NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 78:
Chapter 78: Brothers Turn Against Each Other! The Terrible Xu Hao Sends the Protagonist on His Way!:
“Why?”
Gao Qiangsheng’s drunkenness disappeared completely. He stared at his former brothers, their faces now unfamiliar. Everything seemed so strange.
Reflecting on the day’s events, he realized he should have noticed something was wrong earlier. The trust he placed in his brothers, after four years apart, had clouded his judgment.
It was all a setup.
They had tricked him into leaving prison just to kill him. The brothers he had known for decades had turned against him—how ironic. The betrayal felt like a knife in his heart.
The four brothers looked ashamed, avoiding his gaze. “Brother, we’re sorry. We’ll regret this for the rest of our lives,” the second one began, but Gao Qiangsheng cut him off.
“I asked why you killed me,” Gao Qiangsheng demanded, his voice trembling with anger and hurt.
The brothers remained silent. Though they were threatened, it didn’t change the fact that they had betrayed him. Gao Qiangsheng’s heart ached as he saw their guilty faces.
“Was it your families? Were you threatened?” Gao Qiangsheng guessed, already knowing the answer.
Their silence confirmed his suspicions. His laugh was bitter.
“Of course, compared to your families, I’m just an outsider.”
His expression darkened. “I can understand why you betrayed me. But why are you trying to kill Chen Mo too?”
Earlier, the brothers had mentioned Chen Mo, his apprentice, and he had overheard them trying to call him. It was clear they were plotting against him as well.
Gao Qiangsheng could handle his own betrayal, but to involve Chen Mo, the apprentice he had trained for years and treated like a son—that he couldn’t forgive. His will to die faded. He had to protect Chen Mo.
If he didn’t stop these traitors, Chen Mo would likely end up like him, stabbed in the back by those he trusted.
Determination filled his eyes, but as he tried to summon his strength, his body failed him. The second stab had been too deep. Blood soaked his clothes, and his energy drained rapidly.
The second brother finally spoke up, “Chen Mo is also a target. It’s his demand.”
There was nothing left to say. The brothers had chosen their path, and Gao Qiangsheng had no choice but to fight them. His only goal now was to prevent them from killing Chen Mo.
The air in the room grew heavy with tension. Gao Qiangsheng, bleeding profusely, knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He picked up a nearby stool and charged at them.
Without a weapon, he had to make do with whatever he could find.
The brothers, armed with machetes, saw his resolve and hesitated. Their guilt was momentarily replaced with fear as they realized Gao Qiangsheng was fighting with the intent to kill.
Gao Qiangsheng had spent four years in prison, but his combat skills were still sharp. He threw the stool to distract them and then grabbed another, swinging it at the nearest brother.
Brother Wu, one of the brothers, tried to dodge but wasn’t quick enough. The stool struck his arm with a sickening crack, breaking it. Brother Wu cried out in pain and staggered backward.
Just as Gao Qiangsheng landed the blow, a machete slashed across his back, tearing his flesh. But he ignored the pain, lifting the stool again and throwing it at another brother.
The brothers were terrified. Gao Qiangsheng was fighting like a man with nothing to lose. His injuries didn’t seem to slow him down. He fought not for his own life, but for Chen Mo’s.
Despite his injuries, Gao Qiangsheng’s combat skills were far superior. For several minutes, he held his own, using the furniture around him as weapons while dodging their attacks.
But the blood loss was taking its toll. His vision blurred, and his body weakened. The brothers were also suffering, with some of them severely injured.
Suddenly, the second brother saw his chance. He rushed forward and plunged his knife into Gao Qiangsheng’s chest.
It was over. The brothers, breathing heavily, lowered their weapons. The room grew eerily quiet.
Gao Qiangsheng, the man they once called brother, now lay dying on the floor, a knife embedded in his chest. His breath was shallow, and the light in his eyes faded.
The door to the room creaked open.
Chen Mo entered, his face twisted in confusion as he took in the bloody scene. At first, he thought he had entered the wrong room. Then he saw them—the four brothers, people he had always trusted. And on the ground, covered in blood, was his master.
“Master!” Chen Mo’s heart dropped. He rushed to Gao Qiangsheng’s side. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Why were the brothers attacking his master?
“Master, are you okay? I’m Chen Mo…” he whispered, frantically trying to stop the bleeding. He pinched Gao Qiangsheng’s pressure points and applied pressure to the wound, doing everything his master had taught him.
Gao Qiangsheng’s eyes flickered open. He saw Chen Mo and smiled weakly.
His apprentice had arrived, which meant the brothers couldn’t deceive him. He knew Chen Mo was strong enough to handle them.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second brother creeping up behind Chen Mo, holding a long knife raised high.
Gao Qiangsheng’s pupils contracted sharply. He couldn’t explain how, but he found the strength to push Chen Mo aside.
“Get back…”
Those were the only words he managed to say before his head slumped forward, and darkness consumed him. The second knife missed its mark, slicing through empty air where Chen Mo had just stood.
Chen Mo stared in shock as his master lay lifeless on the ground, blood pooling around him.
His mind spun. His master had been killed right before his eyes.
[Ding! Chen Mo’s mental state shattered, emotional points +999]
But Chen Mo was no ordinary person. He didn’t collapse under the weight of despair like anyone else might have.
The loss of a goddess and the murder of his master in front of him—it would have broken most. But Chen Mo merely froze for a brief second before exploding into action.
Why had these four men, once like brothers, turned on them? What had pushed them to murder his master? It didn’t matter now. They had killed the man he revered most.
And for that, they would pay with their lives.
Chen Mo, uninjured and in full command of his abilities, threw himself at the group. His fists flew, landing with crushing force. Anger surged through him, multiplying his strength. The four men were no match for him—not in his fury. Within moments, they lay defeated.
One of them, the fourth brother, fought back fiercely, but Chen Mo’s wrath couldn’t be contained. He killed him on the spot, his rage boiling over. The third and fifth brothers barely had time to react before they were beaten to the ground.
Chen Mo left them alive for one reason—he needed answers.
His breath came in heavy bursts as he stood over them, his eyes burning with fury. “What the hell is going on?”
The brotherhood, once a source of warmth and unity, now seemed like a distant memory. The harmony that had made him feel at home had crumbled into betrayal and bloodshed. Something had changed while he was away.
The third brother coughed up blood, about to speak, when a slow clap echoed from outside the room.
Footsteps followed, deliberate and measured. Three figures entered, the leader standing tall and imposing—Xu Hao.
Chen Mo’s heart sank. Xu Hao had come. The man responsible for so much suffering stood before him, smiling as though this were all some grand spectacle.
Xu Hao had come to finish the job himself.
“Xu Hao!” Chen Mo shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. “Why are you here?”
“I came to enjoy the show, of course,” Xu Hao replied smoothly. He took a seat in a chair his bodyguard, Bai Ling, had placed behind him. The mid-stage martial artist stood by, ensuring no surprises would interrupt the proceedings.
Xu Hao’s confidence was chilling. He was here to watch the final act unfold, unconcerned with the danger, certain of his victory. His men had evacuated the entire restaurant, leaving no witnesses.
“Thanks for the entertainment,” Xu Hao continued with a smirk. “What a touching display of brotherhood and loyalty.”
Chen Mo’s fists clenched, his eyes blazing with rage. “What do you mean?”
Xu Hao glanced at one of his underlings, who stepped forward to address the two remaining brothers. “You did well. Don’t worry, your families will be safe.”
The third and fifth brothers breathed a sigh of relief, though confusion flickered across their faces.
Why was Xu Hao, a man so powerful and feared, even here?
Then it hit Chen Mo like a sledgehammer. “They… they threatened your families, didn’t they?”
He understood now. His brothers had been coerced, their families’ lives hanging in the balance. It wasn’t their fault. The weight of regret crashed down on him. He had killed two of them in his fury—men who had once shown him kindness.
[Ding! Chen Mo’s regret, emotional points +822]
Chen Mo sucked in a deep breath, pushing aside the regret gnawing at him. He needed answers, not remorse. “Xu Hao, you’re behind all this, aren’t you?”
Xu Hao laughed, snapping his fingers. “Clever. You’ve figured it out, but sadly, there’s no prize.”
Chen Mo’s rage threatened to consume him. [
Ding! Chen Mo is furious, emotional points +768]
Xu Hao continued, casually recounting how he had manipulated events—the plot against Chen Mo, the Liu family’s demise, everything. Each word twisted the knife deeper into Chen Mo’s heart.
[Ding! Chen Mo is furious, emotional points +986]
Xu Hao’s voice dripped with mockery. “Oh, and your precious campus belle Xia Qingge, along with your lovely teacher Wang Xueying… they’ve fallen into my hands too.”
Chen Mo’s entire body shook with fury.
[Ding! Chen Mo’s mental state shattered, emotional value +999]
The two brothers, still alive, stared in shock, their faces pale. Xu Hao had orchestrated everything, treating them all as mere pawns in his grand game.
They had never stood a chance.
Xu Hao, a man revered by the public as a philanthropist and entrepreneur, was nothing more than a cruel mastermind who took pleasure in destroying lives.
Chen Mo’s blood boiled. He had known Xu Hao was evil, but not to this extent. This was a man who valued nothing—not life, not loyalty, not even humanity.
As Chen Mo’s thoughts raced, his anger reached its peak. He clenched his fists, his muscles tensing as he felt his energy surge. The aura around him intensified, reaching the very limit of his power.
With a roar of pure hatred, Chen Mo charged at Xu Hao. “I’ll kill you!”