Vaudevillain - VV4, 53 - Winding Down

In the virtual world, power is what you seek. In reality, it’s the pursuit of truth.

But the game is not actually a game.

Evolution!

- Description from Novelupdates

Xia Changge is a timid and honest cultivator who has practiced for thirty years without even killing a chicken.

His ordinary life changed after he was killed because his fellow Daoist next door went out to seek opportunities, and begged Xia Changge to help take care of his wife and daughter…

Longevity flow, independent family flow.

- Description from novelbuddy

I transmigrated and went through numerous hardships to become an official, but unexpectedly, I was falsely accused by my superior and thrown into prison.Then, I awakened the Eternity Mirror and began the cycle of cultivation. I could solidify my fate with [Dao Fruit], ensuring eternal enlightenment about Tao.Using parallel worlds as a way to avoid calamities, I sought blessings in the real world...In the first life, I joined the Heaven and Earth Society as an important mission to resist the Qing Dynasty. I condensed the fate of [Righteous Thief], performing righteous deeds, striving to conquer my destiny. Faced with threats from the imperial court, there was a chance to seek good luck and avoid misfortune. I also became a disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect's Daoist, learning the art of the Corpse Immortal.I condensed the fate of [Underground Lord], a third-class wandering ghost in the underworld without a ghost register or duties, the beginning of Corpse Immortals...What about the second life? I haven't decided yet...

Ethan Carter was a failed fantasy author who died overworked and bitter. When he wakes up in the world of his own unfinished novel, he finds himself reborn as Darius Wycliffe, a weak and arrogant noble fated to be killed by the protagonist, Lucien Ashford, the Archmage’s Disciple.But Ethan refuses to die so easily. Armed with his knowledge of the world’s secrets and a unique ability to rewrite spells, he dives into the forbidden magic he once created but never fully explored. As he grows stronger, he uncovers terrifying truths about the world he thought he knew.To survive, Ethan must defy destiny, master the deadliest of magics, and challenge the very hero he once wrote to be unbeatable. But what happens when the lines between hero and villain start to blur?