The Story of the Stone
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The Story of the Stone is a novel by Barry Hughart, first published in 1988. It is part of a series set in a version of ancient China that began with Bridge of Birds. The story begins on the twelfth day of the seventh moon in the Year of the Serpent 3,339 (A.D. 650).
The abbot of a humble monastery in the Valley of Sorrows calls upon Master Li and Number Ten Ox to investigate the killing of a monk and the theft of a seemingly inconsequential manuscript from its library. Suspicion soon lands on the infamous Laughing Prince Liu Sheng--who has been dead for three millennia. To solve this mystery and others, the incongruous duo will have to travel across China, outwit half-barbarian kings, and saunter into Hell itself. Template:Lit-stub