Jiang Yang had heard her play the Peaceful Martial Truce Melody before. Its notes rang like clashing blades and galloping armored steeds, yet in the end, they always settled into a realm where horses were turned loose on the southern mountains and armor was shed for a return to the fields.
Such imagery—blades and spears laid away, martial pursuits abandoned for civil cultivation, all under heaven brought to submission—would instantly slow the magic power of anyone immersed in it and sharply diminish their will to fight.
Though it could not injure anyone, it greatly weakened an opponent's momentum, making it a rare and precious score.
Now, this "Great Peace Repose" was similar in style to "Pacifying War with Martial Might." Shang Qingzheng suspected that both had been composed by the same person, and their value was considerable.
"I don't understand musical scores. I just picked them by instinct. As long as you can use them, that's good."
Seeing her satisfaction, Jiang Yang knew his deliberate search had not been wasted. He smiled and said:
"All right, put them away for now."
Shang Qingzheng's delight at finding something she loved made her eager to try it, but this was hardly the time to practice. She brushed her sleeve and tucked the Jade Slips into her sash. Just as she was about to raise her head, she saw Jiang Yang take out two more boxes and exclaimed in surprise:
"There's more?!"
The two boxes were different sizes. The larger one was wooden, square and neatly fashioned, while the smaller one was exquisitely carved entirely from warm jade, translucent and gleaming.
Set upon the table, they exuded an air of luxury that made it obvious they were no ordinary objects.
The fine things in Jiang Yang's possession seemed endless, repeatedly surpassing Shang Qingzheng's