Zhao Changhe could not hear the conversation happening elsewhere, but once he deduced that Hai Qianfan was part of some royal pirate crew, he could understand why Hai Qianfan had left the third leader position open for Lady Three.0

From their perspective, Lady Three’s escape was likely something she and Hai Pinglan had agreed upon. Since they later rejoined under Hai Pinglan, it made sense politically to leave Lady Three’s position vacant and wait for her return. It was a matter of making a statement.0

But just as Lady Three could not understand why they had betrayed her, Hai Pinglan also struggled to grasp their motivation for turning traitor.6

They were once loyalists, unable to accept Lady Three’s mother being unjustly killed, and they had protected the young Lady Three during her escape. When the misunderstanding was later resolved, perhaps they felt they needed to atone, serving Hai Pinglan loyally—raiding and gathering resources—all without fail over the years.0

So why, at the critical moment when Hai Pinglan began his plans to counter the Sea Emperor, did they suddenly betray him?0

“Could it be that...0