Not following the expected path? Reborn and unexpectedly married to a demon.

Before Chu Songyuan could answer, Chu Luo glanced at Chu Yinmei and Chu Songyuan.

She feigned confusion, asking as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret, "Could it be that she was born to the First Madam and someone else?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

Chu Luo had no intention of shutting up; she knew that Chu Songyuan needed her help with something at that moment.

"Father, although you are quite old, you still have a youthful charm. So, my elder sister's appearance is not as beautiful as yours."

Everyone has eyes; Chu Yinmei certainly doesn't have any of Chu Songyuan's good looks, but he inherited all of Chu's flaws.

The best-looking people in the family are Chu Luo and her mother. If you're talking about who doesn't look like them, then Chu Luo, the best-looking one in the family, really doesn't resemble her parents at all.

Chu Yinmei had already endured it for a long time, but now that she was being told she wasn't his biological daughter and being called ugly, how could she possibly tolerate it anymore?

"Nonsense! I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Enraged, Chu Yinmei rushed to Chu Luo and reached out to strike her.

Before she could even touch Chu Luo, Chu Luo fell to the ground.

Chu Yinmei's massive figure completely blocked the view of the slender Chu Luo, making it appear to onlookers that Chu Luo had been forcefully knocked down by her.

"Yinmei, why did you hit her? What if you hurt her?"

Chu Songyuan didn't take Chu Luo's words to heart. Chu Yinmei might not be good-looking, but he was definitely her biological son.

At this moment, he was indifferent to Chu Yinmei's reprimand and was just putting on an act.

Chu Yinmei was ungrateful. Seeing that he not only did not defend himself but also scolded him, he felt wronged and angry and started shouting.

"Dad, why don't you listen to what she's saying? She said I'm not your biological daughter and she's slandering my mother. Why are you stopping me? I think you've been bewitched by those two. Humph, I'm going to tell Grandpa."

Upon hearing that Chu Yinmei was about to file a complaint, Chu Songyuan hurriedly comforted him and then reprimanded Chu Luo.

"Chu Luo, you were wrong this time. I remember you used to be understanding and obedient. Why are you talking like this now?"

In Chu Songyuan's memory, his youngest daughter was mostly obedient and docile, and would do whatever she said. She would never be so sarcastic and taunting.

Chu Luo's docility in front of him was merely an act, knowing that Chu Songyuan was susceptible to such behavior.

"Father, I wish I could always be understanding and compliant, but if you had come even a little later, Mother and I would have been sent to Jiegu. I wonder if you would have been able to see Mother and me again."

Chu Luo was too lazy to play games with him at this moment and spoke directly.

When she retorted, Chu Songyuan, who was always a bully who preyed on the weak, lost his temper.

“If you keep replying to what your elders say, won’t your husband’s family say that the Chu family has no manners and no upbringing after you get married? I think your sister is right to teach them a lesson.”

Unable to argue with Chu Luo, Chu Songyuan resorted to scolding her for being ill-mannered, as an elder, thus leaving her with no grounds for rebuttal.

Hearing about the rules, Chu Luo became interested, sat up straight, and asked:

"Speaking of rules, according to the custom of the eldest daughter of the Dazheng Kingdom not being able to arrange marriages for the second daughter until the eldest daughter is married, I shouldn't be married off this time either. What kind of rule is this?"

Chu Songyuan looked displeased but did not answer.

Chu Luo then continued to target Chu Yinmei, her eyes blatantly provocative, "Does that mean he doesn't want his elder sister anymore?"

Chu Luo knew there was something fishy about this marriage, and she wanted to trick them into revealing something.

So she pinpointed Chu Yinmei's sore spot.

She was easily fooled and, in a fit of anger, blurted out the truth.

"Look at you, so shameless and smug. What kind of good family do you think your father has found for you? I'm using you to repay a debt of gratitude for saving my life. That place is definitely no worse than Jiegu."

Hearing this, Chu Luo Niang suddenly realized, muttering, "No wonder you were so concerned, finding medicine and doctors. You're trying to use my Luo'er to pay off a debt of gratitude. I misjudged you."

The First Madam came from an official family, so Chu Songyuan dared not give the marriage to Chu Yinmei, which was also due to his favoritism towards Chu Yinmei.

Aunt Lu Yifu had no family background, so marrying Chu Luo into her family was the best option.

"Who exactly are you going to marry me off to? Is it an old man in his seventies or eighties, a disabled person who will die young, a commoner, or all of them?"

Chu Luo asked, knowing that if he were a good person, she wouldn't be the one to marry him.

Chu Songyuan looked at her somewhat guiltily, stammering, "No, it's...it's...the young master of the Canal Gang, Jin Wuchen."

Chu Songyuan trembled slightly when he said the name, still feeling lingering fear from the losses he had suffered at the hands of the Canal Gang.

He still can't understand why the canal gang would show such mercy and save him this time.

His fear of the Canal Gang and Jin Wuchen made him avoid mentioning their names unless absolutely necessary.

Chu Luo's mind went blank the moment she heard the name. How could the number one gang in the world get involved?

I never imagined it was Jin Wuchen.

Why did he save her father? He might as well have let him come back in six months.

In Chu Luo's memories of her previous lives, they had little interaction, and she didn't have many memories of him.

In her previous lives, this name only left her with one feeling: distant and awe-inspiring, dark and not to be trifled with.

Seeing that Chu Luo was stunned and speechless, Chu Yinmei then added fuel to the fire.

"You must know who Jin Wuchen is, right? He's the biggest tyrant and villain in Jiangzhou, a murderer and arsonist who commits all sorts of evil deeds. Who would dare marry him? As far as I know, even the hellish Jiegu Valley is connected to him. If you marry him, he'll say it's to repay a debt of gratitude to his father, but in reality, you're paying for a life with the Cao Gang."

No wonder Madam Hu remained silent, contrary to her usual behavior, and let Chu Songyuan do as he pleased.

Chu Luo knew it wouldn't be a good thing, but she didn't expect it to be this bad.

In this lifetime, the name of Jin Wuchen from the Cao Gang appeared in Jiangzhou even earlier.

Under his leadership, the Cao Gang rose to become the largest gang in Dazheng, and others could hardly compete with it.

Leaving aside the Canal Gang, the name Jin Wuchen alone resounds throughout Jiangcheng and even the entire Dazheng.

It's just not a good reputation.

Dazheng stands by the water, rich in resources and with a long history of culture, giving rise to numerous sects.

The Cao Gang was once just strong, but now it easily overpowers other gangs and controls the trade between the rivers, lakes and seas of Dazheng.

He didn't rely on winning people over with virtue, but rather on a combination of talent and ruthless methods.

The people in the canal gangs were an extremely mixed bunch; rumors circulated that there were not only humans but also monsters who were not human.

What they do is mostly shady, with little that can be seen in the light.

They originally only dealt with matters on the water, but in recent years their reach has expanded, and their business dealings on land have become increasingly frequent.

Regardless of whether the story of Mustard Valley is true or not, eight out of ten rumors about it are frightening.

In recent years alone, it took a great deal of national effort to apprehend and bring to justice dozens of the most heinous criminals.

It is said that when they were escorting the boats back, they didn't check the almanac and accidentally bumped into a boat belonging to the Grand Canal Gang. The boats then disappeared without a trace in the Grand Canal Gang's territory.

Those criminals alone were enough to terrify the local people so much that they couldn't sleep peacefully for years.

Moreover, there were so many of them that in the end, they all disappeared like fish into the sea, ending up in the pockets of the Grand Canal Gang.

After several clashes between the government and the canal gang, the government learned its lesson and never provoked the canal gang without evidence.

When the government has evidence, it will adhere to the principle of forbearance, concession, and avoidance, which ultimately leads to this matter, and similar incidents, being left unresolved.

People whom even the government dared not touch, the common people kept their distance from them.

This also made many people nostalgic for the Cao Gang, who were not overthrown by Jin Wuchen.

Although the canal gang was powerful in the past, it was not arrogant or conspicuous, and its actions were relatively low-key.

However, after Jin Wuchen actually took control of the canal gang, his behavior was beyond description, ranging from arrogant and domineering to lawless.

The saying goes, "Those who obey prosper, those who defy perish," but in Jin Wuchen's case, even if you obey him, you might not necessarily prosper.

He acts entirely on his whims and moods. People say that he could even seize power from his own father, let alone others.

Seeing that Chu Luo and her mother remained silent, Chu Yinmei continued to speak.

"He was extremely rude, cruel, and perverted. Not only did he enjoy killing, but he also looked down on women. After he tortured and killed dozens of courtesans, the courtesans of Jiangzhou would rather die than serve him. It's quite normal that such a person is one of the masters of Jiegu."

"Master, are you trying to kill A'Luo? Even tigers don't eat their cubs, how can you bear to push your daughter into a fire pit?"

After recovering from the shock, Lu Yifu knew she had to fight for her daughter's life again.

"What are you saying? The Jin family is an extremely wealthy family, and A'Luo will be their principal wife when she marries into them."

Chu Songyuan retorted loudly, but the louder he spoke, the more Chu Luo, who knew him well, saw through his little scheme.

Chu Songyuan had been doing business abroad for many years and even had some dealings with the Canal Gang, so he was well aware of Jin Wuchen's reputation.

At this moment, Lu Yifu was like a mother hen protecting her chicks, full of anger, and questioned...

"Then why don't you let the eldest daughter marry him? Why would the Jin family specifically choose the youngest daughter of the Chu family? I disagree."

"Enough with the nonsense. I've already promised the old leader of the Canal Gang that marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Chu Luo has to marry him, whether she likes it or not. Even if she dies, she has to die in the Jin family."

Chu Songyuan lost his temper. He knew perfectly well that Lu Yifu couldn't do anything to him, so he didn't need to be too careful.

What's truly frightening about people isn't their temper. Chu Luo knew very well that she couldn't avoid the question today: "I'll marry you, but I have conditions."

Chu Songyuan was furious. He had never heard of an unmarried woman arguing with her parents like this, even haggling over marriage.

He yelled, "How dare you, a young woman, bargain about your own marriage?"

"Marriage is not something to be bargained over, but in your eyes, isn't it just a transaction? Father, I learned this from you. How can we keep losing money and bring shame to the Chu family's reputation as a prominent business family?"

Chu Songyuan realized that Chu Luo was too difficult to control, and he couldn't let her cause any trouble, so he had no choice but to agree and asked, "Then what do you want?"

“Since I’m repaying my father’s and the Chu family’s life-saving debt on behalf of them, my dowry can’t be less. I want the same dowry as Chu Yinmei, or even cash if I don’t have any items.”

Chu Luo needs money for many things and is short of money. If she has to get married, she can't be short of money.

"Chu Luo, are you desperate for money? Don't you know who I am and who you are? You still dare to dream of having the same dowry as me? Dream on!" Chu Yinmei was the first to start cursing.