Banana Leaf Village is a secluded small mountain village, and the arrival of a Great Mage at the village's Magic Temple spread throughout the village early in just a few days.
The villagers, mostly medicinal farmers, viewed the Magic Temple as an unreachable existence.
Banana Leaf Village was too small, and the pharmacists capable of concocting medicine for treating diseases were unwilling to stay; thus, the magicians of the Magic Temple took on the responsibility for basic treatments.
The previous magician stationed at the Banana Leaf Temple, due to old age, had to retire and return to his hometown, and the newly arrived Great Mage took over the Banana Leaf Temple.
On the day the Great Mage arrived, an announcement was made to recruit a Medicine Gathering Boy.
The position of Medicine Gathering Boy at the Magic Temple was a highly coveted one, not only providing contact with various medicinal herbs and even knowledge of alchemy, but also allowing one to serve the newly arrived Great Mage, with remuneration of twenty copper coins which equals to two silver coins per month.
In the eyes of the simple villagers, if their child could be chosen, it would be a most auspicious event worthy of their ancestors.
Although the village chief recommended Yun Sheng, the villagers' enthusiasm was too strong, and each one was eager to send their child into the Magic Temple.
In the end, the village chief had no choice but to discuss with the Magic Temple and post a notice for selecting a Medicine Gathering Boy, and it was displayed under the notice board at the entrance of the village.
The content of the notice was as follows: Banana Leaf Temple is now recruiting one Medicine Gathering Boy, age range from six to thirteen years old, gender not specified, must have the ability to identify medicinal herbs and experience in gathering herbs. All children who are interested in participating in the selection must gather outside the Banana Leaf Temple on the day of the assessment, to be screened by the newly arrived Great Mage Yang of the Magic Temple.
On the day of the assessment, Yun Sheng rose early in the morning, cooked breakfast, then walked to Yun Canghai's couch.
"Father, today I'm going to the Magic Temple to participate in the selection for the Elixir Medicine Boy," Yun Sheng said with a hint of hope, the assessment for the Medicine Gathering Boy felt as momentous as taking the college entrance exam back in the day.
Yun Canghai seemed not to hear and continued to sleep on.
Although Yun Sheng knew the outcome would be as expected, a trace of disappointment still flickered in her eyes, "Then Sheng'er will go first, I will definitely become the Medicine Gathering Boy."
Listening to Yun Sheng gently walking out, tranquility returned to the room.
Yun Canghai suddenly sat up, lost in thought.
Yun Sheng arrived at the Banana Leaf Temple, where the temple was bustling with activity, a scene no less lively than the annual Magic Enlightenment event.
Banana Leaf Village was a medium-sized village with over three hundred households, and today, at least a hundred households had gathered in front of the Magic Temple.
Some of these people had come to watch the excitement, while most were accompanying their children to participate in the selection for the Medicine Gathering Boy.
The reason for this spectacle lay within the Magic Temple, with the arrival of the new Great Mage.
In the eyes of villagers who hardly left their home even once in their lifetime, the village chief who was a magician and the old temple magician were already incredibly impressive, and now a Great Mage had arrived, naturally attracting a large crowd of onlookers.
However, Yun Sheng was surprised to see many unfamiliar faces among those waiting in line, clearly people from neighboring villages.
Why were there people from other villages coming to participate in the Medicine Gathering Boy selection of Banana Leaf Temple?
Among them, there were even people from Huoyan Village.
The village chief noticed that people from other villages were also coming to participate in the selection.
When posting the notice, he inadvertently forgot to specify that only villagers of Banana Leaf Village were eligible to participate in this selection for the Medicine Gathering Boy.
Good fortune should not flow into the fields of outsiders; naturally, the selection of the Medicine Gathering Boy for the Banana Leaf Temple should choose someone from the village.
Not to mention, Huoyan Village was a sworn enemy of Banana Leaf Village.
Huoyan Village was adjacent to Banana Leaf Village, and both villages relied on the cultivation of Blood Stopping Flowers for their livelihood.
Unlike the simple folk customs of Banana Leaf Village, the people of Huoyan Village were fierce and unreasonable. The village chief of Huoyan Village was also a Magician skilled in Fire Magic, and years ago, their village had produced a martial master equivalent to a Great Magic Director, emboldening them even further.
At the medicine market, they often suppressed the trade of Banana Leaf Village's medicinal herbs.
"Gentlemen, the selection at the Banana Leaf Temple is only for children from our village. Please leave this place," the village chief politely requested several children, around the age of ten, to depart.
Among these children was a girl around seven or eight years old, rather bright-looking, surrounded by several villagers from Huoyan Village.
She was Ding Lei, the granddaughter of the village chief of Huoyan Village.
"Your announcement didn't specifically state that children from other villages were not welcomed. We got up early, crossed over two mountains, and have now come to Banana Leaf Village. Now you're asking us to leave? We won't leave," Ding Lei, though young, was spoiled since a child, and with the backing of being the granddaughter of Huoyan Village's village chief, she was defiant and fearless.
What a joke, she had already inquired that this Great Mage Yang from Banana Leaf Temple was not only adept at magic but also skilled in crafting various medicinal concoctions.
It's just too bad that for some reason he took the initiative to come to Banana Leaf Village. Otherwise, she would not have had to go through this trouble of bringing a group of villagers here.
No sooner had Ding Lei spoken than the villagers and children from Huoyan Village around her started creating a commotion.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Ding Lei clamored, "It must be because you folks from Banana Leaf Village can't admit defeat. My family has been planting medicinal herbs for generations, and I am a Magic Apprentice. If you want to drive me away, find someone to compare with me. If anyone is stronger than me, we'll leave; otherwise, no one will think of driving us away."
Upon hearing that Ding Lei's family had been planting medicinal herbs for generations and that she was also a Magic Apprentice, the villagers of Banana Leaf Village immediately lost their nerve.
A Magic Apprentice who was also proficient in medicinal herbs, and only seven or eight years old at that—such a child would not emerge from the two villages combined even in a span of ten years.
Moreover, the village chief of Huoyan Village was notoriously vengeful. Crossing Ding Lei would surely end badly. With that in mind, no one dared to step forward.
Seeing this, the village chief furrowed his brow.
"What, no one dares to come forward and compete with me? Banana Leaf Village is no more than this, all a bunch of cowards. It seems we don't need to compete today. The title of Medicine Gathering Boy belongs to me," Ding Lei, full of arrogance, looked around her.
"Who says Banana Leaf Village has no one? It's just a comparison of medicinal herbs, I'll compete with you," a crisp childlike voice suddenly interrupted Ding Lei's ears.
An unpretentious six-year-old girl emerged from the crowd.
She wasn't tall, with a delicate appearance, and her pitch-black eyes made her seem full of spiritual energy.
It was Yun Sheng!
The village chief's face relaxed upon seeing her, as he had been genuinely worried that no one would dare to compete with Ding Lei.
"You?" Ding Lei sized up the girl before her, noticing she was younger and worse dressed, yet her demeanor was not that of an ordinary shy child.
For a moment, Ding Lei could not figure out Yun Sheng's true status.
One of the villagers from Huoyan Village immediately whispered a few words into Ding Lei's ear.
After listening, Ding Lei's face showed arrogant contempt, "Turns out to be the daughter of a fake Mage, a waste who cannot perceive the Magic Elements. What qualifications do you have to compete with me? Get lost."
"Today's recruitment is for a Medicine Gathering Boy, not a Magic Apprentice," a lazy male voice came from the direction of the Temple.
The villagers looked up to see that the doors of the Banana Leaf Temple had already opened, and a young man in dark clothes emerged.