CHAPTER 188: CHAPTER 188: ABILITIES BORDERING ON BEING DIVINE

Eight Days Later

At the east gate of Ironhold, a cavalryman rushed forward at great speed under the afternoon sun.

His horse kicked up clouds of dust that hung in the still air as hooves pounded the dry earth. He waved the imperial banner with urgency that caught every eye on the walls and roads.

He finally stopped at the city gate and shouted with a voice hoarse from days of continuous riding, "Urgent report from the border! Open the city gates immediately for imperial business!"

"It is an imperial messenger!" someone on the wall recognized the banner and insignia at once.

The gatekeepers immediately opened the city gates without the usual inspections that would have delayed entry.

They first sent men to drive away the common people crowding the entrance who had been waiting to pass through, and then allowed the messenger to enter with clear passage.

The citizens made way for the cavalryman without complaint, parting like water before a ship cutting through waves.

At this moment in the magistrate’s study, the Emperor was frowning constantly as he paced the room.

He felt increasingly anxious about the lack of information these days.

Eight days had already passed since he sent out the urgent orders to multiple locations.

Why had they not heard anything yet from any source or station along the routes?

The silence itself was beginning to feel ominous and heavy with dark implication.

The Emperor turned to look at County Magistrate Sai with searching eyes. "Do you genuinely think there are such people who can know the affairs of the world without ever leaving their homes, just by analyzing these small observations and patterns?"

Magistrate Sai replied respectfully, "I do not know for certain, Your Majesty."

But seeing the displeasure beginning to form on the Emperor’s face, he quickly added with more confidence, "However, the thing I do know is that news should arrive from the border soon given the time that has passed.

At that time we will know the truth of the matter beyond any doubt."

At this precise moment, there was a sharp knock on the door outside the study that made both men turn.

The Emperor commanded with authority, "Enter."

"Reporting to Your Majesty!" a voice called out urgently.

"Urgent report from the border has arrived!"

"These are the sealed documents sent by fastest courier!"

A dusty soldier entered the room with mud still on his boots. He knelt on one knee and quickly presented the sealed bamboo documents with both hands raised high.

The Emperor’s hands trembled visibly as he broke the seal and read the contents with growing intensity.

Then he handed the documents to Magistrate Sai without a word, his face unreadable.

After reading them carefully, Sai could not help but swallow hard as his throat went dry.

Clearly he was deeply shaken by the content he had just absorbed.

The documents described exactly the situation that Alex had predicted with almost no variation in details.

The Lesser Khan’s territory was suffering from severe drought, and the news had been confirmed by multiple independent reports from different scouts.

The casualties among cattle and sheep exceeded three hundred thousand animals according to careful counts.

The northern canal had dried up just as Alex predicted, leaving only cracked mud where water once flowed.

The land was severely barren and growing worse by the day. Large scale migration of people to the Central Plains was happening precisely because of these conditions.

"This is incredibly accurate..." Sai whispered in disbelief. "Almost the exact situation he described down to specific details."

The Emperor took several deep breaths to calm himself before addressing the cavalry messenger still kneeling. "Is this information completely accurate and verified by multiple sources?"

The cavalryman remained kneeling with his head bowed. "Your Majesty, the sealed documents have never been opened after passing through dozens of postal stations along the route. The message is accurate and the seals were unbroken until you opened them just now."

"Very well. You may step down and rest from your journey."

"Take a reward of seven hundred gold taels for your swift service to the nation."

The cavalryman kowtowed deeply with genuine gratitude. He thanked the Emperor for his great favor and generous reward, then left the room walking backward respectfully.

The Emperor sighed deeply as he turned to look at Sai with an expression of genuine wonder mixed with concern.

"There truly are hidden talents among the common people of our dynasty! I never imagined our empire would possess such a talent capable of this level of insight."

County Magistrate Sai seized the moment to strengthen his position. "Your Majesty, Young Master Alex is indeed a man of extraordinary talent beyond normal understanding.

Whether solving Ironhold’s drought through his methods or predicting events thousands of miles away with such precision... I cannot comprehend how he accomplished these things. His methods border on the edge of being divine in nature."

The Emperor put his hands behind his back and stood gazing out the window, lost in thought.

How could anyone observe events thousands of miles away and predict them so accurately without supernatural assistance?

If he did not know with certainty that Alex had always been in Ironhold during this entire period, he would genuinely think Alex came from the Khan’s territory directly and had witnessed these things himself!

After a long moment of heavy silence, the Emperor could not help but sigh deeply. "This man Alex is truly remarkable indeed, perhaps the most remarkable subject I have encountered."

He turned back to face Sai directly. "But do you think there really are gods in this world who guide such men?"

"Your Majesty, there should not be actual gods in this world according to reason and logic," Sai replied respectfully while carefully adding diplomatic flattery to cushion his words.

"However, if they do exist in any form, they would certainly be divine beings sent by Heaven itself to assist you in governing wisely."

"Indeed, that interpretation pleases me."

The Emperor seemed to have thought of something important and urgent. "Prepare writing materials for me immediately. I must send word to the capital without delay."