IMO both hoses are part of the CCV system, and vapors/air should travel in the same direction ALL the time. The manifold pulls crankcase vapors from the front of the valve cover. The crankcase in turn pulls fresh air from the airbox. It's that simple. If anything travels from the rear of the valve cover into the airbox, it's wrong. IMO.
I run an aftermarket cam, which you would think would pull a little less vacuum than a stock cam, and I've never seen any oil from the tube at the back of the valve cover.