Chapter 26: Wu Guan'an and the Four Great Classical Novels

Do not panic when facing unexpected situations. Yuan Zhu, holding his exorcism manual, sat on the closed toilet lid and waited quietly.

Soon, the space around him was quickly swallowed by darkness, and even the toilet beneath him vanished without a trace. By the time he realized it, he was already standing, feeling solid ground beneath his feet.

"Ahem, look this way, everyone. The quality of this batch of newcomers is quite good."

A voice pierced through the darkness. As Yuan Zhu turned toward the source of the sound, the surrounding environment restored itself. He had left the restroom and arrived in a strange indoor space, no longer the headquarters of the [Fire Fang].

The floor was made of black-veined marble, adorned with white marble columns and a brilliant, gaudy golden chandelier; everywhere one looked, it exuded a sense of nouveau-riche extravagance.

Standing beneath the magnificent chandelier was a man dressed in a black tuxedo, wearing white gloves and gold-rimmed spectacles. He wore a polite, elegant smile and gazed at the group as if he were looking at a set of newly acquired, beloved toys. The more he looked, the more pleased and satisfied he seemed.

"Baa-aa-aa..." came the bleating of a goat.
"Where is this?" came a cry of alarm.
"Don't hurt me!" came a plea for mercy.
"Huh?" came a sound of curiosity.

Yuan Zhu looked around and saw several others who, like himself, had been abruptly transported into this opulent hall. Some were bewildered and ignorant, others nervous and panicked, while some had eyes filled with inquiry and curiosity.

Closest to him was a girl with shoulder-length hair, wearing blue and white casual clothes, semi-rimless glasses, and carrying a bulging backpack. Her hair was peach-pink, and her appearance was above average—the type with a small, round face that seemed ordinary at first glance but grew on you the more you looked.

Not far from the girl with the backpack stood another tall, striking woman in black, wearing a single ponytail and riding boots. Her familiar vintage-style uniform featured patterns even more complex and ornate than those on Fatty Wang's, which made Yuan Zhu realize her identity immediately: a Security Bureau investigator.

The female investigator was currently scanning everyone in the room with a scrutinizing gaze. She didn't linger on Yuan Zhu, but instead locked her eyes onto the burly man behind him.

Yuan Zhu looked back. Standing behind him was a middle-aged, bald, obese, and powerful Black man, nearly two meters tall and as sturdy as an ox. He was panting heavily, his large belly protruding, as he locked eyes with the female investigator in a cold, silent standoff.

A pungent smell of blood hit his nostrils. The burly man was not only holding a dripping bone-cleaving knife, but his rubber apron—which was stained with large patches of black, congealed filth—was also drenched in blood that flowed down as if it had been splashed on him by the bucketful.

***

Uh... judging by his getup, this gentleman must be a butcher, right? He couldn't possibly be a serial killer!

Taking a half-step back to show respect, Yuan Zhu continued to look around. He then saw an elderly village woman holding a hemp rope. Her face was full of weathered wrinkles, and she wore tattered, patched clothing; she looked thin, withered, and as if she lived a very hard life.

At the other end of the rope was a small goat with a white base and black spots, struggling vigorously to break free from its tether, bleating, "Baa-aa-aa..." incessantly as if cursing.

Beside the old woman was a man with colorful, messy hair, looking panicked and muttering, "Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!"

The boy was young, wearing a leather jacket studded with iron nails and metal spikes. He had a row of lip studs on his upper left lip, a nose ring, and two metal rings on the corner of his right eyebrow. His hair was a mohawk with a red, yellow, blue, and green gradient—a total post-apocalyptic wasteland punk look.

Unfortunately, despite holding a modified pipe wrench, he looked like a complete coward, cowering and begging for mercy into thin air. After a long while, seeing no one pay him any mind, he rose with a sheepish grin and kept backing away, trying to hide in the furthest corner.

Finally, there was a soft-spoken girl in a work uniform with braided hair and a friendly smile. She was trying her best to hide the tension and unease in her eyes, smiling at the group and attempting to appear harmless. "I'm an employee of the 'September Bakery.' May I ask where this is? And who are you all?"

Hearing this question, Yuan Zhu shared the same doubt. This scene, this setting—why did it feel so strangely familiar?

"It's 'Infinite-style'! Of course, this is the 'Yellow Heaven Space,' what else could it be? *Infinite Terror*, one of the four great ancient masterpieces of the Gu Xi Kingdom—have you never read it?"

The pink-haired, bespectacled girl with the backpack spoke up suddenly. She showed no signs of panic, but instead looked around with immense curiosity, her eyes gleaming with eagerness.

"Infinite-style? I've read similar novels in the newspaper. The trash author is a scumbag who's been on hiatus for over half a year!" the colorful-haired mohawk kid in the corner suddenly interjected, trying to show off his own knowledge.

"Wow! You can actually read? Looking at you, I thought you were just a illiterate street thug!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed in surprise.

The mohawk kid's face turned beet red. After struggling for a while, he retorted, "Nonsense! I finished middle school! I even have a diploma."

Yuan Zhu searched his own memory and, finding no relevant information, couldn't help but ask, "What are the 'four great masterpieces'?" Is it the one I'm thinking of?

The pink-haired girl glanced at Yuan Zhu, and upon seeing a handsome man with a wild aesthetic, her eyes lit up. She was very happy to explain: "About seven hundred years ago, in the ancient eastern kingdom of the Gen Continent, there appeared a genius named Wu Guan'an. This scholar failed the imperial examinations repeatedly until he had an epiphany in a ruined temple in the wilderness—or some say he was possessed by ghosts and gods—and from then on, he stopped pursuing fame and made a living by writing books."

"In his lifetime, Scholar Wu wrote four epoch-making masterpieces: *Journey to the West to Explain Evil*, *Mythical Three Kingdoms*, *The Chronicle of the Demon Star's Calamity*, and the final, most imaginative one that connected the first three: *Infinite Terror*. This last book tells of the [Yellow Heaven Daoist Space], which allows mortals to travel through different times, spaces, and worlds."

"Uh..." Yuan Zhu opened his mouth, wanting to vomit something, but he didn't dare. Is this another transmigrator?

***

At this moment, the mohawk kid couldn't help but jump in again: "I know, I know! The ancients criticized his writing style as being too straightforward and lacking literary flair, saying he only knew how to use the phrase 'Terrifying to such an extent!'—it was practically a disgrace to literature! But his imagination was boundless, setting a new trend that revitalized novelists and led to the second wave of new-style literature."

Yuan Zhu opened his mouth, then hesitated.

"Terrifying to such an extent," huh? It’s definitely a transmigrator, no doubt about it! "Wu Guan'an," is it? Damn, that's quite the meta-joke. I wonder what he turned the first three classics into with his modifications? If I get the chance, I must find those four ancient books and take a look.

At this point, the beautiful investigator from the Security Bureau spoke up: "Now is not the time for idle chatter. The most important thing is to clarify our current situation. Am I right, sir?"

With that, she looked toward the man in the tuxedo under the chandelier, who had been sitting there with little presence, watching the group with a satisfied smile.

"It's quite alright. We have plenty of time. You may all get to know each other before we discuss the actual business at hand."

The investigator didn't buy it: "Why not start by telling me what this 'actual business' is? And if you don't mind, who are you...?"

"My name is Li Kejian, and I will be your team leader for the foreseeable future. As this young lady just said, you have arrived at a place similar to the main 'Yellow Heaven Daoist Space.' Due to some twist of fate, you have been selected into this room of mine. Although it is somewhat embarrassing, I must say: welcome to the [King Fluff's Happy Home]."

When he said the final name, the expression of the usually elegant Captain Li became complex beyond measure. Even Yuan Zhu felt an unspeakable sense of shame and goosebumps just hearing it, let alone having to say it himself.

In an instant, the entire room fell silent. Even the investigator, who was about to continue her interrogation, found herself speechless, her hard-earned momentum completely shattered.

No one could maintain their dignity in the face of [King Fluff's Happy Home].

"Pfft!"

The pink-haired girl couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed, "What kind of name is that? It's so cute."