Read Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Novel by Only For You Updated 2025 -26 - Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 3333

Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren) Chapter 3333

Andrew smiled faintly. “You’re right. Harmony Sect is just a group of weak women who can’t offer much help. So tell me, Elder—are you a woman disguised as a man, or something else mixed in among them?”

Giovanni erupted. Only then did he realize he had walked straight into Andrew’s trap. His face flushed deep red as he snapped, “I am a man—not a woman, and certainly not one in disguise.”

Andrew gave a casual shrug. “But just now, Elder, you were the one who said Harmony Sect was nothing but women.”

“You—!” Giovanni was shaking with anger.

Dorothy shot him a sharp look. Even when she was clearly reprimanding him, her gaze still appeared soft and alluring to outsiders—more flirtation than scolding.

Andrew sneered inwardly. Dorothy was undeniably skilled. She wielded her charm effortlessly, weaving it into every word and glance. Unfortunately for her, it didn’t work on him.

“Mr. Lloyd, please forgive my disciple for speaking out of turn,” Dorothy said smoothly, offering Andrew a graceful, apologetic smile. Then she continued, “But as Elder Cantino pointed out, the women of Harmony Sect are not fighters. Even if we wished to help, what could we truly accomplish on the battlefield?”

Andrew’s tone remained calm and even. “Madam Fontaine, you’re selling yourself—and your sect—far too short. Harmony Sect is one of the Eight Ancient Sects. Everyone knows what you’re capable of. There’s really no need for the humility act.”

Dorothy’s smile widened, her eyes locking onto Andrew’s with a glimmer that was anything but subtle. “My, my… To think Mr. Lloyd holds us in such high regard. I’m genuinely flattered.”

The flirtation in her gaze was no longer concealed.

Andrew met her eyes without flinching, without the slightest shift in expression. That unsettled her more than she let on. He was young, sharp, full of energy—and completely unfazed. His reputation, it seemed, was well deserved.

She let out a small sigh, as though reluctantly yielding. “Mr. Lloyd, I know you’re a man who means what he says and doesn’t waste time. Since you’ve come all the way to Harmony Sect, I suppose refusing to stand with Holtrien in its time of crisis isn’t truly an option anymore, is it?”

Andrew simply smiled and said nothing.

His silence irritated her. He didn’t deny it. Didn’t argue. He just sat there, radiating quiet pressure, and she had practically conceded on her own.

Composing herself, Dorothy continued, “That said, Mr. Lloyd, if you want Harmony Sect to join the war effort, there is one condition you must agree to.”

Andrew didn’t hesitate. “Go ahead, Madam Fontaine. If it’s within my power, I won’t back out.”

Her smile deepened, warmer now—and far more deliberate. “It’s quite simple. We ask that you enter into a dual cultivation partnership with Elder Charlotte Easterling. Once that bond is formed between our two sides, Harmony Sect will stand fully under your command.”

Andrew’s brow furrowed slightly as he fell silent.

Eric, however, let out a dry laugh. “So after all that circling around, this is what it comes down to. Madam Fontaine, to put it plainly—you want Andrew to sleep with Elder Easterling. Is that it?”

Dorothy stiffened, visibly caught off guard by his bluntness. Harmony Sect’s dual cultivation was far more structured than that—but the way Eric framed it made it sound crude and transactional, which she clearly disliked.

“I believe you misunderstand,” she replied coolly. “Dual cultivation within Harmony Sect is a legitimate and disciplined martial practice between a man and a woman. Its purpose is to advance cultivation and refine one’s path. It is not as simplistic—or vulgar—as you suggest.”

She added smoothly, “Mr. Lloyd is an exceptional man—truly one in a million across Holtrien. He is precisely the kind of partner our disciples have always aspired to cultivate alongside.”

Eric remained unmoved. She could dress it up however she liked—the core of it didn’t change. And she didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.

From across the hall, Valerie, Rowan, and Nyx spoke at the exact same moment, their voices cold and firm.

“We don’t agree to that.”

The words hit like a brick wall.

In an instant, the entire room went still, and the atmosphere turned razor-sharp with tension.