Xiao Kui stood motionless outside their house, the wind lifting its tangled black hair over part of its eyes.
It wanted the players to promise they would deliver themselves to its doorstep tomorrow.
Lu Mi tried refusing again on the grounds that "it was getting late," but Xiao Kui did not react.
"Dong-"
The bell rang again.
Its sound was dull, its echoes rolling on.
"Isn't it only just past seven?"
Zhong Zixian sounded surprised.
Lu Mi waited a while. After one more toll, the bell fell silent.
"The tone is different. That probably wasn't the golden bell that marks the time, but the Silver Bell."
The Silver Bell had rung only twice. What did that mean?
He wanted to look out the little window, but Xiao Kui's ghastly pale upper face filled the entire pane.
It seemed that unless they agreed, even if this thing did not come inside, it would keep standing outside and blocking their view.
"You'll definitely come over to play at my house tomorrow, right?"
Lu Mi reluctantly agreed. "Yes, yes, I will."
Going before seven tomorrow evening should keep him out of trouble.
"My stone house is number 4." Xiao Kui's eyes curved into a smile, accidentally squeezing most of one eyeball out. "Make sure you come. I'll be waiting."
It took a step back, seemingly committing the faces inside to memory before turning to leave.
Once Xiao Kui had moved farther away, its whole body came into view.
It held a coil of coarse brown rope.
"Lu Mi, there's a number above its head too."
Its progress bar shone gold, with a number in the same color above it: 100.
Lu Mi considered this. "If the number on a Companion Stone House is the sum of both occupants' numbers, ours should be 150.