"Birdie, I think you're forgetting that I was supposed to kill you."

She was starting to feel severely irritated. The sun had begun to rise and had she had a good night's rest she would've been able to enjoy the weather. Had she not almost died she would've been able to listen to the birds. Had she not gotten blood on her robes, she would've enjoyed the scenery. And looking at him only seemed to magnify it. If I was in the Heavens right now, I could kill that obnoxious oaf with a spoon. 

Zhi Yan gave him a look and tried to move past him. "Why the reminder?" Clearly, the man had no such intentions with the way his sharp eyes glinted at her as if he were looking at a new toy.

Said obnoxious oaf had joined her walking next to her with the ox trailing behind them. "You were ignoring me, and it cut me so deeply. So cold-hearted of you, I had to." 

The twitch in her eyebrow had returned as she willed the donkey to move faster. She got almost ten feet of him before the animal let out a noise in distress. A stream of golden light had coiled itself around its two hind legs and was slowly dragging it backward. 

"Hey! Birdie!" The man caught up in two quick strides, laughing not at all offended by her actions. "Birdie, I mean no harm to you, honest. I would never hurt someone as lively as you." 

"Bounty hunters kill regardless of the person's personality." 

Niu Hejun feigned a shocked expression and clutched his chest dramatically. "Oh my little lady, how could you believe that my intentions were so evil? A bounty hunter? Never."

He paused scratching his stubble and looking thoughtfully at the sky. Zhi Yan cast him a glance out of the corner of her eye. "I am more of a helper to...to Yan Luo Wang1." He finally said, giving her a cheeky smile. "An assistant to justice, if you will." 

Justice was an interesting way of putting it. In Zhi Yan's patchy memory, the only thing that Yan Luo Wang conjured up was a large bearded man yelling as his mustache quivered in anger. Niu Hejun would've looked like a plaything next to him. Assistant to justice? How ridiculous. The imagery elicited a quick upturn of her lips which the Niu Hejun caught. Unfortunately. He flashed her a gloating and satisfied grin that instantly wiped the smile straight off her face. Annoyed, Zhi Yan snapped the reins in irritation and hurried off in front of him. This time, he didn't stop her merely watching her back with a delighted expression on his face.

 ******

By the fifth night, Zhi Yan wondered if killing the man was an option while she stared into the fire. The most realistic plan she had come up with was drugging the man and making a run for it. Sadly, she knew she would not make it far either. Zhi Yan pinched her brows in vexation but then reached up subconsciously smoothing the tensed-up muscles, lost in thought.

On the other side of the fireplace, laughter could be heard as Niu Hejun joked and chatted with some of the travelers that they had run into two days earlier. She didn't blame them, of course for being so taken with him. Niu Hejun while excessively talkative and confident was also disturbingly charming. Because he had unfortunately decided to attach himself to her citing the reason of "traveling in the same direction" she had been roped into numerous instances of sitting on the side as he chattered away with the shopkeepers and restaurant owners. The positive side to these interactions was that he traded what she considered "wasted time" for bowls of hot food and useful directions. It also kept her mildly entertained for the past couple of days. 

All in all, it should’ve been a mutually beneficial relationship though Zhi Yan was a little lost on what she provided. Yet everything was going a little too smoothly and she could not shake the feeling of suspicion at the back of her mind. Not to mention he originally set out to have her head on a pike and could still very well do so. There was also the issue of...

"What's got that pretty head working so hard?" Niu Hejun's gruff voice broke her thoughts as he plopped down next to her. He was wearing a grey robe that was tied loosely around his waist revealing a large expanse of his bare chest. He caught her gaze and beamed smugly at her. "Is it about me?"

"Isn't that an open target?" 

He looked down at his chest and then back at her. "This? How would anyone get even that close?" He asked with a genuine look of confusion before it morphed into an obnoxiously cocky grin. "Why? Are you worried, my sweet wife?"

Her hand moved and before she could react, Niu Hejun's face was drenched in lukewarm water. Zhi Yan looked down at her hands, surprised at the impulsiveness while her victim immediately burst out in boisterous laughter as he wiped his face. 

This was the main reason that she had been plotting her escape. She had written off most of his antics as childish nonsense. But ever since that merchant group had assumed that they were married, he was like a mosquito constantly hovering around her with the name on his lips using it as some sort of beckoning call. Like she was some type of street mutt. Also, Zhi Yan still had yet to get over the fact that he had the nerve to call her an immortal his wife. 

"Hey Miss Yan, don't be so harsh on your husband! Fights are never a good way to solve something." A middle-aged woman called over as her eyes twinkled with amusement. At her comment, Zhi Yan bit her lip and gave the woman an awkward smile which only made Niu Hejun laugh even harder. He only stopped when the wooden cup she was holding hit him on the head as Zhi Yan marched off.

“Aye!" Niu Hejun called after her but she ignored him walking straight for her resting steed. His hand reached for her arm but hesitated and instead stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her path. "Birdie, I was only joking and I apologize for my actions."

It seemed like time slowed down as she stared up at him. Finally, in a clear sharp voice, she asked, "Are you bored?"

He furrowed his brows. "I'm afraid I don't understand, little lady."

"You say you're going in the same direction but with your abilities, you would've gotten to the Capital by now."

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step2. And I am enjoying the view with you, Birdie." 

"But you don't need to."

"Oh, but I do, little lady. For you."

Zhi Yan could feel the frustration rising in her chest. "Let me remind you, Mister Niu Hejun. You had a goal and it was to kill me. Just because you have given up doesn't mean others haven't. Now I don't know why you are doing this but you are a dangerous man. Dangerous people bring trouble and I cannot deal with that trouble because I lack the ability. So if you are bored, leave me alone."

Her rant was met with silence before Niu Hejun took a step forward bringing him into the light. His messy hair which was still a bit wet glistened around his face as he gazed down at her. His previous smile was gone. An almost crazed wide smile plastered in its place. Startled, Zhi Yan's breath caught in her throat. Dark eyes sparkled at her in pure delight as if he had heard the happiest news of his life.

"Zhi Yan, you never fail to captivate me." He whispered in a low voice, looking at her with something just short of adoration. Heavens help me. "You are right, I am a dangerous man and I do bring trouble. But I solve my own trouble and I recently," He tapped her nose. "have been solving yours as well. Though, you absolutely have the ability. And thus, I would never be bored with you. Any more complaints?"

She clenched her jaw, eyes peering at his face. This man was reckless, reckless, and a threat to her plan. Oh, how laughable that a danger to her right now was a lunatic with a little too much free time. 

"I didn't ask you to." Zhi Yan muttered and stepped around him. "But it is appreciated."

"Swatting irksome bugs for my little lady is a must. Here." He had pulled out a cloak from his pouch and set it down on the grass. "Don't put your pretty clothes on the ground."

She sat down on the cloak used to his actions because despite his personality flaws not once in the past five days had she slept uncomfortably. Might as well use my resources.

"Instead put those pretty clothes on tomorrow so I can see it in the sunlight, my beautiful wife~"

Later when Niu Hejun stepped back into the campfire, there was a red mark the size of a shoe on the side of his face.

A chubby man with a large mustache peeling a potato tsked at the sight of him. "That woman, don't treat you well enough my boy."

"She doesn't need to." Niu Hejun shrugged turning back to look at the form huddled by two animals. 

The middle-aged woman from earlier shook her head as she sipped from her cup. "Old Wang leave the boy alone. Young people fight all the time. Marriage takes work and it takes time." She offered the man an encouraging smile. "Don't worry so much."

Niu Hejun hummed in response, his eyes occasionally skimming at the trees about them. "Never was." Suddenly, he stood up, his eyes locked in on something in the trees. "Apologies, I need to fetch some food for her tomorrow morning. Thank you, Miss, for reminding me that marriage takes work."

Then he walked off into the forest with the woman shaking her head as he slowly disappeared. "I hope whatever work he puts in, it bears fruitful results."

******

When Zhi Yan opened her eyes the next morning to see a dead man staring back at her, she wanted to throttle Niu Hejun regardless of the consequences. The dead man was perched over a large branch high above her, eyes still open in terror.

"Breakfast?" Nudging a bowl of congee in her face, Niu Hejun settled himself next to her. He followed her gaze and let out a dramatic gasp.  "Oh, my little lady, I did not mean to let you see that. I mean your poor appetite." He snapped his fingers and a golden fire engulfed the body. In mere seconds, the flames incinerated the body leaving only a mildly charred leaf that drifted slowly into her lap. "Better?"

She gave him a dead look and grabbed the bowl and he simply grinned at her as she ate.

After she finished, she cleaned herself up and got onto her donkey. She then stopped turning her head to watch Niu Hejun bid the merchants farewell. Once he was done, Zhi Yan turned around and snapped the reins. 

Seconds later, he was by her side huffing and puffing while complaining. "You are such a heartless woman, Birdie. How could you leave me like that? I'll have you know that while I am a strong warrior. I too have weak spots. Like the curse on my leg. I actually can’t run too fast but I'm exerting myself. For you.”

Zhi Yan rolled her eyes. 

He let out a loud exasperated sigh. "What do I have to do to make you believe me? Honestly, when you got mad that was the most you ever talked to me and I don't want to make you mad every time." 

She could feel his mischievous eyes peeking at her. "So I will venture in the opposite direction of angry.” He finally declared loudly. Zhi Yan practically heard the wheels turning as a slow feeling of dread sank into her stomach. “I am going to make you as happy as I can for the sake of the communication in our marriage, Wifey."

Closing her eyes, Zhi Yan breathed in a deep breath the storm clouds on the horizon representing the impending headache that she felt was about to take over her life.