I became a prince in a martial arts world.

A moonlit night, a gentle breeze.

In the backyard of the Prince's Mansion, Wang Yu set up a barbecue grill, skewered fresh beef and mutton, and was grilling them. He carelessly sprinkled powdered cumin, fennel, star anise, cloves, and other precious spices onto the grilled meat.

"It smells so good!" Zhao Yingjie was already swallowing his saliva.

Even Li Yunxiu and Qianqian, who usually showed no interest in food, couldn't help but stare at the skewers in Wang Yu's hand.

Northwest barbecue has a long history.

Most barbecues simply involve adding a little salt. Wealthy families might add spices, but the variety is relatively limited, and it's done after grilling to avoid waste.

I really don't know anyone like Wang Yu, who treats spices like dirt and mixes them up and sprinkles them in large quantities during grilling.

It's truly luxurious, but it's also incredibly fragrant.

The aroma of meat wafted throughout the courtyard from the heat of the charcoal fire, making even the hidden guards in the shadows salivate and swallow hard.

"Come on, come on, try my cooking!" Wang Yu distributed meat to everyone.

In his previous life, Wang Yu certainly didn't know how to grill meat, but having never eaten pork or seen a pig run, and having gained confidence in his strength and control of the heat after practicing martial arts, he only tried twice before his grilling skills were no less than those of an average grilling master.

Li Yunxiu, Qianqian, Zhao Rong, Zhao Yingjie, and Yuan Feifei put together a small spring gathering, which also served as a farewell party for Wang Yu.

"Thank you, Brother Yu!" Zhao Yingjie was the most unceremonious. He took the roasted meat and put it in his mouth. Although he was scalded and hissed and twitched, he still couldn't bear to let go.

"It smells so good! It's so tender!" Zhao Yingjie gave a thumbs up.

Ordinary people tend to overcook meat when grilling, but Wang Yu has mastered the art of controlling the heat perfectly, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior with an irresistible aroma. Paired with a layer of spices, it is truly a delicacy.

With just this skill, you could easily earn at least 10,000 yuan a month at a well-established barbecue restaurant across the country, after tax!

"It tastes good." Li Yunxiu was rather reserved. Although a smile of joy had appeared on her lips, her words remained relatively conservative.

"Delicious!" Qianqian held the iron skewer in one hand, gently biting a bit of meat with her pearly teeth, then carefully pulling it out. She chewed it in small bites, her eyes already curving into crescent shapes, looking incredibly cute.

Li Yunxiu narrowed his eyes, looking at Qianqian's eyes, which were like a pool of spring water, and thought about giving her two golden needles.

Qianqian didn't even glance at Li Yunxiu, but stared at the grilled meat in Wang Yu's hand, excitedly saying, "It's so delicious! Brother Yu, you're amazing! Give me another one!"

Wang Yu was overjoyed, "We have everything! We've prepared a lot today. Besides roast beef and lamb, we also have roast tendons, roast fish, roast kidneys, and roast chicken wings. The taste is guaranteed!"

Even Yuan Feifei was affected, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

The main course consisted of various grilled meats, while the side dishes were fruits and vegetables. Although they were not as sweet as modern, technologically cultivated fruits, they tasted natural, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and were very refreshing.

The beverage was, of course, alcohol, but not the distilled spirits of Northwest China; it was pure brewed rice wine, with a low alcohol content and a sweet taste, which made one feel slightly tipsy and quite comfortable.

Wang Yu's eyes were somewhat glazed over, but Li Yunxiu's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Although a tempting blush appeared on her face, her eyes remained as deep and captivating as stars in the night sky.

"Although we have been in Longshan Prefecture for almost a month, those assassins may not have given up. You need to be extra careful when you go to the northern front to comfort the troops."

Li Yunxiu moved closer to Wang Yu and leaned slightly against him. Wang Yu could smell a faint scent of alcohol emanating from her. Although Li Yunxiu's eyes were still bright, she was actually a little drunk.

"Especially considering the Qiang people from the northern deserts and the bandits from Qishan, they might have evil intentions," Li Yunxiu warned.

Qianqian looked at Li Yunxiu with disdain, then turned to Wang Yu with anticipation, "I'll go with Brother Yu."

"No!" Li Yunxiu immediately objected, saying sternly, "My husband is going to the northern front to inspect and reward the troops. This is a major military event, and it is absolutely forbidden to bring female relatives along. It would damage his reputation!"

Qianqian gave a soft hum, her eyes looking at Wang Yu with clear and gentle eyes, like a little deer waiting for its master's approval.

"Bring them! Absolutely! I'll bring wine, meat, and silver to entertain the troops; do they care whether I bring my women or not?" Wang Yu reached out to embrace Qianqian's slender waist. "Reputation? Entertaining the troops is the greatest reputation!"

Qianqian sidestepped Wang Yu's hand, but then reached out and hugged his arm.

Li Yunxiu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

Zhao Yingjie pretended not to see it, reached out and grabbed another skewer of mutton, and ate it with relish.

Yuan Feifei was a little embarrassed. "I've been eating and living here for free and haven't been able to help much. Now that Your Highness is going to the northern front to entertain the troops, I'll play a piece for you to cheer you on."

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Wang Yu clapped his hands and laughed, "With wine and meat, how can there be no fun? To be able to listen to 'Iceberg Flowing Spring' is truly an elegant affair!"

Yuan Feifei smiled slightly, went next door to get the Ice Spring Melody, and then sat down to the side to pluck the strings and play a tune.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

The first notes of the zither were clear and resonant, sharp as an iceberg with distinct edges, or like shattered jade falling onto a plate; each crisp sound made one's heart skip a beat.

Then the iceberg melted, transforming from a clear, crisp sound into a babbling brook. The sound gradually quickened, like a rushing spring, but it also carried a cold, desolate chill, solitary and austere.

Finally, the chill gradually faded, transforming into a soothing stream, meandering and winding, like a lament, then turning from cold to warm, like a spring breeze lingering in the ear, leaving a long and pleasant aftertaste.

"A cold wind rises deep within the icy mountain, a clear spring flows around my fingers, bringing the feeling of spring." Li Yunxiu clapped her hands in praise, "What a wonderful piece! What a fine instrument!"

Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion, "Only a fine zither like Bingquanming could play such a famous piece."

Wang Yu has seen and tasted a wide variety of things, and has also listened to all kinds of music in modern times. Although he cannot play the piano, he has some understanding and appreciation of music.

In his view, the piece "Ice Mountain Flowing Spring" has a profound meaning, similar to the previous "High Mountains and Flowing Water" and "Fisherman's Song at Dusk". It leaves listeners with lingering feelings and can indeed be considered a famous piece.

But he naturally knew nothing about the guqin. "Can't you play that on a regular instrument?"

"Of course." Qianqian reached out and stroked the guqin in front of Yuan Feifei. "The tone of an ordinary guqin can never produce the aloofness and coldness of an iceberg or the gentle melodies of a flowing spring."

Wang Yu took the guqin directly from in front of Yuan Feifei, examined it closely, and asked, "Is it because the wood is different, or are the strings special?"

"Then it's naturally made of wood." Li Yunxiu glanced at it by the moonlight. "The body of this guqin should be made of century-old paulownia wood. It was crafted by a master craftsman, and its shape and internal and external features were adjusted to suit the sound production of paulownia wood, which is why it has such a tone."

"I see, impressive, impressive, there are even ice marks and water patterns on it." Wang Yu stroked the body of the zither and suddenly noticed that a carving on the side seemed a bit unusual.

"What is this?" Wang Yu asked, pressing it gently, but there was no response.

"It's just ordinary carving, nothing special..." Before Yuan Feifei could finish speaking, she saw Wang Yu apply a little more force and press the carving down.

"Snap!"

With a soft click, a small box popped out from the side of the instrument, containing a booklet.

Yuan Feifei, "..."

Wang Yu took out the booklet and saw the words "Ice Mountain Flowing Spring" written on the cover. He was immediately disappointed. "It's just a musical score. Maybe Master Yuan was worried that the score would be lost, so he hid it in the zither."

As he spoke, Wang Yu flipped through the book and noticed something amiss.

Everyone crowded around to take a look, and Li Yunxiu immediately judged, "This is an internal energy cultivation method, and it also includes a sonic attack technique that uses internal force to generate sound!"

Zhao Yingjie wasn't surprised. "That's just the Yuan family tradition. Master Yuan just kept another copy of the manuscript back then."

Yuan Feifei looked at the book in Wang Yu's hand and suddenly spoke up, "Wait a minute, my family's internal energy cultivation method doesn't include any insights for entering the Innate Realm!"

"Um?"

Innate insight is not something ordinary; it is an insight that can potentially lead one to the realm of the innate.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Wang Yu's family's "Flowing Fire Reflection" can lead to becoming a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm by following the steps. Most martial artists don't have that kind of foundation. Even Wei Gutong and Yan Ziyu's techniques are not Innate Realm techniques. They were able to advance to the Innate Realm entirely through their own comprehension.

Even a master of innate talent, if they could observe someone else's innate insights, might be able to draw inferences from similar cases and improve their own martial arts skills.

Wang Yu closed the book and handed it to Yuan Feifei.

Yuan Feifei shook her head and refused to accept it. "My talent is limited, and I have no hope of becoming a master in this life. It doesn't matter whether I look at the innate insights or not. Besides, I am already receiving benefits without having done anything. It just so happens that the prince discovered this book, so I will give it to the prince to add another layer of heritage to the prince's mansion."

"How could I possibly accept that?" Wang Yu said, taking the book back.

For others, this book may not be useful except for innate insights, and the sound attack method is not something that everyone can learn; it also depends on talent.

But it's different for Wang Yu.

He's cheating!

He also wanted to see if he could continue practicing "Iceberg Spring" after practicing "Flowing Fire Reflection". If so, would his internal energy be converted or added together?

Seeing Wang Yu put away "Iceberg Spring," everyone couldn't help but laugh. Then Wang Yu said to Yuan Feifei, "I'll keep this book for my collection, but you should still read it. Life is long; what if you have the chance again?"

So, under the moonlight, the group looked at the manual together. Wang Yu asked Zhao Yingjie to copy the manual for Yuan Feifei, and then he put the original away.

……

The first day of the third lunar month is auspicious for travel.

A team of ten guards from the Prince's Palace escorted a luxurious carriage, followed by a team of five hundred soldiers escorting dozens of large carts.

Wang Yu and Qian Qian sat inside the car, while Zhao Yingjie sat in front of the car with the driver.

Wang Yu lay on his side on a soft cushion, with a guqin beside him, which he casually strummed. In his other hand, he held a book called "Introduction to Guqin Score" and was reading it.

Qianqian asked curiously, "Brother Yu, are you really planning to learn the zither and practice 'Iceberg Flowing Spring'?"

"Yes." Wang Yu nodded.

Qianqian looked slightly incredulous. "Are you serious?"

Wang Yu winked at Qianqian, "I just wanted to play 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate' for you on our wedding night!"