Liu Buli had said it, so Lu Wuming certainly couldn't directly concede. Although he was somewhat reluctant, on the day of the match, Lu Wuming obediently followed Liu Buli onto the stage.
As they ascended, Liu Buli specifically instructed Lu Wuming, "Unless I permit it later, you are not allowed to surrender. Understand?"
Lu Wuming nodded with his head hanging low, muttering reluctantly, "Master clearly knows Wuming can't bear to strike you, yet still makes such a demand. You're truly wicked."
His words were quite loud, clearly intended for Liu Buli to hear.
Liu Buli immediately chuckled, pausing his steps on the stairs. He turned back to Lu Wuming and asked, "In your eyes, is your Master that weak?"
Lu Wuming shook his head immediately.
Of course, he wasn't weak.
But being strong was one thing, and striking his Master was another.
His Master was a treasure he cherished so dearly he feared causing them any discomfort. How could he possibly use any of his martial arts techniques against his Master?
Sensing Lu Wuming's thoughts, Liu Buli hesitated. After a moment's consideration, he said, "Just treat this as a regular test during your time in the sect. Don't be too nervous, and don't be too restrained. If only I were to attack and you passively took the hits, wouldn't this match be meaningless?"
Lu Wuming already understood this himself, even without Liu Buli saying it. So, despite his myriad of reluctance, he ultimately nodded obediently and said nothing more in refusal.
As the biggest dark horse of this martial arts tournament, Lu Wuming, without even realizing it, had already gained a large following of admirers.
This was partly due to his superior cultivation and techniques, and partly because of his exceptionally handsome appearance. Consequently, his match against Liu Buli had privately become the most intensely discussed topic.
Everyone was speculating about the eventual winner, including Shen Muzhi and his companion, who were aware of their close relationship.
"I don't think there's much to guess here. With Liu Buli's tendency to dote on his disciple, he'll surely be the one to surrender and end the fight. This match will undoubtedly be the most boring one since the tournament began," Yu Siqi declared with certainty, sitting in the audience.
Shen Muzhi, however, stroked his chin and shook his head. "I don't quite see it that way. At other times, Liu Buli might indeed let Lu Wuming win. But as you mentioned, the final rounds might not be entirely peaceful. Lu Wuming has never been good at adapting on the fly, so to avoid any unforeseen issues in the end, Liu Buli will make Lu Wuming surrender."
Yu Siqi found this reasoning quite sound.
He blinked and asked, "Then do you think this match will even happen?"
"What match? Look at Lu Wuming. Does he look like someone who would dare strike Liu Buli?" Shen Muzhi scoffed. "In your world's terms, this is just them putting on a show of affection. Just watch, whoever takes it seriously loses."
Shen Muzhi's statement successfully made Yu Siqi burst into laughter.
Undeniably, Shen Muzhi's insight in this regard was remarkably accurate.
Because after the match began, it devolved into a one-sided beating from Liu Buli.
In previous matches, there had been instances of significant power disparities, but at least the weaker party knew to dodge.
However, Lu Wuming acted as if he had hit his head before the match. He showed no intention of dodging or defending, let alone attacking. He simply stood there passively taking hits, much like a child being punished by their Master.
Liu Buli had somewhat anticipated this outcome, so his initial two moves were mere probes, with no intention of actually harming him. Seeing Lu Wuming remain motionless like a wooden post, he finally couldn't help himself, saying with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "You're being too obvious with your indulgence. At least try to dodge."
Lu Wuming replied with a simple "Oh."
Then, as Liu Buli unleashed another technique, he obediently began to dodge around.
The two acted as if they were playing, treating the martial arts stage as a place for playful banter. If Liu Buli told him to dodge, he dodged. If Liu Buli told him to block, he blocked. Beyond that, if Liu Buli asked him to attack, Lu Wuming would completely pretend not to hear, offering no response.
After fighting like this for a while, Liu Buli himself found it tedious. He retracted all his techniques and nodded at Lu Wuming. The latter immediately felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, exhaling deeply. Then, he raised his hand towards the referee and said without hesitation, "I concede."
The referee had almost lost patience watching this match. Seeing that they were finally willing to end the bout, the referee swiftly rang the bell, declaring Liu Buli the winner and signaling for them to leave the stage.
Liu Buli walked ahead, with Lu Wuming obediently following behind like a puppy. After descending from the stage, Liu Buli glanced back at him and said sternly, "Look at you, what is this? If others see this, won't it be embarrassing?"
"What's embarrassing about this? It would be truly embarrassing if I actually struck you," Lu Wuming replied this time with great decisiveness. He even stepped forward and embraced Liu Buli. Whispering into his ear, Lu Wuming murmured, "Master is my Dao companion, my wife. A man who hits his wife is utterly spineless. If you ask me to strike you, I refuse."
Liu Buli was so amused by his words that he couldn't maintain his stern expression, letting out a chuckle. He asked softly, "You can't hit me, but you also don't dodge when I hit you? If I don't tell you to dodge, you'll just take it all?"
Lu Wuming nodded without hesitation.
Liu Buli raised an eyebrow and asked, "What logic is that?"
Lu Wuming replied, "If my wife hits me, it's a sign of affection. Master, you wrote this in your own stories, and Wuming remembers it all."
He truly said anything and everything.
Liu Buli's heart warmed. Regardless of the fact that they hadn't yet left the public's sight, he turned and gently kissed Lu Wuming on the lips.
Just as he expected, as soon as their lips touched, the surrounding murmurs and gasps erupted.
Liu Buli, however, was unconcerned. He pulled Lu Wuming along and walked back, saying, "You performed very well today. Master has decided to give you a reward. Don't waste this excellent opportunity, Wuming."