Old Ba wasn't particularly concerned as he watched Master Duo leave in displeasure. The situation now favored Master Hu, and they had to press their advantage, consolidate their position, and eliminate all future threats.
Besides, their most urgent task wasn't explaining things to Master Duo or calming his anger. The most important thing was finding the missing manor lord, Cen Qi.
Otherwise, if Cen Qi got away, he might become a serious problem later.
Inside the manor, Steward Old Zhu was still leading its armed forces in a desperate resistance. He had always been wary of Master Hu, so even after the city gates fell, Steward Old Zhu's contingency plan had been activated at once. The manor's elite troops quickly seized several key positions and voluntarily gave up some territory.
After all, Steward Old Zhu was the local expert in this castle. His knowledge of the terrain was far beyond anything Master Hu's side could match.
And this castle had been passed down for generations. Even though the armed forces had grown much weaker, there were still many mechanisms and traps inside, as well as treacherous passes that could be defended. So when Steward Old Zhu led the manor's elite in a desperate last stand, determined to fight Master Hu's side to the end, they soon managed to dig in and reach a stalemate.
Of course, Master Hu's fighters were clearly more fearless and had far more combat experience. Even on unfamiliar ground, they still held a significant advantage.
If Steward Old Zhu's side hadn't had the advantage of terrain, they probably couldn't have withstood that ferocious assault.
But Steward Old Zhu's shrewdness proved extremely important. The area they occupied was concentrated mainly in the castle's southwest, where the warehouses and supply depots were located. All of the castle's strategic