The wordplay
The character 蝠, bat, is associated in visual culture with 福, good fortune, because of their similar pronunciation. Images can turn that sound relationship into a compact auspicious sign.
Wordplay is a cultural convention, but its exact meaning still depends on number, placement, companions, inscription, and occasion.
Protection and blessing together
Zhong Kui's demon-quelling role does not prevent an image from also participating in celebration, blessing, family, or seasonal display. A fierce central figure and an auspicious bat can work together rather than cancel one another.
This is one reason a simple dark-monster-hunter summary misses the social life of the image.
Read the object, not only the symbol
The Met object record gives a checkable work, medium, and description. It anchors the discussion in one material example instead of treating a modern symbol dictionary as timeless proof.
A responsible caption identifies the museum and object, then explains the comparison without claiming the same composition appears in the game.
Current game boundary
Cathay Codex does not record bats as a confirmed Black Myth: Zhong Kui mechanic, faction, collectible, or plot device. Their place in this atlas is historical context for Zhong Kui imagery.
If future official material introduces bats, that new evidence should be logged separately before any stronger connection is proposed.