These are tales of a China that never was, with Master Li in a Holmesian role and Number Ten Ox as his attendant Watson.

The historical fantasy trilogy is much like "wandering blindfolded through a myth devised by a maniac," in the words of Master Li, the greatest and most frequently intoxicated wise man in a colorful seventh century "China that never was." Their adventures pit them against everyone from murderers and thieves to emperors and gods. Numerous Chinese legends, filtered through Ox's simple perspective, blend seamlessly into both lighthearted and heartrending.