below the big tree
17	Song of Pear Blossom Wine	Shuang’er near the laundry by the lake
18	The Treasure Thief	Old rooster near West Heaven’s Pier waypoint
19	Pride of Ruby	Yueniang near the chess mini-game by the water
20	Fiery Butter	Yellow dog near teleport, requires Animal Whisperer
21	Cat Lord	Twin Tufts cat near general goods merchant
22	Theft at Heaven’s Pier	Zhang Dazhuang / Zhang Jiushu by the river docks

Several entries can be obtained in more than one way or from more than one NPC. Time of day matters, and many NPCs change position after the Blissful Retreat burning.

You can complete certain entries in Heaven’s Pier in more than one way | Image credit: *NetEase (via YouTube/@100% Guides)*

Core requirements: skills and timing

Before hunting specific Experiences, it helps to meet three basic conditions.

Unlock Animal Whisperer. This exploration passive is required for Fiery Butter, Cat Lord, and The Treasure Thief. It lets you understand and converse with animals rather than just petting them.
Progress Chapter 1 to the burning. Some Experiences, notably The Disappeared, A Shadow in the Dark (alternate path), and entries linked to Zhang Dazhuang’s later life, only unlock after Heaven’s Pier burns during the main quest “For Whom Does He Return”.
Use the time-change system. NPCs have schedules. If someone isn’t present, change the in-game time to one of the canonical two-hour slots:
- Zi: 23:00–01:00 (midnight)
- Mao: 05:00–07:00 (early morning)
- Chen: 07:00–09:00 (morning)
- Wu: 11:00–13:00 (midday)
- You: 17:00–19:00 (late afternoon / early evening)

When an NPC still refuses to appear, fast travel away, rest to a new hour, and return. Players regularly report that simply cycling time eventually forces idle NPCs like Uncle Mi to stand up and become interactive.

Use the time change system if NPCs are not appearing | Image credit: *NetEase (via YouTube/@100% Guides)*

Business and gossip Experiences

Business is Tough

How to trigger: Speak to Zhao Weiye, the shop owner standing near the bounty board in central Heaven’s Pier.

Tips: No special time requirement is noted here; if Zhao Weiye isn’t present, rotate time through Wu or You hours and re-approach the bounty board area.

Local Lore

How to trigger: Talk to the Wayfarer who gives you the book “Annals of Geography – Heaven’s Pier”. This NPC also reveals part of the Qinghe map early in Chapter 1.

Once you have received and read that local history text, the Experience logs as complete.

Southern Tongue and Snooping for Intel

These two are easily missed because the triggering NPC has multiple roles and time-sensitive dialogue.

Southern Tongue

Set the time to Chen hour (around 07:00–09:00).

Find Song Wu near two women selling food in Heaven’s Pier. Interact with him until the Experience completes.

Snooping for Intel

This Experience appears either:

By talking to Song Wu again around late morning or early afternoon, or
By speaking to an older man known as Uncle Zhang Jiu in the same market area.

If you see no NPC where screenshots suggest “Unusual signs”, do the following:

Change time to Mao or Wu hour and fast travel away from Heaven’s Pier.

Fast travel back to the central waypoint and re-check the food stall row.

When the correct NPC is present, exhausting his new dialogue about suspicious activity triggers Snooping for Intel.

Parting Beneath the Pear Tree

How to trigger: Talk to Gu San’ge in the Brewery Backyard and steer the conversation to Madam Han.

Go to the Brewery Backyard landmark behind the main buildings.

Find Gu San’ge (he may lean or sit near the yard). If he isn’t there, shift to Shen hour and re-check.

Choose the dialogue option about Madam Han. That topic unlocks the Experience.

A Shadow in the Dark and The Disappeared

These two Experiences are intertwined and tied to the story event.

A Shadow in the Dark (before burning)

At night, go to the area behind the brewery, near the large sakura tree.

Look for an outsider NPC lingering near the base of the tree. Use Celestial Seize or normal theft to steal a mysterious map from him.

The theft route completes A Shadow in the Dark before the burning.

A Shadow in the Dark (after burning)

If that outsider is gone because you continued the story, you are not locked out.

Find Uncle Mi at the brewery once Heaven’s Pier has burned. He often sits by a tree and may be non-interactive until he stands.

Change time back and forth until he becomes talkable, then exhaust his new dialogue. One of his stories grants A Shadow in the Dark.

The Disappeared

This Experience also comes from Uncle Mi’s dialogue after the burning.

Once you have at least one post-burning conversation with Uncle Mi, keep talking to him in different hours.

When he opens up about missing people and the aftermath, the Experience registers as The Disappeared.

Both Experiences are sensitive to whether Uncle Mi is actually “awake”. Many players report sitting near him for several in-game hours until his state flips and new dialogue appears.

Drifting to the Shelter

How to trigger: Speak with Auntie Tian near the docks of Heaven’s Pier.

Go to the shoreline area listed as the dock or shipyard near Heaven’s Pier.

Find Auntie Tian. If she will not talk about leaving or sheltering, return after key Chapter 1 beats, especially after escorting villagers during the burning.

If Auntie Tian appears but repeats basic flavor dialogue, progress the main quest further and then revisit her in the daytime.

Secret Letter on the Strange Pigeon

There are two reliable ways to obtain this Experience, both linked to a woman and her pigeon messages.

Method 1: Workshop and pigeon

Head to the back of the brewery, where workstations and drying racks are set up.

Talk to the woman working there. She tips you off about a pigeon overhead.

Use your bow to shoot the strange pigeon out of the sky and loot the letter it drops.

Method 2: Liniang at Chun

Alternatively, some players receive the Experience directly from Liniang at Chun hour.

Change time to Chun (roughly mid-morning) and find Liniang in Heaven’s Pier.

Talk about suspicious meetings at Blissful Retreat. Follow her dialogue through; if the letter isn’t granted immediately, return later and check the workshop route.

Envoy of the Southern Tang Dynasty

This Experience comes from speaking with a visiting merchant.

Before the burning: Look for the foreign merchant Cui Daniu at the tavern in Heaven’s Pier.

After the burning: A shopkeeper in the same general area takes over that narrative role.

Visit the tavern or central market and identify the merchant whose dialogue references the Southern Tang court.

Exhaust his story options until the Experience marks as complete.

Drunken Raging Tides

How to trigger: Speak to Shi Yibei, a man sitting on stacked boxes near the restaurant in the middle of Heaven’s Pier.

From the central waypoint, walk toward the restaurant plaza. Look for crates and a lounging drunk.

Talk to Shi Yibei; a short scene about his drinking and the “raging tides” of life completes the Experience.

If he isn’t present at first, revisit during daytime hours and after main story progress in Chapter 1.

Fragrant Agarwood Dust

This one is not tied to conversation but to an object in the brewery.

Go to the brewery machine area, near the NPC Zhang Dazhuang and other brewing apparatus.

Look for a very large wooden barrel that can be interacted with.

Interact with the barrel to examine the agarwood dust; the Experience unlocks immediately.

No special time or quest state is required beyond basic access to the brewery area.

Flying Petals Onto the Rooftop and The First Blossom

The First Blossom

How to trigger: Approach the unusually thick, prominent tree on the elevated ground just outside Heaven’s Pier.

Leave the village toward the higher terrain beside it and look for a single large, dense tree that stands out.

Move close until an interaction prompt appears. Inspecting the tree will log The First Blossom.

Wind Sense does not highlight this tree, and there’s no gold glint, which makes it particularly easy to miss.

Flying Petals Onto the Rooftop

How to trigger: Interact with flower petals drying on a specific rooftop in Heaven’s Pier.

Find the house where a woman is working with petals in front of the door.

Use lightness skills to climb onto that roof.

On the rooftop, look for an interactable pile of petals. Interact to trigger the Experience.

Prayer for My Benefactor

How to trigger: Talk to Chu Wuming in a house close to the river, then listen to his prayer.

Go to the riverside residential area of Heaven’s Pier and search for a house interior matching common screenshots: a low table with offerings.

Visit during Wei hour (13:00–15:00) to increase the chance Chu Wuming is inside.

Speak with him until he recounts his benefactor and offers a prayer; the Experience then completes.

If you can speak with him but nothing triggers, leave, change time, and return. Some players report needing multiple visits.

Pear Blossoms of Hometown

Two different NPCs can give this Experience depending on timing.

Method 1: Mysterious Patron

Stand on the high ground near the First Blossom tree and look down toward the village.

Find a seated woman labeled “Mysterious Patron”. Talk through her homesick dialogue to unlock the Experience.

Method 2: Xia Aze

If the Mysterious Patron is missing, Xia Aze fills the role.

On the slope below the big tree, look for a man sitting on a rock hugging his knees.

Speak with him about pear blossoms and his hometown; the Experience registers as Pear Blossoms of Hometown.

Song of Pear Blossom Wine

How to trigger: Talk to Shuang’er, a woman associated with washing clothes and gathering petals.

Go to the lake where several women wash clothes, not far from Heaven’s Pier.

Look for Shuang’er: she appears either by the laundry area (often around Yin) or near the General Goods Merchant Xiong Da at some hours, then moves to gather petals during Chen hour.

Speak with her when she is away from Gu San’ge’s commotion; her story about Pear Blossom Wine grants the Experience.

If she seems blocked by Gu San’ge mid-argument, wait a few hours and return when she has moved location slightly.

Pride of Ruby

How to trigger: Speak with Yueniang, a woman in green near the chess mini-game by the water in Heaven’s Pier.

Find the chess-playing area near the water’s edge.

Look for Yueniang—commonly in green clothing, standing beside the play area.

Talk to her until her connection to Ruby and the village’s pride is fully explained; the Experience then appears as Pride of Ruby.

Animal Experiences: Fiery Butter, Cat Lord, The Treasure Thief

Shared requirement: Animal Whisperer

All three of these require the Animal Whisperer exploration skill. Without it, animals can be petted but will not start Experiences.

Fiery Butter

How to trigger: Interact with a yellow dog named Butter near the teleport in Heaven’s Pier.

With Animal Whisperer unlocked, approach the yellow dog near the teleport/waypoint at Heaven’s Pier.

Either complete the “Old Friend” quest by talking to the nearby cat, or feed the dog once.

After that bonding step, approach Butter again; a line of dialogue appears that triggers Fiery Butter.

If the dog appears dead or missing due to accidents, players report that he eventually respawns after some real or in-game time, so check back later.

Cat Lord

How to trigger: Speak with the twin-tufts cat (often referred to as “Fluffy Cat”) near Xiong Da, the general goods merchant.

Stand near the general goods stall in Heaven’s Pier and look for a distinctive cat that likes to play nearby.

With Animal Whisperer active, pet the cat. If it only gives standard petting lines, log out to the menu and back in, then try again.

When the cat finally “talks” and claims its lofty status, the Experience appears as Cat Lord.

The Treasure Thief

How to trigger: Talk to the “Old Rooster” near the West Heaven’s Pier waypoint.

Fast travel to the West Heaven’s Pier waypoint.

Search near the teleport and water for a rooster that can be targeted with Animal Whisperer.

Approach the rooster until it initiates a conversation about stolen treasure; this unlocks The Treasure Thief.

Some players find that the rooster fails to spawn for long stretches. Rotating time and reloading the area eventually brings it back. If it is your final missing Experience, expect a few cycles.

Theft at Heaven’s Pier (the commonly “missing” one)

Theft at Heaven’s Pier is the Experience that most players miss because the NPC dramatically changes state after the main story, and early impressions labeled it as missable. In practice, it can be completed even after the burning.

Pre-burning route (co-op or early story)

Before the Blissful Retreat blaze, find Zhang Dazhuang in Heaven’s Pier, usually near the brewery machine or docks.

Speak with him about stolen items; the Experience is awarded through this interaction.

If you have already passed the event and Dazhuang seems gone, two late-game routes exist.

Post-burning route 1: Zhang Jiushu at the docks

Fast travel to the West Heaven’s Pier waypoint and walk down to the docks.

During Wei hour (around 13:00) or Chen hour (around 07:00–09:00), search the cabins by the river for an NPC named Zhang Jiushu lying down drunk.

Talk to him repeatedly, choosing the “make a friend” style options until he opens up about the theft. This both advances a Dark Surge line and grants Theft at Heaven’s Pier.

Post-burning route 2: Dream realm

Some players report being able to trigger this Experience in the dream realm version of Heaven’s Pier, accessed later in the game. There, Zhang can appear again near the hut by the river dock.

Either way, you do not strictly need co-op; the co-op method simply uses another player’s untouched Chapter 1 world to access Zhang Dazhuang before his story changes.

Cat Lord, Fiery Butter, The Treasure Thief after the burning

Players often worry these Experiences become unavailable after the Blissful Retreat storyline. They remain obtainable:

Fiery Butter: Butter still patrols near the teleport, and the animal dialogue can be triggered post-burning.
Cat Lord: The twin-tufts cat stays near Xiong Da and continues to talk once Animal Whisperer is active.
The Treasure Thief: The rooster may be more finicky about spawning but can still appear near the West Heaven’s Pier waypoint and initiate the anecdote.

Only NPC placement changes; the Experiences themselves are not permanently locked out in current versions.

Checking progress and troubleshooting missing Experiences

If you are stuck at 21/22 and cannot identify what’s missing, the usual suspects are:

Theft at Heaven’s Pier – especially if you cleared all other named entries and progressed deep into Chapter 1.
Song of Pear Blossom Wine – Shuang’er’s spawn location and schedule make her easy to overlook.
The First Blossom – the interaction-only tree with no visual hint.
Secret Letter on the Strange Pigeon – forgotten pigeon shooting step behind the brewery.

To verify what you have:

Open Menu > Journal > Sentient Beings > Heaven’s Pier > Experience.

Compare the names listed there to the table at the top of this page.

For any missing entry, revisit its section above and follow the time and NPC instructions carefully.

Heaven’s Pier is deliberately designed to feel alive, which means NPCs wander, go silent, and pretend not to know you after the night of horrors. With Animal Whisperer unlocked, a bit of patience with time shifts, and the right order of conversations, every Experience in the village can still be completed.