Inside the Sect of the Eternal Smile, the air was too fragrant.
Flowers bloomed year-round, scent spells wafted through the corridors, and every surface sparkled like a cleaning ad. Yet the beauty was oppressive—each vine too perfectly draped, each koi pond suspiciously clear. It was the kind of place where a "cup of tea" might involve poison, memory erasure, and involuntary enlightenment.
Arin tiptoed around a grinning porcelain statue.
"Okay. I'm officially terrified of joy."
Lia hovered beside him, quietly scanning. "Ambient emotion manipulation has increased. Be cautious. You're now in the inner grounds."
Jun Bai was at the rear, eyeing a group of smiling gardeners. They trimmed hedges into heart shapes while softly humming a tune that sounded like brainwashing.
"This place feels like a horror novel written by someone with glitter addiction."
Yue Lan had her sword half-drawn. "Too clean. Too cheerful. Real cultivation sects have dust and trauma."
Yura sniffed the air again. Her tails stiffened. "I smell burnt tea leaves... and something undead."
They turned a corner.
At the end of the path stood a quaint building. A traditional teahouse. Bamboo walls. Silk curtains. And a wooden sign painted in calligraphy:
"The Tranquility House – No One Leaves Frowning."
Arin blinked. "That's not a slogan. That's a threat."
The moment they stepped through the threshold, the door shut behind them. Silently.
No wind. No mechanism.
Yura turned. "Yeah. We're in a dungeon now."
Inside the teahouse, ghost-lanterns floated midair. A low table sat in the center, surrounded by cushions already filled with illusionary images—one showed Arin kissing Yue Lan, another Yue Lan choking Arin while smiling politely.
Arin quickly sat on the least cursed one.
Lia's eyes glowed. "Trap detected. Spiritual suppression layered with illusion-based emotional regression."
Yue Lan looked around. "What does that mean?"
Jun Bai answered dryly. "It means this teahouse messes with your memories and feelings—probably makes you relive your happiest lies."
That's when the tea kettle began pouring itself.
Out of thin air.
Five teacups.
One for each of them.
Arin held his breath. "Let me guess. If we drink it, we smile until we die?"
Lia shook her head. "If you drink it, you lose the memory that caused your greatest emotional pain… temporarily."
Everyone hesitated.
Then Yura grabbed her cup and downed it like a shot.
"...What are you doing?" Arin hissed.
She wiped her mouth. "Figured I'd forget my fox family for a bit. Not a bad trade."
Yue Lan looked at her tea. Then at Arin. "What if someone doesn't want to forget anything?"
Jun Bai was already tossing his cup at a wall. "Then don't drink it."
The spilled tea shimmered… and crawled back into the cup like it was alive.
Arin grimaced. "Nope. I'm uninstalling tea."
Suddenly, a chime rang.
System Update: Mood Tag Protocol Activated
Arin blinked. "What?"
Lia read it aloud, voice flat.
"You have unlocked a new feature. The Mood Tag Protocol allows your system interface to label emotional states and assign keywords to other people's moods in real-time."
Jun Bai raised a brow. "Meaning?"
Arin turned to Yue Lan—and over her head, a floating word appeared:
[Mild Concern].
He turned to Yura: [Low-Key Reckless].
Jun Bai: [Internally Screaming].
He laughed. "Oh my god, it's like Facebook statuses but emotionally cursed."
Then he looked at Lia.
Her tag flickered:
[Glitch Detected]
[Hiding Guilt]
He frowned. "Lia…"
She floated back. "Later. Focus."
Suddenly, the paper walls slid open. Dozens of tea-pourers appeared—smiling humans with empty eyes and mechanical movements. Their faces were painted to resemble perfect expressions, but the skin underneath sagged. Rotten. Sewn.
"Smile with us," one whispered.
The doors slammed shut again.
Arin stood up. "I've seen this manhua. We're either about to dance, fight, or become soup ingredients."
Jun Bai unsheathed his blade. "Please let it be fight."
The smile-puppets moved closer.
Yue Lan formed a sword-light barrier.
Yura lit her tails on fire.
Arin turned to Lia.
"Tell me debug override's ready."
She nodded. "Ready."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Alright then. Let's break their smiles."