Chapter 172 Standing Up for the Veteran General, Furiously Beating Joseph!

Chapter 172 Standing Up for the Veteran General, Furiously Beating Joseph!

Cressida's face showed no emotion at all, cold through and through.

"Your Highness, you're joking," she said. "The tournament grounds are wide open. I came here to race horses."

"Is that so? What a coincidence. I arrived an hour ago, and you showed up right after. I've never seen you here before."

"If I'd known Your Highness was here, I certainly wouldn't have come."

As Cressida's words fell, Joseph's face darkened instantly.

Several noble young men behind him snickered quietly.

Ignoring everyone's mockery, Cressida walked straight toward the Royal Huntsman.

"Put down the spear. You don't need to keep holding it up."

"I can't do that," the Royal Huntsman said, deeply wary of Joseph and his group. He lowered his voice. "Miss, this has nothing to do with you. Don't bring trouble on yourself for no reason."

"Why are they making things difficult for you?"

"Ah . . ." The Royal Huntsman sighed and explained.

Earlier, Joseph had brought a group of noble young men to race horses. One of them was clumsy at riding, so the Royal Huntsman had kindly stepped forward to guide him on how to control his horse and manage direction. But the noble felt humiliated and immediately challenged the Royal Huntsman to a duel to settle things. The Royal Huntsman didn't dare offend these young men from prominent families. He could only silently endure their shoving and beating, not daring to show the slightest displeasure. Finally, for their amusement, the group came up with a punishment. They forced the Royal Huntsman to hold up a spear with two buckets of horse manure hanging from it. If the spear touched the ground, they would report him to the authorities and have him stripped of his position. With Joseph backing them, these nobles acted without restraint or limits.

Cressida's face remained calm, but rage surged like waves in her heart.

She had witnessed firsthand the bloody battles and hardships of frontline soldiers. These nobles lounging in Emerald City had no right to humiliate and torment veterans who had fought for their country.

Cressida suddenly turned back, her eyes on Joseph carrying an icy, deadly aura.

Not far away, several noble young men gathered around Joseph, stirring things up.

"I hear Your Highness will soon be engaged to Lady Cressida."

"She can even stand up to the King's Guard. If she marries into your household, Your Highness will probably be controlled by her at every turn."

"Women need to be disciplined. You must suppress her spirit at every opportunity, make her understand that men are in control of everything, and that without a man, she's nothing."

"Your Highness, today is the perfect chance to put her in her place."

Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and agreed completely.

If he couldn't suppress Cressida's sharp edges today, marrying her later would only create more trouble—more loss than gain.

Just as he was about to step forward and make things difficult, Cressida grabbed the spear from the Royal Huntsman's hands and, with a forceful swing, hurled the two buckets of manure toward the group.

"Get out of the way!" The nobles' faces changed dramatically as they scrambled to steer their horses away.

Joseph also turned his horse around in panic, but Cressida's aim was extremely accurate. His expensive robes were instantly stained with large patches of filth, and two nobles behind him who couldn't dodge in time got the manure buckets stuck on their heads and fell straight off their horses.

All the attendants present gasped, and the atmosphere froze instantly.

Joseph dismounted, looking at the dirty stains on his robes. Extreme disgust and anger rose in his heart.

"Cressida!" he shouted furiously, veins bulging at his temples. "How dare you offend me in public?"

Cressida held the spear, her expression cold and composed, without the slightest panic.

"I was only punishing the nobles behind Your Highness who were bullying people. I can only say that Your Highness happened to be standing in front of them."

"You're outrageous! What right do you have to punish others at will? You're acting like a complete lunatic!" Joseph was furious.

Cressida's tone was calm, but each word rang clear and strong.

"I'm standing up for the Royal Huntsman behind me. They deliberately humiliated a veteran who's been to war. Does Your Highness think that's acceptable?"

Several nobles, still shaken, immediately pointed at Cressida and shouted back.

"You dare to defend him? Do you know his past? He was a defeated soldier from the Battle of Ravencrag Pass!"

"Back then, two hundred thousand troops were completely wiped out. Only four were captured alive by Eldoria's enemy forces and later sent back. He was one of them!"

"This kind of person who survived shamefully—what's wrong with us teaching him a lesson? He lived by luck while his comrades died on the battlefield. You're just sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!"

Twenty years ago, Novaria was weak, with scarce military forces, neither elite soldiers nor quality equipment. Eldoria deliberately stirred up border disputes and started a war without cause. Taking advantage of Novaria's weak defenses, they broke through two cities at Ravencrag Pass and ordered a three-day massacre. Historical records showed those three days were filled with rivers of blood and horrific scenes. At the time, the only general the royal family had who could command respect was nearly seventy years old, yet he still accepted the command and led the troops to battle. But the two hundred thousand soldiers he led were slaughtered at Ravencrag Pass, completely defeated, and the general died heroically. Eldoria captured four surviving soldiers and forced them to bring the general's head back to Emerald City as a provocation and humiliation to the Novaria dynasty. King Doyle at the time, to end the war, was forced to give up cities and make repeated compromises.

But in Cressida's eyes, these four soldiers who brought back the general's head were never criminals. If there had been any chance of survival, no one would have wanted to abandon their comrades and live on.

Cressida spoke coldly, each word forceful.

"Only those who've actually been to the battlefield have the right to judge soldiers. You live comfortably in Emerald City, enjoying peace and stability, knowing nothing. You can't see the crisscrossing battle scars on his arms. True cowards never step onto the killing fields. He now keeps his head down and endures because he has to make a living. If he had a choice, he would never give up the chance to kill enemies and serve his country."

The Royal Huntsman, nearly sixty years old, froze instantly, his graying hair swaying gently in the autumn wind. The brutal battles of the past flooded his mind, and tears immediately blurred his eyes. He was filled with guilt and unwillingness. When that battle ended, the sky was dark and gloomy. He and three other surviving comrades had done everything they could to bring back over twenty bodies of their fallen brothers—that was all they could do. He had thought that when the royal family heard about the tragic events at Ravencrag Pass, they would immediately prepare the army and recover the lost territory. But Novaria at that time had weak soldiers, scarce generals, insufficient equipment, and shortage of supplies—they simply had no ability to fight back. They endured humiliation from foreign enemies, full of unwillingness, but could only bear it, powerless to resist.

Joseph stared hard at Cressida, fury surging in his chest.

"You spent just two years at a border fortress and think you understand the brutality of war? Don't think you can act wild using these grand principles. I won't keep indulging you!"

Cressida held the spear horizontally, the tip pointing directly at Joseph, her presence sharp and commanding.

"In that case, I challenge you to combat. The Royal Huntsman was forced to endure humiliation because of insufficient strength—I'll take this match for him. If I lose, I'll kneel here for a full day and apologize to you. If you lose—"

"I ask that you personally put armor on the Royal Huntsman, lead his horse, and parade around the city three times. Your Highness, do you dare accept?"

Joseph froze on the spot.

The autumn wind brushed past Cressida's figure. Her expression was cold, her presence powerful, carrying an intense sense of pressure.

Joseph had seen her fight before and always thought it was just flashy moves. Last time Jason and Rodolfo backed down only because they didn't want to make things bigger. But the powerful aura Cressida displayed now made him not dare to take her lightly. He had wanted to use this opportunity to suppress Cressida's spirit and also show Emily his attitude—he would never develop feelings for Cressida, and even if they married, there would be no harmony.

"Fine, I accept! I've never been afraid of your brother's reputation!" Joseph reached for a spear, ready for battle.

Cressida stepped forward, the deadly aura around her growing stronger.

The Royal Huntsman, afraid she would lose and suffer, quickly tried to stop her.

"Miss, you don't need to take this risk for me. He's royalty—you'll gain nothing."

Cressida glanced back at him, her tone certain.

"It's fine. The heir to Blade of Victory has never backed down from battle."

As her words fell, she walked straight toward Joseph, leaving the Royal Huntsman standing there, completely shocked.

Blade of Victory was a legendary title that everyone in the military knew.

Connecting this with Joseph's earlier mention of "her brother," the Royal Huntsman instantly realized—the young woman before him was actually General Cameron Hamilton's own sister!

Overwhelming excitement swept through him. His back, bent by twenty years of humiliation and hardship, finally straightened. General Hamilton had fought for ten years, crushing Eldoria's arrogance and restoring the backbone and confidence of Novaria's soldiers. All the territory lost at Ravencrag Pass had been personally recovered by General Hamilton's forces.

Joseph swung his spear, creating sharp shadows.

"I'll let you strike first—that way I'm not bullying you."

Before he finished speaking, Cressida had already turned and retreated, breaking into a run.

Everyone present was stunned. The nobles, who had been wary before, saw her turn and run, and immediately mocked her.

"She was so full of herself just now—turns out it was all bluff."

"In the end, she doesn't dare fight you."

The mocking voices suddenly stopped.

Cressida wasn't fleeing in fear. Using the momentum from her run, she stepped on a nearby wall and leaped into the air, turning and swinging her spear. The straight blade, carrying tremendous force, came crashing down toward Joseph. This move was decisive and deadly, showing no mercy.

Joseph's pupils contracted sharply as he hastily raised his spear to block. But Cressida's strength was too powerful. The massive impact forced his knees to bend sharply, nearly making him kneel on the spot. At the same time, his palms split open violently, warm blood instantly flowing out. Joseph's heart filled with shock. He had never imagined a woman could possess such tremendous strength.

Cressida continued pressing down with the spear. The two were extremely close, and Joseph could clearly see the bone-chilling killing intent in her eyes, sharp as a blade. With each inch the spear descended, the coldness in her eyes deepened, as if she wanted to pin him to the ground. Most terrifying was her state—her breathing remained steady and calm throughout, in stark contrast to Joseph's rapid, disordered gasps. In the midst of this intense deadly confrontation, she remained frighteningly calm.

An extreme chill crept up his spine, making Joseph's hair stand on end.

He immediately used the force to pull away, quickly retreating two steps, then turned and leaped onto his horse, planning to create distance and find an opportunity to counterattack. But he never expected Cressida to chase quickly while blowing a short, sharp whistle. Her warhorse Starlight came galloping at the sound, perfectly coordinating with her movements. Without pausing, Cressida grabbed the saddle and flipped onto the horse in one fluid motion, their coordination seamless.

This was General Hamilton's personal warhorse, yet it was completely obedient to her!

Joseph's heart shook violently, his body swaying, nearly falling from his horse. He immediately whipped his horse, trying to escape the tournament grounds. But Starlight's speed far exceeded ordinary horses, catching up to him in an instant. Cressida held her spear, the sharp blade sweeping across Joseph's back.

A light tearing sound.

His robes instantly ripped, the sharp blade cutting through the skin on his back. Sharp pain instantly spread through his body.

Fury blazed in Joseph's heart.

Damn Cressida—she actually dared to try to kill him!