Drunk on Madness - Chapter 60

Su Mo stood silently at the doorway, the flickering lights around him casting shadows as his tall frame was outlined by the dark silk robes he wore.

It wasn’t until Zhou Mingxuan and the others drew closer that they noticed something was off about him.

Su Mo’s eyes were tinged with red, seemingly veiled in a misty haze, yet also obscured by a deep gloom, like stagnant water in a pond choked with silt.

Zhou Mingxuan frowned, unable to comprehend how a person could change so drastically in just a few hours.

Gu Ci, seeing Su Mo’s despondent and lifeless demeanor, had no idea what he had been through but felt concerned. He immediately stepped forward and asked, “Su Mo, what’s wrong with you?”

When Su Mo remained silent, Zhou Mingxuan glanced around at the crowded and prying eyes and said, “It’s getting late. Everyone, let’s call it a day.”

Although Zhao Jingrui and the others were curious about what had happened, they had no choice but to leave since the Crown Prince had ordered them to go.

Soon, only Zhou Mingxuan, Su Mo, and Gu Ci remained on the deck. Zhou Mingxuan no longer held back: “Where is Xiangxiang?”

Su Mo, unhurried, walked over to a nearby wine table, sat down, poured himself a glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp.

Watching him drink so indifferently, Zhou Mingxuan finally lost his patience. He swept all the wine and snacks off the table onto the floor, his eyes fixed intently on Su Mo as he spoke, word by word, “I’ll ask you one more time: where is Xiangxiang?”

Su Mo lifted his head, looked at Zhou Mingxuan, and curled his lips into a mocking smile. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.”

Enraged by his response, Zhou Mingxuan grabbed Su Mo by the collar and yanked him up from the chair. “Su Mo, don’t think I won’t kill you.”

Su Mo’s cold smile vanished as he suddenly seized Zhou Mingxuan by the throat, slamming him against the wall. His icy, penetrating gaze fixed on him. “Fine. Then you’d better kill me today.”

Su Mo’s eyes were bloodshot, his detached expression tinged with a hint of provocation. “Otherwise, I’m afraid one day I won’t be able to resist taking her away with me again.”

Zhou Mingxuan hadn’t expected him to be so audacious today, not only laying hands on him but also speaking so insolently! For a moment, he remained pinned against the wall by Su Mo, unmoving. But when Su Mo mentioned taking Li Xiang away again, he had finally crossed the line.

With a swift motion, Zhou Mingxuan struck Su Mo across the face. Su Mo took a deep breath and retaliated with a punch. Zhou Mingxuan let out a cold laugh, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The commotion on the deck drew the attention of dozens of guards, who rushed to the scene. They drew their swords in unison, encircling Su Mo. Gu Ci, stunned by the deadly atmosphere, had never imagined Su Mo would go this far. “Su Mo, have you lost your mind? Do you realize what you’re doing?”

Zhou Mingxuan, who had never been struck before, sneered and drew his sword from his waist.

Su Mo kicked the edge of a stool, sending it spinning into his hands. He hurled it at Zhou Mingxuan, but two guards stepped in to block it. In an instant, the deck was filled with the glint of blades and the flash of swords.

Su Mo delivered a powerful kick to the chest of an oncoming guard, sending him flying backward. Then, with a swift spin, he swept his leg sideways, knocking down two guards closing in from his left and right.

His fists moved like lightning, leaving afterimages in their wake and emitting sharp, whistling sounds that struck fear into the hearts of those who heard. In no time, he had taken down every single guard, one by one.

Watching him approach the fallen Zhou Mingxuan step by step with a blood-stained sword, Gu Ci rushed forward and placed himself between them. “Su Mo, calm down. What exactly happened? Let’s sit down and talk this through properly. There’s no need for violence.”

Su Mo’s eyes were dull and vacant, exuding a suffocating emptiness. “There’s nothing to discuss. Right now, all I want is to kill.”

Though Su Mo didn’t specify his target, his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Mingxuan. Intimidated by his menacing aura, Gu Ci could only try to soothe him. “We’re all brothers here. Let’s talk this out calmly. Don’t act impulsively.”

Su Mo grabbed Gu Ci and flung him aside. Standing before Zhou Mingxuan, he slowly crouched down. Seeing the blood at the corner of Zhou Mingxuan’s mouth, he wiped it away.

Zhou Mingxuan stared at the inexplicable Su Mo, a flash of ferocity passing through his eyes. His right hand instinctively groped for the soft sword at his waist.

Su Mo met his gaze indifferently. “Even if you didn’t kill me, taking Xiangxiang away from me is no different from killing me.”

Zhou Mingxuan stiffened, a faint trace of surprise flickering in his eyes.

A pained expression crossed Su Mo’s face, his fingers trembling slightly. “She was supposed to be mine, but you took her by force.”

Grabbing Zhou Mingxuan by the collar, Su Mo glared at him furiously. “You have everything! Why must you compete with me for her? I only want Xiangxiang. Give her back to me. Give her… back…” Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his back, and Su Mo froze. Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Mingxuan swiftly drew the soft sword from his waist and thrust it toward Su Mo’s chest.

Seeing Su Mo’s madness, Gu Ci picked up a sword from the ground and stabbed it into Su Mo’s back. But he couldn’t bring himself to use full force. Before he could withdraw the blade, he saw the tip of a sword protruding from Su Mo’s abdomen. His eyes widened in shock, and he immediately pulled back his sword. Rushing to Su Mo’s front, he saw Zhou Mingxuan collapsed on his side, both hands gripping the soft sword embedded in Su Mo’s stomach.

Before either could react, Su Mo suddenly grasped the blade of the soft sword with one hand and gave Zhou Mingxuan a cold smile. “You’re selfish and unprincipled. Did you ever consider my feelings back then? I finally found her in Youzhou, and she agreed to leave with me. Why couldn’t you just let us be? Why?” With that, he gripped Zhou Mingxuan’s hand with his other hand and drove the sword deeper.

Both Gu Ci and Zhou Mingxuan were stunned by this act of self-destruction. Zhou Mingxuan immediately released the hilt in panic, but his hand was already stained with Su Mo’s blood.

Gu Ci caught Su Mo as he was about to collapse, his eyes reddening. He couldn’t understand how things had escalated so suddenly when everything had been fine just hours before.

Gu Ci wanted to press on Su Mo’s bleeding wound, but the sword was still lodged in his body. Afraid to move him recklessly, he could only cry out helplessly, “Someone, quick! Fetch a physician! Get a physician!”

Watching the endless stream of blood flowing from Su Mo’s mouth, Gu Ci’s pale lips trembled as he pleaded, “Su Mo, you have to hold on. Don’t speak anymore. We’ll get a physician right away!”

“Your Xiangxiang… if she knew something happened to you, she would be heartbroken. You have to hold on… for her.” Gu Ci’s words grew increasingly disjointed.

Su Mo curled into a ball, his shoulders trembling slightly. His eyes were hollow, his heart as still as ashes. “No… she won’t…” She wouldn’t be heartbroken.

Gu Ci didn’t understand Su Mo’s meaning. Tears slowly traced down his cheeks as he whispered, “I’m sorry. I only meant to stop you earlier, I never intended to kill you.”

Su Mo’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his abdomen, he began to utter his final words: “Please take care of my mother for me. I’ve been unfilial, always making her worry.”

Before Gu Ci could respond, Su Mo suddenly turned his gaze toward Zhou Mingxuan, who was still staring blankly at his blood-stained hands. Su Mo let out a cold laugh and said, “Zhou Mingxuan, since you forced her into this, you must not let her down. Otherwise, I will never forgive you, even as a ghost.”

It was the first time Su Mo had called him by his full name. Zhou Mingxuan’s lips tightened as he stared blankly at Su Mo, his eyes filled with endless gloom and confusion.

Seeing him like this, Su Mo said nothing more. He half-closed his eyes and looked up at the starry night sky. His mind was filled with images of Li Xiang, her every smile and glance. As he thought of her, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, and he gently closed his eyes.

Li Xiang had been escorted by Su Mo to the palace gates, where they parted ways. She returned alone to Shaoyang Court and shut herself in her bedchamber, refusing to let anyone attend to her. Hugging her knees, she curled up in the cold water of the bath, her soaked body trembling slightly.

By midnight, Zhou Mingxuan still hadn’t returned to Shaoyang Court. Worried that he might still be searching for her, Li Xiang sent someone to inquire. Only then did she learn that Zhou Mingxuan had been attacked, and Su Mo, who had shielded him, was severely injured, his fate unknown.

In that moment, Li Xiang felt as if all support had been stripped away. An overwhelming sense of loneliness and fear washed over her. Her palms turned icy cold, and her heart felt as though it were submerged in a winter chill, shrouded in frigid dread.

By the time Li Xiang received the news, it was already late at night, and the palace gates were locked. Steadying her emotions, she suppressed her fear. Only one thought remained in her mind: she must see him tonight, or she would regret it for the rest of her life.

She first went to seek out Empress Zhao. The Empress had naturally heard about the Crown Prince being attacked outside the palace but assured Li Xiang that he was not the one injured, urging her not to worry excessively.

Yet Li Xiang insisted on leaving the palace, kneeling and pleading with the Empress. It was the first time she had ever begged her. Moved by her desperation, Empress Zhao finally relented and arranged for a guard escort to take Li Xiang out of the palace to see Zhou Mingxuan.