What kind of dog could carry its own bowl away from a little window and then bring it back?
The players dared not dwell on it. Each pair sent a representative to draw lots and decide the feeding order.
The first pair chosen to feed the dog consisted of two players who had barely made an impression. Their names were Du Wenfei and Wang Kangping, and they looked miserable as they held their slip of paper.
Lu Mi drew number four. Working out the timing, that meant four in the morning the day after tomorrow.
Tang Niantao was pleased. "Not bad, kid. You've got a lucky hand."
Lu Mi tucked the slip into his pocket. "Maybe the later slots are more dangerous?"
Seeing that they had settled the feeding order, Hu Pu turned to leave, only to be stopped.
Lu Dalu pinched his nose. "Just fess up-what exactly is that smell on you?"
The NPCs in this instance were a rare, friendly sort of ghost. They usually spoke gently and amused the players, which was why Lu Dalu dared to stop her outright.
Sure enough, Hu Pu wasn't angry. Still wearing her faint smile, she said, "The stink of piss."
She admitted it just like that? Lu Dalu continued, "Did you fall into a toilet?"
Hu Pu shook her head and answered earnestly, "I'm going out to forage shortly. This is to keep the beasts away from me."
She glanced at the others as she spoke. "If you don't want to stay cooped up indoors, you can go out too. But make sure you do what I did, or if a beast catches you and eats you, I won't be responsible."
With that, she opened the door and walked out into the wind and snow.
After a brief silence inside,