Bang–

With that loud bang came the sounds of dogs barking and the harsh curses of those that were awoken by it. With another bang, the loud complaints of those who inhabit the small village became silent. 

With the thundering bangs being the only thing that could be heard, the night that had seemed to be just like any other had suddenly twisted and became something far different. 

With the third bang, louds shouts filled with mischievous glee came echoing down the mountain. Their howls like that of dying beasts. 

Stupid dying beasts.

And with that also came the sound of rustling fabric as Shi slowly and wearily sat up, his face grim and cold. 

Had they sent people to find him? Were they here? Would they hurt the villagers if they couldn't find him...?

Shi paused his thoughts for a moment before letting out a mocking laugh to himself. "Why do you care? Aren't you the 'Cold-blooded Devil'?" Shi continued to taunt himself as he stiffly stood up with the support of the bed and the table beside it. 

Knock knock

Shi froze before gazing at the door unblinkingly, wondering if he could still kill someone in his state. Just as he began to seriously analyze this question, the door opened. 

"Sh-! Shi!?" The familiar voice of Kui Sounded out as Shi stumbled and nearly fell. 

Kui, who came to check up on Shi, nearly had a heartattack from this. Of course, before he could have a heartattack he had to catch the falling down Shi.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt something??" Kui asked in a panicked tone. His brows scrunched with worry. 

"I'm fine." Shi replied coldly. As Shi stared at Kui's handsome but worried face, he couldn't help but feel an odd sense of familiarity.

But before he could continue down that line of thinking, a loud but timid knock came from downstairs. Shi's eyes immediately widened alertly, his body growing tenser.

"Tsk." Shi immediately shifted his gaze towards Kui, who had just clicked his tongue. Shi couldn't help but feel strange because of Kui's behavior. Normally, someone who had heard those howls and the loud bangs wouldn't react in such a way to someone knocking. At least a villager wouldn't be so calm.

Kui glanced at the alert Shi before helping him to stand and then sit down on the bed. Kui paused for a moment before slowly dragging his index finger to his lips, shushing all of Shi's thoughts. With a smirk across his lips, he then prepared to hed downstairs.

Shi sat there dazed for a long time, the only reason that his dazeing about stopped was due to the sound of mutiple footsteps coming up the stairs. 

Shi's body that had just relaxed a bit immediately tensed up once again. With the sound of the door to his room opening, Shi saw mutiple strangers in front of him.

Shi suddenly sucked in a large mouthful of cold air as he stared at the people in front of him. After all, he recognized every single one of them.

"It really is you!"

***

Cliffhanger! Although I don't really think it's a very exciting cliffhanger, so more like a hillhanger. Hillhanger doesn't sound as nice so it's a cliffhanger!