The White Phoenix

Chapter 8 - Ability

"Did you have to throw water at me?" Wei Wuxian asked Annchi as he was now in soaking wet robes.

"Of course, water extinguishes fire. You were making unnecessary threats, so water must be used to quench your fire," Annchi told him.

"I have my reasons to makes unnecessary threats," Wei Wuxian pouted and shivered from a slight chill of cold.

"Are you cold?" Annchi asked.

"Duh!" Wei Wuxian barked.

"You are the hottest being in all the realms and your cold?" Yīnuò asked, "that's kind of funny. Does he not know how to use his own body heat?"

"Apparently not," Annchi said, "this kid has a lot to learn."

"I'm not a kid!" Wei Wuxian argued, "and thanks for the compliment. I'm know I'm hot."

"Shameless!" Lan Wangji mumbled.

"See, you say that..." Annchi began but Yīnuò elbowed here "anyway, to me, all of you are kids, even Lan Qiren," Annchi told them.

"You look younger then almost everyone in the room," Wei Wuxian told her.

"We may look young, but Yīnuò and I have lived longer than everyone in this room. I'm almost one-Hundred-thousand years of age. Yīnuò is around sixty-thousand. So you are a child to me," Annchi explained.

Wei Wuxian scoffed, "wow, you're old to me then."

"Young Master Wei, I can strike you down faster than the speed of light, don't test me," Annchi warned him.

"I have a question," Lan Xichen stepped in before Wei Wuxian could say anything else, "because you and Wei Gongzi can cultivate elements, is that normal? Won't others find it dangerous?"

"It's normal, anyone, even cultivators like you can learn it," Annchi answered, "but to start from scratch, it takes decades to really get it right. Some people are just born to be able to cultivate the elements. Those born to do it, are scarce, but they are known. Wei Wuxian can cultivate fire. He can learn to cultivate other elements if he wants to, but it is best to learn to control one at a time. Since he can control fire now, it is best to learn it properly before starting another element."

"And you two are here to help him?" Lan Xichen asked.

"Yes," Annchi answered, "the higher authorities that sent us don't want us to disclose too much information. What we can say is this. Wei Wuxian needs to learn to control his emotions in order to control the fire. His body is actually starting to cultivate it rapidly and if not trained properly, it will end badly. Yīnuò and I are also here to help with protecting him. He is important where we are from, and if something happens to him, our own kind will be in grave danger. There have been talks that the Wen Sect is interested in Wei Wuxian because he is an outsider that came long ago. Wen Ruohan is already plotting something and if Wei Wuxian gets stronger, his plans will be ruined."

"What kind of plans? Do you know?" Lan Qiren asked.

"You call it demonic cultivation here, but where we are from demons and gods have been allies for centuries. We call the bad energy devil's magic. It can enhance a person's cultivation, but it comes with a price. It makes them lose their sense of being. It turns their most precious desires into obsessions and greed. If a person succumbs to devil's magic, they are ten times stronger then before they used it. Wen Ruohan is using resentful energy. If used enough of it, it can turn to devil's magic," Annchi explained.

"How are demons kind and not devils. Aren't they the same?" Lan Qiren asked.

"Demons just have different ways of cultivating and immortality. They have a more mischievous personality and care deeply for their own kind. They are weary of the gods, yes, but because of the demon god, Jing Yuan, he helps keep the peace between demons and gods," Annchi explained.

"Okay," Lan Xichen said, "so how is Wei Gongzi apart of this?"

"Yeah, why am I involved?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"We can't answer that yet without prior authorization," Annchi answered.

Wei Wuxian scoffed again, "let me guess, I was some ancient god in my past life and I was reborn into a cultivator who will one day take back my old life as a god after I deal with some sort of trial or something," he said sarcastically.

Annchi and Yīnuò looked at Wei Wuxian and smiled. The way the two looked at Wei Wuxian, he seemed to have said something that made a little bit of sense.

"I was, wasn't I?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"We cannot answer that," Annchi told him.

Wei Wuxian sighed and looked at Lan Wangji, "you keep saying that he is important to me," Wei Wuxian pointed out and turned to Annchi again, "why?"

"You tell me," Annchi teased, "why would he not have a reaction or get burned by your fire?"

Wei Wuxian looked back at Lan Wangji, "didn't get burned?" He questioned, "I could have hurt you, you idiot!"

"I thought you were hurt! Plus after you passed out your robes burned away. So you had nothing on. Xiongzhang couldn't touch you but I could. So I took you here to the infirmary," Lan Wangji told him.

"I thought you didn't really care about what happens to me," Wei Wuxian mumbled.

"Of course I care," Lan Wangji told him.

Wei Wuxian looked into Lan Wangji's golden eyes, 'why are you so damn confusing Lan Zhan?' He questioned silently.

"What?" Lan Wangji asked.

Wei Wuxian shook his head and sat back down, "my head hurts," he said, "so much to take in."

"It is, but you can just relax for now and regain your strength...and eat something. You are underweight," Annchi told him.

"That was actually why we came here. We wanted to know if Wei Wuxian was actually alright," Lan Qiren said concerned.

"I am fine," Wei Wuxian told him, "I eat all the time. So why I'm underweight, I have no clue."

"Because you cultivate fire, you need to eat more than what you would normally. Fire can consume a lot of energy, especially the energy you get from food. So it can require you to eat more," Annchi explained, "it will get better when you learn how to use it properly."

Wei Wuxian sighed and fell back on the bed, "then what do I do now?"

"Take better care of yourself," Yīnuò told him.

"What she said," Lan Wangji agreed.

Wei Wuxian groaned, "can I just, hide away for now? I am not good at taking care of myself."

"That is why Lan Wangji will make sure you do," Lan Qiren told him.

Wei Wuxian shot up, "what?!"

"You heard me," Lan Qiren said and walked out with Lan Xichen. Lan Wangji, Annchi and Yīnuò remained in the room.