Chapter 18: Another Giant Takes the Bait

Outside the Water Curtain Cave, the lake mirrored the clear blue sky, creating a seamless blend of sea and sky—a sight that struck Jiang Fan as breathtaking at first glance. It was like one of those filtered scenic photos you see online, flawless and enchanting.

Yet, for a seasoned angler like Jiang Fan, such beauty was commonplace. He had little interest in admiring the view; his purpose here was fishing.

After paddling to shore, Jiang Fan pulled a lure rod from his bag. He tied on the "All-Round War God Version Floating Iron Plate," cast his line, and began reeling in.

Suddenly, a sharp slap broke the water’s surface near the lure, followed by a fierce tug from a massive creature.

“A big fish!” Jiang Fan’s eyes lit up with excitement as he quickly tightened the line.

Catching a big fish on the very first cast—this place’s resources were truly abundant.

He pulled the line taut, but the fish fought back, dragging the line with such force that the drag knob emitted a series of sharp clicks.

Worried the fish might escape, Jiang Fan allowed some line to slip, letting it pull but never releasing control.

After a grueling back-and-forth battle lasting over ten minutes, he finally hauled the creature to shore.

[Beep! Congratulations, host! You have caught an eleven-pound spot fish. System cash reward triggered with a 30x multiplier!]

[Wild spot fish: eleven pounds, market price: 35 yuan per pound.]

[Beep! Congratulations, host! You have earned 11 × 35 × 30 = 11,550 yuan!]

[Beep! Congratulations, host! You have gained 115 emotional points!]

His first catch already netted over ten thousand yuan and more than a hundred emotional points. The effort had certainly paid off.

Jiang Fan placed the hefty spot fish into his fish basket and cast again. Within seconds, another spot fish viciously bit the bait and darted away, though this one was noticeably smaller.

Still, weighing five and a half pounds, it was sizable for a freshwater river.

After securing the second catch, Jiang Fan paused, deciding to switch bait types.

Though the "All-Round War God Floating Iron Plate" could catch various species, his experience over the past two days showed it was particularly effective for spot fish.

With such a plentiful supply here, continuing with the same bait probably wouldn’t lure the giant creature He Qiang had mentioned.

He Qiang’s files included drone photos of this enormous fish.

Jiang Fan had studied them carefully on the way here; the giant was likely a black carp, one of China’s four major fish species.

Black carp grow quickly and can exceed 100 kilograms—consistent with He Qiang’s description of a three- to four-hundred-pound behemoth.

Jiang Fan accessed the system store and purchased a lead-head hook paired with a small soft fish lure, designed to attract the giant black carp.

Soft-bodied lures had a proven appeal to black carp.

This combination might finally draw in that massive creature.

[Beep! Congratulations, host! You have obtained one 10g lead-head hook; emotional points -10!]

[Beep! Congratulations, host! You have obtained one small soft fish lure; emotional points -10!]

---

Jiang Fan hooked the lead-head and soft fish lure together, tied them to the line, and cast once more.

After several back-and-forth pulls, the line suddenly tightened sharply—another fish had bitten.

But when he hauled it ashore, it was yet another spot fish, weighing a few pounds.

"..." It seemed the bait wasn’t decisive; the dominant species in the area determined the catch.

Clearly, spot fish were abundant here.

Jiang Fan opened his phone to review the drone photo again.

From the aerial angle, the giant fish had been spotted near the junction where the opposite cave mouth met the lake.

Without hesitation, Jiang Fan carried his lure rod around the shore to that side and cast again.

Suddenly, a fierce bite yanked him several steps forward!

Instantly, his brain flooded with dopamine as he cranked the reel.

“Haha! Got a fish! And it’s a huge one!”

Jiang Fan was ecstatic, locked in a fierce struggle with the giant.

Nothing thrilled an angler more than hooking a big fish—the sensation of the line pulling taut and bending the rod was incomparable.

This fight lasted over an hour, much like his battle with the big catfish yesterday.

Still, he couldn’t land the fish, and his energy was nearly spent.

Yet the giant fish remained vigorous, refusing to be drawn in.

With no other choice, Jiang Fan prepared to continue the exhausting battle.

---

Meanwhile, five people clad in expedition uniforms appeared deep in the mountains outside the Water Curtain Cave lake.

They were a state-sanctioned exploration team sent to survey the Water Curtain Cave in the remote Mountain Town.

They trekked along a mountain path Jiang Fan had taken, guided by satellite maps toward the cave.

After about twenty minutes, they reached a small stream Jiang Fan had crossed.

Suddenly, one woman stopped abruptly, fixating on the ground.

“Anxin, what’s wrong?” asked a middle-aged man.

Pointing at footprints on the ground, Anxin said, “Captain Zhang, do you think these are human footprints?”

Captain Zhang and three others approached and stared at the clear prints.

“Why would there be human footprints deep in the Water Curtain Cave mountains?”

“Hey! Xiao Li, you were leading just now. Could these be yours? Come compare.”

Xiao Li stepped forward and stepped into the prints, but they didn’t match his feet.

This left the group puzzled.

Since two amateur explorers had died here previously, no one else dared enter.

This team had the backing of the government and advanced tech, which was why they dared to venture in together.

So who was the reckless soul who left these prints?

“Could they be from the two amateurs who died here before?” Xiao Li offered.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

“What? I’m just giving my humble opinion,” Xiao Li said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish laugh.

One teammate grumbled, “Those two came through last year. Footprints from last year still here? Your opinion isn’t just stupid; it’s terrifying.”

Xiao Li grinned, baring his teeth. “Then whose footprints could they be? Not mine, so maybe yours?”

The teammate thought for a moment and said, “Who knows? I was right behind, and they’re not mine.”

Another female teammate added, “Not mine either.”

“Anxin, why don’t you check yours?”

Anxin stepped into the prints, but they were clearly not hers.

“Not Anxin’s either? That’s strange!”

“Could someone else have come here today?”

But that seemed unlikely.

Who in their right mind would come to such a place for no reason?

None of them would be here if not for work.

Anxin pondered, “Could a large animal like a gorilla or bear have made these?”

This suggestion eased the tension somewhat.

Xiao Li quickly agreed, “Yeah, that must be it. The Water Curtain Cave area is almost deserted by humans but home to plenty of protected animals. It’s normal for them to roam here.”

If not that, they could not think of any other explanation.

After all, they struggled just to get here; others would find it even harder.

There was a 99% chance these prints were not human.

They dropped the matter and pressed on to locate the cave entrance for their survey.

Soon, following the satellite map, they reached a cave mouth by a stream.

Before them stretched a river of unknown depth.

Facing the pitch-black entrance, the five chose not to enter recklessly.

Instead, they circled around the mountain to enter from behind.

Hours later, after climbing, scaling cliffs, crawling through dark caves, and following underground rivers, they finally arrived at the Water Curtain Cave lake, utterly exhausted.

Xiao Li collapsed on the ground, gasping, “I’m dead tired. If I’d known, I’d have let Liu Qiyan’s backup team come instead. I swear, I’m never coming here again!”

The others panted heavily, reluctant to speak, dreading the long journey back after the survey.

Xiao Li gulped down water and said, “We suspected earlier there might be someone here, but who would come to a place like this?”

Another chimed in, “Last year’s incident is still fresh. Without professional training and gear, no ordinary person could make it here.”

Suddenly, Anxin exclaimed, “Wait, look! There’s a fisherman over there!”