--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Master Li, how are we going to murder a…" description: "\"“Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?\" I asked. We are going to experiment , dear boy. Our first order of business will be t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/barry-hughart-19013_alchemy_master-li-how-are-we-going-to-murder-a-m_2319871.png" --- # Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at… ![“Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?" I asked. We are going to experiment , dear boy. Our first order of business will be to find a deranged alchemist, which should not be very difficult. China," said Master Li, "is overstocked with deranged alchemists.” quote by Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/barry-hughart-19013_alchemy_master-li-how-are-we-going-to-murder-a-m_2319871.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/barry-hughart-19013_alchemy_master-li-how-are-we-going-to-murder-a-m_2319871.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/barry-hughart-19013_alchemy_master-li-how-are-we-going-to-murder-a-m_2319871.png) > ““Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?" I asked. We are going to experiment , dear boy. Our first order of business will be to find a deranged alchemist, which should not be very difficult. China," said Master Li, "is overstocked with deranged alchemists.”” [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The protagonists plan a bizarre murder, using absurd logic and exotic characters to satirize adventure tropes. **In simple terms:** A comedic, convoluted plot to mock heroic quests. Key Takeaway Use humor to subvert genre expectations. Themes satire adventure absurdity Mood playful witty Type literary entertaining When to use this quote - role‑playing games - creative writing - improv comedy Key Concepts mythology plot parody Questions to Reflect On - What makes satire effective? - How can you balance absurdity with clarity? A Different Perspective Complex jokes may confuse some audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alchemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) [Axes Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axes-asked-5542178/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Deranged Alchemist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deranged-alchemist-5542176/) [Deranged Alchemists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deranged-alchemists-5542177/) [First Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-order/) [Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaze/) [Laughs Axes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughs-axes-5542179/) [Mad-scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-scientists-115481/) [Master Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-li-3526513/) ## Related quotes > [“Master Li turned bright red while he scorched the air with the Sixty Sequential Sacrileges with which he had won the all-China Freestyle Blasphemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/master-li-turned-bright-red-while-he-scorched-the-air-with-the-sixty/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Ox, at an early age a Chinese genius gazes at the path that lies ahead and reaches for a wine jar," Master Li said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/ox-at-an-early-age-a-chinese-genius-gazes-at-the-path-that-lies-ahead/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“O great and mighty Master Li, pray impart to me the Secret of Wisdom!" he bawled. "Take a large bowl," I said. "Fill it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/o-great-and-mighty-master-li-pray-impart-to-me-the-secret-of-wisdom/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“My mom's a mad scientist. It's a lot like being a regular scientist, except without worrying about legal or moral limitations, and it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-campbell/my-mom-s-a-mad-scientist-it-s-a-lot-like-being-a-regular-scientist/) [Chelsea Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-campbell/) > [“It was almost romantic, in a mad-inventor sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kady-cross/it-was-almost-romantic-in-a-mad-inventor-sort-of-way/) [Kady Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kady-cross/) > [“Sure, some people are afraid of steroids. Some people were afraid of fire, too. Afraid of electricity, or of splitting the atom. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-canseco/sure-some-people-are-afraid-of-steroids-some-people-were-afraid-of/) [José Canseco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-canseco/) ## More by Barry Hughart > [“The mind is a miser," he said. "Nothing is ever thrown away, and it's amazing what you can find if you dig deep enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-mind-is-a-miser-he-said-nothing-is-ever-thrown-away-and-it-s/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [I have never been able to understand why perfectly sensible people waste time being wittily obscure instead of just saying what they want and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-have-never-been-able-to-understand-why-perfectly-sensible-people/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Master Li turned bright red while he scorched the air with the Sixty Sequential Sacrileges with which he had won the all-China Freestyle Blasphemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/master-li-turned-bright-red-while-he-scorched-the-air-with-the-sixty/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow-to-the-corners-of-the-world/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Occasionally a moderately intelligent thought misses a turn and accidentally enters my mind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/occasionally-a-moderately-intelligent-thought-misses-a-turn-and/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Ox, at an early age a Chinese genius gazes at the path that lies ahead and reaches for a wine jar," Master Li said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/ox-at-an-early-age-a-chinese-genius-gazes-at-the-path-that-lies-ahead/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“everybody knows that the soul of a cat is formed from the composite souls of nine debauched nuns who failed in their vows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/everybody-knows-that-the-soul-of-a-cat-is-formed-from-the-composite/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Ox, what occupation is most closely linked to insanity?' 'Emperor,' I said promptly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/ox-what-occupation-is-most-closely-linked-to-insanity-emperor-i-said/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Nothing on the face of this earth - and I do mean nothing - is half so dangerous as a children's story that happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/nothing-on-the-face-of-this-earth-and-i-do-mean-nothing-is-half-so/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Mystery and terror are the bulwarks of tyranny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/mystery-and-terror-are-the-bulwarks-of-tyranny/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [Blessed are the idiots, for they are happiest people on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/blessed-are-the-idiots-for-they-are-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [ “The problem with 'the crown jewel of Chinese literature' \[Dream of the Red Chamber\] is that it has two thousand pages and an equal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-problem-with-the-crown-jewel-of-chinese-literature-dream-of-the/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“...the problem with poetic justice is that it never knows when to stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-problem-with-poetic-justice-is-that-it-never-knows-when-to-stop/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > ['Immortality is only for the gods,' he whispered. 'I wonder how they can stand it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/immortality-is-only-for-the-gods-he-whispered-i-wonder-how-they-can/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Boy, just look at the soul shining through my eyes! It’s like a goddamned flower!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/boy-just-look-at-the-soul-shining-through-my-eyes-it-s-like-a/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) [Explore all 32 Barry Hughart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) ## More Alchemy quotes > [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“...the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-is-only-the-visible-aspect-of-god-and-that-what-alchemy/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Art is Alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-nicolai/art-is-alchemy/) [ELLE NICOLAI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-nicolai/) > [“You must learn to bend to open windows, my friend. That is why artists and dancers are closest to God. They clench their chests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/you-must-learn-to-bend-to-open-windows-my-friend-that-is-why-artists/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Every human being has gone through a tragedy of sorts. And the idea is that you have two paths you can take, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/every-human-being-has-gone-through-a-tragedy-of-sorts-and-the-idea-is/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [“Introspection does not need to be a still life. It can be an active alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/introspection-does-not-need-to-be-a-still-life-it-can-be-an-active/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [ Everybody can close their eyes, picture a dream house or a perfect place \[where\] they'd like to have a picnic. But actually creating it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/everybody-can-close-their-eyes-picture-a-dream-house-or-a-perfect/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“She pushed the book towards them, and Harry and Ron read: The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/she-pushed-the-book-towards-them-and-harry-and-ron-read-the-ancient/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Arya Maloney updates the basis and practice of transpersonal psychology by using the spiritual principles of India's masters and the transformational alchemy inherent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-mindell/arya-maloney-updates-the-basis-and-practice-of-transpersonal/) [Arnold Mindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-mindell/) > [“To follow our bliss and dive deeply into the mysteries of fragrance, color, and taste; blend with the magnificent diversity of mother nature; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prana-gogia/to-follow-our-bliss-and-dive-deeply-into-the-mysteries-of-fragrance/) [Prana Gogia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prana-gogia/) > [ I want to explain the new alchemy \[in the "From Earth, Air, Fire, and Water to a New Vision of Mind and Time"\], which… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/i-want-to-explain-the-new-alchemy-in-the-from-earth-air-fire-and/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [We swung over the hills and over the town and back again, and I saw how a man can be master of a craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/we-swung-over-the-hills-and-over-the-town-and-back-again-and-i-saw/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We find that alchemy has to do with magicians or magic and may even have roots in the Chaldean people who lived in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/we-find-that-alchemy-has-to-do-with-magicians-or-magic-and-may-even/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) [Browse all 349 Alchemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?\" I asked. 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