Free Web NovelChapter 103: Chapter 103: Night Collection
The Collectors did not run.
They walked.
That made them worse.
Each one carried a ledger in one hand and a hook-chain in the other. Their ash-gray coats dragged across the ground without sound. Their faces were blank except for thin vertical mouths that opened only to whisper names and debts.
A climber team across the street tried to flee.
One Collector opened its ledger.
"Debt: 420 Ashen Coins. Interest: fear."
The hook-chain shot forward.
The fleeing climber screamed as a red mark on his wrist ignited. His body froze, and the Collector dragged him into the alley. His teammates tried to intervene, but another Collector whispered their debt numbers too.
Qin Mo’s face paled.
"This floor is horrible."
Qin Yuheng’s expression hardened.
The guide paper said Night Collection targeted unpaid debts.
But the Collector had told them to witness.
Why? freeweɓnovel.cѳm
A market announcement appeared.
[Night Collection Event]
Rules:
1. Debtors will be collected.
2. Witnesses may earn Ashen Coins by identifying false debts.
3. Interfering with valid collection creates debt.
4. Destroying a Collector without legal cause creates major debt.
Qin Yuchen’s eyes sharpened.
"So we cannot simply fight them."
Qin Lian looked down the street.
"Some debts may be false."
Qin Yuheng understood the event.
This was a judgment trial.
If they ignored everything, they might survive but miss rewards. If they attacked blindly, they would gain debt. If they identified false debts, they could earn coins and weaken hostile factions.
The Red Scarf Debt Gang likely created false debts.
The first opportunity came quickly.
A young market vendor, not a climber, was cornered by a Collector.
"Debt: 800 Ashen Coins," the Collector whispered.
The vendor cried, "False! I paid!"
A red-scarf man stood nearby, smiling.
Qin Lian’s eyes narrowed.
"He is holding a receipt slip."
Qin Yuheng approached carefully.
"Market witness challenge."
The Collector turned to him.
"Witness may challenge. Evidence?"
Qin Lian vanished.
The red-scarf man reacted too late. She appeared behind him and took the receipt slip from his sleeve without cutting him.
Qin Yuheng held it up.
"Payment proof."
The Collector’s ledger opened.
The debt line flickered.
"False debt confirmed."
The Collector turned toward the red-scarf man.
"Fraud debt transferred."
The man’s smile vanished.
"No—"
The hook-chain wrapped around him and dragged him away.
The vendor collapsed in relief.
A reward panel appeared.
[False debt identified.]
[Ashen Coins +300]
[Market Law Favor +1]
Qin Mo stared.
"We can earn by legal arguments."
"Evidence-based survival," Qin Yuheng said.
"I prefer this to being poisoned."
They moved through the night market, carefully choosing interventions.
They did not challenge every collection.
Some debts were real. Some climbers had signed foolish contracts. Qin Yuheng did not risk the team for those. It was harsh, but the floor’s rules were clear.
But whenever Red Scarf fraud appeared, they acted.
Qin Mo identified altered contract ink.
Qin Lian retrieved hidden receipts.
Qin Yuchen protected witnesses from intimidation without striking Collectors.
Qin Yuheng presented evidence calmly.
Their Ashen Coins rose.
3,120.
3,600.
4,050.
4,500.
The Red Scarf Debt Gang began targeting them openly.
Near midnight, their leader from the warehouse returned with reinforcements.
His throat cloth now glowed with debt runes.
"You should have stayed traders," he said.
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"You should have used honest contracts."
The leader laughed.
"In Ashen Market, honesty is for those without leverage."
He threw a red contract talisman toward Qin Yuheng.
Qin Mo shouted, "Do not touch!"
Qin Yuheng cut it midair with thunder.
The talisman burned.
The Red Scarf gang attacked.
Because this was a direct attack outside valid collection, combat became legal.
Market Law did not interfere.
The fight spread across the street.
Red Scarf fighters used hooks, contract marks, and debt-binding chains. Qin Yuheng’s team had to avoid being marked while subduing them.
Qin Mo countered contract marks with formation disruption.
Qin Lian cut chain links.
Qin Yuchen held the front.
Qin Yuheng fought the leader.
The leader’s debt chains multiplied, trying to bind Qin Yuheng’s wrists.
Qin Yuheng let one chain wrap around his sword.
Then he released thunder through it.
The leader screamed as the chain shattered.
Qin Yuheng stepped forward and struck his chest with the flat of the blade, sending him into a stall wall.
A Collector appeared.
It opened its ledger.
"Red Scarf Debt Gang. Fraud. Assault during Collection. Contract abuse."
The leader tried to crawl away.
The Collector’s hook fell.
The gang collapsed.
A mission message appeared.
[Hostile faction Red Scarf Debt Gang exposed.]
[Night Collection event survived.]
[Market Law Favor increased.]
[Ashen Coins +1,200]
Their total reached 5,700.
Enough for the exit permit.
But before they could leave, the black-masked merchant appeared again.
"You did well," he said.
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"You wanted the Red Scarf exposed."
"Yes."
"You used us."
"I hired you."
"Carefully."
The merchant smiled.
"Careful people live longer. I can offer another deal."
Qin Mo immediately said, "No."
The merchant ignored him.
"Ash-Wrapped Chest. Legal reward from market authority. I can sell it for 5,000 Ashen Coins."
Qin Yuheng’s eyes narrowed.
A chest.
Of course.
The team needed 5,000 for the exit permit. Spending it would delay exit. But they had 5,700, leaving only 700. They could still earn more before the 48-hour limit.
He asked, "Terms?"
"Simple sale. No debt."
Qin Mo inspected the contract.
"No debt," he admitted reluctantly.
Qin Yuheng bought the chest.
Qin Mo stared.
"We just escaped debt and you spent nearly all our coins."
"We have time."
"I dislike when that is true."
They spent the next day earning the remaining permit funds through safer tasks, using Market Law Favor to access better jobs. By the end of the 48 hours, they purchased the exit permit.
The mission panel appeared.
[Valid Ashen Market Exit Permit obtained.]
[Team Debt: 0]
[Hostile faction identified and exposed.]
[Night Collection survived.]
[Calculating evaluation...]
Qin Yuheng held the Ash-Wrapped Chest in his inventory.
This floor had not tested power.
It had tested judgment.
And once again, the reward was waiting.
