HDRDTH -Chapter 45 The Royal Forest Lake Sealed for Thirty Years — The Giant Emerges

On the morning of the Lunar New Year’s Day, in the outskirts of Beijing.

A black Mercedes G-Class jolted forward along a rough forest dirt road, its tires crushing thick snow with heavy creak-creak sounds.

This place was more than 200 kilometers from downtown Beijing, right on the edge of a strictly controlled military zone.

All around were ancient trees that blocked out the sky, centuries-old trunks and tangled vines forming a dark, isolated, and mysterious wilderness.

“Brother Yu, it’s just ahead,” Feng Dagang said from the passenger seat, rubbing his bloodshot eyes and pointing at a fog-covered area in the distance.

“This place used to be a Qing Dynasty royal summer retreat. Later, for historical reasons, it was completely sealed off. The lake over there is called ‘Hidden Dragon Lake.’ No outsiders have entered for thirty years, let alone anyone fishing in it. I pulled every string I had just to get a special access permit.”

Yu Xian sat in the back seat, clutching the black ebony box tightly, his eyes shining like searchlights.

“Thirty years without fishing?” he licked his cracked lips. “That means the fish in there have never even seen a hook?”

He grinned.

“Director Feng, this time you’ve actually done something human. If I still can’t catch anything here, I’ll drink this entire lake dry on the spot.”

The car stopped in front of a rusted chain-link gate.

An old guard in a worn military coat stepped out from a tin shack nearby, his face weathered by time.

Feng Dagang handed over the permit along with several packs of special cigarettes. After carefully checking them, the old guard slowly opened the heavy iron gate.

Passing through dense pine forest, the view suddenly opened up.

A natural lake spanning over a hundred acres appeared before them.

Mist drifted across the surface, white fog rolling over the water like waves.

The surroundings were dead silent, broken only by occasional unknown bird calls piercing the morning calm.

The lake water was a deep, ink-like green—one glance made it feel unfathomably deep.

“This water color… this terrain… perfect!” Yu Xian jumped out of the car and inhaled the cold air rich with pine scent.

His experience from his previous life told him clearly: this kind of untouched deep-water lake definitely hid monstrous fish that had grown into giants.

Without hesitation, he opened the ebony box and took out the titanium alloy lure rod.

Assembly, line threading, leader knotting.

His movements were smooth and precise, almost ritualistic.

He selected a 30-gram metal VIB lure—designed to create strong underwater vibrations, perfect for deep-water predators.

“Brother Yu, take it easy. This lake is really deep. Some parts are said to be dozens of meters,” Feng Dagang said, shivering in his down jacket.

“The deeper, the better,” Yu Xian replied, stepping onto a rocky outcrop by the shore.

He took a deep breath, then exploded with force from his waist.

The rod whipped forward.

Whoosh—

The titanium rod cut through the air in a perfect arc. The lure flew like a bullet, slicing toward the center of the lake.

Splash.

It landed precisely seventy to eighty meters away.

Yu Xian didn’t rush. He let it sink freely.

Counting seconds in his mind, he gauged the depth.

Ten seconds. Twenty seconds… until the spool stopped spinning—bottom contact.

“Let the show begin.”

He lowered the rod tip and began a steady retrieve. The titanium gears produced a smooth, subtle mechanical hum.

Occasionally, he jerked the rod tip upward, making the lure mimic a wounded fish.

First cast—only weeds.

Second cast—nothing.

Third cast—still nothing.

Half an hour passed. The lake remained as still as a mirror.

Feng Dagang stamped his feet from the cold, nose nearly frozen.

“Brother Yu… maybe fish aren’t biting in winter? Should we head back? I’ll treat you to roast duck.”

Yu Xian ignored him and continued casting mechanically.

His hands were already numb and red from the cold, yet extremely steady.

“Shut up. There’s no such thing as retreat in a fisherman’s dictionary,” he said through gritted teeth.

He didn’t believe it.

Not a chance.

With the best gear in the world, in a lake sealed for thirty years—he refused to go home empty-handed.

On his fortieth retrieve, as the lure passed a drop-off zone—

The rod suddenly jerked downward violently.

Not a dead snag—but a rhythmic, explosive pull.

“Got it!”

Yu Xian’s pupils contracted.

His instincts from two lifetimes erupted instantly.

He leaned back, gripping the rod tightly, and set the hook hard.

BZZZZ—!

The titanium rod bent into a dramatic full arc.

The baitcaster screamed as the drag system unleashed a piercing hiss, PE line pouring out like a flood.

The force was terrifying—Yu Xian staggered, nearly slipping off the rock into the lake.

“Holy shit! Monster fish! Absolutely a monster!” he shouted, trembling with excitement.

This pull—this power—was even stronger than when he hooked that mini submarine in the Maldives.

Feng Dagang scrambled over in panic.

“How big?! How big?! Did you hook the Dragon King of the lake?!”

“Shut up! Get the landing net!” Yu Xian roared, bracing his stance.

Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the freezing air. He could feel the creature below violently shaking its head, trying to dive deeper.

The force coming from below exceeded anything he had ever felt in freshwater.

The battle between man and monster began in the dawn of the royal forest lake.

Yu Xian skillfully worked the fish—giving line, reeling in, adjusting pressure.

“Old Feng, this thing is at least fifty pounds! It feels like I’m pulling a water buffalo!”

The creature kept diving toward deeper trenches, refusing to surface.

After more than half an hour of struggle, Yu Xian was drenched in sweat, even his thin hoodie soaked through.

The monster’s strength finally began to fade.

It was being pulled closer and closer to shore.

“It’s coming up! It’s surfacing!” Feng Dagang shouted, voice cracking as he held the landing net.

Ten meters from shore—

The lake suddenly erupted.

A massive surge of water exploded upward. Black sediment churned from below, turning the once-clear lake murky.

Yu Xian clenched his teeth, cranked the reel violently, and roared:

“GET UP HERE FOR ME!”

CRASH—!