conscious autism

"Oh, Auntie suffered a severe head injury and intense mental trauma, leading to a self-imposed consciousness shutdown."

Gao Jian sighed softly and slowly explained.

"Consciousness shutdown?"

Gao Ming furrowed his brows slightly.

"Yes, it's like a mental death, where consciousness retreats and hides in the deep recesses of her mind. She cannot accept any external information, but her physical condition is normal."

Gao Jian hesitated for a moment before providing the explanation.

A tear welled up in the corner of Gao Ming's eye. He knew the reasons behind Li Qing's condition, with the head injury being just part of it. The main factor was the mental trauma. He felt a stronger hatred towards Gao Xiao for causing this. A surge of intense emotion emanated from him, a powerful killing intent that startled the two maidservants, Gao Ying, and even Gao Jian. Gao Jian, despite being accustomed to the extraordinary, couldn't help but be amazed by the strength of this killing intent.

Suddenly, Gao Ming thought of another question. He calmed down, reined in the uncontrolled emotions from before, and asked Gao Jian, "Can my mother's condition be treated?"

"I don't know, but you can ask Father. He should have more information."

Gao Jian shook his head.

Gao Ming fell into silence, squatting in front of Li Qing. He reached out and held Li Qing's tender hands, feeling a profound connection that resonated with his soul. He watched Li Qing in silence, captivated by the moment.

On the side, Gao Jian gestured for the two maidservants, who were still kneeling, to withdraw. Then, he led Gao Ying away from the courtyard. He knew Gao Ming would want to be alone with Li Qing.

Soon, the courtyard regained its tranquility.

After a while, Gao Ming stood up. He called the two maidservants over and instructed them to take good care of Li Qing before leaving the courtyard.

He intended to find Gao Bo and inquire about the methods to treat Li Qing. He didn't want Li Qing to live forever in this unconscious state. Now that he had awakened as an Esper, he wished to share this news with her. He knew Li Qing would be overjoyed to hear it.

Encountering the respectful gazes from the underground residents, Gao Ming felt the difference in status brought about by his identity as an Esper. In the past, he didn't even have the qualification to enter this place. But now, he had become a revered Esper. The change was like night and day.

When Gao Ming met Gao Bo and was about to inquire, Gao Bo seemed to anticipate his questions. He dismissed the people around and gestured for him to sit down. Then he said, "I know what you want to ask. Your mother's condition can be treated, but curing her completely is challenging. At least, within our Gao Clan, no one has the ability to fully heal her."

"So..."

Gao Bo waved his hand to stop Gao Ming from speaking, shaking his head. "Although there are special psychic Esper from external clans who can treat your mother's consciousness shutdown syndrome, the possibility of bringing them here is almost non-existent. These special psychic Espers are extremely rare, even rarer than awakened masters. From what I know, in the entire Yanzhou region, there are probably less than ten such Espers, and they are all hidden by the Li Clan. Gao Ming, you should understand what I mean!"

Gao Ming looked dumbfounded. Did this mean there was no chance for Li Qing to recover?

"Does that mean there's no other way?"

Gao Bo pondered for a moment and said, "There is, but the chances of recovery are slim. However, it's not impossible. If the closest family member uses psychic communication and calls out, it might awaken the consciousness in self-imposed isolation. This process requires persistent effort, and it must be done by an Esper. Gao Ming, you currently have no understanding of psychic abilities. It would be counterproductive to use this crude method at the moment. First, you need to systematically learn about psychic abilities. Starting tomorrow, you'll go to the clan's psychic training camp to learn. This way, you can master psychic abilities as soon as possible."

Gao Ming nodded. As long as there was a way, that was enough. There's a saying: with enough effort, even an iron rod can be ground down into a needle.

With this consideration in mind, Gao Ming's melancholy expression gradually faded. Gao Bo observed his son's performance and seemed quite satisfied. Without this Esper awakening, he probably wouldn't have known about this son. Unfortunately, with so many concubines and offspring, aside from the legitimate children born by the principal wife and the offspring who awakened as Espers, the others lived in secluded quarters and were rarely seen. There was no father-child relationship.

For Gao Bo and Gao Ming, aside from a bit of blood relationship, there was no sense of father-son bond. If not for Gao Ming's Esper awakening, their relationship would be as unfamiliar as strangers, and they might never have met.

This situation, compared to the cold treatment of concubines, princes, and princesses in the ancient palace, was far more miserable. At least they had the royal family's support for their entire lives, ensuring a carefree existence. But for Gao Bo's concubines, once their children reached adulthood and their psychic abilities didn't awaken, they would be expelled from the clan, falling into a positionless, helpless life as commoners.

Now that he had the answers he sought, Gao Ming quickly left and returned to his residence.

This time, after Gao Ming's Esper awakening, the clan not only allocated a courtyard for him in the main courtyard but also assigned a maid and two male servants to assist him. In addition to that, there were additional rewards for the coming-of-age ceremony, including an estate, a workshop, five hundred mu of fertile land, and a considerable amount of energy currency.

It must be said that this world is so realistic. Just yesterday, he was a poor creature with no bright future and a humble status. Today, he had become a high-status Esper. Yesterday, he was troubled by life; today, he was worth a fortune.

All of this was due to the earth-shaking changes brought about by Esper abilities.

As Gao Ming was contemplating these changes, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. A clear voice followed, "Young Master, it's dinner time. The Master has sent someone to invite Young Master for dinner!"

Gao Ming walked out of the room, seeing his maid, Ling Ping, waiting for him, accompanied by a male servant.

"Ling Ping, what's going on?"

Ling Ping shifted her gaze to the male servant behind her, and the male servant stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Gaoming, it's a rule in the clan to have dinner together every day."

Gao Ming nodded and said, "Alright, lead the way!"

The male servant walked ahead to guide the way, and Ling Ping, the personal maid, naturally followed Gao Ming.

When they arrived at the dining hall, they saw a long dining table in the middle, surrounded by seventeen chairs. On the right side of a short table sat Gao Bo and his wife, and on the left side sat an elderly couple, the man appearing to be in his fifties or sixties with a sharp and imposing demeanor. Looking at Gao Ming, one could only describe him as profound and unfathomable.

The woman seemed to be in her thirties, but judging by the age of the man, it was certain she was not young. Nevertheless, she was well-maintained, with fair skin and a rosy complexion, resembling a charming older woman. One could imagine that in her youth, she must have been a stunning beauty. In terms of appearance and temperament, she did not lose a bit to Gao Yu. These two should be the clan leader, Gao Meng, and his wife.