Chapter 143: Eradication

"Bring us two pots of your finest wine and a hundred pounds of Fifth-Rank beast meat!" The three strangers scanned the room, their gazes lingering finally on the innkeeper. The beautiful woman standing at the front spoke, her voice low and husky, possessing an indescribable, sultry allure.

The innkeeper narrowed his eyes, twitching his mustache. "The order comes to one hundred medium-grade spirit stones. Payment up front, then the food."

"Bing Yan, it seems your charm is fading," the black-armored man behind her jeered, a sinister black mist flickering in his dark eyes. "Look, even a senile innkeeper won't play along with you."

"Everything in this shop, including the 'flesh,' belongs to us now. Why would we pay?" Bing Yan replied, indifferent. She glanced coldly at the innkeeper, subconsciously flicking her tongue across her seductive red lips.

At her words, the diners turned pale. The innkeeper responded expressionlessly, "In that case, I have nothing to serve."

Bing Yan’s brows arched, her black hair rising as if stirred by an invisible wind. Just as she prepared to strike, she and her two companions seemed seized by an unseen force, their eyes snapping toward Ji Mo. A burning, predatory light ignited in their gazes.

The purple-armored man standing at the back, who had remained silent until now, narrowed his eyes and licked his lips with carnal hunger. "I never expected to find such sweet, succulent blood in a remote border town like this."

"General..." Bing Yan and the black-armored man turned to him, their eyes flashing with anxiety.

"Don't be impatient; I’ll leave you some," the purple-armored man replied coldly, his focus entirely on Ji Mo. Even the innkeeper seemed stunned by this sudden shift, turning to look at Ji Mo as well.

As the purple-armored man strode toward their table, the color drained from the faces of Lord Yan and the others. The red-faced man beside Ji Mo trembled, stammering, "D-demons!"

So these were the Demonkind. Ji Mo and Su Ye finally understood why these people reeked of such intense, bloody malice; like the beasts, they fed on humans. As the man in purple drew closer, Ji Mo’s instincts shrieked a warning.

Suddenly, the White Jade Dragon Whip erupted from her consciousness, transforming into a silver dragon. It roared, surging toward the purple-armored man. As Xiao Bai unleashed its power, over a dozen people in the hall groaned and fainted under the crushing draconic pressure. It all happened in a flash; the purple-armored man had clearly not expected such a terrifying weapon to be hidden within Ji Mo.

Caught off guard, his massive frame was sent flying by a lash of the dragon’s tail. To Ji Mo's surprise, Xiao Bai did not pursue. Instead, it swung its tail, scooped Ji Mo and Su Ye onto its back, and vaulted into the air like a white streak of lightning.

"Xiao Bai, was that man very strong?" Ji Mo asked urgently.

"Of course he was. I didn't expect to encounter a Demon General in such a backwater town!" Xiao Bai muttered.

"A Demon General? Have you fought the Demonkind before?" Ji Mo caught the slip and pressed.

"Of course I have. My slumber began ten thousand years ago during the Great War of Men and Demons. If I hadn't fallen into that sleep, your parents..." Xiao Bai stopped abruptly.

*My parents?* Ji Mo was stunned. This was the first time Xiao Bai had mentioned them. She knew the whip had belonged to her father, but it had never spoken of the past. Her mind raced. "Were you on the battlefield with my parents?"

Xiao Bai clearly did not wish to discuss it. It glanced at the three pursuing demons and snorted. "Hold on tight. Since these wretches dare to chase us, I’ll finish them off once and for all!"

As soon as the words left its mouth, the three demons intercepted them in mid-air. Xiao Bai stopped running, its dragon eyes glaring with murderous intent. Xiao Jin, perched on Ji Mo’s shoulder, stared at the trio with wide, curious golden eyes.

"The soul of the White Jade Dragon Whip? You—you’re still alive? Flee!" The purple-armored man’s face went deathly pale, and he turned to run.

"Hmph! You think you can escape now?" Xiao Bai lashed out like lightning.

"Split up!" The purple-armored man brandished a black scythe, thin as a cicada's wing, and unleashed a dark, jagged shadow to intercept the dragon.

*Clang!* The dark blade struck the dragon’s tail. Because Xiao Bai was a spirit, the blow left only a faint mark, failing to cause any real damage. Instead, the purple-armored man was struck squarely by the tail, coughing up a spray of blood as he was sent flying like a cannonball.

The other two demons tried to scatter, but Xiao Bai raised its head and emitted two clear, resonant roars. The demons were stunned, their minds reeling as they plummeted toward the ground.

Xiao Bai caught up and dispatched them with a few swipes of its tail. However, in the time it took to finish them, the purple-armored man had vanished. "Xiao Bai, why let that Demon General go?" Ji Mo asked.

"I had no choice. Killing a Demon General isn't easy. While he wasn't my match, finishing him would have taken too much effort—especially with you two on my back," Xiao Bai replied, glancing back at her.

Ji Mo fell silent, her face flushing. In the end, Xiao Bai still considered her a burden. Faced with this assessment, she had no rebuttal; compared to the dragon, she was indeed nothing more than dead weight.