In terms of appearance, a Calamity Hound did not look much different from the native dogs kept by ordinary households.
At most, its coat was glossier and its presence more imposing.
As for the three young Calamity Hounds locked in the merchant's cage, Zheng Qing thought they looked like three little gray puppies. The only difference was that instead of playing with ping-pong balls, these puppies were playing with glowing red balls of charcoal.
The largest of the young Calamity Hounds sprawled with its front legs splayed apart, squinting lazily as it measured the distance between itself and the glowing charcoal. Its fur was silver-gray, vastly different from the pitch-black appearance of adult Calamity Hounds. Yet like the adults, it had vivid scarlet eyes, round as red gemstones and glittering in the sunlight.
The other two, slightly livelier young Calamity Hounds, were not lying on the ground like their sibling. They were huddled beside the burning charcoal, heads lowered and tails wagging as they eagerly licked the faint dark flames rising from it. One shoved the other, the other rubbed against the first, and grumbling whines rumbled from their throats.
From time to time, little flames burst out from beneath their tails and fell into the sandy ground between the bars, sizzling and bubbling through the sand as though droplets of burning Fire Oil had spilled there.
The merchant watching the stall kept his eyes and ears open in every direction. As he enthusiastically hawked his wares to the young customers squatting before the stall, he occasionally picked up the long-handled tongs beside him, fished the Calamity Hounds' droppings out of the sand, and tossed them into the little brazier in front of him.
On one hand, this prevented the fire from spreading and causing an accident. On the other,