Pig Face Art

After what felt like an eternity, when Alvin opened his eyes, he saw his mother, Elena sitting beside him. she was holding his hand tightly. Grizzle and Mia sat beside him.

Alvin blinked, his mind still fuzzy with memories of the demon sovereign and the golden book. With a confused look on his face, he attempted to sit up, only to be met with waves of excruciating pain all over his body.

"Don't move, Alvin. You haven't recovered yet," Elena stopped him, her voice laced with concern.

He slumped back, wincing again at the slightest movement. "Mom, what happened to those guys I... killed?"

Grizzle snorted from the side. "Of course they're dead. Did you think they'd survive after you crushed their hearts?"

Alvin, momentarily speechless, clarified. "What happened after they died, old man? Use some common sense, would you?"

"Oh, those fools were part of some Black Bear gang or something. A few came looking for trouble, but I gave them a makeover until they resembled squashed blackberries," Grizzle explained matter-of-factly

"Just a few light taps with this old friend here, they understood everything they should understand and became model citizens." He chuckled, patting his hammer proudly. "They took their dead buddies and ran like scared pups. I must say they are really good people; they even cleaned the blood stains on the floor before running away."

Mia, with wide eyes, chimed in, "Grandpa is lying, brother! He swung his hammer like this!" She tried to mimic Grizzle's movements with her tiny hands. "He beat them all up! He is super strong! Mia even cheered for him, but Mommy stopped me." A pout formed on her tiny face. "Otherwise, I could have seen his different fighting techniques!"

Alvin stared at her, speechless. Here he was, recovering from a near-death experience, and his little sister was cheering for their grandpa's fighting prowess. Grizzle, basking in his newfound fan, puffed his chest out with pride.

Elena, however, was not amused. "Grandpa!" she scolded. "She is a little girl! Don't fill her head with such violence. You're an elder, not some teenager!"

Grizzle, slightly embarrassed, tried to defend himself. "Kid, I was just teaching her self-defense. Nothing serious."

Elena's eyes narrowed as she snatched a book Mia was holding and read the name of the book aloud. "'Pig Face Art' by a Great Sage?" she questioned, her voice stern. "Tell me then, what is this?"

"Pig Face Art," Grizzle replied calmly, "written by a great sage. A truly good man, I must say."

Elena glared. "Who wrote it?"

Grizzle mumbled, "a great sage..."

Elena, exasperated, cut him off. "You wrote it, didn't you? I don't know anyone else with such poor naming sense other than you!"

Grizzle scratched his head, like a child caught red-handed. "Little Elly, can't you give this old man some face? I admit I wrote it, but it's a genuine martial art."

Mia, listening intently, piped up, "Wow, Grandpa! You're the great sage?"

Silence descended upon the room. Grizzle's face turned as red as the supposed "pig heads" from his "art."

Elena sighed, "Little one, your grandpa is no sage. That martial art is complete nonsense. He fooled me with the same story when I was little. It's just rubbish he made up after beating people with his hammer until their heads looked like pigs."

Grizzle, mocked by his granddaughter, retorted, "Stupid girl, what do you know? It's an art! You need to consider things when bashing someone's face to achieve the perfect pig head shape!"

Elena glared daggers at him.

Observing the exchange, a smile played on Alvin's lips. It seemed his mother and sister were back to their usual selves. For a while, he had been concerned that the recent incidents might have left a lasting impact on their hearts. Yet, as he observed them now, it appeared that his worries had been unfounded.

Suddenly, Grizzle, desperate to save face, turned to Elena. "Elly," he said, confusion clouding his face, "you saw me give Mia the book, right? I thought you agreed to pass down my legacy to the little girl! Why the sudden change of heart?"

Alvin shared the same confusion. Why was his mom only getting angry now?

Elena stared at him like he was an idiot. "Mia can't read, silly," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Even if you gave her the book, all she could do is fan herself with it on a hot day."

Grizzle was stunned. "Damn it, why didn't you say it earlier!"

The realization dawned on Alvin as well. "Of course! Mia can't read! I completely forgot!"

Both he and Grizzle turned to Mia, who was innocently smiling back at them, and felt a wave of helplessness wash over them.

"Forget it, forget it, Grandpa will teach you martial arts after you've learned how to read," Grizzle said with a defeated sigh.

"Aye, Grandpa is the best! Mia will study how to read as soon as possible!" Mia jumped in joy.

Then Grizzle turned to Alvin, who was still lying in bed, and asked in a serious tone, "Kid, what is your decision? Will you come to the capital with me? If you agree, this old man can promise you no one will bully you." Grizzle continued in a helpless tone, "I asked your mother, but she said everything will be decided by you. Just agree, kid. I don't want to see my descendants live like this."

Author's note: "Guys, my model exams are going on this week, so there is a chance for irregular chapter uploads. so i am apologizing in advance "Sorry"